Warm fall and Zappa bonding

It's been so warm the trees are barely turning color.

We have been having fabulous fall weather as of lately, especially for living in Northern Lower Michigan.  Sunny skies, 60ish degrees, walking around in a sweatshirt and jeans.  Love it!!  It has been great weather to finish getting ready for winter.  A chore that never seems to end.  Hubby, Mark and I started quite early this year and yet here we still are trying to tie up all the loose ends.  It takes a lot of prep work living in a northern climate with lots of snow and cold for the winters.

Because of the wonderful temperatures and being so busy, I haven't spent as much time on the computer as usual, other than to stay up on your blogs.  I feel like I've got stories popping out my head with no time to write them down.  :)

I took Zappa to the park the other day.  I haven't been to the park with a dog in a couple of years, so we were due.  I wanted to take Zappa because we are really beginning to bond and I thought it would be special to take him first.

It was a fantastic experience!  With such beautiful weather and having the whole park to ourselves, it was the serenity I'd been searching to find.  I love everything about this park and walking its trails, it was so calming.  It is actually a sports park, with soccer and baseball diamonds, with trails that lead to state land.  I don't know what it is about this place but I would love to relocate it to my backyard.  :)

Maybe it was just the peace of walking through the trees with Zappa and Brut's spirit.  I felt Brut's presence all around us.  In the air, the trees and the sky.  I have so many good memories connected with Brut at this park, from the time he was a wee little thing.  Zappa and I walk like two little kids when we are together as we are on a strange and wonderful relationship after the loss of his dad.  Both of us living in the shadow of Brut, now we are taking on our center stage and we are doing it together.  Sometimes he gives me this look that says, "I can't believe this is happening!"  Honestly neither can I.  Zappa has always been Daddy's dog and Brut was mine.  Zappa and my love was kind of under the table.  And I'll be the first to admit that I've been more than upset with Zappa pushing Brut to the limit, egging him on to fight.  Not that Brut needed a reason to fight...and Zappa isn't no dummy.  I haven't always liked Zappa because of his behavior with Brut and his big mouth, barking about everything, but I've come to great peace about all of these things and each day we get a step closer to each other with the wonderment of a child's heart.  We are on a whole new journey of discovery and that is just awesome!