Zen & the Art of Dog Walking in Big Canoe’s Disharoon Valley!
Daily Exploration is good for the heart and soul
“Whose woods these are, I think I know…”
Robert Frost
When I ventured out this morning to walk the dogs I was greeted by a damp misty morning. The pups were frisky and pounced in the leaves but there was something even more invigorating in the air. It was only 7AM but somewhere in the valley someone had a fire burning. The smoke from the fire was inviting but the smell of bacon sealed the deal! (You all know how much I love bacon) My quiet little street is filling up with families and visitors looking forward to Christmas. If I were wearing something other than my fuzzy polka-dotted PJ’s I would have explored the street further to see the latest neighbor arrivals.
Trout Lily Trail is not your average street. I live deep in the Disharoon Valley in Big Canoe and most of the time we have the street to ourselves. Most of my neighbors just refer to me as The Waver since I’m always outside with the kids, dogs, or just sitting on the front porch by myself writing. Living in the thick of it , invokes a total sense of decompression. All inhibitions are left at the gates and though there is plenty of work to be done inside the house it can all wait until the dogs are walked and I have had my serenity therapy!
I can’t help but to smile walking the pups at night also because all the mountain cottages are lit up and you can faintly hear happy visitors laughing out on their porches. The evenings are even more interesting than the days for the pups. If the moon isn’t out it is pitch dark where you can not even see your hand in front of your face. But when the moon is full you can play baseball in the streets (Though I do reccomend playing it with a square ball so you don’t have to keep chasing it down the hill!) On a cloud free evening, moon or no moon, you can see every star in the sky. Sometimes they get all worked up over a crunch they heard in the woods. Most of the time it’s a possum or a deer, but they like to think it is some great beast that they need to protect me from.
When considering Big Canoe homes for sale, keep in mind that you are moving here for a reason. Most of you tell me that you want elbow room, a view, and to feel like you’re a million miles away. After 4 years of living here I can just about guarantee you’ll find it here. It’s just a matter of choosing the right house to hang the dog leashes!
Happy dog walking!
~Karin
December 17th, 2008 at 12:40 am
That is a proud looking animal in the picture. Is that a border collie ?
December 17th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Oh, Karin…you are making me miss it! I can’t wait to get back.
Your last two photos have had white stuff on the ground. Were they from last year, frost or was there precipitation?
Kel
December 17th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I have said, that buried some place deep in the closing papers for big Canoe, is the sentence, “Must have dog.”
And I love your description of the lights in the houses. I so often feel that way. They give off such a warm inviting light. And the voices waft across the valley with a laugh tinkling here and there. Makes me even more thankful we are here. Mimi
December 17th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Hey Kelli,
This pic was from the snow a few weeks ago. I just popped this one of Dom and EJ up because it was so perfect for this post.
PS Your house is missing you! Will you be up for New Years? I have friends coming with their 4 kids! Things should be hopping on Trout Lily! C’mon up!
December 17th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Mimi,
I think you are right about the doggie clause! That’s why Big Canoe Animal Rescue is so successful. Most of the dogs just get adopted internally!