Being a dog owner, sometimes means dragging yourself out on a Saturday, when you’re feeling a tad lazy. Amber, our Labrador, NEVER feels like this. Even the mere mention of the ‘W-A-L-K’ word sends her whizzing around the kitchen like a spinning-top. It’s such a blessing to have an enthusiastic dog to drag me out of that front door, reminding me to lay aside my busy-ness for a fraction of the day – and just be! It can be hard to get going at times. There are often a-hundred-and-one things I feel I ought to be doing instead, but I never ever regret it! And sometimes it even leads to little poems – like this one.

WOODLAND WALK

The wildness of the wood,
It always does me good.
The dappled light,
The green,
The gold that slips between,
The fresh and earthy smell,
The feeling all is well.

A calmness in my mind,
As aching limbs unwind,
Enveloped in the green,
No chores, no crowds, no screen.
A pause within my day,
A chance to think and pray.

Away from city rush,
A place that whispers: 'hush!
It's good to stroll and talk."
This wondrous woodland walk.