Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Splashing With Benny

July was a record-breaker as far as rainfall goes. Several times during the course of the month, creeks swelled and flooded their banks. A few of those times, we would witness fish which were stranded in puddles when those waters receded. Some were easy to scoop up and toss into the nearby water where they belonged (which Frank made a point of doing), and some which were more elusive, were left to perish when the puddle would evaporate in the hot sun.

Our usual evening walk takes us along a path which roughly follows the creek. Following a particularly torrential downpour, the skies cleared and the sun glinted off of the rain-soaked creek. As Frank, Benny and I made our way along a low-lying part of the walk, the path disappeared under water.



Frank was willing to turn back and call it a walk but Benny was still raring to go.



I opted to kick off my shoes and socks, leave them with Frank and see how far along we could get.

If you've been following Benny's antics from other blog posts, you'll know that in his wonderful doggie mind, moving water is a challenge.



As he noticed the current...



...and the splashes from my own footsteps, he had to have them.



And of course I had to oblige by kicking water at him.



We continued like this along the path until we came to a dip in the valley. The water was a bit deeper here, which would have been fine since we were both already soaking wet, but the rain had washed a lot more of the mud along with it, making for very slippery footing.




I wasn't willing to sacrifice my camera, so we turned back toward home.

Kicking and splashing in the water with Benny that day seemed to be a perfect tension-breaker. It had been a particularly stressful week and for that day, much of it dissipated each time my feet made contact with the water.

A few days later, I read this post by my bloggie buddy, Suldog. It tells of the emotions and wonder we felt as children when we explored and discovered the joy of learning by playing. The mood of his post instantly brought to mind the memory of this recent walk through the puddles. I hope you'll read it, and become a Suldog fan too.

48 comments:

Michele said...

It's amazing, my side of the world was a record heat wave with no rain. Temps in the low 30 C (100 F) so to see this much water is nice and to see Benny having so much fun with the water makes me smile! He definitely enjoys it and I swear you can see him smiling! Great set of photos! I will go and read Suldog's post as well.
~Michele~
Mountain Retreat

Daryl said...

I love how Benny loves water ... he and our cat Gus would have fun together .. Gus likes to splash the water from his bowl .. he never tires of making puddles on the floor ...

:-Daryl

SandraRee said...

From one fan to another, I agree, that was a wonderful post that Suldog wrote! And how great you could put it into action! Lovely post Hilary! :)

gary rith said...

I love your posts!

Leah J. Utas said...

I felt relaxed just reading it.

Pat - Arkansas said...

Lovely post and photos. I love your Benny-tales. Today's post makes me want to roll up my pants legs and stomp in some puddles. :)

Travis Erwin said...

We've been extra rainy as well but our lakes and creeks were so dry that there hasn't been much runoff.

Cedar said...

What is that song about Muddy Waters?

You need a pair of Crocs so you don't have to worry about what you are stepping on under those muddy waters. There could be gators or something.

I love that dog.

Anonymous said...

Hilary -- I went and read Suldog's post on playing in the rain -- it was great! Thanks for recommending it.

This looked like fun too, but I'm not sure I'd be as brave as you were. I would be afraid of creepy crawly things in that water. And, Suldog's right -- I would NEVER have thought about that when I was a kid.

Louise said...

It looks like so much fun. I would have stopped at the deeper water, too, but more because I'd be afraid of what other slimy things might be residing there.

I can totally relate to each step in the water relieving tension.

Russell said...

Good to see Benny back in the lime light!! Heh! You and Benny were quite adventurous to go through that water! I would have been thinking about such things as glass, nails, pieces of metal, etc.!! Maybe not. I'm not sure, but I enjoyed following you and Benny along that water path.

It has been pretty wet in Iowa, too, this summer and spring. We are still mowing lawns and usually this time of year the lawns are brown.

Take care and give Benny a special treat!

Reb said...

Great post Hilary. I went and read Suldogs too. I would have wondered for a few minutes about glass and other things on the path and then shrugged and gone ahead anyway. Benny was sure having fun...lovely photos. I don't blame you for not wanting to risk your camera though.

Woman in a Window said...

Sometimes when we just allow ourselves to get a little dirty, get a little wet, it breaks down so many walls, doesn't it?

Would that be Suldog's post about playing in the rain? Loved it!

RiverPoet said...

Benny is awesome! And send us some of that rain, why don't you? My yard is crunchy.

Peace - D

Hilary said...

* Thanks very much, Michele. I hope you get some rain there soon. You think Benny can smile, eh? You're probably right. Thanks for stopping by. :)

* Gus sure sounds like a character, Daryl. I used to have a cat who would ask to run the faucet lightly so she could play in and drink the water. Thanks for stopping by. :)

* Thanks very much, Sandra. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

* Thank you, Gary. Much appreciated. :)

* Good to hear, Leah. Thanks muchly. :)

* Go for it, Pat.. stomp away! Thanks for stopping by. :)

* Sounds like the rain was very much needed out your way, Travis. Thanks for the visit. :)

* Thanks, Cedar. I actually briefly considered getting Crocs the other day, then I got over it. ;) I'm glad you're enjoying Benny.

* Thanks, Addhumourandfaith. I'm glad you popped over to Sully's blog and enjoyed. I wasn't too concerned about what might have been under the water. I walk those paths all the time and they're clear. The water would have come from the creek, and washed over the banks which are quite natural and uncluttered. It was quite clean underfoot. Thanks for the visit. :)

* Thanks for stopping by, Louise. I'm glad you liked and could relate to the post. :)

* Thanks very much, Russell. I'll give Benny a little scratch behind the ears for you. ;)

* Thanks, Reb. I'm glad you would have moved along too. We'd have had a blast together. Thanks for stopping by. :)

* You're quite right, WIAW.. on both accounts. Thanks for the visit. :)

* Thanks, Riverpoet. On its way.. the rain, not Benny. ;)

Jo said...

Omigosh, Hilary, you've been getting almost more rain that we have in Vancouver! That looks wet!

Benny is quite a character. I used to have a Scottie dog that loved diving off diving boards. And she would swim to shore, climb back up, and dive off again. Dogs are funny things, aren't they?

Kat said...

Wow! All that water! The path looked like a stream.
But it really does look like the perfect way to release some stress. :)

the Bag Lady said...

Oh, how much fun! Benny is such a good influence on you!! Brings out the kid in all of us.
Thanks for this post. It's been terribly dry here, and it was nice to see that water!

Mental P Mama said...

Those are fun shots...I love that Benny!

Indrani said...

Tempting. I too want to jump on puddles and splash around. It is raining heavily i this side of the world too.
Great photos too!

Suldog said...

My goodness, Hilary! Thank you for the love, and for sending folks my way.

As usual, great photos. Your art makes me very much want to live where you do. I think I could be amused for months on end, just walking around.

Jo said...

I'm glad Benny lured you into playing in puddles--your whole post made me smile.

Shonda Little said...

We got a lot of rain at the first of August way down here in Oklahoma.

Hilary said...

* Josie, that was last month. This month has been a bit drier. We'll have to see what September brings. I agree totally. Dogs are incredibly funny little characters. :)

* It sure was, Kathryn. I highly recommend it! Thanks for stopping by. :)

* Thanks, Baggie. Yes, Benny has a way about him that evokes playfulness. He's one fun puppy. Thanks for the visit. :)

* Thanks, Mama P. He's a keeper, eh? :)

* Thank you, Indrani. Head out to your nearest puddle and stomp. You won't regret it. ;) Thanks for stopping by.

* Thanks so much for the kind words, Sully. I'll trade you for Boston anytime.. for a little while anyway. It's one of my favourite cities and is very kind to cameras. Thanks for the visit. :)

* Thanks, Jo. He has a way of encouraging silliness and smiles. I'm glad yours was one of them. :)

* Welcome, Shonda and thanks for the visit. I hope the rain has settled by now. :)

Shammickite said...

That Benny, he's such a born entertainer!
Is that path in Mississauga or in Bowmanville? I've walked along the path by the river in B'ville with YoungerSon and DIL, wondered if it was the same place.

Anonymous said...

I love your writing and must look at anyone you send us to! Glad the week had a relaxing moment for you somewhere!

Cath said...

Already very much a Suldog fan, and a Hilary, Benny and Frank fan! (Frank will NOT like the order of that methinks! lol)

I think everyone has been a bit "out of sorts" to some extent. A number of people have mentioned it. I have felt the same. But walks like that do break that feeling a little. Glad you got a good splash.

And wow - you got some great shots whilst trying to balance and hold on to Benny! Well done.

Dianne said...

I love the shot of Benny with one paw arched as if to test the water temps or to launch into a ballet.

Love the shot of the bench surrounded by water. I love all your photos :)

and anything Benny!

just jamie said...

Okay Benny cracks me up. Love those shots.

Frank Baron said...

Jeepers! I'm glad Ben can't read! In no time at all he'd be wearing sunglasses and refusing to give autographs.

;)

I had fun watching you two have fun. :)

david mcmahon said...

We all need to walk thru puddles. Each of us has a puddle with our name on it.

Guess what - I'm in the same country as you!! Not much internet access, but here I am .....

Tricia said...

That looks like a wonderful walk. Somewhere along the path to adult-hood, we do too often forget to take our shoes off.

Crabby McSlacker said...

Gorgeous photos, I love the light. And those pics of Benny splashing ALMOST make me want to get a dog! Looks like a great day.

Hilary said...

• Shammy, that's the B'ville Creek. There's more than one creek in B'ville, but I'll bet this is the same one. If you ever see a JRT rolling in fish and an exasperated person or two in tow, you'll know that's Benny and his people. ;) Thanks for stopping by.

• Thanks very much, Amy. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks for the kind words, Cath. I'm sure Frank is used to the pecking order.. Benny often gets more attention than he does. ;)

• Thanks so much, Dianne. Benny does tend to increase his fan club membership whenever he makes an appearance. And you're right about his launching into ballet. He's got the moves! ;)

• Thanks muchly, Jamie. :)

• Yup, Frank. His wee head would be swollen in no time. Thanks for guarding my socks and shoes but next time just join us. ;)

• Welcome back to Canada, David.. how cool to be in the Yukon! I'll let you know if I find a puddle with your name. :)

• Very well-expressed, Tricia. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Crabby, you seem to be getting closer to puppy considerations every time you see Benny. I'm guessing that one day you just will! Thanks for the kind words. :)

Diane said...

This post made me feel like a kid again. Thanks for reminding me of the stress reliever that "play" time will bring to a weary soul. =)

Zip n Tizzy said...

Little terriers... They have such a zest for life.
Sounds like fun.
We're experiencing a drought in CA, and while it doesn't generally rain here in the summer anyway, reading about your summer (both here and on other sites) has me really hoping for rain come winter.
It's so refreshing!

photowannabe said...

I can't get over how much rain you people are having. Our area is so dry and a lot of the littler creeks are too.
Terrific funny post about your crazy pup Benny. What a personality. Like others have said I'm a chicken where unknown creepy crawlies are. LOL
Now I'm off to read Suldog's blog post.

steviewren said...

Kids and water go together like dogs and bones.

abb said...

LOVED your wet walk!

Shrinky said...

I agree with you, I'm an avid suldog fan myself, and his post did bring a smile to my face. I love, love love that shot of Benny being showered in water, it's joyful, isn't it? Good on you for being young enough to play, if only more folk were, there would certainly be less need for all those anti-depressant prescriptions!

Anonymous said...

Great post. Love the photos, as always.

gary rith said...

sure thing, puns are cool, esp. yours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

I am partial to ANYTING and EVERYTHING Benny so I loved this, and him and all those fantab shots Hilary.

Hilary said...

• Thanks, Diane. You're right - play time is important. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Hi Zip & Tilly. I hope you get your rainy days this upcoming season. Remember to splash in a puddle or two. The zesty terrier is optional. ;)

• Thanks very much, Photowannabe. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you can order up some rain for your creeks soon - but hold the creepy crawlies. Thanks for the visit. :)

• True, Steviewren. I guess that would make me the kid in that equation. Or the bone.. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks very much, Tsannie. I quite enjoyed it myself. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thank you, Shrinky. Benny sure does enjoy just about everything he does. Joyful describes him quite aptly. Thanks very much for your kind words. :)

• Thanks muchly, AL. :)

• Thanks, Gary. ;)

• Thank you, Mama Geek. Benny sure is developing a fan club. Thanks for the kind words. :)

Anonymous said...

I always appreciate your skills as a photographer...very nice! :)

Hilary said...

Thank you, Mark. So very kind of you to say so. :)

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

sweet, Hilary! sometimes it's the smallest of the things that can make a difference :)

Hilary said...

Too true, Moi. Thanks for stopping by. :)