Walking with Monkey 2023

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The difference between friends and pets is that friends we allow into our company, pets we allow into our solitude. ~Robert Brault,American writer

I Monkey here.

I think Mama was trying to hide the news of this year’s Walktober from me — she probably didn’t want to have to do two walks! Huh.

But I found out, and I’m raring to go. Fall day? Check. Leash and harness? Check. Link to the official Walktober post? Check.

Let’s do this!!

Mama has been to Douglas-Hart Nature Center previously but never with St. Dallas. Naturally, I was eager to prove I could behave and not bite a stranger’s arm off, so after being on my best behavior for a while, I wore her down.

Here I am, sniffing out the best starting trail:

Somebody clever carved an owl and a squirrel from a tree:

There were lots of tall, tall trees:

And some things with trunks that reminded Mama of rhubarb:

There were decorations for Halloween:

And something that looked more like Christmas:

Who tossed these yellow balls all over the ground? Doesn’t matter — I wasn’t interested in them much:

There was just a little bit of Fall color:

Along with some berries:

And pretty flowers:

There was a prairie windmill-thing:

And a pond. Mama talked with one of the workers, who was fretting over how low the water has gotten. He said they have no way of adding to the water level unless Mother Nature brings some big rains:

We saw lots of bird houses but not so many birds; we only saw one squirrel, but Mama wouldn’t let me chase him. I know she’d love chasing critters, too, if only I could get her to try! Silly Mama.

We saw several other visitors (but nobody with a dog). I got a lot of compliments, and I even let some of them touch me!

Finally, here I am on stage, taking my bow:

Okay, that’s it. Time for a snooze. All that fresh air and exercise makes me one happy, relaxed dog (and gives Mama time to put this thing together!) Hope you enjoyed our walk — see you next year (don’t worry, I’ll be posting before then, heh heh!) And I’ll get lazy Mama outside soon for her own Walktober post.

52 thoughts on “Walking with Monkey 2023”

    • Miss Judith, I Monkey know my mama loves to walk. She takes me outside every chance she gets … and regularly points out the “poor dogs” chained outside or barking behind windows who aren’t getting out to walk with their humans!

  2. Monkey! You did an EXCELLENT job showing us your Walktober! What a beautiful day you had to explore! I hope you take your mama back there again before it starts to snow. It’s so pretty there! I also think it’s good to go places St Dallas didn’t get to go, so they’re all yours, right? That’s what Penny says, anyway. She also says HI!

    • Why, thank you, Miss Dawn — I Monkey am so happy you enjoyed our walkie! I think Mama wants to go back in the Spring, when flowers are blooming and trees are leafing out. Snow might be pretty, too, if we can avoid mud. Mama stuffs me in a crate when I get muddy so I don’t track all over her house — huh. Miss Penny is so right — the less competition I have to endure, the better!

    • Thank you, Mr. Frank — hope all’s well in your world. Yes, it was a beautiful day for a long, leisurely walk — not too hot, no rain. I Monkey don’t worry about things like that, but Mama does. She says we’re not quite at peak color yet, but soon!

  4. Morning, Monkey! Thanks so much for sharing these awesomes photos of your Walktober this year! You have much more fall foliage where you are, than we do here in Philadelphia. I’m very envious. I’m hoping by the first week of November we get a nice cold snap so that it produces some color on our trees.

    I love that shot of the prairie windmill-thing!

    And of course, that final picture of you is stellar! What a handsome boy you are!

    Tell Mama I said hello, and to have a super Sunday!

    X to you both!

    • Aw, Mr. Ron, I Monkey am blushing (well, sort of — you can’t really tell because of my fur!) I’m glad you liked our walk — it was loads of fun. My mama says we should be at peak color pretty soon, thanks to a nice cool snap we had. I’m pushing her to get out and do her own Walktober walk in the next few days, or she’s going to have to do it in the rain. Humph! If she gets all muddy, I’m going to shove her in my crate until she dries off, just the way she does me. We’ll see how she likes *that*!!! Furry hugs and lots of lickies!

    • Oh, Miss Laurie, I Monkey am NOT a fan of rain. Mama puts me in my crate to dry off, and that’s no fun. We’re expecting more rain sometime next week, and Mama thinks that will “ruin” our pretty Fall colors. These cool, sunny days suit me just fine though, and I think we should order up lots more of them!

    • What a lovely compliment, Miss Barbara! I Monkey do love being outside during the Fall leafing season. Mama was afraid to leave me unattended, even for the few seconds it took to snap my photo on stage. Why, can you believe she tied the end of my leash to one of those boards, just so I wouldn’t run off? Huh, like I’d ever leave my mama — I Monkey know a good thing when I see it!

  7. I Yorkie here. Lucky, lucky, lucky Monkey on the starting trail! I don’t know about owls, but when Mama read out loud a squirrel… my ears went into full perk. Tell me more Monkey.

    Did you Monkey say Halloween? And something more like Christmas? I Yorkie want to know how that could be? My Mama explained that the silvery tinsel was stretched through the trees. Do you think the angels from heaven came with sprinkles to protect you and your Mama from the Halloween spooks?

    Yellow balls? You were on your best behavior when you past the yellow balls! My Mama wants to know what were those yellow balls? She told me the trees are shimmering golden with red fruity ornaments! Must also be from the Christmas angels!

    Did your Mama let the flowers tickle your nose?

    Now it’s getting interesting, Monkey! A pond and a windmill thing?! Even a SQUIRREL!!!

    Ugh. That no chasing law! Same law is here too Monkey, I Yorkie am only allowed to talk and chase critters in my private backyard. My Mama is too old to chase now a days.

    No doggos. Monkey you had the trail to yourself! You rule, I Yorkie, crown 👑 you most handsome King Monkey this Walktober!

    • Hi Yorkie! Good to hear from you! I Monkey just know we’d be good friends if we lived closer. My mama must’ve talked to your mama, for she reminds me every day that I can’t chase critters or do zoomies while on the leash. She says there are 23 hours in a day when I can do those things, but not for the hour or so when we’re walking. Huh!

      Yorkie, I like the idea of Christmas angels, though it’s probably too soon for them to be hovering around. Still, I Monkey am glad at the mere thought of them, especially when so many ghosts and ghouls are lurking in people’s yards.

      And Mama says I was very well-behaved. I didn’t lunge at the old people who were visiting, and I let one lady pet me under the chin … without trying to take her arm off! Good behavior = treats, heh heh!

      • Yes, I think our Mama’s talk while we are snoozing getting important Zzzzs. I’m glad they are good company for each other. Yes, you Monkey are most probably correct that it is too early for Christmas angels to be about. I hope your Mama allowed you to keep your crown although it is invisible. Yet tasty treats might be better than a crown.

        • Yorkie, I Monkey say I can keep my invisible crown because you gave it to me (I’m sure Mama won’t mind — she thinks she’s the boss around here, but bosses don’t have to do yucky stuff like pick up poop and wipe dog feet, heh heh!)

  9. What a wonderful walk you and your mama got to take! I’m so glad you shared all the beautiful things you saw. I’m curious about those yellow balls… what are they?? (Pat said he would have had trouble going past them without trying to pick one up. He LOVES balls.)

    • Miss Kelly, I Monkey love balls, too, but I wasn’t having any of these. Mama figures they had a smell, though human noses aren’t worth much in the overall scheme of things! The best we can figure out, the yellow balls fell from an Osage orange (a member of the mulberry family and no relation to a real orange). Here are closer pictures: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maclura_pomifera Mama didn’t stick around underneath too long, for fear one might fall on top of us!

    • Miss Ann, I Monkey am real good about getting her outside for walkies. If didn’t insist, she’d probably go without me … and miss out on all the fun! Glad you were able to walk with us and enjoy the pretty colors.

  13. What a terrific walk, with so many and varied things to see. Those yellow balls sure are Osage Orange, but they’re not as tasty as real oranges, and it’s better to leave them alone. They’re bitter! You’re not bitter; you’re sweet, and especially sweet to let your mama come along on your walk! I hope you get some rain to fill up that pond, even if your mama fusses at you for getting wet in the rain!

    • Miss Linda, thank you for confirming what I Monkey already knew: those yellow balls weren’t fit for consumption! In fact, they made a merry mess, and Mama can’t imagine having to rake them all up and dispose of them (how??). I Monkey thought we’d been getting a lot of rain (counting the number of times Mama has to dry my feet when I come indoors!), but overall, I guess not. It’s a shame about that big pond because I understand it’s quite pretty when the water levels are right.

  14. Pingback: Walktober 2023 – Musings by an ND Domer's Mom

    • No thanks, Miss Pat. I Monkey always get fussed at when I bring mud into Mama’s house, so I’ll pass on the excess water. Maybe this nature center needs to find a way to irrigate apart from Mother Nature?!

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    • Thank you, Miss Robin. I Monkey am pretty insistent about getting my miles in (not that I’ve got one of those Smart Watches or anything!) I’ve just got sooo much energy that Mama has to exercise me … or I swing from the rafters (or so she says, huh!)

  19. I suspect Mama is just jealous that you’re much better at chasing critters than she is, Monkey! Glad you took her along with you on your lovely walk – it’s important to make sure your human gets plenty of fresh air and exercise. 😀

  21. I took my two monkeys, Teddy and Liam to a Sheltie meet up for our walktober but we did a walk at the Cumberland Heritage Village and on the Ottawa River.

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