Dogs, they're just like us

Snickers, the Curious

The other day I was walking my friend's beautiful golden retriever of a dog named Snickers. As she paused to smell bushes and stare down squirrels I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking and why.

Ten minutes later, I found myself smelling a rose at my nose level. A few seconds later, I heard a loud inhuman squeak above me. Lo and behold, a squirrel on the branch was staring down at Snickers and me. All three of us had a moment of recognizing each other as different animals and then moving on.

Maybe I am more like a dog than I know. Now it is confirmed. We are curious beings. 

Hidden Villa's Highs & Lows

Hidden Villa Farm, with hills in the background

Tucked away in the Silicon Valley, an organic farm caught my attention when visiting my good friend Jenny in her hometown of Los Altos. Hidden Villa has a great program set-up for educating young students about nature. More significant for me, they have a beautiful trail I was able to engage on as Jenny worked for the day. Past the crops of cherry tomatoes, apples, and kale, then past the goats, sheep, and cow, the forrest entrance lies. Ascending the trail, with several switchbacks and some thick canopy of trees, you would think you were climbing Mount Whitney at some moments. Nothing gets me more excited about God than nature. So to see the light filtering through the trees at the start of the trail, and then to look down at the view from the top of trees and the bay in the distance- was marvelous. Needless to say, not only did the kids enjoy themselves that day. Just before leaving, we hit the start of the first rain. Jenny and I speedily got out of there on our bikes to beat the storm.