Along the Pinetum Way  The one-eye Collie and the Manic Bird Dog, too, too excited passing Pasture Gate. Still cluttered with last year’s milkweeds. Too, too many box elders are taking root. Broken Dormer on the old well in the weeds, threatening, as remembered, to take a child away. The pasture’s top edge, the slope still gentle. Abandoned Ladder waiting against Grandpa’s sour cherry. Overgrowth almost hiding Butternut Gateway. The dogs still polite, still excited the slow one came out today, straining to contain the run, Now stinging, slapping black-cap canes. On through to the gully’s wall smooth path quickly rising  now forty, now fifty steep feet above the Spring Rush Creekpassing Slate Plate Bank, The aunts always claimed rattlers lived here, Dogs, enough of slowness, making a  vertical break as the steepest climb begins. Fallen tree litter tumbles as paws and tails disappear up above and over the edge, into the forest towards Russet Apple Tree Patch, The creek forks, left branch soon ending at Top Pasture and out to the view at One Tree of the whole valley, but it is the right  that goes to Shoe Rock in the cascade of spring water and the path’s final gentle downward slope to merge with the creek’s muddy splashes, quickly leading to Trillium Grove at last, Just one so far, still enough for any journey, And look!  The dogs are back with presents for the ailing slow one: A grin in motion from the One-Eyed Collie, Eye level leaps from the Manic Bird Dog,and Fresh Rabbit for All!  

Walk with Dogs to Trillium Grove

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