MJ's Moderation

Big Blue Ball

Nik loves to play ball. Mostly with those bright yellow tennis balls, because they are soft and just the right size for her mouth, but any kind of ball will do. We'll throw it and she will eagerly chase and retrieve it - trotting back to us and dropping it at our feet to play again.  However, this big blue plastic ball blew into our yard a while back during a windy storm and she was intrigued! She spent most of her time pushing it with her nose (like a seal!) and trying to get her mouth around it, to no avail.  Eventually, her sharp teeth punctured it and that was the end of the big blue ball. :-)

What's that smell?

The past few springs while walking Nik, either on the rural back roads near our house, or up on the wooded hiking trails, I've noticed a lovely fragrance wafting in the air.  It usually makes me stop and take notice.  Where is it coming from? I scan the brush for something that could be emitting that beautiful smell.  Is it wild rosehips?  Nope, none to be seen.  Is it the wild geraniums?  Nope, none of those nearby, either.  Violets? Nope - they are long gone. Frustrated, I would continue my walk, never solving the puzzle.  Yet, this year, it was overwhelming. It's floral, fruity, almost *grapey* and...wait, that's it!  


I've looked past the hundreds of wild grape vines winding up through the trees and along the trails for years, never paying much attention to them until fall, when their bountiful purple berries begged to be picked. Yet, suddenly I realized, their lacy, pale green, & nearly invisible flowers are some of the most fragrant around.  The season of their allure is short. Within a day or two, the mini-petals are gone and tiny green grapes have taken their place.