Unexpected sweet ride

I spent most of my blogging time adding a new feature to my blog's layout. Now, in the sidebar, there's a list of my wildlife photos/videos from 2010 to make it easy to find them. I could watch the "Bear Den Action from 3/29" videos a zillion times and never stop laughing. That sow and her cubs played with such abandon!

The real impetus for adding the new feature was yesterday's bear video. The silly walking and tree marking by the bears is amazing to watch!

Today was an example of why I head out into the forest regardless of how awful the conditions appear from the warmth of my perch in front of the fireplace. It was raining hard and the temperature was in the 30s. I spent at least 45 minutes gathering together all my warmest and most waterproof clothing to avoid the near-hypothermia that I got yesterday. As I departed, I promised myself that I'd stay out for at least 20 minutes. In the end, K and I had such fun that we stayed out many times longer than that!

As we headed out into the pelting rain, K immediately alerted "Bear, bear, bear" with her body language. I thought that I saw a black rump disappearing into the forest but really wasn't certain that it was a bear. Later, my neighbor who I passed on the trail just after K's bear alert called to say that she saw a big bear in that exact spot just after passing me. Her 7 dogs, including 4 miniatures, chased him off.

K seemed happy but on "high bear alert" for our entire ride. Even her gallop looked happy!
The rain enhanced the wonderful spicy fragrance of the meadow floor. K wriggled and rolled ecstatically.
Then, she realized that I was taking photos and went into her dignified pose! Even while posing, she seemed concerned with animal scents wafting through the air.
Late in our ride, for a fleeting instant, the sun almost burned through the heavy storm clouds. I photographed K in the "bright" light.
Then, I photographed the trail because it seemed so amazing to see the sun.
When I looked at the photos, I chuckled. It wasn't sunny - but it was the only glimmer of light that we've seen all weekend long. It goes to show how perception shapes our view of the world. If I've seen dark days, it only takes a faint glimmer of sweetness and light to lift my spirits.

That's why I don't view "bad" things as entirely negative. For example, because I have so much back pain, I stop and revel in the sweet moments that come upon me unexpectedly. Today's ride was one of those. Our forest was showered in life-giving water. And, I felt such a bond to K as she floated along by my side through the beauty. That's a gift.