Walking the dog

It's a beautiful day.

It's sunny, there's no humidity and the temperature barely reached the high 70s.

And it's July.

July.

So my son and I decided to take advantage of the glorious day to take our dog, Jax, for a walk. But not just any walk: we took him to a nearby monastery that is situated on lovely grounds. The best thing about it?

We go there by car.

And so we asked our dog the world's most rhetorical question:

Do you wanna go bye-bye?

Yes. Yes, I do wanna go bye-bye. Really, I do.

Mount Saint Francis is a spiritual center and sacred place of worship and welcome operated by Franciscan friars. It's an absolutely beautiful place full of winding trails and paths. A serene lake glimmers in the summer sun. Wooded trails wind the miles of acreage, while flowers and native grasses grow freely in the adjoining fields. Man made bird and bat houses offer shelter to the creatures that call the space home, in keeping with the Franciscan tradition of stewardship of Earth and its creatures. Sculptures are everywhere - hidden among the woods, jutting just off the trails - blurring the line between nature and art.

And it's just a few miles from our house.

We walk there often in the spring and fall, but not so much in the summer as the usual heat and humidity tend to drive us indoors this time of year. But today is a different kind of summer day; a perfect kind of summer day.

And the best part? We had to walk slowly. Really take our time. My son injured his foot a few days ago and needed to slow his usual pace with Jax on the leash. That didn't bother Jax one bit, as it gave him time to sniff and explore. And it gave me a chance to snap a few pics of this gorgeous day.

I am not a photographer by any means, and this is not a photography blog. But I do want to share the pictures I took on our walk today with you as a reminder to slow down and savor the precious days granted to us.