Last weekend, spring showed more of its lovely face. Although there was still snow in the woods, the weather was mild, and the water was running.

On both Saturday and Sunday we went for a walk in the woods to a nearby camp where children come in the summer. Our dog, Liam, can run free, and there are lots of enticing scents for him to sniff. On Saturday, we came upon turkeys, and although Liam wanted to chase them, he was good at coming back when he was called.

At the camp, there is a peace trail, with painted rocks lining the trail.

But what I especially love are bare branches against a bright blue sky.

On Sunday, our daughter Shannon, her husband, Mike, and their dog, Holly, came for brunch and a walk. After a meal of pancakes, apple sauce made with Maine apples, French donuts, and home fries, we headed into the woods to burn off some of that meal.

Holly, the puppy, had an especially good time. She ran and ran for the sheer joy of it, and I remember doing the same thing when I was a child. “Let’s run!” I’d say to my friends, and off we’d go, as fast as we could, until we could run no more.

Shannon, Mike, and Holly will be back at the end of the month. The snow will be gone and most of the mud should be dried by then. We’ll head back into the woods, along the wooded path, where barred owls call to each other, back and forth, and the water rushes and dogs can run.