Nature's antidote to stress

On Monday, my friend Pat and I had plans to take the poms on a hike.  But Sunday night, I was notified of a sheltie who was lost.  That sheltie, Trig, had slipped away from the home where he had lived only 6 days, dragging his flexi-leash behind him.  Trig's former foster mama was the same person who fostered my sweet Shiloh before she came to live with me,  and Trig is also the sire of the absolutely adorable puppy Luke who you were introduced to in my last post.  Trig went missing right near East Sooke park on the southern edge of the island, a little over an hour's drive away, so Pat and I decided to head out there so we could search while we hiked.  

What a park!  We will be going back many times - to an ocean the colour of the tropics, a wonderful network of trails, and - in the sunshine Monday - spring flowers blooming, cute puppies hiking, and even two cats out for a (leashed) walk with their humans! 

This couple met through their shared interest in hiking with cats.  Apparently there are websites and facebook pages devoted to this phenomena - who knew?  The young woman told us she had found her cat as a wee abandoned kitten behind a dumpster just as she was leaving for a canoeing and camping trip - so she bought him a harness and leash and took him along - and he's been hiking, camping, backpacking and canoeing ever since!

The couple were great guardians for their felines - picking them up whenever a dog approached even if the dog was onleash - recognizing how quickly a dog can move if canine trumps feline.  Of course, the cats know that cats rule and dogs drool, but I think they appreciated their owners' vigilance.

The bays in this park were a phenomenal aqua colour, and the water so clear you could see the sandy bottom from the top of the cliffs.

We met this little three month old pup, too - as cute as a button, and friendly and curious.  I couldn't resist taking a photo of him.

We found daffodils blooming on the cliffs, and in a large open meadow as well:

 And flowering red currant as well:

On the protected side of a rocky point, was a quiet bay in soft green.  The lichen hung thick on the trees in white wispy tendrils, with the first of the spring leaves emerging on bushes below.  It felt like walking into a painting.

Cosmo and Lexi look out on the bay

Sadly, no sight of Trig, the missing sheltie - if you live near Sooke BC and are available this Saturday, a grid search is being organized and masses of volunteers are needed to accomplish this through dense brush and forest.  You can find the details of the search here . Just look for the post with the lovely tri-coloured sheltie.