Misty

First steps towards a Nature-guide-dog, name recognition and learning to be patient on her sit spot.

She's learning quickly to take naps to pass the time.

Introducing Cosmo !

Beloved youngest member of the pack and future Nature-guide-dog

Half Australian Shepherd and half Belgian Malinois (an oops litter).

She'll be a family dog but trained to act as a partner when I go to the woods to explore or guide.

I love her already!

Today I am grateful for the fact that my workplace considers "the sunrise was beautiful and I had to photograph it" to be a valid explanation for arriving late.

We need to enact sustainable and realistic flood emergency plans, we need to support those people most impacted by flooding, of course!
We also need to realize that MORE pavement, MORE concrete, & MORE artificial rivers is not the solution.

We must return filled in wetlands to their natural state

It's considered political suicide to so much as insinuate that flooding serves a purpose.

Our neighbors have water in their basements, other people have indeed died or become environmental refugees because of flood damage.

While those are lamentable disasters, floods cannot be eradicated.

The plants and wildlife which live in wetlands NEED floods for various reasons. Some plants depend on floodwaters to help them propagate. Fish use floods to migrate from river to lake to stream and back. The nutrient rich water fertilizes and enriches the soil.

Floods are natural!

Floods in Belgium are highly politicised and it's considered risky by some to point out that flooding is natural and preventable.

A wetland acts like a sponge, holding the extra water, soaking up as much as possible, and releasing it later in the year when the area gets too dry.

One of my favorite parts of this time of year at my workplace is the fact that I get to witness the wetlands doing their job.

Our park is intended to flood. The Mehaigne is a challenging river in that it doesn't take much to start rising and can flood within a very short amount of time.(1 of more)

Spent my morning counting birds from the moat bridge of Fallais Castle. In twenty minutes: 42 jackdaws, 7 moorhens, a wren, a blackbird, 11 Canadian geese with 1 hybrid, and 8 very angry Egyptian geese.

It's hard to believe sometimes that this is my life now. #birdwatching #chateaudefallais

My first visit to the Jardins d'Annevoie was for the most beautiful Christmas market I've seen so far. Besides the wonderful gardens and gorgeous castle, there was a variety of artisans with seasonal offers and a wonderful atmosphere which easily took our minds off of the cold. #christmasmarket

One of my favorite parts of life in Belgium has begun.

It's Christmas Market season! Hot chocolate for all!

I broke my little toe three weeks ago and have been forbidden to go run around in the wetlands like the feral beast I am.

I'm going stir crazy! I feel so disconnected and uprooted.

Did I really survive over a decade without regular nature walks? So happy I've figured out how to rewild myself!

The atmosphere at the first Christmas market of the year was greatly improved by the presence of the farm's professional welcome hen.

Benni (the yellow one) was our first foster dog. He was supposed to be a companion for our elderly shepherd mix but she passed less than a week before he arrived. We helped him trust and he helped us grieve.

He's now a spoiled apartment dog with his own dog park pack and I love how happy he is.

Congratulations! That is a huge accomplishment.

Don't worry. The plants have moved and miss Susi has received appropriate options for chewing.

This sweet girl is only a year old and has spent two months in our home, completely shut down by what she's gone through.

To access my plants, she had to leave her den and show curiosity. This is a win.

I heard a strange noise while in my bed, like crisp leaves snapping.

I went to investigate and realized that my foster dog, Susi had finally eaten a full meal and had decided that my monstera would be a great after dinner treat.

I'm so happy that she's finally comfortable enough to be naughty!

My daughter recently told me that one of her favorite things in life is to go for a nature walk with me and record "all of the gorgeousness" in our notebooks.

I think she's going to be just fine.

With places like this hiding in every corner of Wallonia, why would I ever want to leave?

Maybe I didn't have roots when I transplanted myself here, but they have grown with every step of my many, many walks.

(Photo taken along the RAVEL in Modave)

That...that isn't how this works? And you tell me this NOW of all times?!

Oh how I long to shrink myself down and get lost in the moss looking for tardigrades.

A rescued shelter dog and a feral kitten, these soulmates have been blessed to find one another and to find themselves spoiled beyond measure for the rest of their lives.