My dogs tend to be creatures of habit. When they head to the woods, they take the same tired trails. So I was surprised yesterday when instead of heading straight for the field, Delilah turned right and headed up the hill.
I admit to grumbling along behind her, because we had to walk UP the hill to the woods and then she just kept on going, so the first ten minutes or so of our walk was straight up hill. But I knew once we hit the peak, the rest of the walk would be all down hill.
She surprised me again once we reached the top of that hill. Instead of taking the same trail she takes every day, she took me along an unmarked trail that’s one of my favorites.
The reason I love it so?
I call it, “The Swamp”.
Having never actually seen a swamp, I’m not sure if it looks like this or not. I’m pretty sure a swamp would have water, in fact, I’m sure a swamp would have water.
Maybe it’s just something about the trees with the way they twist that makes me think of a swamp.
Or maybe it’s just my writer’s imagination, thinking up a spooky plot line that would work in a book.
Whatever the reason, it was worth the ten minute walk up the hill.
Do you get ideas for blog posts or books when you walk? Where do you find your inspiration?
P.S. AND there was a bunch more to this post, but my computer glitched and I took that as a sign that I should be short and sweet today. 🙂
Welcome to Thursday’s Barks and Bytes Blog hop hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like a Dog. We hope you will grab a badge from one of our websites and join us.
Oh my gosh, that forest is so cool! I get inspiration from all sorts of things. Sometimes it’s my annoying neighbors with their annoying dogs, sometimes it’s something bad or good that my dogs did. Sometimes I just have something I NEED to say. It just really depends!
Good eye, D. You found the best woods ever. Those wiggle-trees look like they’re straight out of Dr. Seuss. Mom never lets me choose where we go. She is pigheaded. Because of that, I do NOT let her think about stories while we write. I keep her busy wondering what I’m trying to eat from the ground and what I’m staring at far in the distance.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Almost all my ideas come when I’m out walking. It is the only time my mind has time to wander enough. And there is nothing worse than a long blog post that gets eaten by the computer (blogger is famous for that!) No matter how hard you try, it is impossible to capture the original zest of the first writing!
We see swamps all the time. They normally have water in them, but they can also be dry if there hasn’t been much rain. Mom gets most of her writing done in her head on walks and runs, or just be watching me. She says I’m very inspirational.
If it was a swamp, you’d know it by the smell – ewwww! – and there would be plenty of water that you wouldn’t want D-Dog to drink or even play in – big ewww! – but I love the twisted trees! In the summer it must look like a haunted forest! 😃
Of course, Emma’s right about it being dry if it hasn’t rained in a while. I get most of my inspiration from watching the girls.
I get so many good thoughts when I run but then I come home and forget it all!! I would like to take my phone to make voice notes but I can barely handle Cocoa so I think that might be a little ambitious!!
Your “swamp” is very cool.
I think I get most of my ideas just from everyday life with my dogs and having had my breed for so long.
Why didn’t you write about that creature who is coming at you through the trees? You do see him, right?
Bet there were lots of good new smells on your new trail
Lily & Edward
I find I really struggle for ideas now I don’t walk the dogs. When I had BD and Mity I would find my mind wandering as I walk them and I would compose entire blog posts in my head, although I would always forget the post half way round the walk and any attempt to re-write it as a later date (on the rare occasions I remembered the gist) it was never as good as the original.
Oh, and my gift to you. Walking up hill tones your bum, so feel free to focus on that next time you head up hill a long way 🙂
I can see how you would think that was “swamp-like” the trees are shaped in a cool way. My inspiration? Geeze…….I’m boring lol
Phooey on computer glitches. Those trees are really neat. I would like to walk that way too, unless I dropped dead on the way up the hill. 🙂
Delilah just thought you needed a workout!
That definitely has a swampy look to it even though it’s dry. Walking often clears my mind and inspires me. But I probably do my best “writing in my head” when I’m lying awake at night unable to sleep! LOL
I can definitely see the similarities to a swamp. The twisty trees remind me of cypress trees where their “knees” twist up out of the water–but you’re right, swamps usually have water. I’ll try to remember to take a picture for you next time we’re somewhere swampy.
I’m glad you got such a pretty walk! Barley rarely gets to choose which paths we take, but we do find lots of inspiration on our walks!
Walking Sam is definitely my inspiration muse, too (now if only I had an assistant to transcribe the notes on the spot). Love your ‘swamp.’ And on the plus side, there probably aren’t any mosquitos! 🙂
That is one very cool tree photo