Even little dogs as pampered and utterly spoiled as our two are, appreciate a change of scenery and routine from time to time. They're intelligent little creatures, after all, so why would they not react the very same way we would? Routine is important for comfort, but it's also predictable and sometimes the unexpected is welcome.

So, since yesterday was once again a lovely early fall day, very much like the succession of such days we've been enjoying and we had plenty of time to spare we thought we'd go a little further beyond our usual circuit. In fact, that further area at one time was part of our daily ravine circuit many years ago. It's changed enormously since those days. For one thing the trails we were accustomed to taking are barely there anymore.

The hills in that portion of the ravine have slumped over the years and obliterated part of the old trails making them impassable. We hadn't realized back then when we were so familiar with that part of the forest that there were quite notable differences in the flora there. The same kind of understory and trees may be growing there, but they're different. Even the wildflowers are different there.

It isn't that Jackie and Jillie have never been over there; on rare occasions we do decide to have a hike in that direction, but the emphasis is on 'rare'. There are large old grape vines growing over there and none in our area of the ravine. There are also large cedar copses there and we have very few cedars on the part closer to where we live.  And that part of the ravine doesn't seem as extensive as the part we're most likely to use on a daily basis; exposure to nearby groups of houses seems more evident.

When we veered off to go in a direction that was clearly out of our usual routine, Jackie and Jillie came to immediate attention. And they veered off right alongside us with a palpable sense of excitement; something different was happening. Down a long hill, over a bridge and up, up another long hill to take us to a large open area beyond which grew the forest and other hills and copses, and as we proceeded their excitement grew.

It wasn't long before they were whipping about after one another, nipping at each other, challenging one another, woofing and baying and happily racing from one point to another in hot pursuit. They were eager to keep discovering this different place and it was a delight for us to witness their joy. As for ourselves, we re-acquainted ourselves with long-remembered areas, and one giant, outspread old pine, still dominating the landscape. Eventually we made our way back to 'our' part of the forest and their exuberance declined as we resumed the same old, same old.