There's always so much for our two little dogs to look forward to, in their traipse through the woods. The prospect is always there that there will be squirrels around and about, and they're always on the lookout for them. When the tiny red squirrel whose home appears to be just where we live comes around for the daily tidbits put out for him, they're on the alert, those two little dogs.

We cannot say the word 'squirrel'. Even if we avoid the word itself, there seems to be something in the intonation of our speech that warns them that we're enjoying the antics of a squirrel somewhere close at hand, and they begin searching out the windows, barking the while. Similar to what happens out in the forest; they're attuned to anything that moves.

Jackie in particular seems to think that there's something quite mysterious about a small animal that has perfected the miracle of disappearing. There one moment, gone the next. Most disconcerting. We happen to be impressed by the speed Jackie and Jillie are able to muster when they're excited and really moving along after anything. But the squirrels have them beat. Once up a tree, they're invisible to them. Though Jillie on occasion spots them treed and looks fairly perplexed.

On yesterday's walk in the woods we came across a surprising number of people out with their dogs. The Golden Doodle that we've been seeing lately on occasion, for one, an irrepressibly joyful and beautiful dog whose enthusiasm matches my memory of what our two were like when they were pups. Its sheer muscular size, however, intimidates Jackie and even sends Jillie for cover.

We came across another fellow we've known for years with his two truly large and muscular Bull Mastiffs; again beautifully conformed creatures, almost regal, and totally disinterested in anything but snuffling about in the woods. And then again, a very young Boston bull terrier that ran helter-skelter for us, leaping at us, begging for attention, a perfect-looking little gentleman with his sleek black attire, sparkling-white socks and neckpiece.

Oh, and a year-and-a-half, lean and lithe German Shepherd, overjoyed to be out in the woods, a newcomer to the ravine, who must have felt he'd discovered the Garden of Eden. He romped and raced about madly in a happily rambunctious spurt after spurt of sparkling energy. To think that most often when we embark on one of our daily tours through the forest we often see no one at all, while yesterday proved to be unusually dog-busy simply tells us 'you never know'.