Every time I go to Cumberland Island, I am struck by its raw and unbridled beauty. I’m also reminded just how unexplainable it is. It’s jaw-dropping gorgeous. The first time I backpacked on the island, I knew there was so much more than what was right in front of my eyes. I was right. The history is as wild as the horses that run free on its beaches and graze on its sun-bleached meadows. I’ll post more photos of this last trip over the next couple of days, but I wanted to go ahead and get this one up on the site. It was taken while walking through a marsh area where a slender freshwater pond called a slough provides refuge for wild life. The hints of blues in the water are reflections of the sky. But I also discovered that the water in the sloughs is a deep blue.

Ok . . . . I couldn’t stop and thought I would post at least one horse photo. The gray on this guy’s legs is actually sand. He had been running through the surf on the beach.

This week’s favorite thing to dislike: horses! I promise to take a video of this sort of thing because, especially when Chipley is concerned, it is pretty wild! He doesn’t like big animals while Cocoa thinks they are so coooooool. That’s the result of her Dog School 101 training.

Last week, I decided to stop and photograph an old abandoned mill that has attracted my attention for a long time. The late afternoon sun was perfect so I took these two photos. I would love to see what the walls and floors look like inside this building.

Last summer, I walked out on the rocks at Bull Sluice but not this past Sunday. The force of the water on the Chattooga River was fast, furious, and just plain dangerous. We did not even climb down the rocks at the higher level. The dogs were with us, and I didn’t want the take a chance that they might slip into the water. To see what this area looked like last summer, click here.

I have a list of things to do today, and I’m headed off to accomplish each one, but humor me for a moment. Mentally, I want to stroll through the green hills of the Cotswolds, drink a hot cuppa tea, and eat a fruit scone with clotted cream at the local establishment. What fun it would be just to be silly for a time and do something ridiculous so that I gain a sideways “get real” look from a friend.(smile)