The Tail End of Summer

I had a better photo than this one — a photo where the sunset colours were more vivid. But it didn’t have my dog’s tail in it. And that, after all, was what made the evening perfect. The presence of my dog (for those of you who don’t know her, Cara is a potcake, from Barbados, who looks like a lean Jack Russell, but with a longish body and a disproportionately long tail — which, of course, we love).

There was another dog with us — Cara’s friend, Storm. He’s a Great Pyrenees — also known as a livestock guardian dog — except, unfortunately, the only livestock his family owns is chickens, and he thinks the chickens are more for eating than for guarding. He and Cara get along, though (he’s never tried to eat her, and she appreciates that).

I was walking with my friend, Linda, who is an amazingly talented photographer. It was because of Linda that we were out for a walk at sunset. Usually by the end of the day on the island I’m wiped. We work really hard outside. This particular week I was painting the cottage. The entire cottage. So, once dinner is over, I’m usually pretty happy to just stick around home. Linda asked if we wanted to walk, though, so to Cara’s confusion, I rallied the energy I had left and we walked.

It was also because of Linda that I have photographs to share. Just as I imagine how everything around me could become a story, Linda sees everything as a potential photograph. She would tell you she sees the best ones when she doesn’t have her camera with her. This night the sunset was beautiful … and she didn’t have her camera. We both had phones, though, so she did a great job, and I did a job that was good enough for me, at capturing the scenery.

I have quite a few more photos from the tail end of summer. I’ll share them with you in my next post.