The not-so-secret life of dogs

Up toward the end of the vineyard road, beyond one of the vine parcels, stands a small patch of pine trees. At its edge, where the pines give way to a small lot of tall grass and then to grape vines, young pines, no doubt sprouted from seed, advance toward the empty field. In this margin are countless small trails made by deer, foxes, rabbits, and other inhabitants of the local woods.

A well-trodden path through the tall grasses toward the woods.

Callie and I ventured through this transitional wood one recent afternoon. The dog is no stranger to this spot; she loves to wind her way around the trees following this trail and that, sniffing for signs of other animals while I, much less nimble than she, keep to the parallel dirt road. She chases deer into these woods frequently and must believe they're all still there, hiding just inside.

When I followed her in on this day, I saw a happy smile on her face. She led me on, sharing one of her special places with me.