That's Tate, our chocolate lab and his sidekick Ernie, a feisty little mix-breed. Like most dogs, they love to hear the magic words, "wanna go outside?" Better yet, once outside, these two long to hear the words, "let's go out back." With that, they're off and running for the creek bank.

Tate's routine never deviates -- he sniffs his way along the small woodlot before working his way along the creek, stopping only briefly to wonder at the occassional green blur that darts through the grass at his feet. Tate poses no threat to the leopard frogs -- he's only interested investigating the numerous scents he comes across.

Ernie, while feisty at times, likes to relax when out back. He does seem to take an interest in the  wood ducks, watching intently as they take flight upon our arrival.

He's content to watch the world go by, paying no mind to the gray squirrels that like to feed on the mast from our hickory trees.

When I say, "let's go" and start walking back toward the house, as you might guess by his expression, Tate appears to be thinking..,"but we just got here!" 

Meanwhile, Ernie becomes invisible!

It's hard to figure which they like better, a run out by the creek or a roadtrip!

I didn't have to go far to get a photo of this dragonfly, called a twelve-spot skimmer. Apparently it was temporarily grounded by an early morning chill. It flew off when I attempted to scoop it up in my hand.

A white-tailed dragonfly clings to a wild grape vine.

A pearl crescent butterfly spreads its wings.

This marshy stream flows through one our preferred outdoor haunts.

This is our chocolate lab, Tate...

Obviously, this is one of his favorite places to cavort!

A raft of waterfowl, many of them black ducks, take a midday break.

A narrow portion of the stream where it passes through heavy brush.

With a nut clenched firmly in its jaws, this gray squirrel was scurrying on a fallen log when it stopped to relieve an itch.