Early May 2001
Our daily walk to the creek has become Oak's passion. I used the lure of the creek to help him overcome his fear of riding in the car. It only took two times to convince him that riding to the creek is a wonderful thing. Now he hops right in. Now that we have begun walking to a closer creek, we have other things to anticipate. The berries are beginning to get ripe and we get more and more everyday. Oak LOVES berries. He has learned to nibble the berries off the vines without pulling the whole thing out of the ground - but he prefers to wait and let me pick them for him. On our jaunt to the water, we usually find about 2 dozen or so of which Oak will gladly dispose.

I took him to the berry patch yesterday but he only ate a few before being distracted by the smells coming from an animal path which crosses the berry patch. In about two more weeks we will have wild plums and the berries will disappear. In July, we have maypop that grow on a vine in the trees. It's very tasty. In August we get grapes. Then we have to wait for fall to try pecans, persimmons, wild hickory and black walnuts. Oak will have many new "berries" to experience in his first real growing season.

Two days ago, Oak tried to jump the little creek at a dead run down the side of it. On that side the creek bed is about eight feet deep. Oak isn't old enough yet to understand the laws of gravity and physics. He waited until he was at the water which means his body was at about a 45 degree angle to it - and jumped. He plowed up about 6 inches of mud with his nose on the other side but rebounded into a pile of leaves. He looked at me and grinned, and jumped back onto the trail. Then his look changed. He sank to his haunches. looked at me, lifted a paw, and said "ooo". Only a mother knows the "look". The look that says, "Mom, it hurts...MOM, IT HURTS." I felt the raised paw and and stroked it few times while I whispered sweet nuthins and kissed his ear. Then he remembered that he is a teenaged boy and too grown up for stuff like that.

Yesterday, he limped a little and I checked the toes and joint again. Thank goodness there was no swelling and I felt nothing out of place. Today he is okay with no limp so we went back to the creek. He made another attempt at the jump and tripped again, but this time he was not moving at top speed and he didn't repeat it. I worry about him breaking a bone, but I have learned (thru 3 children and many pups) that they have to learn on their own. They have to experience the joy of being wild and free. It is only another 10 days until he has to start school - freedom for now.

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