Dear Vi,
It was so pretty this afternoon, I just had to take Sam out for a walk. Actually, it was Sam who took me.
I was happily basting a quilt, head down, paying no attention at all to leaves blowing over the lawn, sunshine streaming through the windows and bouncing rainbows around the room.
But Sam grumbled and barked and grumbled and barked until I finally gave in.
We walked through the forest, down a country road, past a horse in the field and a wild apple tree whose branches were busting under the weight of hundreds of little red apples. 
The sides of the road were covered in blue wildflowers – the kind that will turn to stickers as soon as their blossoms drop. I’ll hate them later, but right now they’re stunning.
I wanted to take a picture of Sam sitting with the flowers. It seemed like the perfect photo opportunity. There I was, squatting on the side of the road, juggling the leash and the camera phone and trying to cajole Sam into smiling (or at least looking interested)…
Yeah, right.
After I gave up, we walked back along the beach, where the water level has dropped but the sand hasn’t dried out enough to walk out very far without getting muddy.
Sam loves getting muddy.
And then we came home and had some lunch.
Have you taken a walk today?
Hi there Nina , I have a Empisal Pacesetter sewing machine ( purchased yesterday) which i see is identical to your Brother 451 festival ( other than the colour) . My husband bought it from a lady selling up and moving to an old age home but she did not have the manual . Do you perhaps have your manual still. The machine is all threaded up and ready to use thanks to an online thread guide but I haven’t a clue what all the dials and levers are so don’t even know if the machine is working . I am looking online but all the sites I find are in the US and I don’t have a credit card or paypal facility.
Will continue to look for a free manual but thought I would give you a try as well. Regards Wendy Miles , South Africa
So pretty, Nita. And Sam is very cute among the flowers! Glad that the smoke is gone and you’re having some beautiful fall days to make up for the summer of wildfires.
Oh what a cutie Sam is!! I walked this morning but it was by myself. Right now we don’t have a dog. Walking with a dog is so much more fun!!
I had a walk with my Sam the other day, but not nearly as enjoyable as yours!
Great pics and I love seeing Sam. Yes, I walk my two dogs twice a day, usually a couple of miles per day. I have an app that tracks our mileage so it’s fun to look back over the month and see how far we’ve gone. Have fun!