Today

Emile is feeling better. It has been about 4 weeks. It's been hot so I wanted to take the dogs swimming, but all of the usual places were taken. Instead we went to the woods in Opio, by default. When I pulled into the parking spot, a man was finishing his walk with his little hunting dog. He was tall, about 6'2...very close cut hair, very tan, summer teeth, driving a white workers van. It was very clean inside. He was probably in his 40's. When he saw Emile in the back of my car, he came over and we struck up a conversation while I put on my hiking boots. Happily for me, I was able to understand him and able to talk. He asked me all about Emile and Kate. I told him about Emile being sick, he asked me how much it cost. He asked if I was American and where I was from. He told me his dog was 12 years old.

He was invading my personal space a bit. touching me on the arm. I was in dog walk mode...no make up, shorts with black and blued/ bug bit legs, messy hair. 

He held Emile's lead while I got my boots on. He told me Emile was really beautiful just like me! Oh, how nice...then he reached out and touched my freckles on my face ( taches de rousseur) and told me how pretty they were. Wow! this was all unexpected. He gave me an enthusiastic good bye and that was it, but, he left me feeling a little better about life. I guess some French men aren't all that afraid of me. 

Then I took some beautiful photos. There were wild fields of cupid's darts ( the purple blue flower)...so beautiful.

The dogs went swimming at the pool under the waterfall. Everyone came home happy and perhaps a bit itchy.