I have a new friend. An elderly border collie has taken to guiding us home from the college. There is a "lovely little shortcut" that was recommended to us by our professor, in case we want to walk home instead of taking the bus. "Fairly clear path," he said. "You can't miss it," he said. The weather has been inordinately pleasant lately, so walking seemed like a fine idea, and we all liked the sound of a lovely and fairly clear path. The route unfolds as follows. First you walk down the back road for about a half-mile, then you turn onto a gravel side road bordered by the occasional farmhouse. So far so good. (This is where we met the dog.) Then you climb over a low wall, and shimmy the length of a cow pasture, trying not to touch the electric fence, or agitate the cows who are very unsettled by the presence of the American art students intruding on their field. Next you go down a wooded path, with a beautiful view of your own feet, as the clear space is about 4 feet tall, and requires some severe hunching. Then you climb over some boulders, fight your way through a gauntlet of thornbushes, climb a few more walls and bother a few more cows, and finally empty out onto our road, just past the school and the field. If it hadn't been for this dog's saintly patience, we might very well still be wandering around amidst the cows.
Also, this is a picture of our house, as seen upon our epic return home.
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