Santamont Trail In The Catherineville State Forest - Part 2

The dogs and I were hiking on the Santamont Trail in the Catherineville State Forest, just a few miles from home:

My camera had difficulty focusing because of the dappled sunlight and varied shade and light patches, but the resulting photos were successful in showing how happy the dogs were to be exploring:

We had only been on this trail once before and that was in the springtime. I promised myself then that the next time I'd drive farther in, park and be able to explore farther than my damaged ankles could walk. Alas, I didn't do so this time, but I'll try to come back and try again before hunting season:

I decided that it was time to turn back toward the car and did so without calling the dogs. I wanted to be sure they were watching me. They were, and came running when they realized I'd changed directions:

I don't have a good photo to illustrate it, but I saw a red fox up ahead in the tall grass of the lane. I was alarmed, thinking it odd that a fox would show itself in broad daylight. I also thought it looked darn fat for a wild fox. I quietly called my dogs lest they chase after a possibly rabid fox only to discover that the wild animal had only been my own little red dog, Jack:

So on we went without incident. It was a glorious day to be in the forest with happy dogs. And of course, after a bit of distance, the dogs had less exuberance and needed less crabbiness on my part:

Like travelers on the Yellow Brick Road, we padded on toward our destination:

Instead of the Emerald City, we had the Emerald Forest:

Onward through sunlit woods and mysterious, darkened woods:

Until we found our little car, parked several hundred feet off the road. Five happy dogs piled up into the car, I counted several times to be sure they were all there, and we all headed for home: