Last year I swore that I wouldn't put Caillou (our collie) through a summer cut. But the heat hit early, and he was miserable. So, I took him last Thursday. He's been a different dog since.

This morning, we walked early. Even then, the air was heavy and still. The gardenias are blooming along our fence. They love this kind of weather, and their aroma lounged on the thick air as if it were a pillow.

Even the birds seemed lethargic.

Jilda and I knew that if we didn't sneaker-up early, it wasn't going to happen. So we did.

We swilled our coffee and hit the trail.

The first lap is slow, so the dogs can all do their business. But the second lap is for the grown-ups. We put them in the fence and did a high-intensity walk.

Toward the end, while we were walking under the canopy of oak and hickory on the barn road, I saw Jilda stop in her tracks. When I turned to see what caught her attention.

Down in the hollow near the spring was a beautiful oak leaf hydrangea. Pulling the phone from my pocket, I snapped a few pictures. Then I stood there admiring the native plant.

It looked like a beacon in the forest.

Sometimes nature just shows out.