Inti and I took a long walk at Danada today - almost 4 miles, I think. Some time has passed since last we walked out that way - perhaps I've never been there at summer's end to see what prairie looks like in September. Well, it's about 5 feet tall, yellow, blue, white, green and brown, buzzing, flapping, chirping and stirring in the breeze. Never have I seen so much goldenrod, wild white and blue and purple aster, sunflowers and milkweed. At times it seemed we were leading a parade of monarchs and dragonflies. Goldfinches were everywhere. Against the clear azure sky their color faded somewhat but their whistling calls give them away. From a distance there was no way to tell how tall the plants were and it occurred to me that we were swimming here, deep in an ecosystem that is totally hidden away from our prying eyes. Every now and then Inti would put her chin up high in the air as if she were trying to look over the milkweeds to see what lay beyond. Way out on the Blue Bird Trail, we were all alone and the prairie must have been burned last season, as it was considerably shorter. We could see a long way, and I felt safe to let Inti off-lead to see what she would do. Of course, it probably helped that she was already quite tired - but she walked perhaps 50 feet ahead of me, at most, and her gait was natural, rolling, beautiful. If I stopped walking she would stop, too, and turn her head to see where I might be. She came to me almost every time I called - I say almost because sometimes she just stopped and looked at me, waiting for me to catch up to her! On the way back a small monarch butterfly flew around her again and again. It seemed to follow along with us, much like the dragonfly who visited with us for a full three minutes on the Blue Bird Trail. Beautiful blessed day.