Watching the boats in the misty morning
I'm here, says Emma

Will wants in the water, and Emma says 'No way I'm going in there!'

Not beach weather, but who cares?

What is summer without the beach? A couple of weeks ago, we were dying for a bit of summer weather and the activities that go along with it, so we went to find a beach. We ended up at Watch Hill in Rhode Island, which is just about an hour or so from our home in Connecticut. It was a pretty misty and cool day for mid-June, which turned out to be in our favor. We found a great beach that was just out past the yacht club in the main harbor in Watch Hill. On a bright, sunny day it would have been filled with people swimming and sunning, but since it was more like a day in early May, we had most of it to ourselves. We had a great long walk along the shore, and could let the puppies off their leashes for the walk.

As it turned out, Will absolutely loves the water, and went running through the shallow water near the shore. Emma, on the other hand, wouldn’t even set foot in the water! She walked along the edge, and loved to be close, but sure didn’t want to get her feet wet, despite all of Will’s antics to get her to come in. He would crouch down, and run along, and bark (as usual), but to no avail. Emma would not enter the water. Maybe next time. We’ll have to give it another try again sometime.

Come on in!

Will loves the water!

And also loves digging! Where'd that water come from?

Since we had some time that day, and were out exploring, we stopped at the Harkness State Park in Waterford, Connecticut, on the way home. It is one of those estates from the guilded age that was left to the state and it's beautiful grounds have become a state park. There is a home that is used for weddings and other functions but what I wanted to see was the attached gardens that were designed by Beatrix Ferrand, a landscape designer from the early 20th century. The gardens are just beautiful and there were a lot of plants in bloom. The grounds also include acres of cut lawn where you can sit and enjoy the peaceful waters of Long Island Sound. By the time we got to Harkness, the mist had cleared and the sky was a crisp, pure blue. We could have sat there forever looking out over the waters!

Enjoying the sun and scenery with my puppies
Pretty place: Gardens at Harkness State Park