The Path Less Footed

Barley, a dog, peers ahead along a footpath worn into a grassy clearing.

On the occasions that Barley and I find ourselves in less residential surroundings, I always find myself feeling more nervous about the trouble she could get herself into. Given the option, she would absolutely disappear into the underbrush and worm her way through the shrubbery, discovering paths I could never follow her down. It’s a wholly irrational concern - her leash is sound and any animals she might tangle with will have made themselves scarce long beforehand. But she’s bold enough in her desire to explore that it’s not a sentiment I’ve been able to shake.