Haibun: Natural Instinct

a brindle whippet in a red jacket walking through a tidal pool
a brindle whippet in a red jacket walking through a tidal pool

The morning sun warms our faces and paints the rocks in amber and brown. After a cold, clear night, the sky’s pastel-blue is reflected in scattered tidal pools. Sea lettuce waves in the shallows, bladderwrack rests on rippled sand. Gutweed glitters between the barnacles stuck to exposed boulders. Misty walks through the water and even to us, it looks inviting. She slowly moves forward, careful not to make a sound. It is only then I realise, our twelve-and-a-half-year-old forever foster is stalking a crow.

instant recall
the bird with a crab
gets away

© Xenia Tran

a smiling brindle whippet in a red jacket running across rippled sand

Wishing you all a happy Monday and a peaceful new week,

with love from Misty and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Jez Braithwaite’s Water Water Everywhere #152

Word of the Day Challenge: Invitation

Author: whippetwisdom

The stories, poems and photographs on this blog are the original creative work of Xenia Tran. Inspired by life in the Scottish Highlands and in awe of nature she gives voice to the wisdom of her adopted and fostered whippets.

35 thoughts on “Haibun: Natural Instinct”

    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Kathleen, we’re so blessed with all this natural beauty here. Wishing you a blessed new week too and please give sweet Sox a gentle pat from us all 🐾❤🐾 xxx

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  5. Beautiful vistas, Xenia 😍 Hounds are so funny when they stalk, aren’t they. Finn once stalked a gull on the beach and there was a collision. Luckily no casualties. Happy Monday to you all and much love from our house to yours 💕🐕💕xxx

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Cathy ❤ It was so funny and lovely to see and I am glad there were no casualties during Finn’s collision 🙏 A happy Monday to you too and please give sweet Flynn a gentle pat from us all 🤗💕🐕 xxx

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Laurie. Misty came straight back when I called her and the crow flew to a nearby rock (visible in the blurred background of the last image) and finished eating his crab 💚

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  9. Stalking a crow? Our little dog June is not capable of “Stalking” She is all about the full on chase. She races after squirrels at top speed. Wishing you a happy and peaceful week Xenia from all of us here. 😊🐎🐕

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    1. Haha, thank you kindly dear Anne, I can just imagine June in full chase mode! Misty’s stalking technique is very similar to that of our late greyhound Ruby. She would chase rabbits and stalk birds, thankfully responding to recall before she could catch anything! Wishing you a happy new week too and please give sweet June and Biasini gentle pats from us all 🐾🧡🐾 xxx

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  13. This made my morning so much better, Xenia. Tide pools are fascinating (I remember them from my time in Oregon), and Misty silently stalking a crow is such a delightful image! What a slice of paradise! 🙂

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