Nightly ritual

We have a new after dinner ritual here at Yesteryear Acres. Once all the dishes are done and our bellies are full from all the good food, Mr. Yesteryear Acres, my son, my daughter and I go outside and take a few puppies with us for some concentrated one-on-one time.  We have contests to see whose puppy will behave the best, whose is the most snuggly, whose pup learns to play fetch the quickest and so on.  I have to say, it is a lot of fun.  We usually spend an hour lying in the grass, puppies all around, the warm grass underneath us and the blue fading to purple sky up above.  The puppies love the nightly ritual as well.  As soon as I start washing the dinner dishes, the puppies start barking with eager anticipation.  OH BOY! IT IS ALMOST PLAYTIME! It is nice to forget about all the things that need to be done and just relax.  We have time to chat, laugh, get puppy snuggles and have a great end to a busy day.  We have started bringing out our binoculars as we have a pair of Baltimore Orioles that seem to enjoy our evening puppy fun as well as a brilliant Scarlet Tanager. I can't tell you how many times, I just sit in the grass, look out at the wide stretch of green pasture that lies before me and smile all the way to the depths of my soul.  To sit and appreciate nature's beauty is a beautiful, refreshing and rejuvenating thing for the soul.  I am definitely grateful for our after dinner routine.  I couldn't ask for anything better.