Annie Dillard Thoughts

The yard outside my back door has become the dog run- the tie out that keeps them in the yard when they go out without me is there. With time, the grass that used to grow around their somewhat limited territory has been trampled and ripped up to the extent that the bladed grass has given up that patch of my yard. What grows there now is clover. It stays short to avoid the rubbing action of the leash. It has a sweet, summery scent that covers up the not-so-pleasant smells that a dog's territory produces. And it is thick- a green carpet, spongy and soft, yet so tough that it tangles the tie-out line and immobilizes the dogs that drag me along when we go on walks. The color is a green as deep as an ocean, seeming to be layer upon layer, giving no hint of the soil that lies beneath it.