Shiny

At first I was rather lost what to post to represent the prompt SHINY today on #ArtfulAdventures #StrollthroughtheHood . But the above image is my cheeky contribution. This statue can be found in the grounds of Penicuik House and is known as Water Willie (I kid you not!) Shiny he most definitely is, specially in that lovely and unexpected sunshine. He stands at the top of the Water Willie Fountain and Well.

My original idea had been to go with the shiny eyes of my companion on those strolls. You must admit her eyes fit the bill, but in this case the statue won the day because it also represents the "hood" I wander through on an almost daily basis: the Penicuik Estate. It's about 7 miles from our house and is just fabulous for a dog walk in beautiful surroundings. It also gives Flora the chance to meet other dogs and people and she is getting more confident about both by the day. Even huge dogs don't seem to deter her.

Other shiny things that crossed our path today were the water in the river (just about visible above) and the shiny fresh green leaves on the tree.

The sunshine on that water and all the wild flowers that are springing up all of a sudden make the walking a stop and start affair. Flora already knows to stand still when the camera or phone appears.

The shiny blue of the bluebells stands out against the green and the trees. It was a perfect day for shininess.