We all learn lessons in life. Some from our parents, others from our teachers, but sometimes the most important lessons we learn from the most unexpected sources.

Having spent some time a while back recovering from major back surgery, I was confined to quarters in the dark of winter, a winter not unlike the one we are having now. With instructions from my surgeon to walk as much as possible, I was forced to walk around the first floor of our bed and breakfast inn, traveling from one room to the next, around and around in circles until my pedometer read at least one mile. Let me tell you walking a mile inside requires a lot of laps around your living room, dining room, great room and kitchen. I would have preferred to walk outside with our faithful lab, Casey. But thick ice and snow made it too dangerous a proposition to even entertain.

Walking is a great way to clear your head, even indoors. I had some great conversations with my Dad on those walks. Oh, he is long gone now, but I still talk to him regularly and still learn from him. Casey would often join me on those walks, perhaps not understanding the necessity of having to walk indoors, but still up for the adventure, regardless of how tame. That’s when I started to learn powerful lessons from a four-legged Labrador retriever.

Casey was seven when I had my back surgery. We moved her to Cape Cod from our first bed and breakfast in North Conway, NH where the whole outdoors was her oyster. She could hike in the mountains, swim in the Saco river, snowshoe on the groomed cross country trails outside our inn, and enjoy her favorite past time, going for a joyride in the car with Rich.

I’m a one-dog girl, having had no pets as a child. Casey is my first, and perhaps only dog. So I am constantly amazed by things I never knew about dogs. For example, Casey has a number of facial expressions. She smiles when she’s happy, and looks at you with quizzical eyes when she has no clue what you‘re talking about. She definitely pouts when she is denied, and skulks away in shame when reprimanded. And when you’re hurting, she instinctively knows, and lies down near you to comfort you. And that simple gesture is very comforting.

So on those walks around the Inn, I began to compile a list of what I’ve learned from a yellow lab named Casey, life lessons that serve me well now and will continue to do as I grow older.

• Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
• Fresh air and the wind in your face is pure ecstasy, no matter how cold outside.
• When someone you love comes home, run to greet them.
• Obey, but only when it’s in your best interest.
• Let others know when they’ve invaded your private space.
• Always stretch after rising.
• Make time to play every day.
• Eat with gusto, but always smell your food first.
• Never pretend to be something you’re not.
• If what you want lies buried, dig for it.
• If your loved one is hurt, stay close.
• If you’ve got an itch, scratch it.
• Giving kisses and being hugged feels good.
• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
• On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.
• When your happy or excited, dance around and wag your entire body.
• If you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout – run back and make up.
• Delight in the simple joys of life, like long walks and all day naps.

I woke up this morning to sunshine after two gray and rainy days on Cape Cod and decided that it’s time for some inspiration. After all it’s only 38 days now until daylight savings begins and 45 days until the vernal equinox, which signals the start of spring. So I started thinking about all the great annual events held here on Cape Cod that I, and so many others like me, look forward to each year.

I remember my dad quoting his grandmother, Gramma Rockwell, as some annual event approached in his small hometown in Massachusetts. “Goin’ to the time tonight?” she would ask. The “time” could be anything from a local church supper to the annual local fair, but knowing who was and who wasn’t going was big news apparently.

Our bed and breakfast guests often inquire if anything special is going on during their planned visit. Although Cape Cod offers a wealth of activities to enjoy at any time of the year, I think it makes our guests feel somewhat more connected if they can take in a special event or two during their stay. It’s part of the “authentic experience” movement that seems so prevalent these days.

I look forward to getting my copy of all the annual guides to Cape Cod, like the Cape Cod Life Annual Guide and the Cape Cod Travel Guide, each of which publish an upcoming calendar of events. So for those of you who want something to look forward to, as I do, here are some great local Cape Cod events to mark on your calendar.

• March 18-20 11th Annual Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival
• April 29-May 1 Brewster in Bloom
• April 29-May 1 Nantucket Daffodil Festival Weekend
• May 8-14 Cape and Islands Beer Week
• May 18-22 15th Annual Nantucket Wine Festival
• May 28-30 Figawai Race Weekend
• June 11-12 10th Annual Cape Cod Maritime Festival
• July 10 14th Annual Secret Garden Tour
• July 16-23 167th Barnstable County Fair
• August 7 26th Annual TD Bank Pops by the Sea
• August 14 Falmouth Road Race
• August 12-13 Seventh Annual Provincetown Jazz Festival
• September 8-11 Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival
• September 10-11 Eighth Annual Bird Carvers’ Show and Sale
• September 17-18 23rd Annual Glass Show and Sale
• September 23-25 42nd Annual Bourne Scallop Fest
• October 14-15 Fifth Annual Martha’s Vineyard Food and Wine Festival
• October 15-16 10th Annual Wellfleet Oyster Fest

As always, we’d love to have you as our guest at the High Pointe Inn if you plan on attending any of these events. We are centrally located mid-Cape  in West Barnstable, MA, an hour’s drive from Boston or Providence and in close proximity to the ferries for the islands of  Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

Once again February has rolled around, and with it a number of great events to distract us from the onslaught of snow, sleet, and cold. Old Man Winter has certainly wreaked havoc elsewhere in the state, but on Cape Cod we have been spared the brunt of countless storms that buried the rest of Massachusetts in a blanket of white.

Nonetheless, we are cognizant of the fact that winter wears you down. So to turn up the heat and rev up the romance we’ve introduced the “February is for Lovers” package at our bed and breakfast inn on Cape Cod. Why restrict romance to just one night when you can celebrate all month?! Choose a night or two that fits your schedule and we’ll provide you with everything you need to create a romantic interlude for two: champagne and chocolates, a gourmet dinner for two, plus an optional in-room side-by-side couples massage to set the mood.

If chocolate does it for you and your loved one, don’t forget the Sixth Annual Chocolate Fest taking place in Osterville on February 5th. A true chocoholic love fest, the event includes a dessert contest, pet parade, and decadent treats offered at local businesses throughout the day.

Later this month you can take in the Fifth Annual Boatbuilders Show in Hyannis. Some of the finest dealers in the world will be on hand February 12 and 13 at the Resort and Conference Center. What better way to fast-forward to spring than simply “messing about in boats”?

That same weekend the Cape Symphony Orchestra will feature vocalists Sarah Uriarte Berry, Rosenal Hill, and Edward Watts in a tribute to Broadway musicals entitled “Today’s Broadway: Great Moments from Blockbuster Musicals”. Choose from performances held Saturday, February 12 at 8:00 PM or Sunday, February 13 at 3:00 PM and tap your toes to some of the classic tunes from Chicago, Mamma Mia, and Hair.

Finally, February 19th and 20th will bring dozens of regional antique dealers together to showcase classic furniture, glassware, and china at the Presidents Day Antique Show and Sale being held at Barnstable High School. Perhaps you’ll find a treasure or two that will warm the heart of your honey.

No matter how you celebrate your valentine this month, remember spring is right around the corner and, as for winter, this too shall pass.