The Return of Summer

Eva (formerly Summer), with her eyes on the ball.

Today felt like summer again. The temperature was in the upper 80s, and although the air wasn't as humid as it can me, it felt quite muggy because of all the moisture evaporating from the saturated ground. Summer returned in another way today as well. Much like Jasso a few days ago, former foster Summer came for a visit today. Her name is now Eva and she is healthy and beyond happy in her new home. She has a young man to call her own and she looks at him like he hung the moon. That was nice to see.

Her family came this way to meet and adopt another dog from an Animal Connections foster home just up the road from here. They brought Eva and the new dog to visit and we went out to the pasture to play ball.

Theo hasn't had any serious competition in the tennis ball game since Eva left. He can still outrun her on a long throw, but she's quick and often grabs a ball that he misses as he's barreling down the hill after it. A dog as big as Theo can't stop on a dime and that gives her an advantage.

Toquima and Hardy joined us in the pasture and Hardy got to experience meeting some new people.

This little corgi mix name Moose is their new dog.

Theo, with tennis ball in his mouth as always.

Toquima, scouting the edge of a wooded area.
This is the dog who got quilled by a porcupine
and I can understand why, he goes looking for
stuff in the woods and tall grass.

Toquima with Eva and Theo, cooling in the shade.

Toquima is the easiest house guest ever.

After Eva left with her family, I came inside to cool off, but later I took the two old girls, Scarlett and Samantha out for some pasture time. Max came out then too, along with Toquima, Theo, and Hardy from the dog yard. 

Scarlett (a former foster who is boarding with us until Thursday) is more active and faster than I would have thought. Samantha moves along at a fairly slow but steady pass, and she made a big loop around the pasture with me. Toquima did more hunting through the woods and weeds, Theo played ball, Hardy followed either Theo or me, and Max was Max - sometimes hanging with us and acting like a dog, sometimes off in his own world, but actually Max was fairly good today. Maybe it was the heat.

Scarlett enjoyed a nice roll in the cool, shaded grass.

It wasn't long after the second pasture romp when Toquima's folks showed up to take him home. I took advantage of having more humans around and made a point of introducing Hardy to them. I'm not convinced that Hardy is scared of women as much as he is just scared of new people in general. He met three new women today and two new men, and I really didn't see much difference. He does a very nervous vocalization and hides behind me at first, but given a little time he approaches and checks them out and even allows them to touch him. He's clearly under socialized, but it doesn't seem to take very much time or effort to win him over. 

Hardy returning from a run with Theo.

I thought there was a ready adopter waiting in the wings for Hardy, but it turns out that prospect isn't available for several weeks.  I'm contacting a couple other prospects and am soliciting applications for him through Promises Animal Rescue. 

That's Toquima on the left, three legs in the tank
and the fourth on it's way. Max is in the middle
and that's Theo on the right.

Samantha isn't fast but she's determined to get
around and explore the entire pasture. That is
Scarlett in the rear. Both girls followed me as I
walked around.

Scarlett and Hardy

You can see the beagle in Samantha when she's on the prowl.

Samantha's pretty smile comes from her rottweiler half.

Hardy is a diamond in the rough.