A frosty winter's morning

The colors on this one are a better match for Serena, but she
was back inside already and it was a good fit for Della.

Sunday morning was very frosty. The Solstice fire was still smoldering from the night before and with just a little encouragement it sprung back to life to warm up the cold morning of the first day of winter.

Theo, Max, and Della, thinking that
a cold morning is good for play.

I fed the dogs and then dug out a coat for Della. Serena had gone back inside but Della wanted to stay out and play. The shepherds have double coats, they are made for this kind of weather. The thick undercoat keeps them warm just as it keeps my house full of clumps of fur. Danes have a very short and rather thin coat of fur. Della wasn't complaining, but it was cold enough that I pulled out my winter coveralls so I thought she needed a coat as well. She seemed confused by it but didn't really object, although she acted like she couldn't possibly run and play in it.















Later in the morning we went over to Green Dogs to deliver a calendar and some of those yoga mats. Killian was there, of course, also wearing a nice winter coat. Killian is such a good boy that he got his mother a new coat for Christmas, and one for his aunt Serena as well.

Once Della realized that one of her pups was present she
sounded her big mamma warning bark telling any other
dogs to stay away. 

Della in her new fleece coat.

After we got back home, Serena came out
and I put her new coat on her as well.

Trooper actually wanted into the dog yard in the afternoon.
The sun was warming the straw and he spent some time
playing with Max and Theo.

In the afternoon I took Maya out for a four mile hike. My back was sore because I haven't been doing my stretches, so I knew I couldn't handle two dogs. Maya's nose was also a bit out of joint because I haven't been sticking to our normal daily routine - me sitting at the desk working with her at my feet. I've been off work a lot lately and have been doing more things with dogs who aren't her. We had a nice walk in the woods and I was glad it had been just the two of us because we encountered horses, off leash dogs, and small dogs on flexi-leads. Maya just ignores it all. She's only interested in me and deer. Della would have been a different story.