Maya and Della

Maya and Della and I went for a hike on the trails today. I had hardly moved out of my desk chair all week and was really needing it. Della was really needing it too and has been giving me looks questioning my worthiness as a dog person of late, and rightly so. Maya is a bit more forgiving these days, as long as I don't go without her, of course. At nine years old Maya isn't so insistent on going for walks like she used to be. Mostly she wants me upstairs at my desk so she can take her place on the bed at my feet. If I spend too much time downstairs, cooking or whatever, she comes down to get me and complains about my absence from the desk chair. 

A couple people have asked about Maya lately as she hasn't appeared in my blog as often as she once did. That may be true, but Maya is fine and she's still my little girl and she's rarely more than an arms length away from me. Even if I never posted another picture of Maya, I expect she would always hold the record for most blog appearances. Della may hope to challenge that record some day, but she's got a long way to go. Maya has mellowed in some respects, but she still sits closest to me during the day and sleeps closest to me at night. 

I'm just really lucky and very grateful that both girls get along. They don't play together much, unless Serena is also involved, but they coexist peacefully. I'll take it. 

They actually make a pretty good team on the trails.

Everything Della knows she learned from Maya. 

Della's eyes have a nuclear intensity. 

Her right eye in particular, has soul searching powers.

Maya and I have a bond that has developed over many adventures and a few

misadventures. She accepts the fact that we run a halfway house for wayward 

canines and she does her part to help out, usually. But she has always been fully 

prepared to remind me she's my number one that her own needs must be met.

The girls sniff out important stuff on our walks and spend some time studying it.

Then one or both of them pisses on it and we move on.

The walking lean with head in my hand has always been Serena's move

but Della did it today. Took me by surprise. 

The river is running high and fast with all the recent rains.

We spotted some deer today but no one went crazy. 

Della really alerts to other people and dogs, but Maya knows they are not our concern.

3.3 miles today.