An evening walk after a morning scare

I had most of the dogs out in the pasture for quite a while this afternoon while I was mowing the dog yard and Daneland and then doing some trimming and general cleanup. This evening I took Maya and Lucky for a walk at Pleasant Grove just before dark. We got in two miles, which isn't bad considering it's the first time I've walked in quite a while. Lucky was out front the entire way with a straight forward and constant pull on the leash. She was pulling just enough to keep the leash from ever going slack, but not enough to make it hard on her pulling me or on me being pulled. Maya was happy to bring up the rear for most of the walk. 

I owed it to Maya, especially after the scare she gave me this morning. The steps and landing outside the back door to the a/c yard are being rebuilt. The gate that we don't normally use has been in use and I haven't been securing it as I should in the evenings. Callie had us up at 5:30 a.m. this morning and I let Maya out to the a/c yard as I always do without thinking about the gate. After feeding the two young fosters and the Danes, I was headed back inside with food for the others. I opened the door to let Maya back in and instantly realized she was gone, out through the gate that I hadn't properly secured. I made a loop around the house calling for her, but she had already left the property. I got Clay up to come outside and decided the best thing to do was to keep up some activity outdoors as that was most likely to attract her because of her fear of missing out on something. It probably wasn't five minutes before Clay spotted her back by the front gate, on the inside, although I have no doubt that she had been out. He brought her back inside where I was preparing dog food and we had a very vocal and emotional reunion, with her explaining that she didn't go far or stay away long and me just being overjoyed and relieved that she was back. 

I have wondered from time to time if Maya had outgrown that wanderlust, or at least aged out of it. I regret not being able to take her out to play and run in the pasture with the others, but today was a stark reminder of why I can't, and won't. But I have been neglecting her walks and that isn't fair to her, even though she doesn't complain about it the way she used to. I needed the kick in the ass to get back to walking more and this was it. 

Lucky's harness fit her comfortably this time. It had been very tight when

I first put it on her. She has lost weight and is looking better. 

She's eating our dog food rather than the foster food, but at least she's eating 

it now, well, most of the time anyway. 

Maya is happy to share her walks with any other dog, but

she likes to go and I need to remember that.