Some good news on a sunny day

First, the good news. There was a voice mail message from the vet when I got home. The growth below Maya's eye was a benign tumor. The report said it was removed with good margins so hopefully it will not return. If you've got to grow a tumor, a benign one is the kind to have. Hopefully it will be her last one, of any kind.

Sweet Serena, a magnificent beast.

It was another beautiful day. I got my work done by mid-afternoon and took the two girls out for another six mile hike. It may seem monotonous and routine to read about, and the pictures may look all the same, but I assure you that each walk is fresh, new, and exciting, especially for Serena. Maya has covered the trails many times, but every day we cover new territory for Serena. It never gets old for Maya either because there's always the prospect of deer spotting. I didn't see any today, but she was pretty sure she did.

In spite of Serena's long legs, obstacles in the
trail often baffle her, she's not sure what to do.
Here, Maya demonstrated that it's easy to
just jump over them, and easier still for Serena.

Serena pulled a lot today and on the hills I
didn't discourage it at all.

I'm so lucky to have two girls who get along well together,
walk well together, and look good together.

Today's hike came in at 6.12 miles.

Cone-free

I kept the cone on Maya until Wednesday afternoon, about 4:00 p.m. That had been five days since her surgery. It was a beautiful day, I was finished with work, and I was going out for a good long hike. I didn't feel like taking Smokey because I wasn't sure what kind of crowd would be on the trails or how he would react so I was just going to take Serena. Then I thought, Maya is sad and she'll be pissed if I leave without her again, and it's been long enough, so I took off her cone, gave her neck a good scratch and off we went.

Maya actually slept in bed last night.
Well, she got down at some point but
she was in bed when I went to sleep
and that's very unusual for her.

It was a beautiful afternoon and I had time, so we went 6.2 miles and still made it home well before dark.

Maya is glad to be relieved of the cone and everyone else in the house is glad it's gone too. I haven't seen her scratch at her face at all and the surgery spot looks just fine so I don't think it's bothering her.

I didn't realize I got this shot until I got home,
but this gives an idea of what Serena might
look like with cropped ears that stood up.
I prefer natural ears.

Even since she discovered fish, Serena now spends some time looking for them in any stream.

Dreary Day

Not all spring days are bright, pretty, and warm. Some feel more like winter and today was one of them. I should have taken a walk in the morning because the afternoon got cold and wet.

Smokey

If the dogs saw these pictures they would cry foul because I didn't take them out to the pasture or do anything fun today. These were actually taken a few days ago on another cloudy and chilly day. Today was the same but wetter.

This is a rare moment in that Theo does not seem to have a
tennis ball in his mouth. I'm asserting tighter control over
the tennis balls in the pasture in an attempt to prevent Serena
from chewing up and swallowing those that are left behind.

Serena grazing.

Max

Trooper

Maya would like to remind everyone that she's still wearing
this damn cone, and she can't go out hiking or do anything fun.
I'm going to try to keep it on her until Wednesday night or
Thursday morning. That will be five full days since the surgery. 

Another Five

I really didn't have much time for anything but work today. It was one of those days. But I can't sit at the computer for more than eight straight hours, so I took a break and went out for another five mile hike. 

I took Serena and Theo, a very nice pair to walk. Both dogs are big and impressive and they both walk nicely together. Theo is always out front unless he has stopped to sniff and mark a tree, which he did a lot. I don't stop for that nonsense however, or we'd never get anywhere. If he stops when he's a leash length (6') ahead, he has the time it takes me to cover 12 feet before getting jerked forward. That's long enough to sniff and mark. 

It was sunny but cool out today and we were out late afternoon and there were not many people around. 

Maya's patience with the cone is wearing thin, and Serena isn't crazy about being hit with it. The stiff but thin plastic edges hurt when they hit the big girl's long legs. Just a couple more days to go before we can remove the cone. No one will miss it.