Our day in the sun

It's been cloudy and rainy here for so long I almost forgot what the sun looked like. It was a pleasant surprise to look out the window and see blue sky and sunshine today. I haven't been out to hike in forever, between the kitchen project and the weather, but I was determined to do so today.

Abby wasn't great on a leash, but she wasn't the worst.

It was late afternoon by the time I finished work, but I loaded up Maya and Abby and we did a quick four miles at Pleasant Grove. I stuck to trails that I knew wouldn't be too muddy and we had a fine time. It was Abby's first hike and she loved it, she had her nose to the ground the entire time.

When we got back I did a quick feeding and shuffled some dogs around and then took Theo, Xochi, and Max out to the pasture for some twilight ball. New tennis balls show up well even as it was getting dark, so the three of them got in some good exercise.

I took advantage of the nice weather and filled up the outdoor water tanks. It was dark by the time I was finished, but it was a great way to finish the day. I feel the best I have since the last time I walked. I just have to get out there and do it even when I don't have time and even when the weather sucks. I don't have to do that much, but if I don't do anything, I feel like shit.

I love Maya's tail.

This was the most time Maya and Abby have
spent alone together. It's a good way to bond.

Xochi with tennis ball

Max got one ball and then ran off on his own. Theo and
Xochi played fetch with me until we couldn't see the balls.

Too dark for pictures, but they never missed a ball.

A flock of geese flying overhead. I heard them honking and looked up.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have seen them.

No dogs allowed

When our kitchen improvement project moved to the tile phase, it became "no dogs allowed" for a few days. Actually for a couple days it was pretty much off limits to everyone, dogs and humans alike. I brought the microwave upstairs to the bathroom and set it up along with Clay's Keurig coffee maker. We pretty much lived out of there for a couple days. It's all finished now, though, and I'm very happy with the results.

The reason Maya isn't in these pics is because she's on the
same side of the gate that I am. She just hops over the gate,
disregarding the "no dogs allowed" rule.

I'd still prefer the dogs not walk on it, but I'm getting over that. After all, the reason for the tile was to have a floor that would stand up to the dogs and be easy to clean.

It is taking a while to get everything back in order, mostly because everything needs to be cleaned before moving and I'm thinning out a lot of stuff we just don't need. Cool, wet days are good for that sort of thing, but it does get old, both for me and the dogs.




x

The beams were salvaged from an old tobacco
warehouse in Danville, VA.

Gigi, Theo, Samantha (in rear), Trooper, and then Vince.

The shelves above the windows will hold pewter mugs and
plates. The brackets may hold curtains some day.

Just one dog bed in here, and I'm not putting any crates in the kitchen.

Mostly indoor days

The last couple days have been spent mostly indoors due to the cold, although I have gotten out for a hike or two. The next few days are supposed to warmer, but rainy, which will keep us indoors even more. The dogs don't mind it for the most part; it helps that several of them are older.

Trooper and Maya will always take the prize for cutest
couple in our house. 

Trooper often takes the spot at the foot of the bed during the
day because Gigi is up on the pillows.

Maya will share this bed with any other dog because she wants
to be closest to me, but I'm sure that Trooper is the only dog
who can sleep with his paw across her back.

Maya and Max did a 3.5 mile walk with me on Monday.

Maya and Gigi were playing with each other on the bed.

Such a cute, sweet little girl, but we left her in the house on
Sunday when we went to town to see a movie and returned
home to find she had once again opened the door to the front
room where she rummaged through Christmas presents and
ate cookies.

Maya, curled up on a cold day.

Vince still moves at fast pace everywhere he goes and
he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Good days of winter

Sunday was a cold day but the sun was shining and that's always a good day in my book. I took Maya and Sparky out for a hike. It took two miles before my hands warmed up, but we stopped after just three miles because I felt that was probably enough for Sparky. The dogs enjoyed it and I did too. Some of the trails had been walked on by people and other dogs, some only by deer, and some were covered with still virgin snow.

When you were in the sun and out of the wind, and properly dressed, it was possible to convince yourself that it was warm.

I should have taken Maya and another dog back out for another short hike, but I just took Trooper, Theo, and the rest out for a romp in the front yard instead.

Monday morning it's bitterly cold, 3-5 degrees depending on which thermometer you look at. I gave the foster girls a little play time in the dog yard after feeding them, but then brought them back inside. Everyone else is fasting until it's warm enough that I want to deal with it. But again, the sun is shining and the wind is calm, so it's going to be a good day.

Sparky looking very hound-like here.

This is Sparky's "Are you sure you know
where we are going" look. 

Maya following a single set of deer tracks. She spent a lot of time with her nose in the snow
and would have liked to follow the tracks when they left the trail.

Theo with a big, happy smile.

Trooper was more playful in the snow than he
normally is outdoors.

Trooper and Theo