Last month I was packing the car in preparation for a road trip to an agility trial. My two dogs expressed their personalities so clearly.
Chico worried:
“Where’s she going? Do the dogs get to go? Oooh dear, I hope the dogs get to go.”
Bonney calmly located herself where it was impossible to leave without her knowing and waited:
“She can’t possibly sneak out of here without my knowing. Not if I’m right here.”
along Mill Brook, there is a place where the water is just the right depth to make a not-quite-swimming pool for the dogs.
You can’t get to the bridge without wading yourself, but the dogs are in heaven.
I’m so tardy posting these pictures. It was early June, a cool, rainy day, and we went to hike near White Lake.
We saw beautiful lady slippers,
including the biggest patch I have ever seen.
The pair of loons that live there were out and about.
We went up to Spruce Bog.
Some of us followed our noses, and were very, very nice to each other.
There was a LOT of pollen on the water.
Bonney tried to herd Ed in his kayak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QbluV2fVFw
It was a smashingly good afternoon.
This picture was taken over a month ago.
When we walked through here earlier this week all those white flowers were ripe strawberries. I ate a number of them. I can assure you they were quite delicious. And I thought they would be there so I had to bell on my backpack in case any bears were enjoying them. But we didn’t see any bears.
or walking in the woods, or trying to keep the house under control, this is how we spend the hot hours:
People fish my stretch of the river, like the man in the background, who we already barked at once, and they drive through the yard to go swim, the rental house next door has ramped up for the season – there’s really no place to go that doesn’t present a training opportunity.
It was hot, even at 10:30 this morning, so we went to Wonalacet Brook. It was hot there too, but there’s water for dipping.
And Chico is getting on. He hurt his shoulder in the agility ring this past weekend. Not badly, but he was too excited for his turn and launched off the A-frame and landed badly.
Then, on a walk he jumped in the brook and ended up in a place where the current was strong and his feet didn’t touch bottom and he got stuck. I had to wade in the water and grab his collar and pull him to where he could touch bottom.
But he seems fine and he got some endless-lap-pool swimming for a minute or two. Though he’s less inclined to go into the water right now. A hot day and a familiar riverbank and some treats can fix that.
I was doing something in the yard and Chico wanted attention, so he started doing clever things. Like this. Look how proud he is of himself.
In Vernal pools:
In the river:
They don’t love swimming, they love wading.
We have seen lots of signs of spring:
Yellow violets (which seems like a contradictory name for a flower):
These pretty little things:
These shrubs that look like wild hydrangeas:
And, of course, swimming:
https://youtu.be/uLPhaviHg0o
Can I Bring the Dog? 