2007-12-01 (D)
After arriving to light snowfall up at Luv-A-Bull, Rache, Nick and I rounded up the puppies for a pre-walk group breakfast in the main room. All the puppies acted like they were hungry and followed where the food bowls went, but only Gideon and Ricky actually ate. They scarfed down their food in about 90 seconds while Ava and Rocket settled onto separate couches and curled up, either to gnaw on toys or rest.
Because all the dogs were having a good time, we decided there wasn't much use in hurrying the morning socializing. In a rare turn, Gideon and Rocket spent a little time playing together under the windows.
We, too, dived into the fun. Nick got especially cozy, not just sitting but serving as a cushion himself.
Apparently he's got some kind of innate magnetism, because the dogs were reluctant to leave him even when enticed with toys. They preferred, instead, to simply shift positions on Nick's lap.
When Nick moved to a more active pursuit of playtime with Gideon, Rocket remained comfortably on the couch. ♥
After 15-20 minutes, we were ready to roll. Rather than returning Ricky and Rocket to the hallway, we left them in the main room and set out with the big dawgs. Along the way up to the trailhead, I noticed a sign I'd never seen before. So sweet! And a little more apt than the "Troll Crossing" sign further along the walk. ;)
As usual, Ava meandered up and down, on and off the path while Gideon stayed near Nick's heel. Given the beauty and depth of these surroundings, it's not surprising Ava's curiosity would be piqued every 20-30 seconds.
On mornings like this, with light snowflakes falling around us, the forest was especially beautiful. I spent a great deal of time with my face lifted upward. Gideon, too, was enchanted by what fell from the sky.
While Gideon explored the snowflakes, Ava ran further down the trail.
Click to viewUp close, Ava looks so big. She's built like a block (of pure gentleness!), so that at close-range it's easy to forgot how small she truly is. It's neat to see her tiny against the enormous trees that serve as backdrop for our weekly walks.
As our walk wound down, Gideon's energy didn't. The pursuit of sticks, normally Ricky's realm, had him leaping and, it would almost seem, dancing.
Ava, interested always in the pursuit of treats, elevated herself to be a little closer to Rache's chicken strip offerings.
By the time we actually reached the shelter, 45 minutes after setting out, Ava was looking a little tired. With the possibility of another treat looming, she mustered just enough energy to run to catch up with us. We returned to the shelter together, and Nick toweled the dogs off before trading out the big dawgs for the littler ones.
And there, my friends, concludes my portion of this week's Luv-A-Bull tale. Stay tuned for Rache's part and oh-so-sweet pics of Ricky in his wintery, snow-flecked jacket!