Birthday Girl Trust

Now, doesn't this just look like a Tracking Champion?!! ha.ha. Trust turned twelve years old today.  We usually have a 'dog birthday party' complete with matching party hats and iced carrot muffins.

I decided Trust would much rather have some time with a chewie.  I let her have it for about 20 mins. so she didn't have time to eat it.

She didn't even seem to notice her birthday hat was on the whole time.
Happy Birthday Trust...you're so very special to us.

Might as well do a search with Kira!

I've thrown a ball out into the mainly clear area above and it is well buried down in the snow.  Kira did a lot of running circles in the area, concentrating more to the left of where the ball was.  Once she ruled out most places, she slowed down a little and found it quite readily.

When she located it, she had to shove her nose/face way down in and then dig it out.  It's in her mouth now.

So a few easy throws down a path and she was happy.  Although she probably would have liked to carry on...I was frozen and called it quits.  A little fun for her though.

Friday night/Saturday Snowstorms

Tank, Blast, Trust and I are about halfway down the driveway before the snowplow fellow shows up.  It continued to snow, but the temps. have been terrible along with the windchill......nearly -30.  Our walks were very limited due to the cold and getting through the snow.

Blast is perhaps looking fondly to the area that actually had grass a couple of days ago, after a major melt and rain.  Weather has just been so crazy, you never know what to plan for.  Feel sorry for the birds with the changes, it must be hard on them and other wildlife.

Trust is ready to go back in!  She turns twelve years old tomorrow!  Party time!!!

January Thaw! Dogs and I are Happy!!

So much snow for a few weeks, and suddenly rain, freezing rain (wasn't fun), more rain and temps. over zero...what a change.

The huge snowbanks have dropped, and there are even places bare enough to walk the dogs on again.

Kira and I had a good time in the driveway yesterday playing two balls.

Blast thinks I can't see him when he either flattens out, or hides behind a weed.  He was a long way out in the field and I just zoomed in on him for the pictures.  I pretend I can't find him and act very surprised when he 'pokes' out.

Trust, Tank and Blast playing in a "grassy" spot off the driveway where the snow was piled over 4' a week ago.  What a nice change...very unusual, and I know it won't last long, unfortunately.  It has been difficult with our paths in the fields completely snowed in and only able to walk in the driveway.  We are going to enjoy it as long as it lasts.

One of "Those" Winters, I'm Afraid...

The snow just doesn't seem to want to stop.  We weren't supposed to have much today and it started early, still coming down.  I was throwing a ball on a rope for Kira, ideally when she was looking in another direction, then she had to search for it.  Scent can travel under the snow, so it was interesting to watch her scent over the snow to try and locate it down under.

And there it is, she buries her head to locate it, or digs it up, depending on the depth.

Coming back for more.  I quit after about 6 to 8 throws; she would prefer I stayed all afternoon tossing it!  It was a little too cold for me.

Happy New Year...and if only...

If only we could all be this joyful...all the time.  If only life was just about fun...If only we could be this healthy and active...forever.  If only we could live like our dogs...living for 'now'...and not wanting more, worrying about the future, stepping on others to 'get ahead'.
There have just been too many sad stories in the past short while from all over the globe.  Wouldn't it be great if 2013 brought many changes so we all could live together in peace? 
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!  Let's all try to make some difference.

Luckily our dogs love SNOW!

 

 I took these pictures two days ago, and we've had just a little more snow since, but pretty cold temps.  We've not been over -11C for a few days and windchills -22C.  Our walks have been shortened due to losing the walking trails. Tank is standing on 'what was' a walking trail.

 Blast has decided it's time to race around through the field and engage Tank in a good chase.  One nice thing about this, is it certainly wears them out, running through deep snow.  They love it!

 The chase is on!  Tank can look like some ancient odd dog at times.  We have to laugh at him; his ear tips are touching...

 Time out on top of the old round hay bale.  A good time to eat some snow.
I don't let them eat much, though, if they are running, they start to choke.

 Kira was so thrilled to go on a walk with Trust.  Trust was so not thrilled to go on a walk with Kira.  Kira is trying her best to get attention from Trust.

 Oh, well!  A big frozen hunk of dirt and snow off the driveway, will do fine...gets a bit of interest from Trust, racing past and ahead of her.  Trust starts to run to "try" and catch up to see if she's missing something.

Coming back up behind the house, looking into the forest (little storage shed next to a trail).  So calm and pretty and silent.  So far, have seen few deer.  I'm so hoping we don't have the herd coming like last winter.  It was so difficult trying to take dogs out when the deer were all around, and they also became so tame.  Pretty....but don't want them back.