Reverence

Charlie almost got hit by a car yesterday. I was bringing the dogs from the car to the house (while on leash) but had my hands full of other things. We live on a busy street and only a small median of grass separates our sidewalk from the road. She must have seen a squirrel on the other side of the street and lunged off the curb and into the road just as a car was passing. Luckily she stopped when an inhuman scream erupted from me saying her name at the top of my lungs and I was able to reel her in.

Inside the house I continued yelling at her for a few minutes as she shrank into a tiny ball with upturned eyes. Once my heartbeat returned to normal, I snuggled with her for the remainder of the evening. I felt bad for yelling at her, but it was involuntary. I was just so scared of losing her.

DOG VIDEO #1:

DOG VIDEO #2:

So when we woke up this morning, I decided we needed to go for an early morning hike at one of our favorite places and spend some quality time getting grounded with nature.

It might be a little bit morbid, but I'm always thinking and worrying about the dogs being gone. Whether it be by accident, sickness or just old age, I worry about it. I know this is counterproductive and it's a waste of time to grieve something or someone who is still here, but I love these dogs like they're my own kids and I know my heart will be broken when they're gone.

I have to admit that this way of thinking was part of the reason that I adopted Jake. In addition to wanting Charlie to have a playmate, I'm worried about her upcoming eighth birthday. I can't ignore the white hair that's taking over her face or the way she's slowing down and sleeping more than she used to.

Jake is not a replacement for Charlie (no dog can ever be replaced), but he'll likely be an overlap dog, which also worries me a bit because he's already very dependent on Charlie and I can't imagine how hard it will be on him when she's gone.

DOG VIDEO #3:

During our hike, I spent as much time as possible watching every movement of these two beautiful dogs. I wanted to fully absorb our time together. While I love hiking with dogs, there have been times in the past when I also resent it a little bit. I spend so much of my time watching them to make sure they are safe, staying out of trouble and having a good time that I don't have a good time.

In other words, I put their needs above my own.

I suppose it's a bit like a mom watching her kids at the playground... you can never fully relax and just space out - you have to stay focused on the kids. And even though I wouldn't trade them for the world, there are times that I wish I were hiking by myself.

DOG VIDEO #4:

I love these dogs so much and I take their safety and health very seriously. I change my life and my schedule to accommodate their needs and I spend a very large chunk of my paycheck on them. It's funny to think how much the status of the dog has changed over time. They have gone from working animals to revered and pampered pets. They are somewhat like the sacred cows of India.

But today, I didn't feel resentful of them. I walked slowly and let the dogs set the pace. We took lots of breaks to play in the water and just let them be dogs. They radiated pure joy and I couldn't get enough of watching them. We slowed down and bathed in nature to renew our spirits and reconnect with each other. They took me back in time to when I was a kid on summer break and had no cares in the world; my only mission was to be outside and play. We didn't just hike today, we played.

Working Vacation

Today kicks off a week-long vacation to work on house projects. We have one big project to get done and a bunch of little ones. In order to get everything done, it seemed a good idea to take a week off work!

Even though this is a working vacation, there's still plenty of time for play! I'm hoping to get in a few early morning hikes with the dogs in parks where weekend crowds usually prevent us from going off-leash. We'll be able to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature and have the trails all to ourselves... and during the coolest part of the day - morning.

We'll also have a couple of afternoons for short road trips to explore new areas. I'm looking forward to dipping my toes in cool streams, having a picnic in a rural county park, listening to cicadas and watching Jake chase butterflies!

There will also be some backyard time to relax and read a couple good library books. And by the end of the week, we'll have crossed a lot of items off my "to do" list and improved our quality of life.

Today, we made a trip out to Big Eau Pleine county park. I knew the blue-green algae bloom came early on this body of water this year, so I had hoped to keep the dogs out of the water. Unfortunately it's nearly impossible to keep these guys out of water. Jake absolutely LOVES swimming. Luckily he inherited the big webbed toes of his Labrador ancestry and is really good at swimming. Charlie is a natural in the water and seeks it out wherever we go.

The woods were beautifully green, peaceful and quiet, bird song echoed all around us and we watched several deer frolicking in the peak of summer. The dogs romped around along the trail, exploring all the new smells and were able to take a swim in the water after all.

VIDEO (Dogs on the Trail):

VIDEO (Fetching & Swimming):

Play Date

Mom and I took a road trip down to Madison today to celebrate a friend's birthday who happened to have a new puppy for us to visit!

Since Charlie is still reactive and unpredictable around new dogs, I decided to leave her with Alan to spend quality time with her daddy today and only brought Jake along on the trip to meet the new puppy.

Chester!

Chester and Jake

Chester takes the lead role in playtime with Jake

Chester is a 4-1/2 month old Golden Retriever mix rescued from Alabama and adopted through the Dane County Humane Society by his new family.

Jake just turned 9 months old yesterday, so I figured their energy levels would be a great match! While Charlie is a great playmate for Jake, she's almost 8 years old and doesn't last as long as Jake can, so it was nice seeing Jake play with another puppy similar in age.

They met in the front yard to check each other out before going into the house. Chester was a little shy and cautious at first, but Jake was definitely interested in playing. It's interesting seeing just how submissive Jake is. With just about every dog he meets, he tries to get as low as he can and does his "play bow" to initiate fun. He's very patient but persistent in his requests to play but never shows any aggression.

After taking the dogs in the backyard to run around, they finally loosened up and started getting comfortable with each other.

VIDEO (Play time in the backyard): 

Chester still has his sharp little baby teeth and Jake was getting a big dose of his own medicine with this little guy! He definitely went on the defensive and started avoiding those sharp teeth.

VIDEO (play time):

The playtime continued back in the house and the two dogs quickly tired each other out. Chester was definitely acting a lot more confident by the end of the play date than the beginning and it looked like both dogs benefited from their time together. After a couple of hours watching these two pups romp around together, Jake was ready to head home and nap the whole way!

Jake LOVES giving kisses!

Another Day in Summer Paradise

We started off early this morning on a scenic drive around our area, exploring little-known county parks along the way.

Road trip snacks, full cooler, sunscreen, bug spray, hats, sunglasses, water shoes, dog harnesses, leashes, towels and dog treats. Everything we could need on this gorgeous summer day.

I got to spend the entire day with my loves, my family. Enjoying all the things that we love doing together... exploring our state and being outdoors.

The weather was gorgeous - blue skies, warm wind, green fields and sunshine. Corn fields are growing tall, wildflowers are in bloom, windows were down and the car was full of fun and smiles.

The fresh air, exercise, and sunshine took their toll and we were all ready for a nap when we got home. Jake was so tired that I had to carry him inside... he didn't even have the energy to get out of the car!

VIDEO #1 (dogs swimming & fetching at Rib Falls):

VIDEO #2 (dogs swimming & fetching at Rib Falls):

Hiking With Two Dogs

The cicadas have begun their summer song and it always takes me back to my childhood... I love this sound. It seems to come at the peak of summer; arriving in time to remind us to enjoy what little time is left before the next season comes around. I feel an urgency to get out and do more when I hear their high keening song.

With the thought of a dwindling summer in mind, I decided to take the dogs hiking along the Plover River Segment of the Ice Age Trail today and get the most out of this fleeting time of year.

But going by myself (with both dogs) was a little daunting to think about.

You see, Jake is now the same weight as Charlie - 47 lbs... and still growing. Having two dogs attached to me on a hike through uneven terrain and only out-weighing them by 40 lbs can be a little intimidating. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to handle both at the same time by myself.

VIDEO (Dogs hiking side-by-side):

But, miraculously, we did just fine! Charlie has a lot of experience in the woods and on the trails, so she walks with a purpose... she's all about the destination and she's in a hurry to get there. She plows forward like a sled-pulling machine.

Jake is young and experiencing everything for the first time. He seems patient with Charlie's pace, but he is busy taking in his surroundings, looking left and right and smelling everything. If he smells something that absolutely must be sniffed longer, he just stops. And so, I am ever-vigilant while we are walking, watching his every move in case he stops and I run right over him! I've learned to be ready to put on the brakes when Jake stops.

Because of this, my hikes with the dogs are not as enjoyable in the normal sense because I spend all my time watching them instead of taking in the scenery around me. But I don't mind. I love seeing Jake enjoying his time in nature and learning how to hike alongside Charlie. And I think Charlie enjoys being a teacher of sorts. Jake reminds us to stop and smell the roses, which is good for both myself and Charlie.

The dogs were on-leash until we arrived at the Plover River, where I let them off-leash to swim and cool off. We explored the banks along the small river and settled in to enjoy nature. The sound of the babbling water, the wind in the leaves, birds chirping the most beautiful songs and of course, the cicadas.

It was so cute watching Jake explore the river, carefully stepping over submerged rocks and feeling his way around. He joined Charlie in chewing on sticks and jumping from island to island. They raced each other along the path, chasing the one stick that both of them wanted.

And then we headed back, refreshed from our time along this magical river, swatting at the swarm of deer flies all the way back to the parking area, where Jake found some poop and decided to eat it before getting in the car.

Ah well... as perfect as a day with dogs can be! I love these little munchkins and am so glad we enjoyed a beautiful summer day together. It was worth the bugs and poop-eating. But Jake is NOT getting any kisses tonight.

VIDEO #1 (Playing in the river):

VIDEO #2 (Playing in the river):

VIDEO #3 (Playing in the river):

VIDEO #4 (Playing in the river):

Lazy Backyard Afternoon

This last heatwave of 90-degree days with 100% humidity had our energy completely wiped out. So rather than spending today doing strenuous outdoor activities, we chilled out at home and rested up.

Luckily, today, was only in the mid-80's. The skies were a crystal clear blue and a delicious strong wind from the Northwest pushed away the remaining humidity. We spent our day off relaxing, reading in the backyard, lots of naps, pool-time and sprinkler fun along with frozen yogurt treats.

Where's Charlie?

It was the quintessential perfect summer day. Now that we're rested, we'll be doing some exploring with the remaining few days of this holiday break!

VIDEO (Jake checks out the sprinkler):

VIDEO (these guys LOVE chasing each other):

An Anniversary

A year ago, on June 30th, Alan asked me out on a date. Finding each other again, 10 years after our first meeting (and in completely different places in our lives), was a total surprise to both of us. Reconnecting and becoming a couple has been the best experience ever. I love this man so much. And I feel his love for me so completely that there is no question of its existence. Somehow we both knew we were meant to be together.

And here we are, a year later, and it flew by so quickly but at the same time it feels as though we've been together forever.

Our initial courtship began during the week of the 4th of July and so our anniversary of finding each other will always be accompanied by fireworks and long starry nights. 

I couldn't ask for anything more perfect.

Sunday morning snuggles with Charlie.

Charlie getting snuggles with her daddy.

. . .

We hiked today for a short while with the dogs. The weather has been ungodly hot this past month and today we have a one-day reprieve from the 90-degree heat and humidity we've had recently. Even though it's only in the 70's today, the humidity is sticking around so it feels much warmer. And the bugs have been unreal.

Boat launch below the dam.

Dam off in the distance.

We opted for a short treasure-hunting hike below one of the dams on the Wisconsin River near Wausau. I've begun collecting small smooth stones to paint and hide around our area. I recently discovered a movement of people painting rocks and hiding them... finders post up pictures on Facebook and can either keep the rocks, re-hide the rocks or replace them with their own painted rocks.

I happened to find one of these hidden rocks about a month ago and since then have bought art supplies and began collecting rocks of my own to paint. I like the idea of sending a positive and beautiful message back out into the world.

We found several turtle egg nests that had been raided, most likely by raccoons. Sad.

Charlie and Jake continue to grow their bond together. I worry that Jake is not learning his training commands, but only following Charlie around and doing what she does. Maybe this is good... Charlie helping with the training, but I think we'll be spending some one-on-one time together over the next few weeks so Jake gets his own individualized training. I want him to understand the training words by himself for those situations when Charlie may not be near him.

Jake is almost the same weight as Charlie now... he's up to 45 lbs. and Charlie is at 47 lbs. He still has one baby canine to lose, but otherwise is growing up beautifully. He's lost that gangly clumsy puppy walk and is getting more coordinated all the time. He and Charlie wrestle, play tug-of-war and even eat out of the same dish on occasion. It's miraculous how well these two have bonded.

Found a random beach ball on the trail. Neither dog wanted to play with it!

In any case, they enjoy each other's company immensely and our little family couldn't be happier. Life is really really good.

Found this heart along the trail. The cherry on top of our perfect day.