Return to the River

Now that the water level has receded, we can safely go to the river and enjoy the small beach.

Climber does not like water, but is willing to watch her girl and her sister frolic.

And frequently goes hunting for mice in the foliage along the dike.

After fun in the sun and sand, and once the sunset turns the sky orange, we say goodnight to the beach and head home.

We are so fortunate to live amongst such wild and ever changing beauty.

Even Dogs Go Grey!

As you can see by the date, these are photos from a while ago. That's Cinder on the edge of the pool. When we're in the water she gets anxious and runs around the rim. Every so often she accidentally/on purpose falls in. My daughter has trained her to swim to the ladder and climb out.

Every once in a while Climber allows us to take a photo of her. In this one, I realized how old she was getting by the greying of her muzzle and eyes. She'll be 12 in September.

Cinder loves to pose for the camera. My daughter can get her to do anything. Here, she took a snap of Cinder on the pile of snow at the edge of the driveway!

There's a mountain across the highway from our community that, in winter, is prime for sledding. We take Cinder with us and she accompanies my daughter up the mountain, then runs beside her as she slides down. Sometimes she lets my daughter win!

She Can Tell Time.....I Think

It seems as if Cinder The Wonder Dog can tell time. Every day after dinner, around 6 pm. Cinder sits at my feet and looks expectantly, her eyes darting from me to the place I keep the leashes. It's somewhat disconcerting because our other dog, Climber (who can climb a vertical river bank quicker than Spiderman) has begun to emulate her younger sister. The only difference is that Climber sits at the front door and "tells" me that it is time to go for our daily constitutional.

We use a splitter on the lead with one side a touch longer than the other. Climber, the smaller and eldest of the two, is the alpha and must be in the lead. She's really quite tolerant with Cinder, but when it's necessary, the smack down is swift and effective. However there are times when Cinder, having had enough of Climber's bossy ways, puts her foot down. No, really, she literally puts her foot on Climber's back and flattens her, holding her down just long enough that Climber gets the message. When they are walking they frequently "push" each other back and forth across the road or path. It's quite funny to watch and often my daughter and I pretend that they're calling out to mom.

"Mom, Climber's touching me!"

"Mom, Cinder's in my personal bubble!"

And so we carry on, laughing almost uncontrollably. I'm sure our neighbours think we're slightly twisted.