On a Clear Winter's Day

This winter has been marvelous so far - this time last year we'd had at least 4 or 5 blizzards and there was about 3 feet of snow on the ground. We're already at the end of January and winter is about half over as far as snow fall and major cold are concerned. No one here is complaining that's for sure. The last few days the sun has come out and everything is gorgeous, sparkly, clean and pristine. Who better to sully the untouched landscape than my dogs?

Esme is in her 'still not new' coat the replacement for which I think is never actually coming despite all promises to the opposite. She doesn't mind that the legs are raggedy, that there are multiple holes and rips in it and that it's almost no longer fitting over her growing coat. All Esme knows is this coat makes it easier for her to smash through the wilderness.

Leeloo surveys her domain. Seriously, I am pretty sure Leeloo thinks she owns everything and the world is just on loan to the rest of us.

Esme and Cora like to play some smack-down whenever they have a chance. It's pretty cute with Esme and all those cords flying and Cora who is just barely coordinated. The winner is never clear cut.

Cora is finally big enough to wrestle with Leeloo who is not in play mode lately. Maybe she realized it's less fun when your opponent can beat you up back. However Cora still tends to show respect for Leeloo because when when Leeloo thinks you need schooling, she means it.

Obviously running and bouncing and being silly is all part of the great fun of being a dog and these two are no exception.

Raimi gets into the act once in a while and takes Cora on a merry chase through the saplings. Cora is game to keep up but she is going to have to grow a little more to even come close to The Boy's skill at high speed antics.

It doesn't look like Raimi is going very fast in this photo but he is by far the fastest dog I own. Leeloo has a pretty good turn of pace and can out corner The Boy because she's smaller and weighs less but on a straight away this boy can move. People who've been run into by Ridgebacks have had it compared to a line-backer tackle or being hit by a car ... so, I try to keep an eye on them when they turn on the turbo.

Cora doesn't take chase games that seriously, as you can tell. She thinks it's more fun at this age to wrestle but she leaps along in The Boy's wake just the same.

All four dogs did two fly-by's and although I was bracing for impact they missed by quite a large margin. I just know The Boy does this because he thinks it's fun to scare me a little. He keeps an eye on me and has a huge grin as he thunders past. If he ever did run into me I'd probably be writing the blog from a hospital bed.