BB in the backseat.
We have a guest staying with us! BB, my stepmom's dog, is visiting us while his mom goes on vacation. He is one of the few dogs that Charlie gets along with and it's such a relief to have him around for her to play with knowing that he's not in any danger of her fear-aggressive outbursts.
You have no idea how much weight this lifts off me. Watching them play, hike and romp around together gives me so much joy. It's rare for Charlie to have this one-on-one dog time and I love that she gets to be a normal dog for a while.
I have no idea what it is about BB that makes her feel so safe, but she's completely at ease with him.
BB is a 50-lb. black lab/beagle mix and will be celebrating his 11th birthday in a couple of months. Despite his age and a few benign growths on his body, he bounces around like a 2-year-old! Most people mistake him for a puppy because of his small size, his big "dumbo-like" ears and his youthful spirit. It's amazing to see a dog in his later years enjoying life so much and keeping up with a youthful dog like Charlie.
On this last day of winter, we enjoyed balmy temps in the mid-40's and plentiful sunshine. Although the lake at Big Eau Pleine County Park is still mostly frozen, the shoreline is starting to thaw out and we saw a line of buckled ice where water is flowing and pushing underneath.
The recent wind storm had knocked down many of the dead-wood trees in the forest, making a challenging obstacle course of the road and trail. We had a lot of fun dodging downed trees and branches although a bit challenging at times with two leashed dogs! It never failed that one dog would go under the log and one would go over and then I'm stuck deciding which way to go and how to maneuver the leashes. It was a good workout for all of us and a chance to enjoy sunshine on our faces and wind in our hair!
I'm looking forward to the start of Spring tomorrow and more opportunities to be outdoors, as well as the possibility for new beginnings and fresh starts!
Playtime at the semi-frozen beach (VIDEO):
