4 August, 2011 Earlier today
Mackey and Roux and I got up early to go to the river this morning. It’s the best part of the day – by far. Lucy is hanging out with us for a few days. This is one of the rewards for getting to the river early:
The reward is to be there
Another early morning reward is Rose of Sharon at the river:
Rose of Sharon at Pony Pasture
I do a lot of work with animal and human behavior. A guiding mantra when working with behavior is “behavior is communication.” Lucy is shown here communicating unmistakably that when you go to a river, you don’t mess around taking pictures of flowers:
Exuberant Lucy
There were lots of geese hanging around at the edge of the grass. Roux sauntered over for a look; perhaps she wanted to introduce herself. Or maybe round them up. I whistled once and she looked my way. I see plenty of gorgeous dogs but Roux is magnificent:
She is a canine super model.
With one on a leash (even without one on a leash) it’s difficult to get a shot of the whole pack together. Even a small pack like this. This was the best I could do:
Swimming and hiking
We barely made it five minutes down the trail when Lucy’s leash snapped. If you ever dog sit, there are few worse feelings than having a dog you’re caring for running loose. But the moment the leash broke, she ran right up to me. She’d done this walk a bunch of times already so she knew the route. And she was hanging around with Roux and Mackey. So I decided to let her do the whole walk off-leash. She rewarded my trust by never letting me out of her sight, and by hopping back in the car ahead of the other two as soon as we got back to the parking lot. She is a very sweet girl. Here is a picture of her jogging along with the souvenir from her leash:
Out for a morning jog
Max is doing fine. He’s still snoozing away in the den. He looks up and gives me what passes for a wan smile whenever I come in. I interpret his demeanor as happy to be home but exhausted. He and I will both be happier when he gets a few calories in. But he’s fine.
Have a great day,
Jay and posse
NEWFAZE 
Stunning photos of the river and Roux. Looks splendid. Go Lucy!
It’s a tonic to be there – every time I’m there. Lucy was fantastic. She really made my morning. Now we’re going for another walk! She’s a very good girl.
What a great recap of the morning Jay…I absolutely LOVE that Lucy came right to you on the walk, she is so very sweet (and energetic) isnt she? We havent always been confident she would stay with us in such a situation, but you have a real gift with her, and we are so lucky she has been in your care this week-I know she will be sad when her boring family returns home….perhaps play dates at the river? thank you Jay, you are our (and Lucy’s) hero!
Hi Kara,
It’s a treat to have her along! She does fantastic with my little crowd, and when her leash broke she just jogged along with the pack. She’s a great little girl. I hope you guys are having fun. Talk with you soon,
Jay
PS Play dates at the river are fine – she’s free to go with us any time! She LOVES the water.