Just because there is snow on the ground doesn't mean we don't go outdoors. On the contrary, snow can be a lot of fun to romp around in! These were all taken in the woods on our property.

A Morning Walk in the Woods March 2007


A Winter Romp in the Snow Dec 2007

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skunkstripe

They say that a tired dog is a happy dog. While I don't think we've ever succeeded in getting the dogs tired before we were, we have been on some nice hiking trails in the mountains.

Weekend and Sunshine


Summer Hike on the AT


A Fall Hike
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skunkstripe

If Sophia was a messed up doggy when we got her, she learned to be a happy dog after about a year or so. Even though she doesn't have the eye-snout coordination that Zircon does, she still manages to have a good time with toys.

Me Sophia, Me Retrieve


Dance of the Rubber Chicken
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skunkstripe

I read in Patricia McConnell's book, "The Other End of the Leash" that one of the reaons we humans love dogs so much is that they are one of the few species that play well into adulthood. She had a nice passage about turning on the TV and finding ballgame after ballgame, suggesting that this is something else we have in common.

All I can say is that not all dogs are created alike. Zircon could keep an entire European soccer team on their toes, while Sophia - true to her...

skunkstripe

There is a saying that Golden Retrievers think that life is a party thrown especially for them. Once Sophia came out of her shell and became a DOG as opposed to a fearful ball of red fur, she proved that saying to be true for her.

She got to be pretty good at retrieving and swimming. So much so that I sometimes wondered if she wouldnt have made a good hunting dog. I remember very well one time in February when I was with her near a river. There were ice chunks on top of it and the...

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