Christmas Travels - Part 3

Dad's place is great for us...he's got about 70 acres where the pups can run and romp and swim to their furry little hearts' content. They really love it out there.

Our first night there, Krysti was doing a bit of decorating and Duncan decided to pose by the little tree in the living room.


Reyna, on the other paw, couldn't be bothered by any of that.


Monday morning, we went out for an early romp before heading to Ganna's. The snow had a thick layer of ice on top and the dogs weren't quite heavy enough to break through in most places. Instead, they just slipped and slid and did their best. Just before I snapped this picture, Duncan slipped and fell. Being the loving mother that I am, my first thought was "Picture!" and my second was "Hope he's okay." By the time I got the camera up, Duncan had already started to get back on his feet. Reyna had turned around to see what the fuss was, though, and she slipped and fell. So this picture captured Duncan on his way up, and Reyna on her way down. It really is all about the timing...


Wednesday morning, the pups were more than happy to just relax for a while before braving the great snowy outdoors. Reyna crashed on my air mattress, while Duncan added a little more dog hair to the couch.



Duncan quickly got tired of taking the stairs from the cabin deck and decided that the easiest way was to just go over the side. Its amazing how his jumping looks so much like falling...


"Mom! Are you coming? Or are you going to stand there taking pictures all morning?"


The ice layer had melted in some places by the time we went out walking, so it was easier to tell how much snow had fallen.


Amazingly enough, despite the cold temps (and all the snow on the ground), both pups decided to get in the water. Granted, they didn't stay in for a very long time, but I was still surprised that they got in at all.



I caught Reyna in mid-excited bounce.


Reyna waiting patiently for me to decide I was done taking pictures and it was time for us to start walking again.


I like this picture because it shows the spread of Duncan's toes. The pups were really having to work at keeping their balance in the areas where the ice hadn't melted. I wasn't thinking about the need for toenails before we left Raleigh, and I trimmed their nails fairly short. Poor pups - they could have used the extra gripping power of longer nails.


Duncan had trouble walking in the tire ruts and generally preferred staying in the middle. I think most of his trouble came from the rougher surface of the ice in the ruts - the center might be slick, but at least it was smooth. Reyna typically walked in the center, too, but her problem seemed to be that the ruts were too narrow to be comfortable.


No series of pup pictures would be complete without the wrestling shots. Between the flashing teeth, lion (or grizzly, take your pick) poses, and excited chasing, I'd say its pretty clear that the pups had an excellent time playing in the snow.




As much fun as we all had, though, we were all very happy to get home - back to our own couch, chair and beds. Visiting is fun, but home is best.