These two aren’t inclined to play together for too long, but just enough for me to take a few pictures of these two handsome canines. You can click on any picture to enlarge it.

We had some sun yesterday. Every little bit counts. There's sweet Lexy in the picture too.

Contact!

Rusty in the sun, shiny and bright.

Henry the Cute. Loads of personality, this one.

I’m so happy to sneak in more walks in the warmth of this slow moving Fall. It’s like grabbing another handful of Halloween candy.

Rusty is ready for a hike

Although Frenchies have long since been bred for bull baiting, in the Fall leaves Rusty could easily slip up on an oblivious grazing bull and bite an ankle. Can you find Rusty? (Click on any picture to enlarge)

A favorite find on a hike is an old stone wall that once designated a property line. These walls were built from the 1600s up into the 1800s. I like to see if I can spot an old foundation of a house or barn that once stood on the property.

A panoramic view of this side of the lake..

And this side

Rusty went "out on a limb" to check out the temperature of the water which he shortly found out moments after the picture was taken by slipping into the water for a surprise swim

It was a warm Fall day and we sat listening to the quiet and watched the occasional bird on the water and in the sky.

The sweetest beloved, TBoneSallie. She has a huge chunk of my heart.

Something has come up for me, being a boarder of dogs. A sadness in seeing the dogs go back home. An attachment grows and I regret when they leave.
When I had a dog walking business in NYC and used to pet sit, it didn’t bother me as much to leave my dogs because the next day I would be back, taking them for their walks. Now that I’m out of the city, upstate and not walking dogs daily, I only see my dogs the next time my clients go out of town. It’s a different relationship now. Maybe this sadness is a luxury to feel, someone might roll their eyes even, but it’s real for me.

Otis, scrappy and happy. An excellent, gentle playfulness.

Just now, not but two minutes ago I said goodbye to Otis. He’s like furry sunshine and although our house is happy it’s not quite as bright when he leaves.

Penny, she can melt anyone's heart, dogs and people alike.

The more I think about this, I begin to believe it is a luxury to feel this particular kind of melancholy. How many people get to have these temporary relationships, with dogs or anyone else for that matter? Brief times of cuddling and caring for someone, then the goodbye and eventually a hello again? This experience is an example of that which “hurts so good”.

Photos taken by Ayumi Horie