The Walk of Life
Today on the #BloPoMo program, a walk. And let me tell you honestly, that's just SH*T! Yes, you read this right. I do have to walk my dogs every day, of course, but this week it's just downright short walks as my legs feel like they're made of rubber and unable to take a proper walk. I've come down with the same flu virus that caught my partner a week or two ago. Fun is different! So, the walks I'm taking now are really not as quick as making sure the dogs can do what they need to do. And then I take it very easy. Yes, we do enjoy the sun shining outside in the garden ... of course. And yes, then I can also throw a ball for the dogs so that they get their exercise. But would you like to go out for a real walk and see some different environments? LOL, NO No way. Not as long as my legs don't want to cooperate normally.
3014 days in a row
So what kind of pictures am I going to post? And even more, what am I going to tell you about those photos? The walks I'm taking now can't really be called inspiring, there's not much to tell about it and the environment I can show you can even be called downright boring for me. I've been seeing this for 3014 days now, every day. You can imagine that even with the change of the seasons, you get tired of it, and that there isn't much inspiration for me to get from this environment.
The advantage now is that there is at least one sun shining, and that nature comes back to life after the long dark cold winter. I wish I could say the same, hopefully this virus will be over soon so that I can feel that renewed energy that always accompanies the beginning of spring.
Of course, My DOGS
Today's pictures show a bit of the area, and of course my dogs. To be honest, without my dogs I wouldn't even get further than the garden these days. It is for them that I walk a little further and that I also take the time and effort to give Skipper in particular a slightly longer walk. After all, he can't help it that I'm not feeling well...but he does need his exercise. Myla and Lana have long agreed that they can do what they need to do for a while and then play in the garden. Both ladies have reached a nice age by now. Myla turned 14 last month, and Lana will be 13 tomorrow.
Old ladies
Although they don't differ much in age, the difference between the two dogs is big. Where Myla really needs to slow down, Lana is still a lot of energy. We do notice that she also loses muscle strength, but someone who doesn't know Lana doesn't see that yet. With Myla it is clear that she is an old dog. Her gray snout betrays everything, but her way of moving is also very different from Lana's. The energy explosions that Myla used to be known for, and her enormous pulling power, are definitely a thing of the past. Running for hours is a thing of the past. For Myla it is now time to take it easy, although she often thinks differently. In her head she can still do anything, and it is touching to see when she hops after a ball in a calm trot, that she really thinks she is running very fast, and is super agile when she sniffs that ball for Skippers as well can dig away. What she doesn't notice is that Skipper lets her get the ball.
What is less touching to see is that sometimes all three dogs are so excited to run outside that Skipper and Lana ignore Myla and run her over, causing her face to hit the hard surface again. tiles landed. I really try to take this into account, but it is not always possible to prevent this from happening. Myla herself stands in the middle and, like Skipper and Lana, wants to run out first. And because she can still do everything in her head, reality can sometimes be hard for her that what she thinks is no longer reality.
The change has been gradual
This is also a thing with walking, what Myla was used to, she just can't do anymore. She was used to going for hours and being allowed to run and play. That is a thing of the past, and she is only allowed to loosen up on small pieces now and then. This is not because I'm afraid of her running away, not at all. But because Myla hardly hears anything anymore due to old age. And her sight has also become less. This does not hinder her in her daily life, she knows everything in the house, and knows perfectly how to find her way without running into anything. But this can pose dangers, she no longer hears cyclists approaching, she only hears a car when it is already too late, and she can no longer react quickly. So for her own safety she stays on a leash, and can only go loose on small pieces where there is no danger to her. The change has been gradual, but oh so noticeable… And for me it makes me think back to the times when she was running around like a little speed demon. I enjoyed those moments so much, and how proud I was of my little red rascal.
Now it's all different, and we're taking it easy. But now she is even more so dear to me, and I enjoy her whole being, her sweet character. And the little mischievous moments when she dares Skipper to play with her anyway. Those moments, then I melt, and I recognize my little girl as she always was. Social, Naughty, Sensitive and very Sweet!