think two-year-old

"Think two-year-old"

That was the advice given to my upon the departure of this puppy's humans, on their way to spend the winter in Florida. Shahna the dog...puppy... is a one-year-old Boxer, left in my care for the next few months, and so has our bonding begun! Luckily, we are both active (a BIG plus, and convenience), though Shahna being the young'n is constantly on the go. I can't keep up. She is still learning, and although a little stubbornness comes through periodically, she is generally very easygoing.

Born in Florida herself last year, Shahna had never seen snow until this winter. We had a standard winter blizzard going on the past 24 hours, which left a beautiful blanket of snow on Cape Cod about a foot deep. Puppy seemed slightly disoriented at first, but quickly realized how NEW everything was! And of course that set her off. We went down her favorite trail to the water, me on my cross-country skis, and Shahna with a friend on foot (read: runner who could keep up with her).

It was gorgeous out by the time we reached the water! The entire morning it had been flurrying, and by the time I scraped and defrosted the car and plowed the drive later in the afternoon, the sun was peeking through. It was about an hour before sunset when we reached the water. It was my first cross country ski of the season, and a beautiful one at that!