I can't believe she did that ~by Morris

She asked if I wanted to go for a walk.  What a dumb question.  It would be like I asked her if she wanted to breathe.

I pounced around and put on my most adorable face.  She leaned down and stroked my head and told me how cute I was and how grey in the face I was getting.

I sat and looked at her.  She was no spring chicken herself, but I didn't tell her that.  I didn't even mention that she had lots of grey hairs now on her head too.  Only she wears a stocking cap in the winter to cover it up.  
At least I wear my age proudly!

Harumph.
Off we went.  We ran into coyote tracks right as we got into the Dexter's Summer Pasture.  They crisscrossed the leftover snow.  I got busy and tried to smell them all.  They hadn't been around since last night, their scents were old.

She went out ahead of me and we followed a deer trail to the creek. She explained that she was looking for antler sheds.  I think she just makes up excuses to get out and hike.
That's okay, as long as she takes me.

We spent quite a while at the Big Ice Wall.  I love to climb it because she can't.  I am nimble and fast.  I can scramble right up the ice and go on the deer trail above the rocks.

She was fascinated by the fact that she found some hollow ice. The run off from the other day ran over the top of the ice strip and there was just a small amount of water still running underneath it.

Um.  Okay, but I didn't think it was much of a big deal.  
I certainly was not impressed.  It had no good smells in it and no coyote tracks which made me very happy.

We went pretty far down the valley.  She followed the creek looking at places that had tracks in the mud and in the snow.

We came to a place that has some big rock formations above the creek.  I came and stood on her feet.  Coyotes. Raccoon. 
I could smell them, they were bigger and wilder animals than me and they lived somewhere close.

She studied the ground for a while and then looked up into the rocky area.  There was a tell tail [or tale] trail of muddy footprints. And they sure were not mine. 
I stood and quivered, then put a paw on her leg.

Uffdah.  She can be dense sometimes.  Finally she got the hint and we moved on.  I kept a wary nose out and didn't get very far from her.
I'm not stupid.  There were coyote tracks all over the place and they were fresher than the ones in the pasture at home.
Coyotes see me as a meager snack.  I don't find that very amusing at all.

I am glad she carries a pistol to protect me.

When she started to take photos of the little creek, I stuck very close and I can't believe she took one shot that shows my butt! Oh my!

See how my tail is down and I am hunched?  I am watching for those evil coyotes.  Especially the one with the super huge feet that She calls Big Foot.

After all, that Monster could have been anywhere.  And here she is taking pictures of the water.
Sigh.

We finally turned around and headed home.  I was never so happy about that.  There were several places I had to stop and nibble on smart pellets.  I just love to hear her get after me for that.

When we got near home, she picked me up and carried me so I wouldn't get all full of mud.  I even tolerated her toweling me off when we got in the house.

I heard the couch calling my name, so I jumped up on it and made a nest with my blanket.
All was good.  

If my memory serves me right, after the snow is gone, she'll want to look for more sheds and start looking for signs that spring will come.
Those coyotes ought to be out of their mating season so it will be safer for me to go into the woods.

For now, I'm going to snuggle into my blanket and dream about smart pellets and walking in the creek.