Home again, home again

Well, the rest of our trip was fun but exhausting. They took us on a long walk on a road that was still closed for the winter so it was covered with a foot or so of ice and snow. This walk I really enjoyed - shade, packed snow and flat walking. We took a break in the middle and Ayla and I played a bit of chase and tug with a stick. Now you think this would have been enough, but no, Mom wanted a little more time in the woods and tried to get us to do another walk with her. This time, I put the breaks on and refused. She once again did not understand my clear communication so I had to plant my feet in the dirt and refuse to move. Then Mom understood. One good walk is really plenty for me so they left me in the car. I think, though, Mom missed me and came back to the car in a few minutes with The Kid and she sat and read while Dad climbed a bit of the mountain.

In Bethel, Maine in April, there really are very few people around at all. We saw almost no one on any walk we did. Our walks were challenging because there was still so much snow, but there were some nice spots. So I really didn't encounter any new fans and no one even took my picture. But privacy on vacation can be really nice. Now if we went there in the winter during ski season, I'd be swarmed.

I mentioned the fast food in the last post, but I will have to add that leftovers from Mom's dinner are also very good. We had HADDOCK.

Overall for our trip, Ayla really did very well for such a little kid. She hiked, she ate, and she slept (mostly). She did admit that I was actually right for once; vacations are fun but tiring. When we got home, she seemed just as happy as I to get a big drink of water and collapse in our usual locations. And it was really great to be with Anna and Misty. One of the first things I did was find Anna and give her a little smoocheroo. She resisted but I know she loves me.

I spent most of today cleaning. I had most of a small forest floor stuck in my flocks. It has taken me all day to crush sticks and pull them out of the most uncomfortable places. Mom has been complaining about the twigs and pine needles and keeps sweeping them up. Little does she know that there is literally 10 times what she has already cleaned up still stuck deep in my coat. She has said that every content sheepdog has an important job. I guess she's feeling pretty content right about now.