Ruby and her Possum Friend

 

Ruby has found a possum on our back fence a few nights in the last two weeks.  Now she goes out back each evening and waits for her return.  Most nights, she does come by and Ruby is happy.

Springtime in the Park

 

Ruby and I walk almost daily in this park.  It has become a ritual and when the time approaches each day, she comes and sets her chin on my lap - telling me it is time to go.

I've been letting her choose the path through the park recently and she really likes that.  She gets to explore things she's always wanted to explore.  One of the first thing was this platform that allows riders to mount horses.  I had never noticed it, but she had!

The hills are green this time of year.  They will be brown by June.

Ruby enjoying a romp in a field at the park.

She particularly enjoys this type of plant.

She'll stop and sniff every single bloom her nose can reach.

No, she isn't sniffing male dog pee - she doesn't do this with other plants or posts, etc.  Only this type of plant.

And each bloom must smell different for her to take the time to smell every single one.

Jack's Pond

 

I took Ruby to a nature preserve a few miles from our house today for her daily walk.  I'm not sure why I never thought about taking her here before - she loved it!  She was jumping around in the truck when she saw we were going to a new place.

In this photo, Ruby had just heard a rustling in the bushes.

Jack's Pond.  Very serene.

Where the pond turns into a stream again.

The area is much greener in the spring and summer - I'll have to take more photos then.

Ducks enjoying a Sunday afternoon.

Ruby pondering what is around the next bend.

We had many Monarch Butterflies in the area last year.  I wonder if this is part of the reason why.

Happy New Year

What a wonderful start to a new year!  Hope yours is going well also.

The park where Ruby and I stroll is looking very nice, especially given it is winter!

I've always loved this grove of palm trees.

Ruby loves to have her photo taken.  She seems to know when I've got the camera ready and strikes a pose for me.

Traveling to the park,  this is what I see if there is a dog being walked on the sidewalk.  She always wants to get a good look!

Otherwise she sits in the seat like a little human.  Women walking by notice her little head poking above the dash when they are about 100 feet away.  They lock eyes on her and watch her as we pass by. Men, not so much.  They really only notice her if they are by the car door and she pokes her head out.

Returning from the park.  Notice Ruby's ears are wet.  She likes to poke her head in every bush and sniff the moist grass.  We leave the park with her nose, ears, and feet wet.

A flower growing in the post!

And actually, they are growing in all of the posts!  It looks like they are from the bushes on the left, but seems quite off that they would take root in every single post.

Even along the curve!

One day we went to pick up my son who was dropping off his car at the shop.  We parked out front and waited.  She speaks just with her eyes, no words needed.

"Well?  Why did we do this?"

After awhile she decides I know what I'm doing and just waits with me.   Then my son comes out and she understand and is very happy to see him.

 

Ruby's Green Thumb Trip

I went spring plant shopping at Green Thumb Nursery a little while back and took Ruby.  She liked the plants but was really excited when she spotted the open field next door. 

So I took her over and she jumped right in.

Early morning dew, backlit by the sun.  She was in heaven!

I wish I knew what smelled so good.

More exploring.

I finally reeled her back in when I realized it is also rattlesnake season.  We've had a dog bitten by one before...certainly don't want a repeat of that!

Come on pup, let's head out.
 

Plant Shopping with Ruby and Troy

 

Ruby at the Park

 

I took Ruby for a walk in the park after a recent rain.  It was beautiful.  The air was fresh and the rain had freed the leaves from the trees, carpeting the park in a most picturesque way.

We usually walk at a pretty good clip during our walks, but I asked Ruby to sit for a few photos first.  Her confusion shows in her expression as she is wondering why I had her sit when there was a perfectly good walking path right in front of us.

So she sat like a good girl but every little motion caught her attention.

Is that a dog over there?

We then went on our normal walk and when we were finished I asked her to pose again.  She was more accepting of it this time because I wasn't keeping her from her walk - now posing was saving her from going back home.

She sat there very politely.

Perhaps she thought I was stretching this out a bit long.

We moved one more time and just as I had her sit again, a light rain started to fall.  Her expression says it all - why on earth are we sitting here in the rain?

But she remained a good girl.

And now she's just annoyed with me.  She's not much for getting wet, so I told her she had been very good, gave her a treat and we returned to the car.  

It was a very unusual and pleasant afternoon!

And now my dog thinks I'm crazy.

Ruby Was Concerned

 

While laying in the grass during Troy's football practice,  I looked up to see this. 

She was just checking on me!

In The Car With Ruby

 We took Ruby with us to pick up a car in the shop yesterday.

She was as thrilled as the rest of us to be out and about.

 Teo especially got a kick out of it.