Feeling a little bit guilty

Lets talk about weather...  We are currently on our next to the last day of the first month of 2019 and so it is still officially winter.  What's it like outside your window?  Sometimes I pay attention when the news is on tv, and sometimes I'm far too busy planning my next attack against the household cats.  The last few days though I've been really listening closely because for some folks, its colder and nastier than anything I've ever experienced.

 I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest but I have cousin dogs in Canada and just outside Chicago.

Have you seen the type of weather they are
currently experiencing.  Down right frightful!  I hear those pups have to wear special booties on their paws in order to go outside or they could get frostbite on their toes.

Biting is not allowed in our family and truth be told, it's not a nice thing to do so I think we can all agree, no one's got time for that1

Early yesterday morning when we headed to the river to walk, our world was covered with magic dust or as my mom calls it, fog.  It was so thick and wonderful that you could hardly tell what was ahead or behind you which made walking in it a delightful adventure.  We've certainly walked in fog before but yesterdays should have won a prize for the best ever.

There was also a thin layer of frost on the sand which makes it all  kinda sparkly and you could feel a crunch under each foot step.  That's a feeling and sound I really enjoy.  We haven't seen a single snowflake this winter but I've been promised a river walk if any ever begin falling from our skies.

By afternoon the temperature was up to 55 degrees, the sky was a most glorious shade of blue and the sun was out, shining brightly.  It felt heavenly!  Maybe you also noticed that it's staying light longer into the evening and getting less dark in the early morning hours too.  You realize the importance of this, right?  More hours to walk, explore and play.  Major whoop!

Which brings us back to my feeling a bit guilty.  As I wear my cute little red jacket, I hope other dogs in colder places have coats to keep them warm.

When I return to my nice cozy home I hope that all the other dogs get to come inside too and find warmth and love surrounding them.  As I snarf down my breakfast and lunch I hope that all animals, everywhere have plenty of food to fill their bellies and a soft spot to lay their heads.  By the way, I wish those very same things for all of you!

Loves & Licks,
Stella

Willow Grove Found Treasure

Are you still celebrating the New Year?  The cats and I talked about it and decided we wanted to celebrate each and every day, all year long.  Doesn't that sound like a grand idea?

Today was our first river walk in 2019.  We were the first ones into the park, in fact, the Park Host hadn't even unlocked the gates yet when we pulled up.  I guess you know that means we were the first ones to put our pawprints in the sand too.  That's always an amazing feeling.

 It was still dark when we hit the beach but Mom had her flashlight and we wanted to have enough time to walk as far as possible.  I'm not real clear about exactly why a flashlight is important but I'm starting to get the idea that Mom might not see as good in the dark as I do.

So there we were, just making our way down the beach when... we saw it... a treasure chest that had washed ashore.  The chest was covered in mirrors and we took a minute or two, considering whether we should try to open it or not.  What might be inside?  My mind began to race with ideas both magical and horrifying.

 It was stuck together pretty well,  with sand lodged into places it didn't belong all along the lid, but eventually Mom was able to pry it open.  We looked inside and it was filled with murky water.  Mom tipped it sideways to let the water run out and then declared that it was empty. Empty?  I could hardly believe my ears.  The treasure chest was filled as full as it possibly could be with hopes and dreams and prayers.  How could she not see?  Someone had trusted this chest with their most important treasures and I could only imagine who that "someone" might be.  I pondered several possibilities but I think the only logical explanation is that it belonged to a little girl pirate.  She had to pretend she was mean and cranky during the day, in front of her men but deep inside she was sweet and loving.  She used the chest to hold the mean, cranky side at night and the sweet and loving side during the day.  It was quite a secret to keep from her crew but of course, completely necessary.  Unfortunately, during a very bad storm, the ship and its entire crew went down.  All of the items onboard were tossed by the seas for years and years to come and eventually, a certain little treasure chest washed up on the sand at Willow Grove... where we left it to be discovered again and again.  I really am concerned about Moms eyesight.

Here's to hoping that this year holds adventures, discoveries and some magical moments for you and those you love.

Loves & Licks,

Stella