First Snowshoe

This is the first chance we've had to go snowshoeing. B really enjoyed it. The snow was so fresh and soft, it was like walking on clouds. It's so nice to just be able to go into the backyard and then hit the trails from there.

Sorry for the blurry shots, I only had the phone with me, and it was getting dark.

B: "Hurry up and get those things on so we can go!"

Is that a bear coming? So we turned around
and headed for home.

Taken on the trail

Closer view of lake, taken from
same spot as above photo.

Taken from my deck once we got home.

Guess Who . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .  B went to visit today?

B had a wonderful time, and passed out this evening from exhaustion in front of the fire in the fireplace because she was so excited to see Santa Claus and other dogs. 

B gave Santa her Christmas List, which I'm sure had tennis balls and treats on it. ;-)

Enjoy the photos of B with Santa.

B in her CCI vest

B in the Christmas spirit

First Snow

What a beautiful girl!

Meeting Teddy. . .

We are just in from our walk. We didn't finish our walk, because . . . . . .

as we came around a corner in a sagebushy area . . . . . .

We met Teddy. . . . . .  

bear!  

We were walking this trail just before dinnertime, as a last walk of the day. 

We were coming to an area where the manzanita is thick, and where the trail curves. B halted, and I figured she was looking at a squirrel that was nearby as she was looking in that direction. 

I had to force B into moving forward, and then we practically stumbled onto a black bear that was on all fours and engrossed in something on the ground. The bear jumped, then stood up, then got down on all fours, and started running up the hill. 

B and I ran down the hill for an eighth of a mile until we were back home. That was scary! We were within ten feet of that bear. 

B was much smarter than I was. I should have paid attention to why she was not wanting to continue on our walk. Smart girl!

I had been talking to B the whole time as a lot of locals do that as a tactic to avoid bears by alerting the bears to voices of people nearby, so the bears have a chance to run off before being seen. I'm not sure why that bear didn't hear us, but it did seem very engrossed in whatever it was looking at, perhaps eating manzanita berries which is a delicacy for bears. 

B will be wearing a bear bell from now on. It looks like a large jingle bell, and it attaches to the dog's collar with velcro.

Photo was taken later, but illustrates the bear bell.

First Visit to Lake

B was playing with the waves at first.

First Day at Home

B listening and watching her first Stellar's Blue Jay.