A long time ago when the Earth was green...

Well, at this point, it certainly FEELS like it. In early October, much of the woods was still green. Half the treetops weren't lying on the ground either. It was a wonderful weekend, just before Chandler's 6th birthday on the 12th. To celebrate, I invited some of my friends and their English Shepherds to join Chandler and me on a hike at the reservoir.

Near the entrance to the trails is a large flat rock. It presented a wonderful opportunity for a photo, provided we could get all the dogs to cooperate. They humored us, although they all obviously wanted to run. However, adding a young puppy into the mix made it a bit more difficult, so it ended up being a very quick photo shoot. The results ended up looking like this:

(Right to left; yes, it's backward, it makes more sense that way.)
Elvira : I'm a puppy and I don't have to pose!
Sadie : Why does SHE get to play while we sit?
Helo : I'm posing so well!
Chandler : Hey, where is Elvira going?
Bridget : Ignore the puppy...just pose for the camera...

Obviously, posing did not last long. Maybe we'll be able to get a more ordered group photo next year when Elvira knows the meaning of the word "stay". Very quickly, the scene ended up looking more like this:

This is Sadie, isn't she pretty?

Of course, this didn't last long either, because the dogs quickly found a large mud puddle. Bridget and Helo are not into mud puddles. However, Sadie and Chandler adore mud puddles, and it turns out that Elvira is impressionable. We were all laughing hysterically while the dogs splashed about getting filthy, but it turned out that some careful negotiations were occurring.

Elvira: Hey, I want in on this puddle fun!
Sadie: Hmmmm...I'm still deciding if Chandler can stay.
Chandler: What?!? I was deciding if you could stay!

Chandler: Puppies are not allowed within the mud puddle
unless they are accompanied by an adult.
Elvira: But Sadie is right over there!

Sadie: Mud is good for your complexion!

Elvira manages to look cute even when mud splattered.
It's a puppy thing.

We eventually moved away from the mud hole, and the dogs all had a great time sniffing along the sides of the trail. Of course, Chandler eventually HAD to start a game of chase. I really wish I could be a normal dog owner and not worry when the dogs are playing. Unfortunately Chandler is Mr. Dangerprone Dog, and I'm always worried that he'll impale himself (again) or strain his hip muscles (again). I always feel like I should apologize to my friends for being a nervous wreak whenever Chan accelerates, and for breaking things up if they get a bit too wild. Fortunately, I had been keeping up with Chan's exercises, so he held up fine for this outing.

Helo: This is an unauthorized chase. Stop now!
Chandler: Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Sadie, Elvira, & Bridget: Get him! Get him!

It turned out that Sadie and Chandler were having a great time together. I swear they were flirting. Bridget decided that she was going to play fun police and chaperone.

Bridget: Ok you two, stop that rushing about right now!

We finally made it to the reservoir, which is the main event as far as Chandler is concerned. I'd brought his retrieving buoy, and he had a good time fetching it out of the water.

I adore water!

Sadie fetched some sticks out of the reservoir; it turns out that she is a water dog too. However, not everyone was thrilled with water sports.

Bridget: Get wet? I'll wade a little, but my tail really looks best dry, thank you.

Helo: Well, if you insist I might wade, but really, this swimming stuff isn't for me.

After swimming, the dogs continued their shenanigans as we followed the trail along the lakeside.

Elvira: Look at me! I'm an antelope!

Elvira: Hey Bridget, do you wanna play?

Elvira: Hey! Let me in on this wrestling match!

Overall, it was a great outing. I hope to arrange more group hikes in the future. Unfortunately they will have to wait until my pneumonia clears out, which means the next hike could be through snow, at this rate.