Spirit at Morning Playtime
 December 28, 2024
 Spirit is 9 years 11 months old

For once, I didn’t have to go anywhere on a day perfect for photographing, so I took pictures of all 11 dogs during their morning play sessions.  Spirit has the second ball time each morning.  It was warm enough that I didn’t need gloves plus there were enough clouds to eliminate sun glare, though during Spirit’s playtime the sun came out and gave some great sparkle to Spirit and the tall grass stalks.  It also illuminated her sweet expression, and her frosty breath at times.  This time of year, we have to do the ball sessions WAY in the back of my two acres where the lack of trees and dog traffic means that the snow melts quickly.  Where we usually do our ball sessions is now packed ice from our previous play times and is dangerously slick.  The dogs are happy when we go to the back area because they get a little extra ball time – it takes several minutes to get out there, and then back to the house, and as long as they drop the ball close to my line of travel, I will throw it as I walk.  They also get some great exercise because that area drops down towards a creek drainage.  I sit at the bottom of the “hill” and throw the ball up it, because it’s safer for them to run full-out after the ball while going uphill and then return downhill more slowly.  This gives Spirit some good exercise without irritating the arthritis in her feet and spine too much.

See all the other dogs’ playtime photos
to Spirit’s page