Action Shots

The boys and I have a favorite place to hike.  We call it "Off Leash Canyon" and it's a great place because there are hardly ever people there, and because it's a canyon where usually there aren't any deer that Zephyr and Astro would love to chase. If we hike the whole canyon it's about 6 miles round trip.  Here are a some pictures I took on a hike back in October of Zephyr and Astro in action. 

The boys alternate between chasing each other around in and out of the trees and up and down the hills at full speed, smelling around, and coming to say "Hi" and walk a little with me.  They love to have their ears rubbed and backs scratched on hikes.  One of the best things about taking them out is seeing how happy they are in the forest.

They don't seem to hold back at all and fly over large logs and off rocks.  I love seeing them doing what comes natural to them and they are so beautiful to watch.  They leap over logs silently, come within hairs of trees, and stop and turn on a dime.  It's amazing to see!

They take turns chasing each other and try and challenge each other by making up the toughest course and tricking each other.  Astro especially seems to love egging Zephyr on and trying to trick him.  I love watching them but I still get a stomach twinge sometimes when they are going so fast and weave so close to the trees, etc.

"Run Zephyr, Run!  Here comes the Crazy Forest Troll!"  The forest can be a scary place you know.  Can you see the fear in their faces?  He, He, He. ;-)

They are often totally in sync with each other.  Either in the same position or moving and turning together as they run or jump.  One time they we running and I saw them take perfect silent jumps over a log one after another.  It was like they were flying.

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom.  There are patches of torn up ground all along the canyon from Zephyr and Astro.  Sometimes I wonder if anyone else notices the patches and wonders what happened.  Zephyr wears a Garmin dog tracking GPS collar.  Garmin actually calls it the "Astro" and I'm pretty sure that's what got me thinking that Astro would be a good name for the puppy that was to come a few months after I got the GPS.  Astro will be getting a collar too, it can track up to 10 dogs, super cool.  The reason I got the dog tracker will have to be for another post, but I'm sure you can imagine.  :-)

There's usually some water in the canyon and they love to get a drink or play in it.  This past summer Zephyr became quite the swimmer.  He always loved the water and would swim if he had too.  But this summer he started to swim a lot and it looked like he was doing it more for fun.  Astro loves to play in the water but hasn't been brave enough to swim yet.  I wanted to go somewhere warm enough that I could swim to see if that would get him to try, but it will have to wait until next year.

After he gets wet Astro loves to roll in dirt.  Mmm, yummy!

They take their breaks, and then they're off again.  On the trail they seem to have endless energy, but when we get home they crash out. 

We haven't had much snow yet this winter and it's been really warm the past week so we are still able to go to Off Leash Canyon.  After they have their romps they love to lay and roll in the snow that is in the canyon now.  The forecast is for warm weather through the next week at least, so we will get to visit our favorite play area even longer this year.