Dancing in The Wind

Yesterday's weather was sunny and warm and mild... a gorgeous day. I walked Savannah five or six times yesterday, just because it was so very nice outside. One thing about this puppy... she loves to walk, although she is still somewhat hesitant when I walk her further down the hill on more unfamiliar parts of the road.

Today's weather is changing rapidly. Started off cloudy and warm, then changed to cloudy and cool, and then a complete change to sunny and windy. And not just a mild breeze, but a wind strong enough to blow the lawn chairs out of the gazebo, which has happened twice already this afternoon. We had planned to take Savannah to the dog park today but it's just too windy out there and I don't think that park would be too enjoyable for my husband and myself.

Savannah, on the other paw, would probably not mind the wind at all... she seems to love it. I walked her twice this morning and the second walk (in the wind) was the most fun for her.  She will stand there with the wind blowing in her face, her ears folded backwards in the breeze, and that puppy smile of hers just breaks out on her face and you would think she'd found a huge stash of dog biscuits.

When Savannah is tired of just standing there and catching the breeze, she will start to prance up the road.... nearly dancing with glee and it makes me think of those 'Peanuts' comic strips where Snoopy and Woodstock are dancing in the grass because Spring has arrived. Well, I don't know if Savannah is wanting me to dance in the breeze with her, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. I hate the cold and I hate the wind even more because that makes the temperature feel even colder.

During my errands yesterday, I went shopping for a pair of warm boots because I'm sure I will need them when I'm walking Savannah in even colder temperatures during December and January. This puppy loves the wind and the cold and I'm thinking she will not just 'hurry up and go' as the winter months set in. I'm dreading that... I didn't even consider the dog-walking part of this equation when my husband and I were talking about getting a puppy. And lucky me... Savannah definitely likes me walking with her, rather than my husband. She will go outside with him and walk just fine, but she doesn't 'hurry up and go' with him... she just goes along for the stroll and then I have to take her out again for the 'real' walk.   As a result, 99.9% of the time, I'm out there walking Savannah.  No complaint here... I knew that going into this puppy-adoption... but I really didn't think about walking in the rain and the cold. Thankfully, our frigid days aren't that many, but the windy days seem to follow along this part of the Hills... and if there's a wind out there, it finds this road and stays here.

But now I have my nice warm boots... sort of like those Ugg boots, but a different brand that didn't cost as much. Heaven knows, I don't need designer boots to be walking up and down this road with a wind-loving puppy.

I have not yet taken Savannah out for a walk in her pink sweater. She's worn it in the house on some of the cooler days, and I've kept it on her at night when it was cool enough for a sweater but not cold enough to put the heat on. Savannah doesn't mind the sweater at all, and I think she even likes the snug feeling of it.... but walking her outside on the road in this country bubble.... I think most of the neighbors will be thinking we've lost our minds. Except for Judy, who is Bella's momma, and who has an extensive wardrobe for that tiny little Chihuahua of hers. Somehow, one expects a tiny dog to have cute little outfits... but on a puppy of Savannah's size (near to or slightly over 50 pounds now) I don't think the neighbors around here would be quite so forgiving. (Forgiving of me, that is... they will probably feel sorry for Savannah.)

Speaking of Savannah's weight... the more this puppy grows, the more she wants to be a lap-dog. When my husband and I are sitting on the sofa to watch the news, Savannah will get up on the sofa and squeeze herself between us... she's been doing that for quite some time now. However, this past week or so, rather than being content with sitting her puppy-self right on the sofa, she's been wanting to sit on either my lap or my husband's.  And she does just that in the most puppy-charming way. Last night, Savannah put her front paws on my lap but kept her back paws on the floor. As she got the front half of her quite comfy and put her head on my arm, she slowly lifted one of her back legs so it was resting on the sofa beside me... then she got the other back leg up and put that on my lap with the rest of her. The result... mostly every inch of Savannah was curled up on my lap, with just one of her paws being on the sofa cushion, and her head landed half on my neck and half on my shoulder and then she turned her head upside-down to look up at me and end result of that was a giant tongue licking my neck. Glory be...  how do I teach this dog not to lick me?

Savannah stayed all curled up on my lap for quite some time last night. Let me tell you, she felt nice and warm, and I couldn't have asked for a softer 'blanket.' But I don't think she liked being up on my lap without being able to see me, and that's when she started to tilt her head back and forth, rotating it to the left to look at me ("Are you still there?") and then turning her head towards the right to look at my husband ("Good. You're still there also.") With Savannah's weight and muscle mass, to put it lightly... she feels like she weighs a ton, especially when most of her in on your lap. And then if I'm not quick enough to move my own head out of the way when she tilts her head up to look at me, the resounding crack on my chin is more than enough to get my attention.

Life with puppy... never a dull moment.