Sola is exceptional at knowing exactly what she needs, when, how and how much. I see it in play all the time. It's quite amazing to watch actually. Isla blows past in a blur of gold trying to detach Leia from her tail. Leia is clamped on like a trailer hitch set up for the long haul. The energy in the yard is not always high but when they get on the move with this tail game Sola is out.. way out. She sits atop one of the spools or just off to the side out of the way, looking down and over at this crazy game giving me the eye "are they for real? Is this necessary?"
Leia plows into Isla not paying attention whatsoever to her speed, not really caring much as I realize the recovery rate is high. Meiko comes out of left field with an attempted take down and immediately fails as the blur is too quick. Her 2nd attempt is successful for a quick roll and pin which doesn't last long as the tag is all she wanted. She joins Sola. The looks from these two double quickly like Meiko was never even part of this completely 'absurd' game to begin with. Way too much energy for Sola that she obviously knows her babes and herself just do not need right now. She seems to forget about this energy participation when the resident squirrels taunt her through the fence. They are her arc nemesis.
The belly bump continues to protrude beyond its hiding place and Sola is slowing down.
Another area of 'weakness' for Sola where she completely caves is with the hose. It came out recently and immediately the spark in her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. I was careful to keep the stream low and the energy of the game even lower. My water loving girl.
Meiko will lay in a pool on a hot day but would prefer the hose to stay at bay when it comes out. The other girls just aren't too sure yet what to think of this flying water game that Sola seems to think she has to chew apart. Their looks crack me up as they try to chomp on a flying piece of this game and flinch like they got bite. I stop the game to bring the energy back down and instantly you can see Sola go back to being content with her 'baking'. She dries quickly in the sun but heats up even quicker and moves to the shady porch to snooze. Ice cubes are the preferred summer treat around here and are brought out by the bucketful on days like this.
Meiko’s ‘Smiles for Miles’ came out full force as she backed the ice cubes and I almost saw her happiness shooting out from her in every direction. The other girls beach around soaking up the heat from the sand and could really just stay there for hours.
They lounge around as I work on putting in a secondary kennel space. Always some kind of improvement or extension going on around here. Upward and onward.
All the dog antics is great entertainment as I set up the nursery this week. Pups are nearing and the days seem to be getting shorter leading up to their arrival. Their families contact me often passing along their excitement and eagerness that I love. The nursery walls got scrubbed and the floor got a work over yesterday. The crystals hanging in my window covered every inch of my space and happy little baby rainbow bits danced in every corner. The play/whelping pen panels got washed and set up. The whelping box also got set up and is awaiting a flurry of cozy birthing blankets. I've gained a love for the fresh smell of vinegar, fresh laundry and the slight background smell of a happy wet dog.
Sola's curls at the base of her belly capture my heart and fill my camera roll. I'm itching to find out on Tues. At her x-ray appointment how many fuzzy furry babes will be joining us soon. The anticipation is high. Her appetite is increasing a bit now but nothing like what she takes back when she is nursing. I cook mad extras for my nursing mamas and barely keep up to their 4-5x normal consumption rate. The demands are high but extremely necessary to keep up to the growth rate of a new wiggly litter.
The other dogs know that there is a shift coming. New life is right around the corner and the energy of it all is almost too much to bear... it goes into tail chasing at the moment!
Inside the house is never a free romp space but from here on out, extra attention will get poured into the environment to keep everyone as low key as possible. The days ahead will require last min. Bake time in a quiet and peaceful area. Sola will transition full time over to the nursery here soon so can rest and nest. Time is so near but for now I will leave you all to finish your prep work ahead as I finish mine.
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