I took Summer on a lead around Willow’s Field, the big grassy area next to our home not far from the waters of Green Bay, and then unleashed her for some chasing of the orange disc around our fenced-in backyard. Our scrappy 9-month-old fought the leash at first — at one point I had to hold on with both hands — but once she accepted that we were going to have to stay within 10 feet of each other, we had a nice exploration together.
I was struck again by how calming the color green is. As the area greens up again, I feel my heart swell with contentment. Do people who don’t live with four seasons truly appreciate the greening of springtime? It’s probably not a fair question; they undoubtedly have their own season-change markers that give them a similar emotional rise.
I was able to get some iconic photos of Summer during the trip that I’ll share in days and weeks to come. Golden retrievers are beautiful animals, and she has a quirky beauty all her own. Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars, joined us for the backyard romp, and one shot made onto my Facebook “cover” with the caption that she still has her feisty moments as she settles into this elder stateswoman thing.
Eight years old and counting, Dejah had a reunion with her old nemesis Lyme disease last month, and it’s hard to see her gimpy. She was the crazy foil to big sister Willow, and I rue the day they’re reunited because Will and Dejah were my all-time favorite pairing, but let’s just acknowledge that fact and return to the present day.
Summer is growing into a lovely dog and a stubborn cuss, and Dejah is here and now and appreciative of the times we turn our attention away from the attention-grabbing puppy and give the princess her due.
