Backyard Fun

Greetings to all, it's me, Maggie.  In addition to our long walks lately, Cam and I have also been doing a lot of other things to keep busy.  One of our favorite things is to have one-on-one playtime in the backyard with Mom.  I thought I'd show you some backyard photos today - are you ready?  Let's take a look at some shots of Cammie first!  These pix are from a couple days ago.

Some of our lilacs are in bloom, so Cam sat and took in their sweet fragrance:

"I love the smell of lilacs!"

After that, she sat under the Amur Maples to think deep thoughts:

"That Schnauzer better not come any closer to our fence line..."

She likes to walk around with Mom, maybe trot a bit, but mostly she wants to be right by Mom.

"❤ Hi, Mom!  ❤"
"❤ Cammie! ❤"

That makes both of them happy. Wow. I just noticed Aunt Cammie wasn't on a leash back there. Hmm.  And the way she's looking at Mom?  I know that look!  Mom had treats in her pocket; I just KNOW it!

Anyway ... here is Cam, posing on some chunks of limestone under the Purple Ash tree:

She looks happy, doesn't she?  Once she and Mom got out of the fenced-in part of the yard to come back up top, she struck this pose:

Cammie - Head of Security at Ao4 Headquarters

Yeah. Don't mess with Cam!

OK. When I go back there, I like to run, run, run a lot! There's also this magical place called "under the deck" where I like to go. There are wonderful things to snarf under there and I can't hear my mom calling me and calling me when I'm under there. Well, check that -- I can, it's just really easy to ignore her! So ... since Mom is on to me, I have to wear a 25-foot lead in the yard. That's OK with me - it still gives me LOTS of freedom -- like this:

"Wheeeee!"

Oh. Well, Mom doesn't actually hold on to the leash -- but she could -- so I have been behaving very nicely lately. (You know -- the old "build up a misplaced sense of trust" thing. That leash will come off; when it does, it's back to the magic of the under-the-deck world for me! Shh! Don't tell my mom!)

And now - it's confession time. I've been playing FETCH! Not Siberian Fetch -- the real kind! Mom throws a toy and I bring it back. It's so fun, I just can't help myself! I even drop it at her feet! I don't know what's come over me - but I love it! Here are some action shots:

Fetching on the upper tier

Fetching on the middle tier

Bringing it on home

Can you tell I was getting a bit tired in that last shot? After two 2-miles walks, zoomies in the house with Cam, and a hearty round of Fetch, I do get a little bit weary. Not a lot, but a little. I decided to stop and pose under the lilac bush like Cammie did:

My serious look

Mom and Dad call that my "Prime Minister Look".  I'm just being me!

Thanks for playing in the backyard with us!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

PS:  For more pix of Cam in the yard that day, click here.  For more pix of me in the yard, please click here!