April 17, 2016

White Dog and Zsofia were both glad for the chance to get out of the house...even if the day was grey, mostly overcast and randomly spit rain. We had errands to run but first went to the Park. It was Meetup Day and although we doubted there would be anyone to Meet Up with, we went by to see.

It was too damp to set up chairs and we decided that we would just "hover" for half an hour or so. White Dog after some warmup zoomies decided she wanted to join Steve and Zso on their big walk around the Park perimeter. She even agreed to wear a leash since there was all kinds of traffic on the far side.

Off they headed. Steve let Zsofia set the pace since this part of the trip was for her pleasure. She loped forcing both WD and Steve into a near run. I watched them from the warmth of the van as they changed speeds to a trot. And then White Dog took over command.

It was an interesting perspective to watch the Queen and She-Who-Will-One-Day-Be-Queen interact. At home, WD maintains a level of aloofness and seldom "plays" with the others. Things were a bit different, as the two alone together at the Park played "Follow WD Leader," where Zso would copy WD's action. At home, this is usually an irritant to her highness.

But the  endearing moments were those where they stood shoulder-to-shoulder sniffing a patch under a pine tree. It almost seemed like WD was instructing her young sister. At one point Zsfoia picked up a dried long brown seed pod; WD walked over and took it from her mouth and brought it to Steve. Then she walked over to another pod lying by Zso and peed on it. Her message was clear: "Don't eat what you don't know." Zso copied White Dog's action at the next pod they came across.

White Dog and Zsofia thanked Steve for the chance to dig like two crazy girls under the stand of pines where the old needles form a deep soft bed of earthiness. Face-to-face, the White Dog and the Darkest White Dog sent sprays of dirt and decomposing bits showering behind them. Then Steve calmly tapped the holes closed and smoothed their disruption.

A half hour passed, the weather no more inviting, were the signs it was time to move on to errands.