Amazing Scents

So this afternoon, Kory and I went out with Pluto for a walk. It was really cold. Lots of snow on the sides of the roads. Temperatures were in the low 30s. We got to the end of Manitoba where we park when we walk the sewer road, and Pluto started getting overly excited as soon as we drove up. There was one other car there that reminded us of Linda -- the lady who owns Pluto's girlfriend, Socks. She hadn't called in a few days (she often picks up Pluto and takes him and Socks out to romp around the lake). Anyway, we knew she'd been out of town for the holidays and figured we'd hear from her soon.  We started walking down the sewer road with Pluto on a leash. This is the one place we've managed to teach him how to walk on a leash without pulling us, etc. Well, apparently he had some of nature's business to take care of, and we were concerned he would get it all over the leather leash, so we unhooked it. He proceeded to essentially snorkel around the top of the snow, up and down, back and forth on the road. We thought he was being awfully particular about where he "went."  He finally ventured off the snow and up a dirt hill and found his spot. Then we put him back on his leash.  

Now this was the strange part. He would NOT let us walk with him on a leash. At least not comfortably, that is. He pulled and was so excited to move forward, we finally gave up and let him loose. Usually we don't do that until we're part of the way back from the 2-mile walk. We were a little cautious about the car we had seen back on Manitoba, because there could be small children or people who might be frightened if he ran up to them, so we kept calling him back from time to time, keeping an eye out for people walking our way. 

After a while, we heard people coming. Kory called to Pluto who was up on the hill to our right. Then Kory said, "Oh, it's okay, they have a dog."  Their dog started thundering toward us, and I said, "That looks like Socks." And it was. The two of them were so excited to see one another, I thought they would have heart attacks. Then we realized it:   Pluto had picked up Socks' scent back in the snow when we first started the trek! (Exclamation point is for you, Karynn!) 

They say a dog's sense of smell is 1,000 times better than a human's. Bloodhounds are even more sensitive.  It was really amazing to us.

Kory had both dogs chasing snowballs up and down the street and down the hillsides along the pavement.  It's fun to see. I get to live vicariously when I watch him get such joy out of bounding through the snow. I get a kick out of it.  It reminds me of being around the grandchildren. Watching them play and learn and explore--what a wonderful world we live in. 

I would love to have seen Jespen at Disneyland on New Year's Day. He was two the last time he went, so he doesn't really remember much. It's such a treat to see kids faces light up and their reactions to the sights and sounds and sensations of such a fun place.  (Can't wait to see the pictures, Karynn.)

And Makinlee at Disney on Ice?  More pictures I can't wait to see.

You know, getting and being old is okay. You have the mindset you've worked your way into that is comfortable and content with whom it is you've become, and your body won't do all the things it used to do. But you get to see the young doing things you never dreamed of, as well as things you can't or don't do any more, and you get to live it all again (in a way) through them.

Didn't mean to end up so philosophical. Just intended to tell the dog story.

Oh well!!! !!! !!!