Arlo has been with us for about ten weeks now, so he is eighteen weeks old. He has grown amazingly, almost catching up with Willie and Hannah in height, although not in weight. It seemed he was a little fluff ball for only about a month. He was due for his first rabies shot last week, and since I have to drive north about 20 miles to the vet, I thought it would be a good opportunity to take them to a favorite beach there. The weather was not wonderful, overcast and blustery, but sometimes days like these are the best. There are few people around, and the crashing waves and windswept beach has a powerful beauty, very different from a sunny day.
These were three very happy dogs. Willie, as usual, was off on his own finding his particular adventures, while Arlo stayed close to Hannah. Willie loved the flocks of little sandpipers, chasing them until they took flight. They would twirl around and land a little further down the beach, when he would repeat the chase, until all I could see was a tiny white dot far down the beach, and I had to run to get him back.
I often get buried in work here, and don't take them to the beach as much as I should. The nearest beach is only a few miles from here, but I don't usually go there, since it is overrun with dune buggies and pit bulls, so tearing myself away from shipping orders and caring for the bulbs and packing the dogs in the car for a drive to a safer beach is not always an option. This was a special day, and seeing the joy on my dogs' faces will encourage me to make the time to go more often.