Pickle Springs Hike

Last weekend was such an idyllic fall weekend. Crisp, overcast but not gloomy, and very cool. Our little family is pretty active, but a majority of us hate being hot. One of us hates it to the point of intense whining. (It's not Erick.)

So when the weather creates the perfect opportunity for being outside without boiling, we take it. Pickle Springs is down by Hawn State Park, between Farmington & Ste. Genevieve. Beautiful area.
We hiked and hiked. Sophia climbed, which also kept her entertained.

Another reason for the hike was to test out our puppy sling. Once Leo got past the point of being able to get over all the rocks and such, I carried him. Yes, I carried him. And he loved it, so I will definitely do that again.

Pet Drama

We've had Leo for 2 1/2 years. Gabriella has been here almost six. That's weird to think about. Anyway, she's hated him from the first moment she laid eyes on him. He thinks she's awesome. He loves the way she hisses at him and bops him on the nose when he rushes at her. He thinks it's cool the way she keeps him cornered.

It's really too bad she can't understand how much Leo likes her because they could be great friends - or at least cofounders of the Gabriella Fan Club.

Once in a while, when I'm sitting on the couch next to Leo, Gabriella will get in my lap. This happened over the weekend with the following result. Gabriella petted the dog. He was pretty much trembling with excitement and trying not to look at her. He knows from experience that eye contact makes her angry. So they had a moment.

That will have to last for a while, I think. Gabriella has been too busy trying to steal fish from the kitchen counter and blocking the bathroom sink to worry about making friends with the dog.

Vacationing with Leo

Taking our little dog, Leo, on vacation with us was probably one of our biggest concerns. He's a lovely guy, but the longest he's ever been in the car with us is four hours, and he doesn't love it. Add to that our concern that Sophia wouldn't sleep in the back seat while he was there with her, and we were hoping it wasn't a terrible idea. 

Within the first hour of leaving home, Leo had growled at Sophia to get off him as she tried to lay down. She had complained that he was taking up too much room and she couldn't get comfortable. We were more than a little worried at this point.

Then... I don't know what shifted. Either they both finally got tired enough or they just accepted their fates. Regardless, they settled in, and never had any trouble again.

Having Leo with us was actually quite wonderful. In New Orleans, since it wasn't raining, we ate almost all our meals on patios, which meant that he was welcome to join us. He did so in a very mannerly way. He was charming to all and pleasant for us.

Here are Sophia and Leo in the lobby of our hotel. The Hotel Indigo is very dog friendly. During our first couple of trips through the lobby, we counted six or seven canine guests, all sweet and friendly. None quite as cute as our own, but then...

While we were in Gulf Shores, we didn't take him out to eat with us, but we had lots of time together. He loved hanging out on our deck watching the waves and the seagulls. He also loved running through the sand like a crazy dog.

Mostly, though, he enjoyed the same thing he enjoys at home: snuggling up on the couch.

Overall, I'd highly recommend traveling with Leo. He's a great companion. Sophia is very interested in taking him on our next flight, but that's an adventure that I'm not so sure about.

Into the Woods

As badly as I'd love to see the movie Into the Woods, that's not what this post is about. This is about Forest Park. And Leo.

As you know, since we've moved to St. Louis, we have lived across the street from Forest Park. It takes less than five minutes for us to walk to one of the most picturesque locations in the city. And we have. In the last four years, we have used that park a lot. A very lot. Playgrounds, museums, picnics, lakes and the whole thing. We've used most of what the park has to offer.  

However, since Leo has been added to our family, we have discovered its wilder side. In the past, we have only used the woods as a cut-through to the zoo. That is no longer the case. In the past, we had sometimes hopped into the car to get to what we thought were the more useable parts of the park. Or we'd walk to one of the buildings. Having a dog who needs walks has led us to be more creative, and that has opened up a world we didn't realize existed. 

At least once a week since we've gotten Leo, we have followed the much less-beaten paths through the woods. We have been when it's cold, when it's muddy, when it's hot. 

No matter when we go, it's beautiful. Sometimes we have to drag Sophia off the couch to get her there. That's a fact. Another fact is that once we're there, we usually have to drag her back home. Point out growling stomachs or fingers and noses changing color from exposure. She has discovered that she loves fallen trees. She already knew that she loved mud holes and creeks.

There are many things that I love about having a dog, but this may be the very best thing so far. The woods.

Just the beginning...

This fall has been perfect. Temperatures just right for taking lots of walks with our new little Leo.

Of course, "walking" might not be completely representative of what we do with Leo all the time. There is a lot of running. And a lot of snuggling. 

Lost and Found

Ever since we planned the move, we have had our eye on the calendar to find a time that would be better than most to add to our family. Sophia has a four-day weekend starting tomorrow, so we've planned this for a few weeks. We were making some progress toward getting a particular dog from a shelter in Fenton. He was about 8 months and a retriever mix. Kind of small for the breed. Pretty bouncy and energetic, but we were excited to do the work to have him fit in with our family.

The process was taking a long time. This happens. We also learned that it might be a little longer, and there were other families interested in him. Just to be sure we were making the right call, Sophia and I went back to the Humane Society last night to visit some dogs.

One particular little guy got our attention. On one side of the glass was Evan, a wire-haired fox terrier, on the other side was Sophia, an 8-year-old dog lover. It may or may not have been love at first sight. Once we met in the "Get to know each other" room, they became inseparable.

He was a stray up until two weeks ago. They don't know anything about him, but we are taking the risk. I'm going to admit it: he's a kisser. And a hugger. and a jump upper.

Apparently, he's also a stitch puller. So he has to wear this around for a few days while we're not around. He hates it.

But, sometimes he gets to take it off so he can do this.

Sophia is so in love with this dog. I believe the feeling is mutual. Erick and I are pretty impressed with him, too. One family member might need a little more time to adjust. This was Gabriella's look when she saw that he had made himself comfortable on the couch.

Sophia named him Leo, and he's settling in nicely. I'm sure our whole family will need to make some adjustments to life with a dog, but I think he's going to be worth it!