Meanwhile, back at my house

Maia continues her obsession with the yard voles.

Snow piling on her coat, she hardly notices.

Meadow keeping her company.

Maia trying to stick her head in the vole hole, retreating with snow stuck to her face.

That's my girl!

We had about four inches of fresh snow Friday night, so Saturday morning Maia and I went running on the snow-covered roads near home. I left Meadow home, wanting her to rest having watched her favor a front leg midway through our three mile walk on Friday morning. Meadow was not happy with my executive decision. She HOWLED her displeasure, which upset Maia. I made a quick getaway with Maia leading the way down the driveway. We had a great eight mile run, often finding roads that hadn't yet been trampled by vehicles. While I always prefer to have both girls with me, there are these rare occasions when Maia and I get "alone time" that I treasure. She's a different dog without Meadow along - more tuned into me, less brave (she doesn't have Meadow for backup), even more alert to her surroundings than usual. She kept the leash taut the entire run, never seeming to tire. What a dog!