Dixie Leading the Way as Daylight Fades Walking the dog tonight, I caught a great photo of Dixie leaning into me, almost like she was saying thanks for one last decent winter walk before the snow rolls in. If dogs can sense the weather turning, she definitely felt it—she was buzzing with excitement the whole way. We stopped by the river to check the water level, and it was higher than I expected, the ice completely gone. This time of year, that water is deathly cold, so I made sure to loop the leash around her before we got too close. She listened right away, no fuss, just that quiet trust she always gives. She’s a good dog, through and through. Up on the edge of the coulee, we paused for a quick photo in the last bit of daylight, the sky fading out faster than I expected. I’ve stopped tracking Dixie’s active minutes, but part of me knows it would push me to get out for more walks again. I might go back to a month‑to‑month subscription, though the tracker looks huge on her, and I ...
Easy Pace, Zone 3, and a Night That Felt Like Therapy Tonight’s run with Dixie felt like one of those small adventures that sticks with you. We headed out at 7 p.m. for a dark February run, and somewhere along the path a whole pack of deer drifted toward us like shadows. I tried to catch them on the vlog, but the camera didn’t quite pick them up—and the moment felt longer and more dramatic in person than it looks on video. Still, it was a good outing: ten minutes of running, seventeen minutes of walking, and just over a third of the whole session done at a run. Not bad at all for a winter evening. I felt good, tired in the right way, and aware that I’ve got a six‑day week ahead of me. I’m both excited and anxious for it, but I need the money, and the cold weather coming probably means busy days. Busy is good. Dixie has been glued to my side ever since we got home. She’s sitting beside me now, perfectly content after being fed, watered, and taken out for a run. Moments like this...