A Question of Fate

There is much I must put up with being a dog. You may think my life is easy, but let me tell you, there are days when I question my fate.

We traveled this week to a cabin along the river. I love this cabin for it's filled with the smell of squirrels and mice and raccoon dung. The above photo is my smirky look taken after a long day playing in the snow. You can't see it, but my little paws are a bit scratched up as I went frolicking without my booties on. That wasn't as bad as having to wake up for this photo. Can you see a bit of irritation in my smirk? If not, trust me, it's there.

I received my scratched up paws while playing fetch. In the next photo, don't let the sun fool you. The mornings were chilly and there was a slim layer of ice on which I ran.

I, of course, did not let this ice discourage me and I raced after my favorite ball in the chilly sun for a long, long while. By the time I got done, my feet were a bit bloody, but I was very, very happy.

Then it all went south. With achy scabs on my pads, I was forced to walk on a boat launch made solely of metal grates. I hate grates. I especially hate them when there is nothing below them that I can easily decipher. In this next photo, my posture gives away the eerie feeling tossing in my stomach as we walked on the grate over the lake. Thank god they didn't make me stay out there too long.
They tried to make it up to me later that night with a full body massage. I'm a pushover so I forgave them pretty quickly.

But I have yet to forgive them for this captured moment...

...I love agility courses and with some encouragement, I decided to give this chain across the driveway a go. The snow made for a crappy take off and this then became my fate -- hung in mid-air and captured for eternity in a silly photo. At least they didn't capture it from the front view or you would have seen the look of confusion and frustration on my face.

We passed this chain every day on our walk and every day after this embarrassment, I ran up to the chain and gave it the finger...not an easy thing to do when you're a dog, but that is my fate and I do what I can.