Pure Joy

Love, love, love this picture.

Hard to believe that it is nearly August and we have yet to take the dogs swimming. It has been such a cool summer that we simply haven’t gone. This picture is from last summer. I am hopeful that we will soon enjoy a warm sunny day at the beach!

First swim of the year may just be this weekend!

Is that a border collie or a retriever? He’s even pointing! So excited that these days draw nearer!

Swimming is hands down IO & Jack’s favorite pastime. I cannot wait for warmer weather. They simply exude joy in the water. Teaching Jackson to swim was easy. By the time his first summer rolled around, he was extremely toy motivated and this extended to sticks. One warm day at lunch, we took him to the river, threw his stick in the water and he leaped right after it. The drive to accomplish his task–catching the stick–was so strong, it never occurred to him to assess his surroundings until he was swimming and having a blast. We were shocked to discover just how much of him was fur–he literally looked like a drowned rat. He chased the stick into the water until he was shivering and we had to tell him to stop. And 7 years later, this has not changed!

I love this picture for 2 reasons:

1. Its summer in this photo! The sun, the blue sky, warmth. Need I say more? I cannot wait for these days again.
2. It shows IO’s absolute focus and intensity at the beach. She is usually our laid back girl, happy to just relax and loll around. But when we hit the beach, this absolute spell comes over her, and she becomes… psycho. She whines and carryies on, all while she continually drags the Frisbee to the water. The expression on her face just cracks me up. It is such a departure from the personality we usually see.

It is 8 degrees outside today and this picture takes me back to warmer, longer, sunnier days.