Sunshine and Puppy Dogs

Today was actually a really nice day in Scotland. Well, at least in the part I'm in. The sun made some very strong appearances with a bit of cloud cover, but it was absolutely gorgeous out. Aside from the much needed sunshine, the temperature has definitely risen as well. It was the perfect day for breakfast out with Carmen, a quick run to the mall to pick up Mr. K's birthday present-more about that to come-and then a much needed walk with the pooches.
After spending two hours in the cafe enjoying breakfast and downing our weight in coffee, a ramble outside was definitely in order. Nala did some great work today and so she came along for a free run as well. Tomorrow is supposed to be showers all day and so I thought it was best to get everyone's beans out today just in case I can't get them out tomorrow. Some people think it's horrible that I don't walk my dogs in the rain. I try to explain to them that my dogs won't walk in the rain, but they won't listen. If it's just drizzling or lightly sprinkling we are good to go. I put on my Wellies and just have the dog towel ready for our return home, but if it's a heavy rain you can forget going anywhere. Hermione will just prance along beside you, whacking you with her paws, squawking until you take her home. Otis either attempts to drink himself out of the rain or sits down, refusing to move. I'm also struggling through my final few essays and so a walk today was good for all of us.
We were gone for a good two hours. Hermione was off leash the whole time since her recall is probably the best. Otis's is non-existent, but we're working on it. Nala's is good with the whistle, but sometimes I can't get the whistle going fast enough if I need to move her out of the way of a cyclist. Cyclists on this path will run dogs over, and people too, so I would rather not risk my new guide dog being hit by a bike. Not to mention, Nala's strong affinity for stinky, stagnant water meant that she had to be on leash on certain sections of the path. I usually don't mind bathing her, but today I just didn't have the time  with having to write my papers. However, on the parts where she was freed, her and Hermione tore around like their butts were on fire.
We took an extended route to the park where Otis was finally let off leash and Carmen and I sat on a bench and shared cookies she had  brought along. We made sure to seat ourselves on the opposite end of the park from the gigantic sink hole that Nala likes to roll in and Otis likes to turn into a buffet. It was so nice to be able to sit still with my coat open and not have to immediately start moving again because I was freezing.
The dogs were really good about sticking close to us despite there being crowds of other people with kids and dogs. Hermione and Otis took the opportunity to chase one another and then Nala started chasing both of them. It was also good to see hermione  running with Nala and the two of them getting along. If one girl would go running by, you would be sure that the other would be right on her heels. Both girls wear a bell since they are the ones who are mostly off leash. The bells both sound different and I always knew, not only by the sound of the paws running by, but also by the jingling which girl was racing away. We always get comments like, "sleigh bells" or "jingle bells" or "noisy dogs" or "musical dogs." Today was no exception. They took turns leading even though Hermione is slower than Nala-only because her legs are shorter. I  think that if Hermione's legs were the same length as Nala's, Hermione would be faster. She can also jump crazy high.
After cookies, we continued on our way home. I could tell the dogs were pretty worn out because Nala walked on a very nice loose leash. Otis was still all over the place, trying to catch the still leaping/prancing/galloping Hermione, but he's still a puppy. He doesn't wear out quite the same as the girls do. He plays hard and then sleeps hard. That said, I guess Hermione didn't really slow down until we got home either. She had some water and then promptly hopped on the couch and had a nap. In fact, all of them did which meant I had about an hour and a half of peace and quiet where I attempted to get some more writing done. Then, everyone was up again, harassing me to feed them.
I'm a little worn out now, but in a good way. There's nothing like the feeling of sleepiness that comes from being in the fresh air. It's the kind of sleepiness that guarantees a good, long night's sleep. In fact, that's what I'm off to do now.
Good night, all.