Leader of the Pack

Rucksack found a branch to carry during our hike this morning (of course).  He's usually good about avoiding obstacles, including people, when toting a stick; but he bumped into me a lot today.  When he did, I would take hold of the stick and not let him go forward with it, and after a little while he seemed to get the idea and either stayed behind me or waited until there was more room to pass; he did a pretty good job of stepping aside and making room for other hikers that we passed, too.  He and his sticks always get a lot of attention from hikers that find it impressive and/or adorable.

The park was lively today.  Rucksack got a little bit more of a break from Coco than usual, as she was caught up for a little while in wrestling around with Anabelle - the black lab mix that loves to play chew-face with her.  Chelsea met a Greyhound that towered over her and they danced around together for a bit.  Toward the end of the park visit, the wind picked up to a constant high-speed rush.  The rest of the visitors cleared out and we moved next to a big building that borders the park, which helped to break the wind a bit.  Chelsea, Rucksack and Coco all played keep-away from each other with a thick piece of a stick for the rest of the visit.