sweet spring

Spring has sprung, to reheat a somewhat tired phrase, but Sylvia is anything but tired. She seemed to love an excursion to a nearby trail maintained by the wonderful Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association in Alna, called the Bass Falls Preserve.

 Sylvia was delighted to see the arrival of her friend and ally, Meghan. They traveled the woods together, as you can see here.

 Sylvia really enjoyed her taste of strawberry ice cream from the famous Round Top Farm. Meghan said she was happy to share.

 I, on the other hand, dared not share my chocolate ice cream with my pal, Sylvia. She really wanted just a taste. Maybe next time I will have to get a flavor she could enjoy.

Exploring off-road

 Sylvia and I have taken to the fields and woods in the warming weather. It's still not very warm yet, but the snow is pretty much gone.
She likes to roam around and sniff the twigs, bits of fresh, green grass over just trudging along the roadside. We are looking forward to warm weather, long runs on the beaches, and adventures far and wide.

Spring smells, well...like spring

 Sylvia and I have emerged from our winter slumber to explore the land laid bare by the melted snow. Tiny sprouts of green grass have poked their way up through sodden brown tufts toward the sunlight and flowers have stretched their leaves, one or two unfurling from tight buds against a still cool breeze.
Sylvia is taking stock of all that is happening around her, stopping for long sniffs along the road. 

The other day, we trecked out to Pemaquid beach in search of some dry seaweed for the garden. Letting out noses lead the way, we met some friendly dogs. Fortunately for us, we were in good company. We were all disobeying the "no pets" rule, but at this early date in the season, no one seemed to mind. Sylvia and I picked up after ourselves before leaving. It was a worthwhile trip, full of great sniffs and sights.

Sylvia explored the not-quite bustling Main Street at this cool, quiet time before the real warm weather hits. Soon this street will be crowded with pedestrians and bumper to bumper traffic. Down the road, wherever we end up, Sylvia and I will throw ourselves right in the center, our noses at the ready.

final snow run for the year

Here's Sylvia slogging through some very heavy April snow, which is rapidly melting under a bright sky. Soon enough we will be running though green grass and stopping every few feet to sniff.

Taking a snooze

Winter is over and yet we had one final snow storm on April 1, no joke! Sylvia is here taking a snooze after so much running around in the excitement of spring. She has been busy sniffing around a lot more as the snowbanks recede and as bugs, birds and other crawling creatures emerge from winter's slumber.

Bark!

...or "wood", depending on what part of the tree we're talking about here. Sylvia was just upset to see her friend, Frank, leave. Frank is cutting up wood before the ground gets too soft and Sylvia has had fun trotting around the muddy crevices filled with icy water left by Frank's tractor. It's that time of year for Maple syrup and the sap is running strong. Sylvia and I hope to get out to Maple Syrup Sunday, which is a breakfast festival of sorts celebrating the natural sugar.

Missing the mark, but it's the idea that counts

Those of you who know Sylvia might remember her habit of pawing the ground after leaving her...eh...ah ... after fertilizing the roadside. She often misses the mark in what looks to be an attempt to bury her treasure, by several feet. I sort of thought she might have been stretching, but this quirky habit, as a friend pointed out, might be some ingrained behavior left over from her ancestral wolf bretheren. It could also be some kind of Italian doggie thing.