my doG blog: What Is It That Timken Really Loves To Do?

Timken has been with us in foster care for 5 months now! I decided to look back at my first blog posts about him and I can see such a difference in his look since those first couple of months. Hands down his most favorite activity is when we all go out for a hike on the trails in Sultan, Duvall, or Carnation, WA. He knows when we are about a mile away because he starts to get antsy in his crate and makes all sorts of funny noises. A few days ago we had a really nice weather day and decided to explore some trails we had not explored before in the same area we frequent weekly. Some of them required some creativity to follow them as some of the trails were not really used much. It was no problem for the dogs, they just bushwhacked their way through the foliage. No one missed a beat, including our 13+ year old tiny Jenny-Boo. This is one area that Tim shines, he loves to go on his walks in the woods.

Here is Tim on his first walk with us, what a difference from last Oct, to now.

Note: in some of these pictures it looks like Tim is off leash. Nope, he has a 16 foot retractable leash, not something we use in an urban setting, but it works great for this type of exploring.

Birdie and Timken don't waste any time seeing what went down since the last time they were here.

Tim checking out what lies ahead.

A lot of peeing gets done on these excursions, and what a better way for a dog to leave his calling card so all the critters will
know Tim Was Here!

So many sights and smells, it is hard to know which one to focus on first.

We came upon this beautiful little brook. It is one of the streams that brings fresh drinking water to the Sultan area.

Skip and Tim get ready to head down the bank to the water's edge.

The 16 foot leash was just long enough to allow Tim to get all the way to the water. He is a brave boy in this type of setting.

It isn't often I get a picture of our 4 dogs all in one place standing still. l-r) Liza, Jenny, Skip, Birdie

Our first sighting of Skunk Cabbage, the yellow flower in the back ground. Spring has sprung!

Another wonderful clear water creek.

Liza loves to check out the water and wades right in.

Skip and Tim check it out too!

As usual, all the ratties hang together, while Liza scouts out in front. Tim on leash and our 3 here off leash. This is why we are ok walking our dogs in this setting off leash, they stay really close for the most part. My ratties don't have the prey drive most ratties have, otherwise we would need to leash them all up all the time.

Jenny Boo! She had just maneuvered one of the many downed logs on this part of the trail. She might be a 7 1/2 lb, 13+ year old, squatty type B gal, but she is able to go anywhere, she either goes up and over or under. She is such a little trooper.