The Stroller is Out of Storage!

Mommy noticed the other day when she was driving past the preserve by our house that the snow had all melted off the trails. So, today, even though the temperature never got into the 30s, Mommy got the stroller out of storage!! I barked at her when I saw she had it. Then I barked at her while she inflated the tires. I continued to bark at her while she put it in the car. Finally we set off for our hike.

 I hiked for the first 1.25 miles sniffing everything before I asked to get into the stroller

Mommy finds it interesting that I will insist I'm tired at a 1/2 mile when we don't have the stroller, but will continue walking for over a mile when we do. I don't see what is so interesting about that. After all, I know that when we have the stroller I can always get in and ride when I get tired so I don't have to worry about getting back to the car.

We saw Canada geese chasing ducks off a pond that usually is where the ducks hang out. We wondered why the geese were acting so badly until we came to the geese pond and saw this:

 

 A pair of mute swans had taken over the goose pond. 

Swans are very territorial and won't let geese nest in the same pond with them.

We've never seen swans at this preserve before.

 Since Mommy had her camera out she decided to take a picture of me.

 Stop taking pictures and start pushing, Mommy!

We kept going and then we heard a very distinctive call which means that one of our favorite birds were back!

 Welcome back sandhill cranes!

I rode in the stroller for 1.25 miles and then I barked to get out again. It was a good thing I did because shortly after I got out we came to a section of trail that was still covered in snow. Mommy would never have gotten my stroller through it with me in it. I hiked for a mile and then asked to get back in the stroller. Shortly after I got in the stroller we came across some deer. They didn't know what to make of us. They were downwind so they could smell dog, but all they could see was a big red thing.  So they decided the best thing to do was run away.

Bye, deer!

When we got back to the car I started barking that I wanted out of the stroller. Mommy told me to wait but I wouldn't listen. I wanted to get into the car and while Mommy was taking the front wheel off the stroller so I could get out I tried to turn around and get out the back door and I flipped the stroller over backwards! It took Mommy quite awhile to get the stroller upright and me untangled from it. She said I should have waited, which I thought was rather cold of her. My hip is a little sore, but not really injured. Mommy gave me a tramadol when we got home just to be safe though. I'll probably get another one tomorrow morning.

Miles hiked by me: 2.25. Miles riding in the stroller: 1.5. Total hiked: 3.75.