Baby It's Cold Outside!

Brrrrrrrrr This morning Ziva and I had to recheck our address to make sure we really did live in Southwest Florida! It was just down right cold here this morning, ok fine maybe not -20 degrees

with a windchill cold, but certainly cold enough to make us semi-tropics residents shiver and shake in our flip flops. It was in the 30's here on the island this morning and for those of us who have blood the consistency of tap water that's just too darn cold!

Ziva's first potty run of the early morning found her taking care of business in record time then

hightailing it back to the front steps, flying into the house and diving under the blanket into the

bed she has in the dining room. With one eye peeking out she seemed to say 'Don't even think about making me go back out there until the sun comes out and the temps go up!'Ziva evidently forgot how cold she was earlier this morning because after much craziness running around the house driving the cats nuts and squeaking nearly every toy she has she was bouncing up and down to head out for some fun in the sun. So me, the ever obedient human of this persuasive V dog, grabbed a hoodsweatshirt and a stick of string cheese (great call back treat), hooked up the bundle of energy and out the door we went.

The sun was out, the frost was off the coconut so to speak and she was ready to run. I do believe if I had looked close enough I would have been able to spy tiny little bundles of energy just popping out of every pore on her body. She was like a Thorough Bred straining at the bit at the Kentucky Derby...TURN ME LOOSE MOM... TURN ME LOOSE!!!

After what seemed like 3 dozen windsprints back and forth along the side yard she headed for her new favorite place, THE MANGROVES! This stand of Mangrove trees are situated between the backyard and the canal and depending on the tides they are either just one big black muck hole or are filled with water up over the ever sprawling root system of the trees. Well guess what, the tide was out and the stinky black mud was calling Ziva's name, 'Come romp in me, come splash and explore!' and being the great explorer that she is away she went climbing up over tangled masses of roots, branches and anything else the tides had deposited the last time around. The first time she ventured in and came out looking like the winner of a mud wrestling contest I nearly had a melt down, but quickly remembered a Vizsla is a hunting dog, they love the outdoors, they love to explore, she is short haired and wash and wear, it's only MUD, stinky mud, but still just mud. So now I just enjoy her happiness and let her go.Making sure she kept me in her sight and sound range she explored for awhile and then joined me on the dock to check out the low water. She stood gazing down the canal filled with much canine satisfaction, she had basked in the sun, chased the wind, explored the depths of the tropical jungle wearing the signs of a successful outing..... after all what's a little stinky Mangrove mud when you are one with nature.....