Sliding into winter...

Today was another gift - warm, sunny, and beautiful. This is so rare in November, and it truly reminds me to delight in the moment rather than worrying about the future.

Shyla greeted the sunrise.

I love sunrise time in the winter because it is peaceful. Shyla and I have the world to ourselves.

While we watched the sunrise, Shyla demonstrated what has become one of her favorite tricks. When she and R start to play, I've always taken off their collars. Being a "genius dog", Shyla has figured out how to deftly remove R's collar (by gently opening the quick-release). Then, she brings it to me. She carries it to me just like in the photo below. It makes me laugh every time. Perhaps my laughter is enough reward for Shyla to keep doing it.

Unfortunately, R has not been motivated to learn how to remove Shyla's collar so I still have a job when they start to play (removing Shyla's collar). We've tried breakaway collars but they "break away" within minutes of the start of play every single time so they aren't much use.

This morning, after we enjoyed sunrise, we headed off for our usual mountain bike ride. Shyla's nose was immediately working in overdrive and her body language screamed "wildlife"!

In fact, even I could smell the small elk herd that was nearby. So, Shyla was relegated to a "heel" next to my bike to make sure that she didn't chase any of the beautiful animals. Someday, she'll be as reliable as R, who simply doesn't chase wildlife - after all these years of training. For his whole life, he's gotten a jackpot of treats when he turns away from tempting wildlife and comes to us. We're doing the same with Shyla but the routine is not as ingrained for her yet. I have to keep her nearby so the lure of the wildlife doesn't overwhelm her good sense.

As I rode with Shyla by my side, I spotted a splash of color in the forest, a rarity these days. It was a lingering wild geranium leaf that was spotlighted by the sunshine.

I love the colors of the forest and they become more precious as the forest colors are muted during winter.

I know one thing for sure - winter sunsets are the best! Tonight, the sky lit up in bright orange while the dogs and I hiked. The entire world was embued with that gorgeous hue.

Because I couldn't bear to start hiking home until the sunset was over, the dogs and I ended up hiking home through a moonlit meadow. A wonderful ending to the day...