Ears UP! Tail UP!

Bean doesn't seem to be at all tired from yesterday's three hour walk. She fairly galloped at the start of our walk today. 

And then once we were on S&N's property she sniffed out not one but two hares in the long grass. She was soooo excited, but rather than chase them full-speed as she used to do, she set off after them at a sedate lollop with her nose stuck to the ground and her tail up. And that was her gait for the entire hour that we were perambulating around their property. 

She found the hares again about 1/3 of the way round, and was then convinced they were just ahead of us the rest of the way. Which of course they might have been...

It was such a good nose-brain workout for her. She was alert and excited. It must be similar to the mantrailing which Blipper Jackyt does with her dogs, and the scent detection which Blipper tann is doing with hers. Dogs really benefit from nose-work.

It tired her out and she's been snoozing soundly much of the afternoon.

Meanwhile I was back in the garden - mainly processing (i.e. mowing up) an enormous pile of vegetation which had been piling up by the compost bin. It is all in small pieces now and the bin is looking quite full. That won't last long: it always amazes me how fast bacteria get to work on fresh compost and break it down. By next weekend the volume will have reduced by at least 1/3.

The slightly changed back exercises which Nicola gave me earlier in the week are leading to a distinct improvement in what was a constant background ache. Now I have lengthy periods of the day and night with no ache, no pain, nothing at all. It's like magic. Good old Nicola.