A Brisk Walk with Rocky
Rocky poses on the winter landscape.
I took Rocky to Willow Metropark today and we had a nice but brisk walk in the winter weather. The temperatures are dropping and it will continue to get colder each day this week. Warmer and wet weather earlier this week made for muddy trail conditions, but the ground was frozen today which made walking more enjoyable, even with the colder temperatures.
A base layer under my clothes made it doable, but removing my gloves for photos was challenging. I kept the photo session brief and managed to get this lovely shot of the Rockstar posing on the winter landscape.
Whispers of Winter
Our first day of winter weather, cold enough for gloves.
A snowy mist was falling as Rocky and I headed out for a trip to Willow Metropark today, and the air was cold and damp. We lucked out for most of November with unseasonably sunny and warm weather. Today’s wintry weather marked the first day of the season that I had to wear gloves, which had to be removed to capture this gorgeous shot of Rocky.
A Rain Check for Rocky
The weather cleared up for Rocky today.
It rained all day yesterday so Rocky’s regularly scheduled day trip got rained out. While Ringo and I have a rain or shine policy for his weekly trips, Rocky is not a fan of the rain so he took a rain check yesterday. The weather cleared up today for Rocky and we took a ride to Willow Metropark and hit the leaf-covered trails.
The leaves made a colorful background for the beautiful shot of Rocky above. Below, Rocky turns up the drama with his signature pose - a profile shot with that faraway look in his eyes. I love capturing these shots of him from the side as it really shows off that big, beautiful, blocky head. 😂
Rocky Unleashed
Rocky brightens up a cloudy day.
It’s a weekday, summer is over, and the skies are cloudy, which means fewer park visitors at Oakwoods Metropark today. We had the spacious Cedar Knoll area all to ourselves and I let Rocky explore off-leash. As he explored, I captured a few shots of him posing with some early fall colors in the background.
The fall colors add a little sparkle to the cloudy background, but nothing sparkles more brightly than Rocky who makes his own sunshine on cloudy days. It’s impossible to have a bad day with this happy go-getter at my side. ❤️
Blazing New Trails with Rocky
Rocky explores a new trail at Willow Metropark today.
Today’s day trip to Willow Metropark marks Rocky’s 25th day trip since we began this weekly routine. We’ve clocked many miles and steps since then and that practice has led to a lot of progress. Today we explored a new trail, which Rocky enjoyed on both three and four legs.
Rocky Shines at Sterling
Spreading positive vibes wherever he goes.
Rocky and I took a day trip to Sterling State Park today. I chose Sterling because the Rockstar needs to work on keeping it together in a moving vehicle, and a trip to Sterling gives him more time in the car. He tolerated the car ride well and then it was showtime!
Being the handsome hunk that he is, he turns a lot of heads. Most people have the same reaction to him. On the first look, they say, aww, what a cute dog. Then they realize he’s a three-legger and the fawning begins.
There is something about the underdog that reaches people on a deeper level. They want to know what happened to him, they want to punish the people who were responsible for it, and they love hearing that he got the ultimate revenge by overcoming it all and living his best life.
Just seeing him enjoy a summer afternoon in a beautiful park makes their day. It’s like he’s an official uncertified therapy dog.
While Rocky is unlikely to meet the incredibly high standards to become a legitimate therapy dog, he has a gift for lifting spirits and creating positive vibes everywhere he goes. My goal with Rocky is to get him to the point where he can visit dog-friendly retail establishments and interact with more people. I’m confident we’ll make that happen, it’s just a matter of practice.
Feeling Grounded with Rocky
He's got a great ground game.
We all have strengths and weaknesses. While Rocky is not a fan of being in a moving vehicle, he is great on the ground. Once out of the vehicle, he’s ready to explore and is happy to lead or follow. In addition to being trustworthy while off-leash, as shown here posing for a photo, he’s polite to other park visitors that we encounter.
While the car time is a little hairy with Rocky, the time on the ground is good and continues to get better with each day trip. The impetus for these day trips is preparation for a cross-country road trip that I’ll be making when I move back to New Mexico. The dogs have different strengths and weaknesses related to traveling and I’m working individually with each dog to get them ready for the Ultimate Road Trip.
We visited Crosswinds Marsh today, a short car ride for Rocky and an easy place for him to get around. Afterwards, we got some training time in by making a practice stop at a rest stop on the highway and then taking the FJ Cruiser through the car wash.
It’s great that we can have fun during our training rides, and if we get our practice runs right, the Ultimate Road Trip will be a lot of fun too!
Made in the Shade
It was a beautiful morning at Lake Erie Metropark.
Rocky poses under a shade tree at Cove Point in Lake Erie Metropark.
I returned to Lake Erie Metropark today, this time with Rocky. We had beautiful weather for our visit, with sunny blue skies and temps in the low seventies. We spent our time at Cove Point, an open and airy space with plenty of room to roam and expansive views of the water.
Rocky found some relief from the sun under a beautiful shade tree and it was the perfect place to capture this shot of him showing off his prosthetic leg. The leg makes it possible for Rocky to explore more of the park today, and has expanded his range since receiving it late last year.
Rocky has no trouble at all getting around on three legs, but in a scenario like ours today where there is a lot of ground to cover, the hopping motion he makes to get around becomes tiring. The leg provides some relief for that. The harness is easily removed in a situation where the leg interferes with climbing or resting, as he is doing in the shot below.
I’m looking forward to more exploring with Rocky as our weekly day trips continue every Thursday. ❤️
Sunny Skies for Rocky
Rocky and I had beautiful weather for today’s day trip.
Rocky takes in the view on the shore of the North Lagoon at Sterling State Park.
Today was Rocky’s turn for a day trip, and he lucked out weather-wise, especially compared to Ringo’s rainy outing yesterday. We went to Sterling State Park which was much busier today because of the beautiful weather. We started at the south end of the park where I let Rocky burn off some of the excitement from the car ride, then made our way to the North Lagoon where Rocky found a sandy spot next to the water where he could take in the view.
This is the first time I’ve seen Rocky near water. I’ve always been curious about his desire and ability to swim since he only has one leg in front for paddling. He would need a life jacket and human assistance to be safe. Maybe one day we’ll find a place to safely test his swimming skills and interest. Until then, he seems content to enjoy the water from shore.
A Moment with Rocky
Rocky as a role model for life.
I’m home alone with the dogs on weekdays so we spend a lot of time together. I often talk out loud to them when it’s just us, sharing my stream of consciousness. I have no idea if they understand what I’m saying but it seems to help me process my thoughts.
Today, as Rocky and I headed out for his weekly day trip, this time to Willow Metropark, I was talking about life being short. This is something dogs seem to instinctively understand, possibly because their lifespan is so much shorter than ours.
As my mind wandered on the topic, I realized there is a dichotomy there. On one hand, I want to linger in the present moment, taking the time to fully experience it, knowing life’s fleeting nature. On the other hand, I want to fit more things into each day, feeling this is the only way to experience everything I want to do in life before my time is up.
There is a balance to strike there and I often find myself making course corrections in one direction or the other. In today’s photos, Rocky is a role model for soaking up the present moment, and I’m able to put life’s distractions aside to linger and enjoy it with him.
Rocky on the Road
Thursday is Rocky's day on the road.
Today was Rocky’s turn to head out with me while the other dogs stayed home. This outing is part of my plan to take each dog out once a week for some training and road time in preparation for the four-day cross-country drive we’ll be taking together when I move.
Our trip today took us to Crosswinds Marsh, the perfect place for Rocky to stretch his three legs, meet new people and watch the horses go by. We had a great time and I’m looking forward to more Rocky on the Road adventures every Thursday. ❤️
