Ruby gets a light in her eyes when we are camping. She is at once calm and alert. She is watchful and patient and more aware of her surroundings — particularly if they include rodents or the like.
She leaps and climbs and runs with grace and agility not used in her run-of-the-mill daily life.
Small she may be but she is a hunter, too. Thankfully, the wild animals have to contend with better hunters than she is. They are ready for coyotes and foxes and hawks and eagles and a small dog doesn’t really stand a chance, no matter how determined she is.
When you are at altitude, it is important to get enough to drink. We had a cooler full of water with us at all times and made sure that Ruby got her fair share as well.
When we camp, Ruby sleeps curled up next to me under the covers. She gets cold at night and she likes to snuggle in and borrow my warmth. Even in June at 7,600 feet of elevation, nights are chilly. 46F was common. So, we all were happy for a little extra warmth.
We always knew we wanted to camp with a dog along with us. We just didn’t know that our camping dog would be a 12 pound Rat Terrier with attitude!
mother. wife. friend. teacher. writer. reader. photographer. birder. quilter. blogger.
Liza Lee Miller 