Maggie in the Mountains

I am not quite sure how many times I have posted a picture on Instagram of Maggie in the mountains, but I’m pretty certain I’ve posted at least as many pictures of her as I have of my knitting, and I’ve definitely posted more pictures of her than I have of my kids. I’m not sure why I’m so keen on taking (and sharing) pictures of her, but I have some guesses.

To begin with, she is just so darn cute. She is always willing to sit and stay when I ask her to. She always seems a little perplexed with me, but she does it for as long as I ask, and then launches off with renewed vigor after her short modeling gig.

I often wonder if she recognizes the beauty all around her and appreciates that I’m including her in my attempt to capture it. For the most part, she tends to be more focused on smelling and tasting the trails, but I always hope that she acknowledges the beauty of the changing seasons, the various vistas, and the forboding mountains we traverse.

I also think I like to include Maggie in my pictures on my hikes, because I am constantly grateful that because of her I am even up there in the first place. I am completely certain that if not for Maggie, I would hike and run the trails perhaps a tenth of the time I do now. It is so, so easy to fill my time with other things, dithering away the few minutes I have in the morning “getting things done,” but because I have this adorable dog–this dog that looks at me with gently appealing eyes and a smoothly swishing tail, all with her chin resting on my knee–that I must go. It is impossible for me to deny her sweet request.

So, we go. Almost every day, we leash-walk up the hill from my house to one of two trailheads, and set off on our hike. On the trails, I don’t know if she is more free or if I am, but it is a little bit of bliss up there for both of us.

And so, almost every single time I take a picture of a beautiful view up in the mountains, I include Maggie. Because she is the reason for the experience.

And I am grateful.