Since winter has taken hold of our backyard sanctuary, I thought I would use this post to celebrate the domesticated animals that inhabit the quiet wild. Over the years, we have had many dogs live alongside us. They have always been a comfort to us and provided a lot of humor to our days. .

Doc is our oldest pup at 14 years old. He is behaving a little like a canine Benjamin Button! He is more spry than ever! He plays with toys, tussles with the other dogs, and absolutely loves to go on long walks. But, one of his favorite things to do is sit in the sun and soak up the rays in the quiet wild.

Coop is the territorial, but loving Rat Terrier in the group. He loves his dog pack and his human pack. He also loves to play with a tennis ball, as long as it has no fuzz on it, particularly if Elaine is playing with it! He is a prototypical lapdog, preferring to sit on a lap rather than anywhere else. He can be a good heater!

Doc and Coop have been buddies for nine years. Doc wasn’t sure about Coop at first, but warmed up to him over time. They spar with each other when it’s time to play and stay together most of the day.

This is Elaine, our Beagle mix, rescue pup. She is the sweetest, most anxiety-ridden dog we have ever had. She has evolved to embrace the backyard sanctuary and even likes the walks we take. This picture truly shows her curious and loving nature.

Below is a picture showing her obsession with tennis balls. If one is good, then two or three are better! She is happiest when she is chasing a tennis ball!

Coop and Elaine are definitely buddies. Coop accepted Elaine into the pack right away, even though he constantly harasses her about the tennis balls. They sleep right beside each other every night and check in on each other all the time. It is such a sweet relationship.

So, Doc, Coop, and Elaine are not very fond of the frigid temperatures we have experienced over the last couple of weeks. Kind of like the tender plants, they prefer to be inside where it is warm and cozy. Hopefully, the groundhog does not see his or her shadow tomorrow. I would love to see an quick end to our winter and welcome an early spring! Either way, I will keep photographing and painting what I observe in the quiet wild, and reporting it on this blog. Please keep reading, and drop a comment in the comment box if there is something in particular you like. Until next time…