We love taking Maya to new places, or different places at different times of the year. She seems to enjoy the new smells and texture under her toes.

Last Christmas Eve it was an absolutely beautiful day, it was bright and sunny and the temperature was very pleasant. We decided it was a perfect day to spend the day at the Pinery. On our way to the park we took a detour toward Ipperwash Beach to check it out and to take Maya for a short stroll down the shoreline.

She was beside herself. Once her toes touched the sand she was off! Beaches are great places to take your senior pet. The ground is soft enough for their old joints and, if it’s warm enough, swimming is an excellent form of low-impact exercise that every senior dog can benefit from. Christmas Eve, no matter how warm the air was, was not a day for swimming. The cold water would have stiffened her arthritic joints and we would have had a short day out.

Maya’s sight and hearing have been gradually declining for the last few years. At 13.5 years old, she was doing pretty well though. She certainly was faster and more agile a year ago while she played on the beach. It’s nice to capture these moments and enjoy them.

This is Maya’s ‘Yoda” impression. It has been improving throughout the years and the fact that she can pull it off, by herself, at her age – impressive!

If this doesn’t look like a dog enjoying herself, I’m not sure what is. Maya has always enjoyed the beach. As a Labrador Retriever, it should be in her blood and I would say this is definitely true. As long as the water isn’t in the form of a bath, Maya hasn’t meet too much water she wasn’t willing to at least put her toes in.

One last smell and one last “Yoda” before we head back to the truck to continue on to the Pinery for the day.

Merry Christmas!