Adventures with Gracie

This past week, the winter weather hasn't been very conducive to outdoor photography.  The cold temperatures and wind chills hovering in the single digits are harmful to both the camera and the photographer.  But today the thermometer showed it was 22 degrees.  What a heat wave!  So with photographs from indoors and out, it seemed like a good time to introduce you to my new puppy, Gracie.

Gracie is my seven and a half week old mini-Goldendoodle.  She's very tiny right now, weighing only five pounds.  At maturity, she'll weigh between 30-35 pounds.  She joined my family on December 30.

Already, Gracie has bonded with Oakley, her nine year-old "big sister."  Oakley, weighing 65 pounds, has been very gentle with Gracie, but at times she has to perform some fancy footwork to avoid stepping on the puppy.

And Oakley loves the new puppy.  The admiration looks to be mutual.

Together they explore the backyard.  Oakley asks, "Where did the chipmunks go?"

Gracie replies, "I think I smell them.  Oh, wait.  What's a chipmunk?"

Then Gracie shows her sidekick the oak leaf she's found.

Being an energetic puppy, Gracie often runs full tilt to get where she wants to go.

But she literally flies when she's trying to repeat her greatest accomplishment as a puppy...

climbing the three big steps to the deck.

Back inside, and tired from her romp outside, Gracie chews on her big sister's dental bone.  But her heavy eyelids show what's next for Gracie...a big puppy nap.