Lucky Dogs

By Mala and Tessie

Our parents were away last week, so we hung out at our friend Cody’s place. We always enjoy spending time with Cody, but we are happy to be back home.

Dad started his new part-time schedule at work, which meant we got to go on two hikes this week on his days off. Today, we went up to Kenosha Pass to see if the aspen trees were changing color yet. Some were yellow, but many leaves are still green. There are some that are turning orange. A guy we met on the trail told us that when there’s iron in the soil, the leaves will turn orange or red.

The views about three miles into our hike were beautiful. There’s a big meadow up there, so we got to run around in the clearing and play with sticks and each other. It was a blast.

We both feel fortunate to live in Colorado. Neither of us was born here. Mala was born in New Mexico, and Tessie was born in Texas. We were both brought to Colorado by rescue organizations that save dogs from states where they risk being euthanized due to shelter overcrowding. Many people in Colorado love dogs and prefer to adopt rather than shop, so dogs like us have a much better chance of living full lives.

We hit the jackpot when we were adopted by our active parents, who love to do so many things outside. We get to hike and paddleboard all summer, and in the winter, we stay active with snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Colorado is a beautiful state with lots of mountains to explore. We love being out on the trail and experiencing new places. We hope everyone in this fantastic state appreciates the natural beauty and helps protect our wild places.