The ears twitch, and I catch the movement out of the corner of my eye. I have to look a long time before I realize what I am seeing, crisscrossed by hawthorn branches, not six feet away from me. Luckily the dog is off somewhere, galloping in the snow deep as her withers, noisily out of breath. She is chasing phantom hares, while this one hides safely right in front of our noses.
How wonderful! Along our county road we’ve come across rabbits, injured birds, abandoned kittens and even a misdirected cow. I’m always relieved when my golden retriever is happily distracted.