Cloud Eruption

We headed to the ridge. I attached Kona to her long line, hoping the extra room would rev up her spunk after a couple rough days of mystery mouth. After I sent Kona off to explore, I stood up and saw clouds to the north that looked as though they erupted from one pocket of ridgeline.
There wasn't another cloud to dot the sky. As we moved up the trail, the clouds shifted but stayed isolated, hovering over the distant ridge.
At first, Kona looked back at me with suspicion. She wasn't sure about the lady on the other end of the leash who tried to open her mouth and took her to the vet. But it wasn't long before Kona wooshed through grass and dodged burned sumac. She was on her game.
I paused at the top of our first mega-mini hill.
Kona stopped her wild frolic when a good sniff caught her attention.
I checked in on our erupting sky and found a straggling cloud that poofed upward.
On our way back, we crossed paths with two other dogs. The Ridge is one of the few places where we can spend the morning without running into anyone. Kona seemed excited about sighting two fellow canines. After we passed each other, Kona paused at the top of the hill to watch the dogs as they ran the other way. I was glad that Kona was excited about her buddies, but even with the freedom of her long line, didn't chase after them.

Heading into the east, we watched the clouds shelter us from the sun.
At the bottom of our steepest hill, Kona went to work. She added to what must have been another dog's creation. Kona flew by the hole on the way in, but she was relaxed enough as we headed out to put in her share of scratches.
Kona took advantage of the final minutes of our hike. She bounded through grass, disappearing over the lip of the trail. Then she bounded back in view, only to repeat the process.
While the mystery mouth continues, it felt good to get back in the swing of things. I was happy to see Kona full of spunk and energy. I'm feeling confident that Kona feels pain only when she tries to open her mouth past a certain point. She's not your typical stoic dog and I don't think she would have had such a good romp if she was in constant pain. While I hope she heals soon, I'm glad we're able to continue on with our routine.