Fate is not a player, generally. She’s earnest about work. Zip is an obsessive player; he plays with Zinnia and some of the sheep now, as well as Lulu the donkey, who is just as serious as Fate. Zip and Zinnia play hide and seek every morning around the garden bed. Zip has Zinnia going (playfully) nuts by popping up on one spot or another. Fate refused to join in until yesterday, when both dogs ran in circles trying to find him.

When they come close, Zip reaches out and swats them. Maria got this shot of Fate finally joining in. She got swatted (claws in), and Zip was having a blast. It took Zip more than a year to get Fate to play. He never gives up.