So I'm out walking my dogs today and I'm heading down the path towards the pond near the park. School let out and a couple of boys are heading up the path towards me. Two moms, a stroller, and a leashed dog are about 30 yards behind them. The boys, about 8 years old each, look up and see us and suddenly start yelling, "Mom! Mom! The huskies! The huskies!"
I figured they were excited to see the dogs and the mom would tell them to ask if it was okay to pet my dogs. This happens all the time. There's probably over a hundred kids in the area that have at one time or another thrown their arms around Kimo or Annana's neck and hugged them.
That's not what happened though. Instead, mom stops in her tracks and starts to back up. She tells the boys to come back to her, that they'll go a different way. At this point I had stopped walking. I know some people are really averse to having dogs cross paths along a relatively narrow trail corridor (though it is about 15 feet wide). I ask the boys what's wrong and he tells me that they try to keep away from my dogs because my dog, Kimo, bit his dog in the nose.
What?
Having no idea what the kid is talking about, I ask him when this happened. He says a while ago. The lightbulb goes on.
"Did it happen about four years ago?"
He says it did, putting him at about 4 or 5 years old. Clearly second-hand information that needed correcting.
"Actually" I explain, "your dog jumped the fence and bit my dog. That's what happened." I had totally forgotten about this but, it's true. Not long after we moved in, Kristin was out walking the dogs and this family's dog leaped over their picket fence and attacked Kimo. Kimo defended himself -- and their dog may have gotten scraped -- but the end result was the owners of that dog (the boy's mom and dad) paying our vet bills.
So I yelled to the mom and told her it was fine, to keep coming and that I would stand off on the side with my dogs and let her pass. I knew at this point she was probably telling the other woman she was with all sorts of nasty untruths about my dogs. So when she got close I asked her if the dog she was with "was the one that jumped the fence and attacked my dog four years ago." A minor detail that I wanted to make sure was known.
She said it wasn't, that they don't have that dog anymore, but that "the incident really affected our other dog and I try to keep her away from them." Them was a reference to my dogs. She and her dog and kids passed without incident. My dogs stood on the grass and looked on. Her dog didn't even glance towards us.
It was at the them remark that I remember a brief run-in with her husband years ago, about 8 months after their dog jumped the fence and bit Kimo. I was walking down the sidewalk and he came out and essentially said my dogs were a nuisance and that I shouldn't walk past yards that I know have dogs in them (every yard is stylishly fenced by the way, this is a rather tidy neighborhood I must admit). Nearly one out of every three homes in the development has a dog. To not pass corner homes with dogs is an impossibility, not to mention it was his dog that jumped the fence. Not mine. I told him flatly to quit the "blame the victim" campaign and kept walking. I've walked past the house nearly every day for four years since and, again, never even thought about it.
But now it makes perfect sense. These parents are out of their mind. First, even though they had to pay our vet bills, they acted like it all our fault and tried to keep us off the sidewalk near their house. Then they apparently brainwashed their kids who were clearly too young to remember the incident that our dogs are mean and need to be stayed away from. And last but not least, they seem to think that this 20 second incident that happened over 4 years ago has given their other dog post-traumatic stress disorder.
All of this because of a relatively minor scrap the dogs got into years ago. An incident incited by a dog who is no longer even around.
I feel so bad for their kids. What's going to happen the first time the kid comes home after getting picked on at school or... GASP! with a black-eye from a fistfight? I'm surprised she just doesn't home-school them to better keep them away from all those mean kids who might be a nuisance. It's clear she can't handle living around other people unless everything is perfect. That's right, don't just act reasonable and pull in the leash on your dog, it's best to walk a completely different way. What a message to send to the kids. Run and hide. Stay home. Tell others to keep away. It's safer that way. Wouldn't want them to be "traumatized."
There are a lot of reasons Kristin and I don't want to have kids, but not wanting to have to deal with parents like these is in the top ten.
Kind of glad her boys didn't want to pet my dogs. I'd hate to see how she'd react if Annana managed to slip him the tongue, as she's known to do.
Showing posts with label Dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dogs. Show all posts
Snow Day!
We received a few inches of snow this afternoon and with Kristin tied up on a 2-hour conference call with her study group, it was up to me to walk the dogs after their dinner. I always enjoy walking them in the snow and today didn't disappoint. They were a bundle of energy after spending a long weekend cooped-up at the kennel while we were in Whistler and they wanted to run.
Though most of the sidewalks were either shoveled or partially melted, Annana wanted no part of the sidewalk. She blasted her own path through the snow on the grass, despite it almost coming up to her stomach. She sought the snow so much that she even long-jumped over patches of sidewalk so as to not step foot on clear ground. Those of you who don't own a dog might be thinking I'm personifying her actions a little too much, but she was every bit the schoolkid playing games in the snow. Watching her, I was certain she was making a conscious effort to keep all four feet in the snow at all times. And the deeper, the better.
We rounded a corner two blocks away and I heard the voice of a young boy. I couldn't see him at first due to the tall hedges that formed the perimeter of their yard. Instead, all I heard was, "Ohhh, yeahhh. Awww, yeah!"
Then, just as I catch a glimpse of this little five year-old being towed around the yard in a sled by his father, he lets out an emphatic, drawn-out, "Awww, yeah! That's what I'm talking about!"
Now, where did he pick that up, I wonder?
I soon realized that I had forgotten any baggies to clean up after the dogs so I attempted to distract the dogs with a speedy gallop through the snow before one of them got the itch to take a squat. They were all for running in the snow and though I slipped and slid a bit, it's always a great joy to watch these two dogs run through the snow. They seem to always want to go a bit farther and a bit faster when there's snow on the ground. Kimo and Annana will be turning 11 and 10 years old this spring, respectively. I'm really glad to still see them moving about like they do.
Though most of the sidewalks were either shoveled or partially melted, Annana wanted no part of the sidewalk. She blasted her own path through the snow on the grass, despite it almost coming up to her stomach. She sought the snow so much that she even long-jumped over patches of sidewalk so as to not step foot on clear ground. Those of you who don't own a dog might be thinking I'm personifying her actions a little too much, but she was every bit the schoolkid playing games in the snow. Watching her, I was certain she was making a conscious effort to keep all four feet in the snow at all times. And the deeper, the better.
We rounded a corner two blocks away and I heard the voice of a young boy. I couldn't see him at first due to the tall hedges that formed the perimeter of their yard. Instead, all I heard was, "Ohhh, yeahhh. Awww, yeah!"
Then, just as I catch a glimpse of this little five year-old being towed around the yard in a sled by his father, he lets out an emphatic, drawn-out, "Awww, yeah! That's what I'm talking about!"
Now, where did he pick that up, I wonder?
I soon realized that I had forgotten any baggies to clean up after the dogs so I attempted to distract the dogs with a speedy gallop through the snow before one of them got the itch to take a squat. They were all for running in the snow and though I slipped and slid a bit, it's always a great joy to watch these two dogs run through the snow. They seem to always want to go a bit farther and a bit faster when there's snow on the ground. Kimo and Annana will be turning 11 and 10 years old this spring, respectively. I'm really glad to still see them moving about like they do.
Fetch in the Snow
Reason #238 why dogs are not the top of the food chain.
I was in the yard, playing in the snow with my dogs and decided to throw a snowball at the tiki at the end of the yard. The dogs immediately thought I had a ball and wanted to play fetch, so they gave chase. So, naturally, I made another snowball lobbed it up into the air and watched as Kimo, our male, opened wide for the catch.
He snapped the snowball out of the air and the surprise of getting a mouth of ice-cold snow was instantaneous. And judging by the look on his face, I just know he was thinking, "What have I ever done to deserve that?" He wasn't happy.
Unable to stand missing out on anything, our female started barking and hopping so I threw her a snowball too.
And this is how jealous our male dog is. Moments after spitting out a snowball and giving me a rather nasty look of disdain, he leapt into the air and intercepted the snowball I threw to Annana.
Then he proceeded to spit it out, bark, and give me another dirty look.
It doesn't matter how much he doesn't like something, he'll eat/take/hoard anything so long as it means Annana can't get it.
If only he knew how much more he stands to get by sharing with the ladies...
For the Dog Lovers
A too-sweet story from the Daily Post, of all places.
Lost beagle is returned 5 years after getting loose.
Lost beagle is returned 5 years after getting loose.
I Can't Even Bring Myself to Read this Aloud
Kristin thinks this is hysterical. I think it is a sign that the end of the world is nigh.
We received the following advertisement in the mail today:
I don't mean the enterprising people behind this any ill-will. Clearly they have identified a service that someone, somewhere, is willing to pay for and they are, er, marking their business territory sort of speak with these mailings [groan]. But shall we take a closer look at the material of the card? Lets.
For starters, the offering of last minute service scares me. I can move beyond the initial disgust I believe most sane people would have for those who would patronize this service and temporarily imagine a family with lots and lots of money and lots of large dogs. Nevertheless, I cannot fathom for the life of me how a poop emergency would require last minute service. Let's be honest here, if the family is using this service, the poop situation is rather well under control thanks to the weekly service. A last minute situation might involve, what, two or three piles? If you're the type of person who might be entertaining in the yard, then clearly you're also the type of person (or know someone who is) who is able-bodied enough to, you know, use a plastic bag and pick up a couple turds. I have two siberian huskies. We clean up the yard once a week on average, sometimes twice. It never takes more than 2-3 minutes. It's not a dirty job. It's rather benign.
Moving on, the card states that the employeed have had thorough background screenings. Are we really so mistrusting of people that we need background checks on the people who quite literally pick up poop for a living? Unless the dog is pooping in the house, I can't see this being an issue. Except maybe for the super-rich, in which case they should just have their butler do it. Or pay to have the dog sent to boarding school until it learns how to use the toilet.
They also clean their tools. I would hope so because, after all, in case you missed the gist of their flier, the tools are covered in shit.
The service starts at $45 per month, which means that the once-a-week clean-up runs you about $10/week. To put this into perspective, that's nearly 3x as much money as a week's worth of newspaper delivery. A product that not only has dozens of journalists, editors, and photographers contributing to daily, but also requires materials, manufacturing, and delivery.
Clearly the people enjoying this service don't have to forego the newspapers in order to have their dog's waste removed, but really? Do we really need to pay upwards of $10 per week to have someone drive to our houses to spend 5 minutes cleaning up after our dogs? Is this really what we've come to?
I always get the sneaking suspicion I lose a bit of my dog's respect when they see me pick up after them when out for a walk. I can't imagine what they'd say about me if they knew I was so lazy that I had to pay someone else to do it.
If you're elderly or handicapped, this is a great thing. No doubt. But if you aren't...? If you're just lazy or busy or, essentially, too pampered? Well, I hope your dog eats your favorite pair of shoes. And no, not the Easy Spirits. I hope he chomps down on those Bruno Magli pumps you love so much (and then poops in your Gucci bag). You'll deserve it.
We received the following advertisement in the mail today:
Poopless in Seattle
Your animal waste removal service
- One, two, three and four days a week pet waste removal service.
- For your convenience, we have early, late, and weekend times for waste removal.
- Last minute service available.
- Credit card billing an option.
- No contract required.
- Our employees have had thorough background screenings.
- We clean our tools to avoid contamination.
Prices starting as low as $45 per month.
I don't mean the enterprising people behind this any ill-will. Clearly they have identified a service that someone, somewhere, is willing to pay for and they are, er, marking their business territory sort of speak with these mailings [groan]. But shall we take a closer look at the material of the card? Lets.
For starters, the offering of last minute service scares me. I can move beyond the initial disgust I believe most sane people would have for those who would patronize this service and temporarily imagine a family with lots and lots of money and lots of large dogs. Nevertheless, I cannot fathom for the life of me how a poop emergency would require last minute service. Let's be honest here, if the family is using this service, the poop situation is rather well under control thanks to the weekly service. A last minute situation might involve, what, two or three piles? If you're the type of person who might be entertaining in the yard, then clearly you're also the type of person (or know someone who is) who is able-bodied enough to, you know, use a plastic bag and pick up a couple turds. I have two siberian huskies. We clean up the yard once a week on average, sometimes twice. It never takes more than 2-3 minutes. It's not a dirty job. It's rather benign.
Moving on, the card states that the employeed have had thorough background screenings. Are we really so mistrusting of people that we need background checks on the people who quite literally pick up poop for a living? Unless the dog is pooping in the house, I can't see this being an issue. Except maybe for the super-rich, in which case they should just have their butler do it. Or pay to have the dog sent to boarding school until it learns how to use the toilet.
They also clean their tools. I would hope so because, after all, in case you missed the gist of their flier, the tools are covered in shit.
The service starts at $45 per month, which means that the once-a-week clean-up runs you about $10/week. To put this into perspective, that's nearly 3x as much money as a week's worth of newspaper delivery. A product that not only has dozens of journalists, editors, and photographers contributing to daily, but also requires materials, manufacturing, and delivery.
Clearly the people enjoying this service don't have to forego the newspapers in order to have their dog's waste removed, but really? Do we really need to pay upwards of $10 per week to have someone drive to our houses to spend 5 minutes cleaning up after our dogs? Is this really what we've come to?
I always get the sneaking suspicion I lose a bit of my dog's respect when they see me pick up after them when out for a walk. I can't imagine what they'd say about me if they knew I was so lazy that I had to pay someone else to do it.
If you're elderly or handicapped, this is a great thing. No doubt. But if you aren't...? If you're just lazy or busy or, essentially, too pampered? Well, I hope your dog eats your favorite pair of shoes. And no, not the Easy Spirits. I hope he chomps down on those Bruno Magli pumps you love so much (and then poops in your Gucci bag). You'll deserve it.
Any Day Now, Spring
It was snowing this morning.
Maybe I'm getting soft, but I'm ready for spring. And I think my dogs agree... they seem to be really enjoying the brief bit of sunshine we're getting today.
Maybe I'm getting soft, but I'm ready for spring. And I think my dogs agree... they seem to be really enjoying the brief bit of sunshine we're getting today.
Why I Love My Dogs
Reason Number 375:
Our male dog Kimo is afraid of everything. Afraid of garbage trucks, vacuum cleaners, the start-up noise on the Xbox 360 (who isn't?) and he's also even afraid of the disc tray on the DVD player. Yes, our brand new yet already obsolete Toshiba HD-A30, but I digress...
You may be thinking that it's normal for dogs to be scared of those things. And you might be right. But let me ask you this: Is your dog afraid of his own farts?
It's true. Kimo will be laying down, fart, and literally jump into the air from fright and run out of the room. Considering he's a 52 pound Siberian Husky, it makes for a damn funny sight.
Alpha male? Not so much.
Our male dog Kimo is afraid of everything. Afraid of garbage trucks, vacuum cleaners, the start-up noise on the Xbox 360 (who isn't?) and he's also even afraid of the disc tray on the DVD player. Yes, our brand new yet already obsolete Toshiba HD-A30, but I digress...
You may be thinking that it's normal for dogs to be scared of those things. And you might be right. But let me ask you this: Is your dog afraid of his own farts?
It's true. Kimo will be laying down, fart, and literally jump into the air from fright and run out of the room. Considering he's a 52 pound Siberian Husky, it makes for a damn funny sight.
Alpha male? Not so much.
On Second Thought Nurse, I Think I'll Skip the Anaesthesia
My poor, poor dog.
She goes in for a dental cleaning and winds up with a catheter in one hole and a probe up the other. No wonder she's walking funny.
I don't know about you, but when I go to see my dentist I don't expect to see "complimentary anal sac expression" on the invoice. I mean, sure, it's nice that they also trimmed her toe nails, but I'm not so sure about these other extras.
I remember when I had my wisdom teeth removed. One second the anaesthesiologist and nurse were telling jokes and the next thing I know, I'm lying on a couch with a freaking teddy bear tucked under my arm and Kristin's laughing at me. After seeing how my dog was freaking sodomized while knocked out, I'm really starting to wonder exactly what may have happened to me that day. Oh, sure, they say I was a little wobbly because of the drugs, but was that really the reason I couldn't walk straight? Was it now? Was it?
Note: It was very hard not to title this post "Expressions of a Happy Anal Sac". Sometimes when things write themselves, it's best to put in a little extra effort and come up with something else. You can thank me later.
She goes in for a dental cleaning and winds up with a catheter in one hole and a probe up the other. No wonder she's walking funny.
I don't know about you, but when I go to see my dentist I don't expect to see "complimentary anal sac expression" on the invoice. I mean, sure, it's nice that they also trimmed her toe nails, but I'm not so sure about these other extras.
I remember when I had my wisdom teeth removed. One second the anaesthesiologist and nurse were telling jokes and the next thing I know, I'm lying on a couch with a freaking teddy bear tucked under my arm and Kristin's laughing at me. After seeing how my dog was freaking sodomized while knocked out, I'm really starting to wonder exactly what may have happened to me that day. Oh, sure, they say I was a little wobbly because of the drugs, but was that really the reason I couldn't walk straight? Was it now? Was it?
Note: It was very hard not to title this post "Expressions of a Happy Anal Sac". Sometimes when things write themselves, it's best to put in a little extra effort and come up with something else. You can thank me later.
We Can All Breathe a Little Easier Now...
When Annana is at close range, that is.
We just got word from the veterinary office that Annana is coming off the anaethesia and that her teeth cleaning went well. Her teeth were really, really dirty but fortunately none of them were decaying or needed to be extracted. Now, before you tell us what awful doggie owners we are, Kristin does make a point of brushing the dogs teeth with relative frequency. Kimo's teeth are in excellent shape. It's just that, unfortunately, Annana has some pretty resilient oral bacteria that fend off the brushing. And no amount of poultry-flavored toothpaste can pry that decrepit bacteria from our canine's canines.
We've been putting off getting her teeth cleaned due to the cost and because we didn't want to have to put her under, but the vet was having a month-long "sale" on teeth cleaning and, well, Annana's breath was getting pretty rank. We also had a rapdily enlargening mole removed from her leg-pit that was becoming quite unsightly. Her gums are going to be really swollen and she's probably can be out of sorts for a day or so, but it was necessary. If we had waited any longer she probably would have lost some of her teeth.
And I'm not about get dentures for my dog.
We just got word from the veterinary office that Annana is coming off the anaethesia and that her teeth cleaning went well. Her teeth were really, really dirty but fortunately none of them were decaying or needed to be extracted. Now, before you tell us what awful doggie owners we are, Kristin does make a point of brushing the dogs teeth with relative frequency. Kimo's teeth are in excellent shape. It's just that, unfortunately, Annana has some pretty resilient oral bacteria that fend off the brushing. And no amount of poultry-flavored toothpaste can pry that decrepit bacteria from our canine's canines.
We've been putting off getting her teeth cleaned due to the cost and because we didn't want to have to put her under, but the vet was having a month-long "sale" on teeth cleaning and, well, Annana's breath was getting pretty rank. We also had a rapdily enlargening mole removed from her leg-pit that was becoming quite unsightly. Her gums are going to be really swollen and she's probably can be out of sorts for a day or so, but it was necessary. If we had waited any longer she probably would have lost some of her teeth.
And I'm not about get dentures for my dog.
Relieved
Kristin was petting Annana on Sunday night when she discovered a small lump on Annana's abdomen. I went over and felt it too and it was definitely not something we had noticed before. A quick check of the "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" informed us that lumps such as this on the abdomen could possibly be a tumor, and not necessarily benign. We took a deep breath, each of us silently thinking to ourselves that we knew this day might come. Annana is 8 years old and in seemingly good health, but detecting this lump suddenly had us second-guessing everything she's done lately. Kristin commented that she thinks Annana was peeing more frequently. I commented that she seems to spend too much time alone. We were worried.
The doctor we usually take our dogs to see wasn't available on Monday and although Kristin was ready to schedule with anyone, I was able to convince her to wait for the doctor we and our dogs know. After all, it's not like an extra day or two would make a big difference and the doctor Kristin originally scheduled an appointment with was one we already had a bad experience with. This could end up being something really serious and it was important that we didn't start off with the wrong doctor.
So I took Annana to the vet this morning (she doesn't mind going, the hard part is getting Kimo to stay put while I try to leave without him) and Dr. Chan came in the room with Annana's chart and asked if this was about the lump she found in Annana's belly in April.
"I don't think so, I never heard anything about a lump found on her in April."
"Yeah, it's on her chart."
She then started feeling Annana's belly and confirmed that yep, this was the one she apparently told us about back in April. It's just a fatty deposit, much like the one on Annana's chest (she's had that one most of her life). And sure enough, she did write it on the chart back in April.
Kristin took the dogs for checkups and shots before our trip to Utah and, apparently in the commotion of getting ready for the trip, Kristin completely forgot about the lump detection. Which is understandable since Dr. Chan assured us it was nothing to worry about.
So, when all was said and done, we had our first semi-scare regarding our dogs' health but it ended up being nothing to worry about. I wasted 5 minutes of the doctor's time, and about an hour of my own, but at least we have peace of mind now. Through it all though, it was nice knowing that we do have health insurance for the dogs for when this isn't a false alarm. Which I hope we never have to use.
Clean bill of health!
Camping With the Dogs
While I was out there pushing my bike all over God knows where, Kristin was hiking with Kimo and Annana up the Esmeralda Basin trail to Lake Ann. Along the way they came across a pair of mountain bikers sitting on the side of the trail taking a breather. The dogs, noticing the bikes, immediately ran up to them perhaps thinking I was with them.
"Don't worry, they're friendly. They probably think you're my husband and his friends." Kristin said to the guys. They asked if I was with the group they saw up ahead, to which she told them no and explained that I was doing the 5 or 8 drainages ride and might be back up this way later in the afternoon.
One of the guys had a puzzled look on his face, as if he was trying to remember an old friend's name. "Walsh?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"We read his ride reports, you must be Kristin."
She tells me she was shocked.
I'm not sure who these two guys were, Kristin said their names were Carey and Jeremy (If you're reading this guys, I apologize if I misspelled your names) and it was uncertain whether they've seen my ride reports on the BBTC listserve or here on RG, but nevertheless, thanks for reading and for tolerating my dogs sniffing you while you were trying to catch your breath. And to think you guys even remembered Kristin's name from the ride reports; that's impressive. You guys rock! Hope you had a good ride on Saturday. Actually, if you were doing the Esmeralda loop, it'd be impossible not to have a good day.
So, anyway, Kristin and the dogs continue their climb towards Lake Ann and Kristin tells me she noticed a really funny thing about the dogs -- they can appreciate a good viewpoint. Whenever she stopped on the side of the trail to take a breather, the dogs would sit down momentarily but they wouldn't lay down. They would instead just look at her, as if to suggest that they should really keep going. But, whenever they reached a viewpoint and it really was a time to stop and enjoy the view, the dogs would immediately lay down and stretch and stare off into the distance. Without any prodding from Kristin, the dogs immediately recognized that they had reached a destination and that it was time to enjoy the view. They would just lie down facing the scenery and kind of look around smiling. It's almost as if they're thinking the same thing we are, "Yes, this is worth the effort of getting here."
Saturday night, back at camp, the dogs were exhausted. They had hiked about 10 or 11 miles of pretty steep, rocky terrain and were lying on the ground sleeping. They were each on a ten-foot leash attached to the wheel of my truck. Suddenly, a chipmunk runs between them and dives into a burrow under the truck. The dogs spring to life and immediately begin running half-circles back and forth around the truck to try and find the chipmunk. Kimo, our male, dives under the truck in hopes of finding it but he cannot. Kristin and I watch as the two dogs run back and forth around the truck in search of finding the wily critter. Finally, after an hour or so Annana goes back to sleep while Kimo continues to look for it. Yet, eventually, he too falls asleep.
The chipmunk had been hiding out in a hole under the truck for over two hours, apparently waiting for our dogs to fall asleep so it can make a run for it. But when it did Kimo and Annana immediately sprang awake and dove at the truck as the chipmunk made its breakaway. The chipmunk got away, but only Annana was smart enough to realize that there was no catching it. She went back to sleep within minutes. Meanwhile Kimo continued to do a perimeter search of the truck. He looked under it, around it, and even tried to crawl underneath it. We thought he would just give up, but over an hour later Kristin noticed that he was standing in front of the truck with his snout buried in the front grill of the truck. From there he went to the wheel well and craned his head up and over the tire to see if the chipmunk might possibly be hiding in the suspension. It wasn't. We all saw the chipmunk get away, yet Kimo was determined. Kristin and I laughed hysterically as Kimo walked back and forth trying to sniff out the chipmunk from within the wheel well and the grill of the truck and even under the front bumper.
Later on that night, about an hour or so later, it was time to put the dogs in the truck for the night. We take the rear seats out when we go camping and lay down a couple of blankets inside it for them. This way they're out of the elements and safe from animals and people. Annana jumped right in, curled up, and was asleep within minutes. Kimo, on the other hand, climbed into the truck, sat on his hind legs, and stared straight down at the floor of the truck. He seemed to believe the chipmunk was still under the truck, just inches beneath him. Laughing at him. We laughed about it and figured he would soon go to sleep but twenty minutes later when we were walking past the truck to use the outhouse, we noticed Kimo was still sitting upright staring at the floor of the truck. Somewhere in his mind there was a chipmunk having the last laugh and it was clearly driving him mad. But it gave us one hell of a laugh.
Finally, the next day, I was out riding the Esmeralda loop with the guys from the Arrogant Bastard team and during our final descent on the De Rouxe Creek trail, we came up on Kristin and the dogs. They had hiked up to Gallagher Head Lake and were about halfway back to the trailhead when we passed them. Unfortunately for her, we caught up to them on the steep switchbacks. The dogs were really glad to see me and ran up and start licking me which was cool. Once the other guys caught up, I said my goodbye and headed down the trail. The trail soon switchbacked sharply and within a minute or so I was directly below Kristin and the dogs. They saw me down there, got excited, and promptly started to run straight down the hill after me. Good thing Kristin has a strong grasp on the dogs and could dig in with her boots, because she almost got taken for a ride. Or should I say a drag?
"Don't worry, they're friendly. They probably think you're my husband and his friends." Kristin said to the guys. They asked if I was with the group they saw up ahead, to which she told them no and explained that I was doing the 5 or 8 drainages ride and might be back up this way later in the afternoon.
One of the guys had a puzzled look on his face, as if he was trying to remember an old friend's name. "Walsh?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"We read his ride reports, you must be Kristin."
She tells me she was shocked.
I'm not sure who these two guys were, Kristin said their names were Carey and Jeremy (If you're reading this guys, I apologize if I misspelled your names) and it was uncertain whether they've seen my ride reports on the BBTC listserve or here on RG, but nevertheless, thanks for reading and for tolerating my dogs sniffing you while you were trying to catch your breath. And to think you guys even remembered Kristin's name from the ride reports; that's impressive. You guys rock! Hope you had a good ride on Saturday. Actually, if you were doing the Esmeralda loop, it'd be impossible not to have a good day.
So, anyway, Kristin and the dogs continue their climb towards Lake Ann and Kristin tells me she noticed a really funny thing about the dogs -- they can appreciate a good viewpoint. Whenever she stopped on the side of the trail to take a breather, the dogs would sit down momentarily but they wouldn't lay down. They would instead just look at her, as if to suggest that they should really keep going. But, whenever they reached a viewpoint and it really was a time to stop and enjoy the view, the dogs would immediately lay down and stretch and stare off into the distance. Without any prodding from Kristin, the dogs immediately recognized that they had reached a destination and that it was time to enjoy the view. They would just lie down facing the scenery and kind of look around smiling. It's almost as if they're thinking the same thing we are, "Yes, this is worth the effort of getting here."
Saturday night, back at camp, the dogs were exhausted. They had hiked about 10 or 11 miles of pretty steep, rocky terrain and were lying on the ground sleeping. They were each on a ten-foot leash attached to the wheel of my truck. Suddenly, a chipmunk runs between them and dives into a burrow under the truck. The dogs spring to life and immediately begin running half-circles back and forth around the truck to try and find the chipmunk. Kimo, our male, dives under the truck in hopes of finding it but he cannot. Kristin and I watch as the two dogs run back and forth around the truck in search of finding the wily critter. Finally, after an hour or so Annana goes back to sleep while Kimo continues to look for it. Yet, eventually, he too falls asleep.
The chipmunk had been hiding out in a hole under the truck for over two hours, apparently waiting for our dogs to fall asleep so it can make a run for it. But when it did Kimo and Annana immediately sprang awake and dove at the truck as the chipmunk made its breakaway. The chipmunk got away, but only Annana was smart enough to realize that there was no catching it. She went back to sleep within minutes. Meanwhile Kimo continued to do a perimeter search of the truck. He looked under it, around it, and even tried to crawl underneath it. We thought he would just give up, but over an hour later Kristin noticed that he was standing in front of the truck with his snout buried in the front grill of the truck. From there he went to the wheel well and craned his head up and over the tire to see if the chipmunk might possibly be hiding in the suspension. It wasn't. We all saw the chipmunk get away, yet Kimo was determined. Kristin and I laughed hysterically as Kimo walked back and forth trying to sniff out the chipmunk from within the wheel well and the grill of the truck and even under the front bumper.
Later on that night, about an hour or so later, it was time to put the dogs in the truck for the night. We take the rear seats out when we go camping and lay down a couple of blankets inside it for them. This way they're out of the elements and safe from animals and people. Annana jumped right in, curled up, and was asleep within minutes. Kimo, on the other hand, climbed into the truck, sat on his hind legs, and stared straight down at the floor of the truck. He seemed to believe the chipmunk was still under the truck, just inches beneath him. Laughing at him. We laughed about it and figured he would soon go to sleep but twenty minutes later when we were walking past the truck to use the outhouse, we noticed Kimo was still sitting upright staring at the floor of the truck. Somewhere in his mind there was a chipmunk having the last laugh and it was clearly driving him mad. But it gave us one hell of a laugh.
Finally, the next day, I was out riding the Esmeralda loop with the guys from the Arrogant Bastard team and during our final descent on the De Rouxe Creek trail, we came up on Kristin and the dogs. They had hiked up to Gallagher Head Lake and were about halfway back to the trailhead when we passed them. Unfortunately for her, we caught up to them on the steep switchbacks. The dogs were really glad to see me and ran up and start licking me which was cool. Once the other guys caught up, I said my goodbye and headed down the trail. The trail soon switchbacked sharply and within a minute or so I was directly below Kristin and the dogs. They saw me down there, got excited, and promptly started to run straight down the hill after me. Good thing Kristin has a strong grasp on the dogs and could dig in with her boots, because she almost got taken for a ride. Or should I say a drag?
Uncontrollable Sneezing
You know that person who sneezes really loud? Everyboby knows that one. They make a huge dramatic production out of sneezing. Their sneezes literally have three acts complete with suspense, soliloquies, and a denouement. And it's all for show. Your God Bless You is their curtain call. It's quite annoying.
And they ain't got nothing on my dog.
Kristin and I got home from dinner, and just as I was settling into my office chair for round two of my work day I start to hear my male dog, Kimo, sneezing downstairs. Each sneeze is followed by a thud. After the third sneeze-thud combo I hear Kristin calling to him, "Kimo, Kimo, no, buddy, no, Kimo no." And the sneeze-thud continued and her pleas for him to stop grew more desperate sounding.
So I run down the stairs to see what's going on just as he finishes his 9th or 10th sneeze. There's blood on the floor in the hallway. There's blood on the floor in the kitchen. Kimo -- completely unfazed mind you -- is in the living room licking his foot.
He was sneezing so violently that he repeatedly slammed his snout on the floor with such force that he gave himself a bloody nose. Over and over. Each sneeze was loud and violent and immediately followed by a hearty thud -- his head hitting the bamboo flooring. With each sneeze he blew a fine mist of mucous and bloody spittle, and with each sneeze-thud he hurt himself a little more, causing a little more blood to leak. He never wimpered. He never even made a peep, save for the ridiculously loud canine ahh-choo. And the thud.
Kristin and I instantly surrounded him and were hugging and petting him, trying to provide comfort after this insane display of unintentional masochism. He just licked a little blood off his feet, licked his nose, and smiled at us as if to say, "What's up with you two?"
It's times like this when I really start to wonder exactly what goes on with these dogs when we're not around.
And they ain't got nothing on my dog.
Kristin and I got home from dinner, and just as I was settling into my office chair for round two of my work day I start to hear my male dog, Kimo, sneezing downstairs. Each sneeze is followed by a thud. After the third sneeze-thud combo I hear Kristin calling to him, "Kimo, Kimo, no, buddy, no, Kimo no." And the sneeze-thud continued and her pleas for him to stop grew more desperate sounding.
So I run down the stairs to see what's going on just as he finishes his 9th or 10th sneeze. There's blood on the floor in the hallway. There's blood on the floor in the kitchen. Kimo -- completely unfazed mind you -- is in the living room licking his foot.
He was sneezing so violently that he repeatedly slammed his snout on the floor with such force that he gave himself a bloody nose. Over and over. Each sneeze was loud and violent and immediately followed by a hearty thud -- his head hitting the bamboo flooring. With each sneeze he blew a fine mist of mucous and bloody spittle, and with each sneeze-thud he hurt himself a little more, causing a little more blood to leak. He never wimpered. He never even made a peep, save for the ridiculously loud canine ahh-choo. And the thud.
Kristin and I instantly surrounded him and were hugging and petting him, trying to provide comfort after this insane display of unintentional masochism. He just licked a little blood off his feet, licked his nose, and smiled at us as if to say, "What's up with you two?"
It's times like this when I really start to wonder exactly what goes on with these dogs when we're not around.
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