I took the dogs for a walk yesterday, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. (The downside of the lovely weather is that we are under a Fire Weather warning today.) It’s cute to watch the dogs struggle to contain their enthusiasm since they are learning that I won’t attach their leashes until all four paws are on the ground.
Today we achieved a milestone: I took Bandit and Rion for a walk together. When Bandit first came to us he pulled so badly that I felt I had a sled dog on the other end of the leash: a big sled dog. He has learned not to pull nearly so hard, and sometimes even walks on a loose leash.
Every morning I make the bed, and every morning Bandit rearranges the pillows afterward. Rion never rearranges pillows, but he will take advantage of the nest that Bandit makes.
I spent over two hours walking behind one of these at a friend’s house yesterday, and slept over eight hours last night. Since I rarely sleep more than seven hours, if I am lucky, I am quite happy this morning.
http://blog.drpower.com/a-piece-of-dr-history-field-and-brush-mower/
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Or as I affectionately call him El Bandido. Unfortunately, he does his best to live up to his name, and gets into everything, not just rattlesnakes. I like the way he seems to be winking in this photo.
A few weekends ago, Jack and I used a friend’s pickup truck to take some yard tree trimmings to the county slash and mulch site. A volunteer is helping Jack, who is wearing his sun / dust protective gear, unload the truck.
…that rattlesnake went.”
Four weeks ago, Bandit was bitten by a large rattlesnake when Jack was walking him in the late afternoon. With a lot of superb, and expensive, veterinary care, he made a complete recovery. Last night, I took him for his first walk since he was injured. We stayed far away from any areas that might harbor rattlesnakes. This the the first time that I had ever taken him for a walk, and he behaved better than I expected. He is a thirty pound dog with sixty pounds of pull when he gets excited, but he was calm except when a runner went by practicing uphill sprints. Bandit thought running with the guy would be a lot more exciting than the brisk walk I was trying to maintain.
This morning I drove on icy, snowy roads on a mission of mercy to get cough drops and chicken soup for Jack, who developed cold symptoms overnight. On the way I passed this herd of elk, who seemed bewildered by the May Day Snow.