I live in Colorado. I had planned on dropping off our mail-in ballots this morning, but I screwed up my ballot when I was filing it out yesterday. Jack also made an error. We checked the voting website, and learned that we could vote in our local town hall this morning. They were still shaking out their procedures since this was the first morning, so it took a while, but achievement unlocked!
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.
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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.