It was a fox.

This has been a hard week. Each day has provided its own challenges. Why does everything have to be a battle?

Each morning this week, I have opened my eyes and wondered when the week would end.

And today was finally Friday.

Face to face with DH, I gave him the options, "You gonna run today or walk with us?"

"Walk" he croaked. And we prepared ourselves. Pockets loaded with dog equipment, mugs filled with fresh coffee, and attitude properly adjusted, I called out to DH "Release the Kracken*"

Scruff came running into the kitchen, performed his yoga move (I still laugh when I am reminded that downward facing dog really was named for a downward facing dog.), and greeted me. He saw the leash and knew we would be heading to the park. We retrieved Paddy from the yard (she hates the crate and sleeps outside).

It was a humid morning and we hurried. The sooner we got this day started, the sooner we could get it over.

We didn't plan a pretty walk. We didn't necessarily have any plan, but we made it to the park and swiped the last two bags from the hunde toilette, talking loudly to each other and the pups. We weren't thinking about wildlife until we looked up and were surprised to see, spotlighted by the streetlight, a young doe. She, in turn, had stopped to stare at us. I am sure we were a noisy sight.

As soon as we hushed, awed to see a deer so close to us and so far from the cover of the high grass or brushy woods, she turned and bounded towards the edge of the woods.

We continued on our way as time would not allow us to seek the rest of the herd or dawdle along our way. Moving towards the pavilion and its water fountain, we saw a small cat-like creature cross the road ahead of us. It was almost entirely in shadow so we had to determine its identity from its size and shape. I must have driven DH mad. "It's a cat...a fox...a cat...a fox" I decided and then puzzled, unsure of my identification. Finally we agreed that it was a fox. We had wondered if there was still a skulk (OK. I looked it up in the Oxford Dictionary. DH said it should be a "skulk of lawyers" and a "cleverness of foxes." Oh well.) in the park. Apparently the foxes are still there.

More than rewarded by our morning efforts, we headed home.

* Clash of the Titans

Short walks...up and down mountains

Yesterday's walks were short and, mostly, purposeful. I started at the bank where I stood in line for almost an hour, walking only a few inches at a time until finally reaching the clerk. Then I was the one holding up progress (Isn't that why one goes to the bank on a Saturday morning? You have stuff to do, business to transact. Fortunately I was "depositing" not "withdrawing.").*

Then, after a short drive, I walked the few yards from my car into my building, up the interior (and open) stairs, and into my office suite - to sit at my desk for most of the next 10 hours.

I did get up and raid the soda machine (it was a caffeine fueled work session). I searched for items in another office. I wandered to the windows to wait for DH who brought my late lunch, bless him.

But mostly I rolled back and forth in my chair. And sometimes I rocked back and forth and moved side to side from desk top, to computer, to stack of thick envelopes of records on the floor and back again.

Then, after hitting "send" for the 7th or 8th time,  I moved carefully down the stairs of the now mostly dark (poorly designed - but then we aren't supposed to be there after dark) building, stood at the exit, and waited for my eyes to adjust to the gloom. I noted the empty parking lot and scanned the area for spots where monsters, mad dogs, "Harry Scratch" and the "boogety man" people might hide.

Then I retraced my late morning steps the few yards to my waiting car.


Mountains were moved, but others remain.


*I did have a conversation with the guy who came in carrying two grocery bags of coins for the coin-counting machine. His "reportedly" week's worth of coins would take me months to collect. I glanced over to see the counter moving up over $200. I have no idea where it stopped. [Hey, what else are you going to do while waiting in line at the bank. People don't talk much. I didn't realize I needed a book. And I chose not to drink the bad coffee or eat a bank-provided snack (Pringles? Really?).]

No walk...my walk of shame

Overslept

Released the food aggressive after everyone ate

(Killer humid)

Pups waited at the gate

Walked to the car

Drove away

No park walk today

Fits and starts and raptor cries

We headed in the light of a just-past-full moon and were a block from the house when almost blinding flashing red and blue lights signaled a police car approaching from behind us.

This was something new and the dogs were a little agitated. I wanted to avoid the apparent traffic stop and began to lead the dogs across the street when both the civilian car and police car tuned a corner, allowing us to continue on our way.

A strange car turned into the park just ahead of us. Why would someone drive into the park at 5:30 a.m. on a Thursday morning? I could think of no good reason and prepared to turn around when the car and its lost driver turned around and headed back out of the park. "It was an oopsie," commented DH.

We walked to the pavilion for water, passing a black park cat crouching in the dark along the path.

We heard cry after cry from the darkness of the playing fields and the woods beyond. "A raptor?" I wondered. We have seen hawks and owls at dawn and dusk in the park. They have flown above and swooped down to seize prey, but I did not remember this particular cry.

My thoughts of raptors in the darkness were interrupted as I watered the dogs and found Scruff's coughing and wheezing to be a bit much today. He has a weird way of drinking. It is as if he is afraid he will never drink again and so he drinks too fast. [If presented with a pail of water he will jump in, dig the water into a foam and attack it!] "Gross, Scruffy!" I shouted. "You've been slimed," laughed DH. [He was full of silly comments today.]

We headed back through the park listening to the continued cries in the dark (nighthawk?*). We passed running man, walked around a new batch of litter (must remember bags tomorrow), and arrived safely home.

The moon kept us company along the way. It tried to hide behind filmy clouds, but the light continued to brighten our walk until daybreak.

*I listened to the cries of nighthawks on the Cornell website - love those ornithologists! - and I do believe it could have been a nighthawk (which is not a raptor, in spite of the "hawk" in its name).

"No"

No deer. No walking friends. No neighbors out and about.

Today we walked in the cool morning towards the big red ball of the sun peeking over the horizon.

Our return was marred by two dogs on the loose. And yes, we shouted "No, no, no" as they charged us.
 Dogs don't seem to hear me, but they do hear DH's "command voice" and stop short of a face full of pepper spray...or much, much worse.

I loved the visit with DH, the time with the puppies, the feel of the cool air and the vision of a brilliant sunrise.

I am disgusted by the speeding traffic, the litter everywhere, and the irresponsible pet owners who allow their dogs loose on the neighborhood (and who are not picking up after their animals).

Sorry, dear readers. I just needed to vent. Thanks for listening. [Other than the minor inconveniences above, it really was a beautiful morning walk!]

Goat heads!

This Friday morning was a hint of fall to come. Evening showers cooled the air and even the pups had a bounce in their step.

DH had overslept (something I can almost count on - on Friday) and he joined us.

We were surprised at the puddles left from the rains. It has been so hot and dry that we expected the raindrops to evaporate before hitting the ground. [Perhaps we can skip watering the outside plants today.] And we knew before we had made it to the park that a walk down the dirt road was out of the question. Our last walk had disclosed animal tracks in the almost one inch deep layer of loose dirt on the surface of the road. This rain would turn that into a muddy, slippery mess.

But the deer came to us. As we passed our usual "turn around" spot I noticed dark shadows between the edge of the woods and the edge of the fog  that blanketed the playing fields. Our weak flashlights threw enough light to reflect in the eyes of the creatures. As we drew closer, they moved off into the brush, at least three does and one fawn.

Our silly guys were just happy to be out today.

Scruffy's gait looked odd. "Don't you think Scruffy is limping?" asked DH. Then Scruff stumbled.

I suspected and then confirmed my suspicion - stickers - Scruff had two goat head burrs* in his paw.

I hate sticker burrs and despise goat heads. They seem to hurt worse than other burrs and are especially sturdy and hard to remove...hate them, hate them, hate them...

Paddy, attention hog, interfered with my efforts to maneuver close enough to lift Scruff's left front paw. She always wants the pats and water and treats. So I held her close with my left elbow, reached over her with my right arm, grabbed Scruff's leg and brought the paw to my left fingers to feel for and remove the burrs. It was like a game of Twister.** I won.

Stickers gone, Scruff resumed his excited trot and we four wandered home to start this Friday.


Notes:

2 cats
4 deer
2 demon goats head burrs

* These - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribulus_terrestris
   Not these - http://www.zazzle.com/goat_head_stickers-217161648680765985


**http://boardgames.about.com/od/twister/Twister.htm

Goat heads in a tire from Soapchat.net

Meteor

Early for once.

Darkness surprised by a streaking meteor.

Banana man walked in the park and blessed us.




[I love the banana man.]

I don't see this very often....

Today there was a rainbow in the sky - just south of town. I would have missed it had I ignored that voice in my head that told me to go to the office and check that things are ready for the week (They are not, but that is another story.).

It has rained a tiny bit just south of us. We only heard the thunder, saw the lightning. And now we could see the rainbow.

One day last week I left early for work and the sky was incredible. And YES, I stopped the car when taking these photos. (OK, maybe not the last one.)

Beautiful.

Cooler?

A cooler morning and an earlier start lured us down the street, into the park, and along our dirt road.

We were on the cusp of "too late for deer," but I thought it worth the effort to head down the dusty road and see. The dust of the road held tales of deer - lots of deer. There were a few feline or canine footprints as well.

We immediately heard rustling in the small patch of woods at the commencement of the road. A good sized buck bounded out of the woods and through the tall grass of the first meadow. The grass was so high that all we saw was head and tail as he hurried away from us - DH, dangerous pups and me.

This was all the encouragement we required and we hurried to the far meadow, hoping to catch the herd.

We arrived and saw nothing. The meadow had been mowed at some point. Two bales of hay were keeping mute watch. Scruff was alert and sniffing. Paddy too was watching, her head moving from side to side as she searched for.... Then DH whispered, "Something is moving out there."

Through the glare of the early morning sun we could just see movement along the edge of the tree line bordering the far side of the far meadow. The herd was on the move and moving cleverly, perfectly camouflaged.

As the deer disappeared the pups looked up at me as if to say, "OK, we found them. Time to go home."

On our way back visited with the woman of the lovely flowers. She was hand watering, hoping to keep a few blooms alive in this heat. We spotted (at least DH and I did) a neighborhood black cat almost hidden in the tall end-of-summer grass.

You cannot see me!

Scruffy alerts. (I wish I could catch the way his nose moved as he sniffed the air.)

I know, I know. You don't see anything. (But notice the baled grass to the right and the tree line).

 I attempted to adjust the photo a little more here, but you lose even the hint of deer I have given you. About one third of the way across the photo, you can just make out those ears. She was stopped and looking at us.

9 cans, 6 plastic bottles

Ugh! Heat advisories and busy work schedule - my excuses for my absence.

We are in the "dog days of summer"* and poor Florence hasn't even started oiling up the machine to sing us out of them yet.

I have managed to talk DH into taking a couple of walks with me, but most days have not allowed time/energy to venture out and down to the park. My work hours increase in the summer - 10 hour days rather than 9. And, because we do not really get to take sensible breaks (OK, I don't take them. I try to make sure the staff breaks, but I eat at my desk and review email or stand-by to help with issues that arise. It is too hot to go out anyway!), I get home exhausted and unwilling to do more than figure out a quick supper and collapse.

This behavior must end!

This morning I woke DH at 5:30 and suggested a walk. He growled (really! scary!). So, I tried again at 7:00. The growl had turned into a minor gruff "OK" and we gathered our dog gear, two dogs, and two cups of coffee before we headed to the park.

Trash was scattered up and down the street. I don't know if it is cranky people (the heat, right?) or that property owners are not venturing out to clean up after irresponsible litterers. Whatever the case, I noted the plastic bottles and aluminum cans for pick up on the return trip.

Snakes are on the move. We saw one earlier in the week - crushed on our street. He had served as an unnecessary (actually) reminder to avoid tall grass when walking off-path. DH mentioned he had seen others at work. And DW emailed to advise that he and his dogs had encountered a rattlesnake at the springs this week. Raised in south Texas, this girl knows that snakes are awake and moving...and they aren't friendly. I try to avoid any place they might want to be...no flipping over rocks or dead trees...no walking in the brush or high weeds...caution above all!

As we arrived at the park we noticed  a woman sitting out under the pecans, reading a book. She had parked her vehicle along the entrance to the park - near the hundetoilette. It was an odd place to be parked. It was an unusual place to be hanging out reading a book. There are prettier spots near the river. Perhaps she was saving a spot for a children's team to practice. Or maybe she was meeting up with a group for a picnic on the ground. Whatever, we greeted her and picked up more plastic bags and then headed home.

The dogs dragged along back up the hills. I handed DH a few dog cookies to lure them  to him. He generally walks ahead, moving faster than those of us with shorter legs. I slowed the process as well, but I thought I should pick up the trash I could readily recycle with our own recycling, gathering 9 cans and 6 plastic bottles (There was one more bottle, but it was spoiled milk and I refused to rinse out the bottle. It went in the trash.).

After settling the dogs with their breakfasts we agreed that the day is better when we start with a walk. We agreed we would increase our efforts to walk regularly.

Stay tuned.


*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Days