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