Back on the maintenance road: stock pond is still dry

I was curious to see the stock pond that I normally take the dogs on.  Was there water in it?  What about any wild flowers?  It has been over a month since I last walked the dogs here and I wanted to see any changes.

I took the four old dogs on a morning sunrise walk at 5:20am  All four were excited to finally get out of the yard again and did well.  Sadie's hind legs gave out briefly at the start, but she quickly recovered.  Minnie was slower than the rest but not a hindrance.  I wanted to make sure this was a walk and not a speed race.

Clouds were overhead when the sun rose at 5:34am for a brief outburst of color.  There was no water in the stockpond, and Minnie's disappointment was obvious.  She looked down into the empty pit and didn't rush into it like the other three, who were happy to chomp on some grass.  There weren't any wildflowers, either.

We did a mere 1.15 miles.  I turned around and then focused on the backyard once back home. Other than some catnip, there was nothing else salvageable from my container garden.  There was nothing left of the potted strawberries. Plants that were still in pots had died from lack of water.  It was all sad to look at, after all the attention I gave the plants, especially the strawberries that were busy reproducing, earlier this year.

Clouds were forming overhead and it looked like rain.  Susan later said she was hit hard coming back from Tombstone, but nothing fell over us.  We agreed to meet at 5:30pm for a quick walk up Miller Creek.  There was one car in the parking lot and no one else on the trail.  The clouds cleared during our mile-long walk.

We both found an Eyed Click Beetle along the path.  The black-white coloring of the beetle against the dead leaves stood out along the trail and caught our attention. This two-inch-long beetle has two fake eyes that make it look spooky, but it's actually a beneficial beetle to have while in the larvae stage.  When placed on its back, the beetle can jump up and bend itself back on its legs and move on. My Google phone was dead, so Susan took the posted photo of the beetle.

Sadie now collapsed four more times during this slow walk.  Watching her was like watching someone trip over a tree root; nothing serious. She didn't always fall completely. She always got back up without a whimper. Susan thinks it's because of lack of exercise in the past month, but I fear she has developed canine degenerative myelopathy, where the back legs slowly weaken to the point where total paralysis sets in.  This is what Sammy had in the last three months of his life, 2016-2017, which got problematic because of his arthritis n that last month of his life when I'd help him get up on his feet.  There is no cure nor treatment for this physical disability.  His last week alive was very painful for him.

I love Sadie so much.  She took me through the rough years post-military.  Her condition is in its early stage; she can still get up on her own and enjoy life and enjoy her walks.  She does spend most of her time now napping on the patio, but at 12+ years she has deserved that privilege. I dread the day she will have to be gently euthanized.  A dog as loyal as she does not deserve to suffer.

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