I walked Gretchen by 5:22am along the Y Lightning Ranch Road loop, a rural route of just over four miles. Clouds were mostly non-threatening I'm starting to recognize the regular walkers along this route.
I had nothing planned besides work on the back yard, but then Steve called just before 8am to ask if I were interested in joining him for lunch and beers at Buddy's Bar in Whetstone, a biker bar right off SR82, at 1pm. He returned yesterday from his Denver trip for his son's memorial but I missed his email letting me know he was back in the area. I said yes.
So now I had a plan and had to get started. I spent some time with my yard dogs to do some work in the yard. There is still so much to do both in the house and the yard.
They were all happy to see me. I know they are being neglected, but I hope that will change once I have a gate in the front yard erected so that they (re: Gretel, Sahne, Wolfie) don't dart out and run loose in the neighborhood. They all jump on me and want some attention whenever I visit.
I didn't stay back there for long, though. The dogs got distracted and ran to the east side of the fence and I used that as an opportunity to escape via the front door. I don't like leaving those dogs back there by themselves but for now this arrangement will have to do. They have gotten used to this.
Their barking has subsided since both Sadie and Minnie died. Where the older dogs stressing the younger ones out? The only time they really bark now is when they hear sirens from a high-speed chase (from human smugglers) either along Hereford Road or SR92, but that only lasts a few minutes.
It started thundering over the mountains by 10:30am but it looked to stay over the peaks. Nothing was forecasted for the valley. I showered, packed up the dogs, and took off at 12:20pm for Whetstone. I was hungry!
The rain clouds followed me north. Steve was already seated on the patio. Gretchen lunged at Trace a few times before she settled down and we had a good time at the bar, drinking Dos Equis on draft and joining the potluck. This was the biggest meal I had had in a while.
Buddy's Bar is a local dive but it's a place I'd go back to. The people are friendly. They have craft beers in bottles for $3.75 but I stayed with Dos Equis, a beer I once really liked but now i tastes watered down.
The dogs were well-behaved once they settled down. Sweetie and Gretchen were tied to the railings and couldn't wander around anyway. They had their water bowl and I gave them my leftover food. Gretchen kept staring at the smaller dogs ahead of her. Sweetie and Trace appreciated the attention they got from passers-by.
We were as far as we could sit from the live music, a group of friends who call themselves the Quail Ridge pickers and who get together to jam, but who don't call themselves a real band. The musicians were good, but the lead singer could not hold a tune and the harmonica was too loud. Two hours was as much as I could handle.
I wanted to reward the dogs for sitting still for three hours, and Steve agreed to head out to Mine Canyon and let the dogs run for a mile and then turn around. Mine Canyon is in the southern Whetstones just north of the town. We stayed in the lower grasslands. Gretchen had no trouble with Trace here since they were all off-leash.
It was 76F at 4pm when we started our walk, but it was warm for the dogs. We didn't bring any water and couldn't go far anyway, so we kept it to two miles round trip. It was enough for Sweetie, but she was enjoying running along and sniffing new areas. The dirt road revealed recent heavy downpours, but there was no water anywhere for the dogs.
Dark clouds were to the south as I drove back home. I had just turned south off the Buffalo Soldier Trail when it began to pour. A flash flood warning buzzed across my smart phone, valid until 7:30pm. I managed to get home just before the heavy rain fell, with both dogs inside the RV.
Gretchen and I walked a tad over eight miles today
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