SPR Palominas

 I didn't do a darn thing yesterday.  I didn't even get up to walk Gretchen.  I kept the dogs in the front yard unsupervised. I only walked them around the block later in the afternoon.

I didn't want to repeat that today, but the humidity slowed me down.  Susan stayed home to watch Allie as she had a hard time breathing yesterday.  I wanted to take the dogs down near the Palominas trailhead to see how the river was there.

I also wanted to take a third dog. I opened the front door and Fritz was the first dog out.  Sahne wanted out, too, but I pushed her back. He was happy to be in the front yard, prancing with the other dogs who were cautiously sniffing him out.  Watching him and seeing his joy calmed me down, as not once for the rest of the day he was up in the front yard did he fight with Gretchen or Sweetie.  He also not once tried to break free from the front yard.  He was a gentle, quiet boy.

He also hopped into the truck with ease, eager to go somewhere, He sat in the passenger seat for the entire ride. What a handsome boy he is.

 I finally got to the trailhead by 1:20pm.  A US  Border Patrol horse trailer with three horses in the back was parked there, but no agent visible.  The ground was muddy, a good indicator that the walk to the river would be muddy, too.

It was 85F and overcast.  Grey Clouds hovered over the peaks.  I didn't have a hat and regretted not packing one as it's a half-mile to the river from the parking lot.

Fritz was having a blast running with his sister, and Gretchen seems to have enjoyed his presence, too.  He followed her through the tall grass, into the muddy water, up and down the wash. Se lead the way. She is a good 20 pounds lighter than he and gave him a good workout.  Fritz hadn't been on a hike since before summer break.

 It was either the humidity or Fritz' lack of daily workouts that caused him to pant quickly.  He didn't seem to mind as he was enjoying his freedom of running without fences holding him in. He was focused on his sister.  Sweetie stayed closer to me at her own pace.

The river here is a  well-known pick-up point for illegal immigrants.  I was cautious of my surroundings. I saw a boot here, a sun-faded backpack there, and discarded drink containers that looked fresh. I made sure I yelled out the dogs' names to let anyone nearby know I was not alone in the area.

The river bank was slick.  It looked like it was under water after yesterday's rain but had receded earlier today.  The log jams on the higher ground kept me closer to the bank and I wasn't feeling comfortable being so close to swiftly-moving water concealed by heavy brush. Fresh footsteps in the soft mud indicated recent immigrant movement here.  Was that why the USBP horse trailer was in the parking lot?  Where there illegal aliens nearby who heard me talking to the dogs and were trying to evade exposure?

I didn't feel comfortable at the river, but wasn't ready to go home just yet.  I wanted to give the dogs two miles of exercise.  I took them back to the wash and went in the opposite direction, walking in a mostly southeasterly direction until I came to the official San Pedro river trail.  I could be at the international border in four miles, but I turned around when I realized both Gretchen and Fritz were nowhere to be seen.

This was the perfect time to turn around and walk back to the truck.  Gretchen and Fritz were waiting patiently there for me.  I'm sure Fritz learned this tactic from Gretchenm as he panted heavily for the entire drive home.  I'm sure with daily runs he won't be panting for much longer.

I wanted to reward the dogs for their good behavior. I stopped at the Speedway gas station to get all three dogs a taquito and myself a Big Gulp.  It was 3pm when we got back to the RV.  I took him for a solo lap around the 'hood. Fritz settled in nicely for the rest of the day.  He and Gretchen were on the bed when it began to rain hard an hour later.  Gretchen snuggled with me when it thundered, but I remained calm to let her know she has nothing to be afraid of. Fritz didn't mind the noise.

Fritz opted to sleep under the RV for the night.  He seemed at home there with Sweetie.  Perhaps I can have him in the front yard more often and take him on more walks around the neighborhood.  I also want to do this with the other dogs, so that eventually all the dogs are comfortable in the front yard and get exposed to the outside world like Gretchen has this summer.  She has benefitted the most from spending the summer in the front yard with me.