Dogs on the loose

 I wanted to take some time off from working on the house and take one of the dogs on a six-mile hike around Bisbee.  Instead, I took both Fritz and Gretchen, who slept in the CR-V overnight due to a low overnight temperature of 34F, down to the Maintenance Road for a quick romp.  It was 10:35am when we started the walk.

But it wasn't quite a quick romp.  Both dogs took off for the hidden stock pond, and then I didn't see them again.  Yesterday they came back within an hour, but today I didn't see them at all.  I wasn't bothered, as they tend to come back on their own after an hour.  I walked around our usual route and even came across a curious ruby-throated hummingbird.

At 11:24am Susan called me.  "Are you missing two dogs?" she asked.  I was dumbfounded and didn't respond right away.  I thought perhaps both dogs ran down to her house ten miles away.  But it wasn't quite that dramatic.  Both dogs ended up on the Perimeter trail and Susan and her friend Laurie , who both were hiking from Carr to Miller Canyon, just happen to see them running down the trail.  Susan said both dogs kept looking behind them, as if they were expecting me to run after them.  WTH?

That means that both dogs crossed State Road 92 and ran uphill to the trail over five miles away.  What prompted them to do that?  Based on Gretchen's running off history, she took off after something (a rabbit?) and Fritz followed her, knowing she needs protection otherwise.  Once Gretchen takes chase, she looses all sense of direction, let alone decorum.

I had to go pick the dogs up. At least the weather today was perfect for hiking, with mostly sunny skies and temps in the mid 60s. I drove from the maintenance road to Miller Canyon's Perimeter trail to meet Susan on the trail.  She and Laurie were waiting for me under the shade of an oak tree right off the trail, a half-mile from where I started.  I could see their silhouettes in the early afternoon sun.

Both dogs were cautious as I approached.  I didn't say a thing, watching them.  They saw me but didn't run toward me as the women held them close.  Gretchen's leash was missing and Susan was holding on to her via a thin emergency leash she keeps in her backpack.  Fritz wanted to approach me but was unsure of who I was walking up the trail toward him, until he heard my voice.  Susan warned me that Fritz snarled at one male hiker walking past them.

I hooked Fritz to his leash and took both dogs back via a social trail, avoiding the hordes of people on the trail today.  This was no fun, as Gretchen was pulling hard all the way back and the trail was steep.

So, after today she will never be off leash again. (Have I said this before?)  I gave her another chance after two earlier glimmers of hope last week that she can stick with the pack and come when called.  She's going to be 14 years old one day and still chase after rabbits with full gusto.

Both Susan and Laurie then hiked back to Carr Canyon via the Perimeter trail. I drove to Carr Canyon with two panting dogs, to hang the emergency leash Susan gave me over her car's driver's side door knob parked there, then stopped at Dollar General to get a few goods for a homeless woman I had met camping out off the maintenance road.

In all the years I've walked the dogs along the maintenance road, I've only seen one other person camping out in that area.  The first time was right after my return from Alaska, in late 2017, and that man kept a low profile and slept in a sleeping bag under a tree, concealed by flora.  This time the woman, 53-year-old Kathy and her Chi-MinPin mix dog Access, erected a tent right off the road, with her E-bike and solar panels around it.  She has quite a bit of gear to haul around on that bike.  I'm sure the Forest Rangers driving into work tomorrow morning will tell her to leave as she is too close to the road.  She is not safe where she is camping.

We ended up having a nice conversation for almost an hour, as her story of how she is riding around Arizona with all her stuff towed via an E-bike, and living off the land all this time seems interesting enough as it can't be easy for a solo woman to do that. I found I was being protective of her, asking her if she feels safe, is there anything she needs, and to watch out for wildlife in that area, as javelina and coyotes are common after dusk.  

I want to know more about her life, and how she ended up homeless.  Most homeless have addiction, mental health issues, or felony issues, but the only addiction Kathy admitted to was to cigarettes.  I want to learn more about her and not judge her. Despite her predicament, she seemed in good spirits, although she did apologize for her dirty hair, torn clothes, and missing teeth. She was married once, with kids, and had a respectful job as a truck driver years ago.  I want to help her while she is in the area.  I hope to see her again.

I spent the rest of the day in my driveway cleaning out the CR-V, with both dogs resting by their dog houses. Both dogs got a good workout this weekend.  I can't blame them for breaking out like they did today, as being tethered up all day has got to be painful and they need exercise.  This is why I can't get angry at them for enjoying their freedom.  I hope by the end of the year my house is rebuilt and life is back to normal, and that all the dogs can romp around in a back yard and come in at night to guard me.

Meanwhile, another vicious atmospheric river is dumping high winds and water over California and Oregon.  We are expected to get the tail end of the rain late Tuesday into Wednesday, with another week of low overnight temperatures.