Mutt March and Doggie Dip with Hansel

I had this date marked all week: a morning at the Fort Huachuca outdoor pool with Hansel and other dogs. This would be Hansel's special day with me. The even started at 7:30am sharp with a 1.5 mile walk down the walking path, the Mutt March. I was the first one on the trail but didn't realize that until the turn-around point when I saw others with their dogs. The march, and later the pool time, was sparsely occupied. The volunteers checked the required vaccines as part of the registration. All dogs needed current rabies, distempter, and bordatella shots. Hansel's distember and bordatella shots expire tomorrow, but per law he was allowed in. (I'll get him updated when it gets cooler outside and I can make another date at Tucson's ABC clinic. The pool opened at 8am. We were told that all dogs must be on a leash when not in the water, and that that would be strictly enforced. So that meant we all had to hold tightly to our dogs. The wild chaos from a few years ago was no more, when I brought Steve and Trace along. I wanted Hansel to socialize with other dogs, but the leash kept that at bay. I had brought an old ball for Hansel and threw it in the pool, but he wanted nothing to do with the pool. He's always so quick to jump in the river to retrieve sticks, was he just unsure of the water's depth? I eventually got him to the kiddie pool and he didn't mind that as the water there is only a foot deep. Other dogs joined him and he didn't mind them near him as long as he had a ball to retrieve. Another woman found Hansel's ball and gave it back to me. She was in the pool with her black Lab. Another man swam laps with his Black Lab as well. Maybe I should try that next year. I wore quick-drying shorts but wore a cotton shirt. Everyone I saw with their dog was engaged with their pet. I like seeing that. Companies like Sit Means Sit, Peaceful Paws Spa, and Furbabies were there to advertise their services. There were also donuts and bananas. I ate a banana. The conpanies also had a few contests like best kisser and showing off tricks. Hansel didn't lick the woman judge nor gave me a "high five" and I'm assuming because the people around us made him a little shy. We didn't win anything, but that's ok. I didn't come to the doggie dip for freebies. I talked a bit with Carmen, the owner of Furbabies in Sierra Vista. She makes liver treats for dogs and helps with local cat rescues. She seemed saddened by changes with the USArmy and the closure of military social media accounts, specifically suordinate accounts that often host fun events like today's Doggie Dip. Less information goes out with this new ban. I walked around the pool with Hansel between dips in the baby pool, but at 9:20am I was told to clear the pool because of lightning. There were storm clouds on the peaks. Everyone left. I left just before 10am when the event officially closed. I was bummed by that early closure but was determined to go up Huachuca Canyon for a short two-mile off-leash walk. Afterall, I was on post and I don't get up here too often. The entrance to Huachuca Canyon is five miles from the pool, and two miles on a badly-rutted dirt road. I only drove a mile up before parking as the clouds did look stormy. I would go a mile up, then back, I thought. I just wanted to give Hansel a good off-leash work0out. I met a female jogger and later two female equestrians with their two dogs. Hansel didn't mind them. But otherwise we were alone. My goal was to at least reach the mouth of the canyon, where the creek crosses the road. This is a lush area with milkweed and other wildflowers and popular with birders. There wasn't rushing water, but there was flowing water at the turn-around point. My tracker read 1.1 miles. Thunder started on my return walk and it was right over us. That made me walk faster! I was at the 1.7 mark when rain drops began falling. Not hard, but enough to make me even jog a bit back to my Honda. We did get back without getting drenched, as ten minutes later rain began to fall hard. The rain stayed over the mountains, as the town was dry as we drove through. I stopped briefly at the Shoppette. I was the only customer. Even the PX area was a ghost town. Back in the 1990s this area was bustling with families and soldiers. Not so much today. We were back home by 1pm. Hansel was chill. He had walked 5.6 miles wih me. All the dogs were chill. And later, when I went to the frig to treat them with chicken, I discovered that the frig was no longer keeping food cool. Great.