Saturday, September 29, 2018
Friday, September 28, 2018
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Further adventures of Doozle
So I tried to be good-mom and take Doz for a walk around the neighborhood after I got off work. Decided to try the GentleLeader again just out of curiosity. I hooked it around his nose and got him out the door with minimal fuss. Then in the middle of our front yard he sits, then flops down on his side and refuses to move. This is a dog who has never met a walk he doesn't love!
Spent 5 minutes coaxing and trying to out-wait him, then gave up and hooked the leash to his collar instead and removed the Leader. Still no movement. "Walkies?" and "Snacks?" words were used over and over with no result. "Poophead!" words, similar. Finally I scooped him up with arms under his chest. When I walked toward the sidewalk, he collapsed on his side again, so I tried heading back toward the house- he sprang up, grabbed the leash in his mouth, and trotted directly to the door.
Ummm, I guess he didn't want a walk? Or I seriously wounded his dignity and he was so offended he couldn't stand being out in public with me? If nothing else, I suuure gave the neighbors a good laugh. No pockets, so no phone for pictures sadly.
Spent 5 minutes coaxing and trying to out-wait him, then gave up and hooked the leash to his collar instead and removed the Leader. Still no movement. "Walkies?" and "Snacks?" words were used over and over with no result. "Poophead!" words, similar. Finally I scooped him up with arms under his chest. When I walked toward the sidewalk, he collapsed on his side again, so I tried heading back toward the house- he sprang up, grabbed the leash in his mouth, and trotted directly to the door.
Ummm, I guess he didn't want a walk? Or I seriously wounded his dignity and he was so offended he couldn't stand being out in public with me? If nothing else, I suuure gave the neighbors a good laugh. No pockets, so no phone for pictures sadly.
Monday, September 24, 2018
Growing up?
He just turned 23 months old yesterday. And this morning, I realized...
...that it has been months since I had to push the dish towels FAAAAR back on the counters so he couldn't reach them and carry them away to rip apart.
...that he hasn't grabbed and carried off a shoe in forever.
...that he spent every night last week out of the crate with no damage.
...that when I tell him "no", he sometimes actually listens.
...that cups and wrappers can usually sit on the coffee table unmolested.
He still pulls like crazy on leash.
And mouthes hands (and sometimes noses, ears, or chins) when he gets excited.
And plays too rough with his sister and steals her toys.
And no tissue is safe from him.
But maybe...
just maybe...
our crazy puppy is starting to grow up.
Just a little.
.
.
.
Or maybe I just jinxed us and he is saving it AAAAALLLL up for one big blowout as soon as our guard is down. It is Dozer, after all.
...that it has been months since I had to push the dish towels FAAAAR back on the counters so he couldn't reach them and carry them away to rip apart.
...that he hasn't grabbed and carried off a shoe in forever.
...that he spent every night last week out of the crate with no damage.
...that when I tell him "no", he sometimes actually listens.
...that cups and wrappers can usually sit on the coffee table unmolested.
He still pulls like crazy on leash.
And mouthes hands (and sometimes noses, ears, or chins) when he gets excited.
And plays too rough with his sister and steals her toys.
And no tissue is safe from him.
But maybe...
just maybe...
our crazy puppy is starting to grow up.
Just a little.
.
.
.
Or maybe I just jinxed us and he is saving it AAAAALLLL up for one big blowout as soon as our guard is down. It is Dozer, after all.
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Hocking Hills, Day 3 (Ash Cave and the drive home)
Dogs actually waited till around 7:30 AM!!!! to wake me this morning. :\ Quick outside runs and they were flat again.
I sat and relaxed with them for a bit, did a bit more packing up, then when Brian woke up to make breakfast I went out on the back balcony and soaked in the morning with a cup of coffee (balcony was a bit too high up and uncontained to trust the dogs out there- railings had enough space that I could see Doozle deciding to swan-dive).
Breakfast, finished packing, cleaning up, and loading the car (checkout was 11AM). We had decided the night before over dinner that Ash Cave sounded like the best bet for an easy morning hike since everyone was pretty worn out from the 8 miles the day before, and we had a 3-hour drive ahead of us. The cave was supposed to be spectacular, and it was a short and easy hike to get down to it. There were 2 trails in from the trailhead- one was .3 mile and wheelchair-accessible (paved), and the other was .25 and rocky/hilly/stairs. We took #2 in (and #1 out).
The cave was amazing- awe-inspiring in size with almost the feel of a cathedral to it. There was a small high waterfall in the middle from an overhanging cliff face straight down to a small pool. There is also a good sized colony of rock doves that make the crevices and holes in the cave and cliff face their home- their cooing has a spooky echoing sound to it that you can't quite pale until you see a few of them take wing- then you realize they are everywhere.
I mostly sat on a rock and took everything in with the dogs while Brian set up and photographed the waterfall. We spent maybe an hour or so here just savoring the experience.
Then we packed up the dogs, grabbed flavored soft-serve from a little convenience store not too far from the cabin, and got back on the road.
I sat and relaxed with them for a bit, did a bit more packing up, then when Brian woke up to make breakfast I went out on the back balcony and soaked in the morning with a cup of coffee (balcony was a bit too high up and uncontained to trust the dogs out there- railings had enough space that I could see Doozle deciding to swan-dive).
Breakfast, finished packing, cleaning up, and loading the car (checkout was 11AM). We had decided the night before over dinner that Ash Cave sounded like the best bet for an easy morning hike since everyone was pretty worn out from the 8 miles the day before, and we had a 3-hour drive ahead of us. The cave was supposed to be spectacular, and it was a short and easy hike to get down to it. There were 2 trails in from the trailhead- one was .3 mile and wheelchair-accessible (paved), and the other was .25 and rocky/hilly/stairs. We took #2 in (and #1 out).
The cave was amazing- awe-inspiring in size with almost the feel of a cathedral to it. There was a small high waterfall in the middle from an overhanging cliff face straight down to a small pool. There is also a good sized colony of rock doves that make the crevices and holes in the cave and cliff face their home- their cooing has a spooky echoing sound to it that you can't quite pale until you see a few of them take wing- then you realize they are everywhere.
I mostly sat on a rock and took everything in with the dogs while Brian set up and photographed the waterfall. We spent maybe an hour or so here just savoring the experience.
Then we packed up the dogs, grabbed flavored soft-serve from a little convenience store not too far from the cabin, and got back on the road.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Hocking Hills, day 2 (hike Cedar Falls to Old Man's Cave and back)
Despite lack of opportunities at home, once they are exposed to a single-room residence with full access both dogs become fully convinced they are bed dogs.
For Tali, this involves softly leaping up and gently inserting herself into the hollows between bodies like a feather drifting to earth.
With Dozer it feels as if an elephant landed on your leg. Then stepped on your ribs. Then licked your ear. Then planted its gigantic a$$ on your chest (and that is if you are lucky- otherwise it is your head). And if you open your eyes to protest, you see him standing over you, head lowered in wolf-stare and gently drooling on your face.
Today is gonna be the most sleep-deprived hike EVER.
We went back to the Cedar Falls trailhead this morning with the plan to hike from there to Old Man's Cave, break at THAT trailhead for lunch, water refills, and bathroom breaks, then hike back. I had a combo backpack and hydration pack with snacks and my camera and a bunch of dog basics, and Brian carried several liters of water in his backpack as well as his camera, lenses, and tripod and real food for lunch (flatbread and tuna FTW!).
Started out fine. Beautiful morning, if a touch warm and humid. We took the STAIRS this time! :D
When we were pulled off to the side just before a little bridge, a couple passed with a large dog who started threat-barking at Doz and Tali. We decided to give them a little room to get ahead, but as we were almost over the bridge, Dozer (since he was focusing on the dog ahead and not where he was going) jogged sideways at the wrong moment and his wonky back legs slipped and went over the edge while he was still hanging onto the bridge with his front feet. Fortunately it was only about a 2-foot drop, and once we wrestled him back to the level ground he let out these fierce guard-dog barks as if to say "I meant to do that!". Did make us a lot more cautious/paranoid for the rest of the hike anywhere near edges or uncertain footing though!
The morning sun was starting to stream down in divided beams around the trees and rocks, and it hit the misting in the valley and made for some truly striking light
We got to a point in the trail maybe a quarter-mile along that had a semi-recent feeling rockfall that blocked the trail up pretty badly and made it too precarious to trust with the dogs. We were thinking we would have to retrace to the trailhead and drive to Old Man and start from there, but the stream was very shallow and narrow at this point and we found a couple places where stepping stones had been laid out. There was a path on the other side, so we decided to try to cross, take that path, and see if we could get around the obstruction then cross back. Crossed without too much issue though Doozle temporarily decided he was now afraid of water and hung back for a minute, and my clumsies mean I now have one wet shoe. Kicking myself for wearing trail-running shoes instead of breaking down and getting real waterproof hiking boots at this point for sure! Next investment...
We made our way along the trail-ish on the other side of the stream, and started hearing rushing water noises on our left (further away from the main trail). We detoured down a little side cove in the cliffs and found a beautiful little falls surrounded by mossy green rocks. We spent a lot of time there with Brian taking pictures. Still not sure what falls this was- it was enough of a feature to deserve a name, but we couldn't find it on the maps anywhere. So we decided to name it Salamander Falls since I spotted a teeny little salamander among the rocks while Brian was setting up. Or we can call it Limoco Falls if you ask Brian. :P
After coming back to the stream bank, we continued along for a little way then found another stepping stone set to cross back and continue along the main trail.
We kept going, taking frequent breaks to rest and water the dogs (and for Brian to take pictures of other little falls we came across. There were several places where the trail got pretty treacherous for the dogs and we had to be really careful with Dozer in particular. There were a couple of root-steps that Brian actually had to lift Dozer down or up. Tali was trotting along all graceful like this was all in a day's work- she was such a good girl!
Finally we came to the Lower Falls at the base of the Old Man's Cave section of trail. By this point, we were getting a little lower than we liked in water and needed restrooms and food, so we decided to trek straight up to the trailhead (turned out to be another 10-15 minutes and a LOT of steps) and save for picture taking on the way back down. Once we got all the way up to the parking lot, the sun was brutal and there was a vast temperature difference, so the dogs almost immediately went flat. There was a big visitor center under construction there, so the only bathrooms were portlets again (OK, we can cope) and the water fountain at the picnic shelter was turned off (big-time worrisome news). I sat with the dogs in the shade of the shelter and fed them the remaining water while Brian hiked toward the mouth of the parking lot to see if there was a store or camping facilities or any other places where we could refill. After what felt like forever, he came back with a big jug of water from a camping store about 1/3 mile away. Saved the day!!! We ate our lunches, watered ourselves and the dogs, and managed to fill all our water bladders and bottles back up full. Felt much better by this time and the dogs had had a good rest and were ready to move again.
It had taken us about 3 hours to cover the 3-plus miles of the trail (was supposed to be 2 miles according to maps/signs) to get to that halfway point. Including waterfall photo setups of course. ;) So we decided instead of detouring to the Upper Falls and Devil's Bathtub since we didn't know how far that was going to be we would hit and photograph the main cave and the lower falls area, then head back.
Old Man's Cave:
and surrounding falls and cliffs:
Lower Falls:
Fortunately the hike back did go faster- less picking our way was needed and less photography stops since we had covered most things on the way in. We did take breaks every 1/2 mile or sooner to rest and water the dogs.
And we made it back to the Cedar trailhead with a good margin before the sun was going to start going down.
Dozer was still pulling, even at the very end, so I think they had a great time! Lots of smells to smell and stranger-pets- we actually met a bunch of former or current Berner-people on the trail and a couple of the folks gave such good ear and back-scratches that Dozer was all set to go home with them! All in all, a very successful day. Back to the lovely, air-conditioned cabin with soft couches and bed and a real-food dinner! After a good turn through the hose-bib to get rid of all the muck and sand that the kids had clinging to tummies and leg feathers of course. And they both slept like logs that night!!
For Tali, this involves softly leaping up and gently inserting herself into the hollows between bodies like a feather drifting to earth.
With Dozer it feels as if an elephant landed on your leg. Then stepped on your ribs. Then licked your ear. Then planted its gigantic a$$ on your chest (and that is if you are lucky- otherwise it is your head). And if you open your eyes to protest, you see him standing over you, head lowered in wolf-stare and gently drooling on your face.
Today is gonna be the most sleep-deprived hike EVER.
We went back to the Cedar Falls trailhead this morning with the plan to hike from there to Old Man's Cave, break at THAT trailhead for lunch, water refills, and bathroom breaks, then hike back. I had a combo backpack and hydration pack with snacks and my camera and a bunch of dog basics, and Brian carried several liters of water in his backpack as well as his camera, lenses, and tripod and real food for lunch (flatbread and tuna FTW!).
Started out fine. Beautiful morning, if a touch warm and humid. We took the STAIRS this time! :D
When we were pulled off to the side just before a little bridge, a couple passed with a large dog who started threat-barking at Doz and Tali. We decided to give them a little room to get ahead, but as we were almost over the bridge, Dozer (since he was focusing on the dog ahead and not where he was going) jogged sideways at the wrong moment and his wonky back legs slipped and went over the edge while he was still hanging onto the bridge with his front feet. Fortunately it was only about a 2-foot drop, and once we wrestled him back to the level ground he let out these fierce guard-dog barks as if to say "I meant to do that!". Did make us a lot more cautious/paranoid for the rest of the hike anywhere near edges or uncertain footing though!
The morning sun was starting to stream down in divided beams around the trees and rocks, and it hit the misting in the valley and made for some truly striking light
We got to a point in the trail maybe a quarter-mile along that had a semi-recent feeling rockfall that blocked the trail up pretty badly and made it too precarious to trust with the dogs. We were thinking we would have to retrace to the trailhead and drive to Old Man and start from there, but the stream was very shallow and narrow at this point and we found a couple places where stepping stones had been laid out. There was a path on the other side, so we decided to try to cross, take that path, and see if we could get around the obstruction then cross back. Crossed without too much issue though Doozle temporarily decided he was now afraid of water and hung back for a minute, and my clumsies mean I now have one wet shoe. Kicking myself for wearing trail-running shoes instead of breaking down and getting real waterproof hiking boots at this point for sure! Next investment...
We made our way along the trail-ish on the other side of the stream, and started hearing rushing water noises on our left (further away from the main trail). We detoured down a little side cove in the cliffs and found a beautiful little falls surrounded by mossy green rocks. We spent a lot of time there with Brian taking pictures. Still not sure what falls this was- it was enough of a feature to deserve a name, but we couldn't find it on the maps anywhere. So we decided to name it Salamander Falls since I spotted a teeny little salamander among the rocks while Brian was setting up. Or we can call it Limoco Falls if you ask Brian. :P
After coming back to the stream bank, we continued along for a little way then found another stepping stone set to cross back and continue along the main trail.
We kept going, taking frequent breaks to rest and water the dogs (and for Brian to take pictures of other little falls we came across. There were several places where the trail got pretty treacherous for the dogs and we had to be really careful with Dozer in particular. There were a couple of root-steps that Brian actually had to lift Dozer down or up. Tali was trotting along all graceful like this was all in a day's work- she was such a good girl!
Finally we came to the Lower Falls at the base of the Old Man's Cave section of trail. By this point, we were getting a little lower than we liked in water and needed restrooms and food, so we decided to trek straight up to the trailhead (turned out to be another 10-15 minutes and a LOT of steps) and save for picture taking on the way back down. Once we got all the way up to the parking lot, the sun was brutal and there was a vast temperature difference, so the dogs almost immediately went flat. There was a big visitor center under construction there, so the only bathrooms were portlets again (OK, we can cope) and the water fountain at the picnic shelter was turned off (big-time worrisome news). I sat with the dogs in the shade of the shelter and fed them the remaining water while Brian hiked toward the mouth of the parking lot to see if there was a store or camping facilities or any other places where we could refill. After what felt like forever, he came back with a big jug of water from a camping store about 1/3 mile away. Saved the day!!! We ate our lunches, watered ourselves and the dogs, and managed to fill all our water bladders and bottles back up full. Felt much better by this time and the dogs had had a good rest and were ready to move again.
It had taken us about 3 hours to cover the 3-plus miles of the trail (was supposed to be 2 miles according to maps/signs) to get to that halfway point. Including waterfall photo setups of course. ;) So we decided instead of detouring to the Upper Falls and Devil's Bathtub since we didn't know how far that was going to be we would hit and photograph the main cave and the lower falls area, then head back.
Old Man's Cave:
and surrounding falls and cliffs:
Lower Falls:
Fortunately the hike back did go faster- less picking our way was needed and less photography stops since we had covered most things on the way in. We did take breaks every 1/2 mile or sooner to rest and water the dogs.
And we made it back to the Cedar trailhead with a good margin before the sun was going to start going down.
Dozer was still pulling, even at the very end, so I think they had a great time! Lots of smells to smell and stranger-pets- we actually met a bunch of former or current Berner-people on the trail and a couple of the folks gave such good ear and back-scratches that Dozer was all set to go home with them! All in all, a very successful day. Back to the lovely, air-conditioned cabin with soft couches and bed and a real-food dinner! After a good turn through the hose-bib to get rid of all the muck and sand that the kids had clinging to tummies and leg feathers of course. And they both slept like logs that night!!
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Hocking Hills, Day 1
We didn't have a ton of time off this fall and had to plan things last minute, so we decided to try to head to Hocking Hills for 2 nights with dogs for our vacation. We got lucky enough to find a vacancy and be able to reserve a cabin on an amazing private little property that was extremely dog-friendly.
We drove down Tuesday (almost 3-hr drive and Dozer only settled briefly the whole time- otherwise his head was between the front seats and he was checking out the scenery) and got there early afternoon. Did a drive through the cabin area first to scout out where we needed to go in case we didn't get back till darkish (checkin wasn't till after 3), then went to Cedar Falls parking lot, hooked up the dogs and our backpacks, and started out. A lot of the trailheads seemed to be having issues of various sorts with running water and actual bathrooms being out of order, but they had portlets and we had a watercooler in the car so we figured we would be OK.
Cedar Falls trail was supposed to be around .3 mile and fairly non-strenuous. We took a rocky and fairly steep access path down from the parking lot, but once we were down the rest was simple. Beautiful cliffs, trees, and stream on all sides, and the waterfall was gorgeous! Doz was of course being a bit of a pulling champion, but he got to meet some new friends and smell a LOT of awesome smells so he was happy. And Tali trotted along behind me on the hands-free leash like the fluffy little angel she always is.
On the way back up, we figured out there were STEPS up and down from another section of the parking lot, so the steep climb down had been completely unnecessary! :D
Grabbed some granola and ate quick, then headed to the cabin to check in. And it was aMAZing.
Dogs took a little while to settle, so Bri made a quick grocery run while I unpacked and chilled with them.
Wait a minute, that isn't housekeeping!!!
Finally settling in the kitchen with the floor-to-ceiling windows:
Dinner and an early crash! But dogs were sleeping light because of the strange place, so it was a pretty broken up sleep for the first night.
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
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