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Tag Archives: dogs

Big Valley Fun

Last week we took the dogs to Big Valley for a spin around the 8k loop. Sky and Frida were happy to be hooked up to long leads and pull us along the trail – as long as someone was ahead like a carrot on a stick. Luna and Nancy just ran alongside their dog and people friends. They are more sophisticated than those other dogs. Or smarter, or something. Sky didn’t quite ‘get it’. She thought we should run hard and fast to catch Frida and then she just wanted to trot alongside and back and forth and generally be in the way rather than pull. If she got ahead of Frida, then she wanted to hang back so Frida could catch up. We still have some work to do to perfect this.

We followed Laurie and Nancy til they got out of sight.
At the river, Sky was the only one to test the water. Imagine that.
Nancy has the curliest tail!
It’s not cold.
I think it’s cold.
Got treats?
Methow River
Looks like MA is working and Frida is not.
Holding Sky back.

Happy New Years 2015!

It was cold and clear for the New Years Eve Celebration and holiday. Single digit cold temperatures. We didn’t let that stop us from celebrating the end of 2014 and the start of the new year. We had a party with a few good friends and a great bonfire and some sledding too. The next day there was a nice hike in the hills with friends and dogs after visiting with Mary Ann’s donkeys. At night we had the moon and stars and during the day, bluebird skies. I don’t think we ever complained too much about the cold.

New Years Eve morning.
She thinks maybe I should not be standing around in the cold watching birds
Gathering fuel for the fire from one of our burned trees
Our Phoenix bonfire
It was so cold that beers turned into slushies.
Carl tried the sledding hill, more than once
Sky thinks it’s a great game
Bill loved the sledding and did it over and over again
Ken heads down the hill.
Carl did some snow boarding too.
Moon at dusk.
It started with one match
The Phoenix Bonfire!
Laura leaned in to get a better look.
New Years Day.
One of MA’s donkeys.
Pretty girl.
It was a good packed trail for walking.
We met other dogs on the trail and here Trip is telling this one that he is in charge
Sky says, I got a ball; do you want to play?
Bree has a ball too!
Frida knows how to pose
Photo bomb with a ball
Throw the ball.
Luna loves MA
Luna can pose too
What a day!
What’s up Trip?
Frida poses for MA

The Sledding Hill is Open!

I like to wait til there is deep soft pillowy snow before I try sledding. Right now the snow still has a crust on it but new snow is falling so it could be nice soon. That didn’t stop Ken from giving it a try. He just got a new plastic sled to replace the one that burned up in the fire so it was time to give it a spin. He said it was very fast and it certainly did take him almost to the edge. That’s why I like the deep soft pillowy and slow snow!

Getting ready
Sky says – Hey whacha doin?
Hey, where’d he go?
I can catch him!
See that edge there? If he goes over that, there is a state highway at the bottom of the very steep hill.
Luna says – well that was fun.
What goes down has to come up.
We can wait here Luna
Oh look, Sky found a stick.
Weren’t we going to put in a tow rope?
How much fun is this?
Hey Luna, look at the cool stick I found.
Again?
Catching air.
I wonder if she should be running with sticks?
To the edge.
Sometimes you have to fall out of it to get it to stop.
The hardest part.

Winter at Home

Christmas is done; it’s almost New Year’s; the Solstice is passed and the days are getting longer. It’s snowing this morning. The sled run is ready to go. Here are a few images from yesterday morning.

Sunrise on Isabella Ridge.
Morning dog walk
Goat Peak and the North Cascades
I wonder if I will like the dead trees better when the red needles are gone?
Our steep icy driveway
My, what a big nose you have, Sky.
Luna just doesn’t like to look at the camera.
Maybe if I have a cookie
My bromliad has four blooms coming on.
Morning

Agility with Sky

Before we went to the beach we attended an agility trial at Argus Ranch Facility for Dogs near Black Diamond. It was Sky’s very first trial. We started training last spring and gradually added more obstacles throughout the year and finally she was old enough and ready to give it a try. It was very fun! And it was a real learning experience. She and I have a lot to work on but right now she looks like she has great potential. Watching the videos it is apparent that the only thing slowing her down is me! On her first run at her first event she got a qualifying score and a blue ribbon. She had seven other chances over the weekend and while we both had a lot of fun, there were no more ribbons. Like I said, we have a lot to work on.

Here is the video from that first run:

As you can see, she was ready to go before I was!