Monsoons Are Here

Today proved not only are the monsoons here but the tv forecast last night was correct ... it was going to rain today and it was going to rain hard, still might as I write this. She said we are a little over 2" below what we normally have this time of year but rain is in the forecast for the next 7 days. Between these first two photos, one was taken yesterday afternoon and one this afternoon before I sat down to write this. Those winds and rain have lowered the temps to the 70's so the ac was turned off and the windows were open all day while I read a book.

Walter shows no signs of being afraid of thunder or the hard rain. Stella still gets a little restless if the thunder is really loud but overall she has really improved with the storm anxiety she came with five years ago. Nothing bothers Heidi and she will sleep through most thunderstorms.

The thunder was rolling yesterday afternoon as we were out on the patio. They didn't know whether to go out into the yard or stay under cover. They ended up picking their own spots on the patio and staying there. The wind was cool and fairly strong. Do you need to wear a mask if you are out and it's raining? I'm not sure if that is a serious question or not ... or a joke. I just received word or a link that my previous home state of Indiana is making it a statewide mandatory to wear a mask.

Not until July 27th ... why not immediately or at least as soon as tomorrow morning. Some people here in Arizona are waiting for our governor to make the same decision but I must admit, it's a pretty fierce issue on that. Many feel you can't make them wear a mask and they are not doing it. If the cases are low in their area if any at all ... do they need to?

Stella is walking less and less and when we do walk early in the morning she has started to cut through a parking lot instead of walking to the end and around the vet building, making the walk shorter. Is it her hips or is it too hot even when it's early enough that the temperature is in the low 70's. I might have to buy my first harness for Walter if he starts walking with us because he is just too strong for a dog collar. I doubt he can walk the same distance as Stella and I walk.

This is him yesterday hearing the loud rolling thunder.

We've been lazy lately. Haven't done much but stay at home, read books, check the internet, a siesta here and there and nothing much more than that. Major League Baseball starts tomorrow so I'll tune into the two games on tv but I am not sure how interested I will be. So far I have not had enough interest to  watch the exhibition games they have shown on tv. It's weird watching games with no people in the stands and fake fan noise.

Walter was almost asleep, when he heard something that I did not even hear.

This is normal procedure when one of them finishes drinking water. Both are sloppy drinkers and from Stella's hanging drools or Walters soaked chin, they each have plenty to clean off the other.

Walter stood there and looked around the corner for his doberman friend next door but he didn't show up today. That is a true look of disappointing I see.

Just like that he walked back into the computer room and went to sleep for his mid-morning nap.

He hasn't figured out this "rain stuff" yet but today he thought it tasted pretty good after his first swig of rain water that settled on the patio. Luckily, unlike Stella, he walked AROUND the puddle and not THROUGH the puddle.

Heidi slept through all the thunder and all the hard rain. A cool breeze through that southern bedroom window is the perfect place to sleep.

A book a friend recommended caught my interest after it arrived from Amazon ... I couldn't put it down and finished it today around 3:30pm.

Below are some photos I pulled out of the "Favorites" file

Stella - October 2018

Winston - November 2015

Sadie and Stella - January 2018

Heidi - October 2019

It could be "movie night" tonight, since I have a few ideas which ones to pull off the shelf. It's pretty slow in the "Wild West" lately.

Walter's First Week Here

He was so shy when I first saw him. He barely moved laying flat on the floor. By the time we finished the hour and fifteen minute drive home, he walked in the front door like he had lived here his whole 9 week old life. He did not sniff the area as much as a bloodhound or basset hound puppy would and almost instantly made a left turn to head down the hallway to the bedroom where Heidi was sleeping. She didn't realize just how much her world would change, when he tapped his flat nose against hers, waking her up.

Stella was more than curious who this creature might be and proceeded to identify what this ball of fat was moving all over the floor and under her legs. It did not take long for her to approve of him and they have been almost inseparable since that first 15 minute introduction.

Everywhere Stella went, Walter followed.

He showed no hesitation drinking out of the water bowl shared by Heidi and Stella. I knew then he was going to be able to hold his own in the house with two larger hounds.

While Stella tried to escape from him there was only one thing that stopped Walter in his tracks. He caught his reflection in the oven door window. He didn't move then started a small growl as if he was about to attack that other small dog he was looking at.

Once he realized that Stella wasn't around, he took off for the living room to see if she would play.

Remember the last time Stella played was with Sadie and that had to be almost three years ago. Plus I had not had a puppy this young since I had bought Sadie in 2008. I accepted the fact before I bought Walter that I'd be getting up in the middle of the night to let him out. (that proved to be wrong) I was getting up a few times in the night to let Heidi out so that would not be a big deal.

Stella was pretty tolerant of his sharp puppy teeth, pulling her tail or her jowls. Her ears took a beating by him hanging from them, really ... all 16 pounds of him would hang in mid air by her ears if she was standing. This was not the reason I bought Walter but it was good to see that Stella was wanting to play.

By the next day it was like they were lifelong friends.

We get up at sunrise, they have breakfast while I fix coffee then head to the computer. From that first morning Walter has always played or tormented Stella until around 7am where he either goes outside by himself to soak up some sun or falls asleep in the doorway of the computer room partially on the tiled floor.

I wondered at the time if he would grow into all those wrinkles. I honestly didn't know since he is my first english bulldog.

Anything within reach he drags out and into the computer room behind my chair. As the days passed I started taking stuff off the bottom shelves of everything and moving it to higher ground.

When the Arizona mandate told us to "social distance" ... they all seemed to figure out what they were talking about. Nothing like some early morning sunbathing before it gets really hot in April.

One morning I didn't hear Walter playing inside, no barking or growling at himself. I walked to the patio and looked around the corner to see this. He doesn't fit on that block anymore but it use to be one of his favorite places to sit in the sun those first few weeks.

He is growling at his bone here but still enjoying some of that SE Arizona sunshine.

He was introduced to his first pizza that first week. He caught on very quickly what was going on but I didn't give him any of the crust like I normally give Heidi and Stella.

Heidi gradually warmed up to him and actually let him sleep with her on her bed for a couple of nights. He later decided my sleeping bag was more comfortable. He basically acted like this house was his house with very little adjustment to his new home.

I thought I'd cover more time in this post but I had already downloaded 28 photos and the date was only a week after he came home. I might have to do more of a highlight of photos for the rest of his time here to catch up to current time. 

He has been a surprise puppy to train. He does not have to go outside to pee in the middle of the night but will first thing in the morning. He knows and follows Stella outside right after their breakfast and lunch. He comes and goes as he pleases because I leave the backdoor open until it gets really hot outside. When the door is closed he has always gone to the door to be let outside. I wish puppies would stay that same 8-10 week old size.

He has raised the level of energy around here but will take time to rest. Quite a different breed from a basset hound or a bloodhound ... a lot of snorting and snoring. LOL

Miller - Brown & San Pedro House ALL Open !!!

Sunday afternoon I heard a familiar dog barking. They leave their lab and doberman puppy in their backyard when they are gone. This is Diesel, same age as Walter and Walter's best friend besides Stella. We let them get together sometimes in their yard to play when their kids want Walter "to come over".

Only Walter wasn't in the mood for any talking or playing. He sat hidden on the patio just barely glancing around the corner at his friend. I couldn't help but notice the fantastic sky show going on so I went outside to take some photos.

Mule mountains to the left, mountain in Mexico and I can't ever remember the name of it.

Coronado NF to the left, Miller Peak and Carr Peak in that order. With all of that sky activity you would have thought rain was seconds away but not a drop here.

This morning I knew I was going to have to get out of the house and do something to keep my sanity. That announcement I posted on last nights blog was a little confusing to me. By the title it sounded as if the whole park was closed yet I knew the fire was stopped on the other side of the highway of the San Pedro River house. I had also seen the past few weeks from comments made by mountain bikers on the Cochise Cycling group that Brown Canyon was closed but that didn't seem right either ... so this morning I headed out to the San Pedro House, then Brown Canyon and Miller Canyon to see if any of them were closed.

Any photos you see with my truck in the road, I have stopped the vehicle before taking the photos.

The photo above this one was the entrance to the San Pedro House which includes many different hiking trails and some that parallel the river. High on the hill on the highway I saw nothing but green trees and green fields on the south side of the road. So why wouldn't that part of the park be open. As I pulled into the parking lot I thought about taking a short hike over to the river but realized I had forgotten the most important thing. I had my camera but forgot my water and at least one trekking pole.

From there I headed out to Ramsey Canyon Rd, the one I bike up when I ride, to Brown Canyon and saw three forest ranger trucks in the parking lot, and an open gate. Did they just decide to open Brown Canyon??? Due to my covid laziness I didn't drive the two miles to the house, nor did I park here for free and walk the two miles to the Brown Canyon Ranch House. I turned around and headed south once I got back to the highway ... to Miller Canyon.

Just one reason that I don't bring the hounds and Walter with me on my trips. The other is, it's hot and if I found some place I wanted to explore it would be too hot even with the windows partially opened to leave them in the FJ or truck. Plus Heidi prefers her air conditioning and doesn't like the rocky bouncy roads we encounter at times. Stella always sleeps most of the trips and Walter is an unknown.

This sign is common here and as I go up Montezuma Pass in the Coronado NF. Miller Canyon though is not a bad drive. Not quite two miles to the top where it dead ends. I made it today in 2WD in my truck. People are not out though like you would see under normal conditions. I did not see one person bicycling in areas that I ride, and only saw 3 hikers finishing their trek as I pulled into the lower parking lot.

That view never gets old.

The last time I was up here, there were so many cars and trucks parked that not only were there no spaces available but they stretched out into that road where I could barely get by to come back down the mountain. Not today though ... only five cars were parked and even more spaces available.

I had been wanting to stop at The Diner for lunch. The last time I tried they had one waitress that was way behind where me and another couple waited and waited to be seated. I turned and left. But today a little past 11am I was escorted to my seat, order taken immediately and the hottest chili this side of the Rocky Mts was put in front of me. That small cup with make you sweat under your eyeballs and beg for anything to drink. I ordered it every time I stop in.

Normal cheeseburger. Notice the individual packets of ketchup ... that's a covid rule now. Salt and pepper also came in individual packets. It was hot and the quality of the burger was fantastic.

This was not as good as the first time I had it ... not the taste of it ... the size. I had a bigger piece of pie and two scoops of ice cream on top of the pie. Today it came this way but it was as good as always. Sometimes the body needs fuel and I was tired of walking around all day hungry and not seeing good enough results on the scales. There might be a tab of Tums later and/or a siesta but that will be worth it.

Walter was on fire this morning after he was fed. No photos are here for proof so you will just have to believe these next few stories. When I am at my computer having my first cups of coffee of the day I can usually tell where he is by the certain kind of noises I am hearing. The first one I heard was nothing I had heard before. I LOUD explosive type of sound that came from the kitchen. I walk out quietly and peek around the corner to see what he is doing.

Evidently he wanted more food. He had stood up with his front paws on the locked dog food container and tipped it over onto the tile floor. By the time I caught him he was staring at the container with his left front paw raised up on the edge of the locked lid. When he saw me, he walked over to me like nothing was going on.  :)

The only way to keep Stella and Walter from destroying my vertical blinds, my living room rug or anything in the bedroom is to crate both of them when I am gone. I have tried other options in their favor before this last resort. Long story short ... I have no other choice. I also have to use small Binks padlock on both crates or they can get out ... how do I know that ... because they have when not locked properly.

So this morning I hear a familiar sound of Walter playing inside the crates because they have the hard plastic floor. A lot of times I catch him running in and out of either crate either taking his bone in or taking his bones out before barking at them. Today I got up to see if he had accidentally shut himself in one because of the sounds I was hearing. He was standing out in front of them looking at me with the guiltiest face you could imagine. Right off the bat I saw the three padlocks I leave hanging unlocked on the top edge of Stella's crate were gone!!!

Nothing on the floor ... except one key, that is kept in the lock. So I get on my hands and knees to look under the bed ... nothing, look under the pad that Stella's crate sits on, ONE key and a padlock in different locations. So now I am looking for one more key and two more padlocks. I stand and shake out the two blankets of Heidis ... one padlock drops to the floor. Back on my hands and knees and I see the last key under the rubber pad that Stella's crate sits on just like before only this time it's on the back corner almost 4' away. So I am down to one last padlock and I can't see it anywhere.

I stand look around ... nothing ... I check the bathroom floor and shower, under Heidi's bed, under my bed again .... nothing. The only thing I have not checked is the sleeping bag in a pile by the chest of drawers. I lift the bag to see what falls out if anything ... there it is ... the last padlock.

Hours later after I get home I hear a noise I've never heard from Walter. It's his toenails sliding down the bathroom cabinet as he drags my tube of toothpaste off the counter.

He's going to be a lot of fun !!!!  LOL