Friday, April 29, 2011

DAY OF SLOTH AND YESTERDAY'S SHORT HIKE

CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
What in the world is all this mess?
Good heavens!  Sure is a lot of stuff jammed in there.
I wasn't feeling very lively all day today.  The back ached and I couldn't get it in gear to undertake any demanding, adventuresome acts.  This would be a good day to do preventative maintenance on the Honda boat engine.  She was due an oil and filter change as well as new fuel/water separator;  thanks to ethanol that needs to be done.  The whole process didn't take more than an hour.
It's great to know I checked everything I could on the engine to make it as reliable as possible.  As you know I travel everywhere alone and I would be in serious trouble if any of the equipment were to break down.  Honda makes super boat engines and I trust mine literally with my life.
I did take the dogs to the trail yesterday for a two mile hike along the lake.  The tornado scare was the previous night and high winds were evident by all the leaves covering the trail and downed trees.  We had a good hike and a fun time.  I'll post it below.
That log wasn't there last week.  I'd say this forest saw some pretty high winds on tornado night.
Look how the trail is covered with leaves.  The entire trail has this covering.
That tiny brown looking spot in the center of the above picture is Douglas.  He has to be near or in water.
Shade and Douglas have a new pass time.  I'm sorry they undertook it.  They seem to like to dig out ground moles.  I noticed this trait when we visit the ruins at the old state park.  Now they have made it a habit.  They have pulled out five so far.  Shade, above, is sniffing one out.  As I said;  I don't like to see them do that and am trying to break them of it.  I don't know if I can.  Moles are just critters trying to make a living and don't deserve to be dug out by a hound.
It's a cooler, more breezy day and that makes for a more comfortable outing for the dogs.  It does for me too.  This trail is very familiar to me but to the dogs;  it's an adventure every time we are on it.  
Above are the very familiar farm silos that have stood since before the lakes were created.  They are a marker indicating where a farm now lies on the bottom of the lake.
Yes Happy;  I'm coming.  Hold your breeches on girl
Shade is just as much a water dog as Douglas.  Her only fault, if it's to be called a fault, is that she blunders through life as a run away freight train would.  She has been swimming along the trail and decided to get out of the water but, the bank was vertical and she had a serious problem climbing it.
You can see her struggling to get up the bank below.
Now, Douglas would try once and go back in the water and swim along the bank until he found a better spot to climb out.  But, not Shade.   It just has to be this particular spot and she would continue her frantic attempts until she succeeded.
She made it.  But, no sooner does she get out than she runs back down the bank and jumps in the water beside Douglas.  Who knows what dogs think.  They're having fun and that's all that counts.
Douglas waits on Shade to find her way back up to the trail.  He is so handsome!
Sure is a lot of leaf clutter on the trail.  Douglas moves along down the trail.  He's tired of waiting for Happy and Shade.  I never walk away and leave a dog behind, believing they will catch up.  Anything can happen.  In this case they're just late at the rendezvous place.
There should be a foot bridge ahead that indicates we need to take a right turn back to the truck.
Shade makes me snicker out loud.  She is a sweetheart and there isn't a dog could take her place.  Look at her cooling off.  Funny girl...."Come on Shade;  we have to go find Douglas."
There's the bridge.  Now, where is Douglas?
"Douglas;  Douglas!"  What is this?  Oh no!
Mole hunting.  There are definitely moles under that old rotten stump.  Guaranteed.  This worries me as copperheads like places like this also.  What can I do?  I can't protect them every second...
They are going to be filthy with soil.  I guess it will all come off in the lake.
I find it funny that two dogs of noble breeds focus their skills on the lowly mole.  Jeez!
"Ok;  enough!  Lets get you guys washed off and to the truck."  They hate the word truck.
Now, these are dogs acting like dogs of  noble breeds.
"Shade;  you're such a goofball!"
The truck was just around the corner a short way and we all had an uneventful ride back home.  The dogs were tired, which is how I wanted them.  A great day was had by all.  They are lucky, lucky dogs to be where they are.
Stay tuned in because there will be a canoe camp on Calderwood this coming week as well as a Gheenoe ride to the bald eagle tree for a final check on the eaglets before their departure.  Saturday, tomorrow, will find me on the KLR Kawasaki and a ride with a friend.   See you later.




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