What About the Fur Kids?

From the messages we have received, it seems many of our friends are concerned about the "fur kids," so this entry is about how our furry friends are managing. With Kate's retirement, we are both in the desert for the full season so the dogs made their first trip down south with us. As much as they love going to the kennel at home (really, they do!) they seem to be having a pretty good time here.

Since Rockie tends to shed, Sandy declared that she had to travel in her crate (lest a stray hair find its way into the van) while Benny lounged on a crate pad on top of our luggage. The beneficial side effect of having them join us for the three day drive was we made more frequent stops for all of us to get out for a stretch and a bit of a walk. Sandy and I found we were less stiff and sore when we got here this time (yup, no denying we are getting old and a bit rickety). Along the way, we easily found pet friendly hotels into which we lugged Rockie's crate and Ben's pad. Well, it seems we had a revolution on our hands. No way was Rockie going to spend ALL day and ALL night in her crate, and no way was Benny going to spend ALL day and ALL night on his crate pad. There is a photo, below, of the sleeping arrangements they decided on.

Our first week here was very hot. One afternoon, I was doing some work on the computer, Sandy and Benny were having a nap, and Rockie was doing her favourite thing, hanging out in the yard. Since it was so hot, I figured I better check to make sure she was ok. She was ok alright. Very ok, as far as she was concerned. She had managed to undertake a major excavation project in our yard of which she was most proud. When I approached her, she seemed to think I had come to help her out. She kept looking at me, then back into the hole she had dug, then back up to me, as if to ask, "Can you see it?!" She had obviously seen something run into the rocks, probably a lizard, and was determined she was going to dig it out. When I got to her, I found she had dug a trench, with perfectly perpendicular walls, about 10 inches wide, close to 2 feet long, and about a foot deep!!!  She was very proud of her work, and seemed happy that I had come to join in. NOT!! My first thought was how was I going to fix this before Sandy found out and was this the end of my dog? We fessed up, however, and when Sandy saw it, she said, "Well, looks like she has dug her own grave!"  The good news is, I patched it all up and so far she hasn't re-dug that hole. But that's not to say she hasn't dug another...

After going through the winter without any further excavations (probably because the lizards were hibernating), two weeks ago, I caught her in the midst of another project. I was concerned that this would mean lights out for one or both of us!! This time, however, she did us a favour. It seems there was a leak in one of our irrigation pipes. She must have heard it and dug down to explore what was making the noise. The gardener was able to repair it, and Sandy issued Rockie a pardon this time.  Whew!

With no snow, ice, and bitter cold to deal with, the dogs are enjoying their usual twice a day walks. Now that the weather has been heating up, however, that means, most mornings I am up before 6 to get them out before it gets too hot for Princely (that would be Benny). He had surgery to remove a bladder stone before we left Edmonton and has been enjoying recuperating in the desert. He seems to be spunkier then we are accustomed to, so has had a very good recovery. His favourite thing, though, remains nap time and spending time in his bed. Somethings never change.

Rockie has been taking a number of classes at a nearby dog training centre, Dream Dogs.  She loves going to school. As soon as we make the second to last turn before getting to the facility, she pops up in her crate and is ready to get going to class. She has done very well, and usually comes home exhausted ... too exhausted to dig. So far, she has taken Canine Adventure, Agility, has started Rally Obedience, and is currently enrolled in a Recall class. (Good luck trying to call your Jack Russell when she just KNOWS a lizard was in this corner of the yard three days ago; it might come back, you know!)

We are just coming out of a week of scorching (for us) weather with temperatures in the mid to high 30s. Our neighbours, Ron and Joanne, invited our dogs to come over and cool off in their spool (big than a spa, smaller than a pool). That was very kind, but we decided the invitation should include Kate and Sandy as well. We spent about 2 hours there. After a brief dip, Ben found himself a nice place to nap in the shade (figures) while Rockie spent the entire time running through the yard, exploring, hunting, and climbing their rock wall, from which she could view the domain she had conquered. Ah, a dog with a good imagination!

So, I hope you agree that the Fur Kids are just fine. We will be heading home in a few weeks, which will make Benny happy since he just loves to go for a ride in the van. Whenever he is in the garage, he goes to his door of the van and waits to get in. Patience, Grasshopper, I see a three day road trip in the near future.

Here are the photos:

Benny and Sandy not happy with the snow before we left Edmonton

Traveling in the van:  Rockie in her crate, Benny on his crate pad.

Rockie takes a break to go hunting

Revolt in the hotel

Sandy and Benny happy in the desert.

In their pen, Rockie on her perch

Time to take us for a walk!

This is the life!

Rockie's excavation and Kate's repair job

Looking after Kate when she had the 'flu

Waiting for our moms to get the mail

Rockie with the certificate and toy she got after completing one of her classes

Beating the heat in Ron and Joanne's spool (photo by Joanne)

Rockie conquering Ron and Joanne's mountain 
(photo by Joanne)

Just being cute.

Wild Flowers in the Desert

Yes, it's the desert so it's supposed to be dry, however, over the last few years this area has been in a serious drought. To the great relief of many, this "winter" finally saw some substantial rain with almost 4 inches falling from late December to mid February. Water tables have been significantly replenished, and the desert is showing its appreciate through a dramatic blooming of flowers. I recently read an article that this is the most abundant and showy blooming in the desert for 30 years.

One of our favourite bikes rides is to and through Box Canyon. The ride entails 30 kilometers of continual uphill as one reaches and passes through the canyon. The canyon floor and walls are typically desert sand beige in colour. I was curious to see how the flowers would change the decoration. As Sandy was down with an episode of vertigo on Wednesday, I hopped in the van and headed to the canyon. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. The north facing slopes were olive green rather than beige and little desert plants were blooming everywhere. It's tempting to make a comparison to the relatively lush carpets of blossoms in the mountain meadows and forestry areas at home, but when one contemplates the harsh environment in which these desert plants forge their living, it is hard not to be really impressed that there any, never mind many, showing their stuff.

I was taken aback by how tiny many of the plants, and their blossoms are, the amazing variety of plants, and how they were growing in sand, fine gravel, and in clusters where they seemed to find shelter or support from one another. The tiny blossoms seem to produce massive amounts of pollen that they must somehow throw onto passersby. I was careful not to walk through patches of plants or step on any of the hardy organisms, but I noticed that somehow my shoes were covered in pollen. I think I know how a bee feels!

Here are a few photos from the Box Canyon "flower show." Don't even think of asking me to identify any of them!!

Even this south facing wall has some plants growing

Carpet of flowers on the canyon floor

Lots of different plants on this slope

Adding some colour to the desert beige

Lots of variety

Finding some moisture under a small rock and twig

Can you see the tiny blossom over the petals at about 3 o'clock? It's yellow.

Pollen on my shoes and ankle  

Return of Two By Bike!

It's been a while, and we are certainly aware that our blog posts and photos may have been missed. We are happy to announce that our blog mistress (Kate) has finally gotten around to researching where to host our blog. There may be some growing pains as I get this new system figured out, but at least we're back!!

We are now both retired and have been spending lots of time in the sun this winter. To celebrate my retirement, we got new bikes (of course!) and have been doing our best to get out on them as much as possible, so much so, that we will be shopping for new tires in the spring.

Last week, we were in the San Diego area where we met up with Sandy's friend, Jan, one of the riders from her trip across Canada. We did some interesting and challenging rides at the coast including some might fine hill climbing, especially up to the Torrey Pines golf course in La Jolla. Whew, that was a good one; only had Sandy muttering a few nasty words under her breath, but not nearly as many as the return climb up the other side on the way back. Yikes! Maxed out at 11% which would have been way more fun going down!  We enjoyed the evenings with Jan and her friend, Anna, watching the sun set over the ocean from their motel. Lovely!

As usual, we love to hear your comments. They encourage the blog mistress to get at it!

Here are a few photos for you to enjoy

Sandy cresting a climb at the coast

Real cyclists have tan lines!

 Sunset at Oceanside

Kate looking for the perfect rock