Sorry to have been out of touch for a full week! Bloggers are supposed to post at least daily, but I've been too tired to get to the computer.
May 21 -- We reached Needles safely. Na'ilah turns out to be a good traveler for road trips (even when she's not emaciated and terrified, as she was last August 25).
May 22 -- As we passed through Flagstaff, I pulled over to take a photo of the smoke plume from the forest fire between here and Sedona. It just took a few seconds to snap a couple of photos from the driver's seat window, but suddenly I heard a thrashing noise and realized Na'ilah had taken the opportunity to jump out another open window and chase off, probably after seeing a deer.
After getting her back in the car, we drove on to Dinosaur Tracks, where I had picked up Na'ilah as a skin-and-bones stray. Two Navajo women selling jewelry there recognized her and gave her a warm welcome. We spent the night in Tsegi.
May 23 -- We drove back to Dinosaur Tracks to visit again, then on to Colorado, arriving at 10 pm. Snow on the ground but dogs were well behaved.
May 24 -- At 7 am I took the dogs out on leashes to relieve themselves. But Na'ilah took off after a snowshoe rabbit. I managed to keep the leash in my hand and not lose her, but she pulled me a ways before I sat down in the snow in mud with my foot against a rock to stop her. We all three sat there and watched the rabbit hop off across the snow.
At 9:30 am I allowed the dogs to be off-leash while I unloaded the car and got ready to drive into Telluride. I recalled them successfully a couple of times with jerkey treats. But then I saw Na'ilah way off cross the meadow near a neighbor's house. I called her, and she turned her head, looking at me.
"Obedience or marmot?" she must have been thinking. She then ambled down the hill toward the river, out of my view.
Stormy and I spent the next hour looking for her as I called out her name. Finally we spotted her and all got in the car to go to Telluride and get the program for the Mountainfilm Festival.
May 25 -- It snowed 4-5 inches, but the dogs were well-behaved.
May 26 -- We took a hike to the foot of Bridal Veil Falls. Dogs were leashed all the way, or Na'ilah would never have been seen again. She pulled me up the mountain, actually. Snow banks by the side of the road and animals under rocks were the main attraction.
May 27 -- I learned that I need to drive back to Los Angeles for a blood test. I have breast cancer stage 1. (See my blog on it -- http://www.doingthecancerdance.blogspot.com/ ) The dogs spent most of the day on the front deck with the ramp to the driveway blocked by a children's plastic gate and a deck chair, but Na'ilah escaped a couple of times. I chased after her and put her in the house for a while each time.
May 28 -- My neighbor told me that there are a lot of porcupines around our area this year. He's shot three so far, but they keep coming back. I thank my lucky stars that Na'ilah didn't stick her nose into one yet. I got out the stake and long wire to hook her on a 30-foot leash.
I walked the dogs by the lake before starting the drive to California. Some Canadian geese followed us as we walked around the water's edge. Na'ilah walked forty feet away and watched them sweetly--until they suddenly flapped their wings and lifted off from the water. At that point she tore the leash out of my hand, bounded toward the water, and plunged in.
We left Trout Lake at 2 pm and visited Na'ilah's friends at Dinosaur Tracks again before driving on to Flagstaff.
May 29 -- The dogs patiently sit in the car while I catch up on my blog. Then we will drive on toward Los Angeles with no more adventures--please! However, we will turn around and drive back on May 30 and 31 after my blood test.
May 21 -- We reached Needles safely. Na'ilah turns out to be a good traveler for road trips (even when she's not emaciated and terrified, as she was last August 25).
May 22 -- As we passed through Flagstaff, I pulled over to take a photo of the smoke plume from the forest fire between here and Sedona. It just took a few seconds to snap a couple of photos from the driver's seat window, but suddenly I heard a thrashing noise and realized Na'ilah had taken the opportunity to jump out another open window and chase off, probably after seeing a deer.
After getting her back in the car, we drove on to Dinosaur Tracks, where I had picked up Na'ilah as a skin-and-bones stray. Two Navajo women selling jewelry there recognized her and gave her a warm welcome. We spent the night in Tsegi.
May 23 -- We drove back to Dinosaur Tracks to visit again, then on to Colorado, arriving at 10 pm. Snow on the ground but dogs were well behaved.
May 24 -- At 7 am I took the dogs out on leashes to relieve themselves. But Na'ilah took off after a snowshoe rabbit. I managed to keep the leash in my hand and not lose her, but she pulled me a ways before I sat down in the snow in mud with my foot against a rock to stop her. We all three sat there and watched the rabbit hop off across the snow.
At 9:30 am I allowed the dogs to be off-leash while I unloaded the car and got ready to drive into Telluride. I recalled them successfully a couple of times with jerkey treats. But then I saw Na'ilah way off cross the meadow near a neighbor's house. I called her, and she turned her head, looking at me.
"Obedience or marmot?" she must have been thinking. She then ambled down the hill toward the river, out of my view.
Stormy and I spent the next hour looking for her as I called out her name. Finally we spotted her and all got in the car to go to Telluride and get the program for the Mountainfilm Festival.
May 25 -- It snowed 4-5 inches, but the dogs were well-behaved.
May 26 -- We took a hike to the foot of Bridal Veil Falls. Dogs were leashed all the way, or Na'ilah would never have been seen again. She pulled me up the mountain, actually. Snow banks by the side of the road and animals under rocks were the main attraction.
May 27 -- I learned that I need to drive back to Los Angeles for a blood test. I have breast cancer stage 1. (See my blog on it -- http://www.doingthecancerdance.blogspot.com/ ) The dogs spent most of the day on the front deck with the ramp to the driveway blocked by a children's plastic gate and a deck chair, but Na'ilah escaped a couple of times. I chased after her and put her in the house for a while each time.
May 28 -- My neighbor told me that there are a lot of porcupines around our area this year. He's shot three so far, but they keep coming back. I thank my lucky stars that Na'ilah didn't stick her nose into one yet. I got out the stake and long wire to hook her on a 30-foot leash.
I walked the dogs by the lake before starting the drive to California. Some Canadian geese followed us as we walked around the water's edge. Na'ilah walked forty feet away and watched them sweetly--until they suddenly flapped their wings and lifted off from the water. At that point she tore the leash out of my hand, bounded toward the water, and plunged in.
We left Trout Lake at 2 pm and visited Na'ilah's friends at Dinosaur Tracks again before driving on to Flagstaff.
May 29 -- The dogs patiently sit in the car while I catch up on my blog. Then we will drive on toward Los Angeles with no more adventures--please! However, we will turn around and drive back on May 30 and 31 after my blood test.
