Goodbye Phoenix

Sadly our time in Phoenix was up today and we had to move on. The thing that I don’t like is that we are moving north – that means we are leaving the warm weather. Today we went north to Cottonwood. For those of you that are somewhat familiar with Arizona, we are kind of near Sedona.

We are parked right at the trial site – which is just a city park. But the view from here is extremely pretty. And we are parked just on the other side of the chain link fence from the rings. So we can watch both rings right from our RV. There are no hook-ups but other than that it is the perfect place to park. We are the only RV that is parked next to the fence and has a view of the rings. We got lucky! I guess that’s one benefit to arriving early.

This picture is taken from inside our RV looking out to the rings. How perfect is this! As you can see we are just on the other side of a chain link fence. So we just put an x-pen from the front of the RV to the fence and another one at the rear of the RV and we had a really nice long and wide yard for the dogs. Mike can sit outside with them and see everything that goes on at the trial.




Mike and the dogs went exploring in the afternoon and found a really pretty hike. As I told you we just got new phones and they have a camera in them. So while they were hiking, Mike took a picture of the hike and sent it to me on my phone. Wow, how cool is that!! As you can tell, we’re a bit behind the times.

Just as Mike got back the fun run started. Sparkie was so excited. She had to wait probably 20 minutes for her turn and I’m sure she barked the entire time! Needless to say, she had a great time. Now to keep her calm until morning!

Debbie
3/30/07

Ah, Pischke's!!

It’s our last full day in Phoenix and we still had one very important thing we had to do – eat at Pischke’s. You can’t come to Phoenix without going to Scottsdale and eating at Pischke’s. I’m serious, if you ever go to Phoenix you have to go to Pischke’s. We’ve been going there for 20 years – they’ve been in business for 21 years. My dad actually introduced us to Pischke’s and we’ve been going there ever since. Thanks Dad!! We have many fond memories of family gatherings there.

I think they are most famous for breakfast although I know they do serve lunch. I don’t know if they are open for dinner. But who cares really – it’s breakfast that we go for! They have a HUGE breakfast menu – many pages long. Everything I’ve ever had there had been fantastic….and gigantic. Since we had to walk the dogs before going to eat we didn’t get there until about 10:00am. We figured that would be a slow time since it’s not really breakfast time and certainly not lunch time. But as always, it was packed! Just a few minutes after we got their the wait was 30-40 minutes. Everyone waited of course at it is well worth the wait.

This time Mike decided to have Blueberry Stuff French Toast and Beef Sausage. Oh my goodness – I’m having that next time I go. It was out of this world.




Mike saved a few bites of the sausage for the guys and they thought it was great too! As always I enjoyed my breakfast and I have so much left over that I’ll be able to eat for at least two or three more days.

As always, we took our picture out front. Each time we go we have a different dog in the picture. This year it was Wazzu’s turn. Some very nice people that were waiting for a table were kind enough to take our picture so that we could all be in it together. Every year we take our picture there the same things happen. You’ll meet really nice people at Pischke’s.



We had another errand to do in Scottsdale however we hadn’t received word yet on when our stuff would be ready. So now that we were done with breakfast we had to waste some time waiting for our phone call. We really didn’t have much to do but we thought that since the dogs had been so good waiting in the car while we had breakfast that we’d take them back to “In The Raw.”



Since Wazzu couldn’t finish her whole smoothie last time, I decided to just buy two smoothies and pour a little bit into another bowl for Wazzu. The two youngsters love banana so I got two Peanut Butter Banana smoothies. The lady was very nice and put a little bit of the smoothie into a smaller doggy bowl for Wazzu. I figured with all that Peanut Butter in it she wouldn’t be able to taste the banana. WRONG! She took one little teeny tiny taste and immediately backed away. She didn’t like it at all. Now I felt really bad so I had to go back in and buy her a little freshly made doggy cookie. Then all was forgiven.

Today the wind was gone so we took a walk around the lake. It was extremely pleasant just like usual. There is a beautiful fountain in the lake with really nice condos on the opposite side.



Funny enough, as we walking along Mike said “I sure wish we had purchased that condo there that we looked at quite a number of years ago.” I had just been thinking that exact thing! About 15 years ago we looked at these very condos. (In The Raw wasn’t there then though.)



We came so close to buying one. I forget now the exact reason we changed our mind but I do remember we were well along in the purchasing process when we changed our mind. It is such a beautiful place – I’ll bet the prices have at least tripled by now. If we didn’t have dogs I’m sure we would be buying a place down here. But it’s just too hard to find places the dogs can run without getting cactus stickers. And of course there is the danger of Valley Fever – I guess we’re a little sensitive to that.

Anyway, we had a very nice walk around the lake. As always there were lots and lots of ducks and birds. People feed them all the time so they are extremely tame.



There were a lot of American Coots. Their bills were so white and shiny with the sun right on them - although you can't tell that at all from this picutre. Oh well.



Wazzu liked to heard them all in to one place. Slugger like to lunge at them to chase them into the water. And Sparkie paid absolutely no attention to them whatsoever. However, once the ducks and birds were in the water, Slugger had no interest in them at all. We took him off leash and threw sticks in the water for him to retrieve. At the same time Slugger was swimming toward the stick the ducks were paddling over there as well to see if it might be bread. Slugger would be just inches from the ducks and totally ignore them. He was completely focused on his stick.

We then drove around Scottsdale a little more just trying to waste time but finally we had to give up as we had lots of stuff we had to get done on the other side of town. Too bad it didn’t work out but we had a good time while we were wasting time – so I guess it wasn’t really wasted at all.

We ended up getting a lot done during our few days here and had a great time in Phoenix. I’m sure we’ll back.

Debbie
3/29/07
PS If you get to Scottsdale and want to try Pischke’s it’s on the corner of 1st Street and Scottsdale Road in Old Scottsdale.

Fun in Phoenix

Hallelujah!!! This is the way every day should start according to Sparkie. Mike and Sparkie got up super early to attend an agility class at 7:00am. Hip Hip Hooray! Our friend here in Phoenix was so very nice to allow Mike and Sparkie to attend a class at her training facility. They had a GREAT time and are so very thankful to Billie for the opportunity to get to practice. We are truly appreciative.

By the time they got home from class the rest of us were up and about and ready to go. So we piled in the car and went to their regular morning hiking place. The wind had really died down from the storm yesterday and it was a much more pleasant walk.



We saw lots of critters but much to the dismay of the kids they didn’t get to be free to chase them. They did get to chase a few lizards on leash but everything else they just had to watch.

Just as we got home we received a call from the vet in Tucson about Wazzu’s test results. While her blood work all looked pretty good the titer test for the Valley Fever wasn’t what we were hoping for. Her titer has gone up (up is bad, down is good). While it didn’t go up a lot, it still went up. Needless to say, I had really been hopeful that it would have continued to go down. I was very disappointed at the news. But I feel very comfortable knowing that we are working with the #1 Valley Fever specialist in the country. If anyone can help us through this it will be her. So we’re keeping up the fight as best we know how and will do everything we can to beat this disease.

The dogs thought the rest of the day was boring as we just worked on the computer and did a bunch of errands. While we were out doing errands we stopped at some restaurant for lunch. As it turns out this place, while very nice looking, wasn’t all that busy. I think that is usually a sign. In this case, the sign was that this place is about the slowest place on the planet to eat.

We had placed our order and were waiting and waiting and waiting. Mike was seated and I was pacing around the section of the restaurant we were in which was empty. After a LONG time the waitress finally came over to us and said “Sorry it is taking so long but our kitchen always waits until they have three or four of something ordered before they make it.” What?! – There were barely that many people in the restaurant and it’s highly unlikely that we all ordered the same thing! We finally convinced her to ask the kitchen to make our sandwiches now!

Once we got the food it was actually pretty good. But not good enough that we would ever go back. While Mike waited for them to box up my leftovers and bring the check, I wandered around the open air mall. As I was walking I came across a Verizon store. A while back we had gotten email notices saying we were eligible for free phones and since ours were old I decided this would be a good time to upgrade. This took about as long as waiting for our sandwiches did! But we have new phones. Oh by the way, if you call me please expect it to take a while before I answer. I really like my new ringtone so I like to listen to it a while before picking up. Tee Hee.

Also while we were out we came across “Diva Doggy Boutique.” You guessed it – had to stop there. This really was “diva” stuff. High end stuff but most was very diva-like. And therefore most of their stuff was geared toward little dogs. But we did find a cool looking hydration pack for dogs. We thought it would be great for Slugger to carry water for all the dogs in this pack when they go on hikes. Doesn’t he look cute!



What a great idea! Only problem is the idea is flawed a bit. I supposed for really wide dogs this may work. But Sluggers back is not wide. So as soon as you fill the pack with water it just slips off down one side. When we returned it the lady said almost every one they sell gets returned for that very reason. Since that’s the case, I’d think maybe they wouldn’t’ want to sell that particular item even though it is made by a very top notch outdoor dog company.

Anyway, we got a lot accomplished – always so much easier when you’re in a town where you know your way around and know where everything is! We often wish we hadn’t left Phoenix all those years ago. But it was the right thing to do at the time. At least we’re in a position that can visit often. If only it was easier to find a place we can actually stay.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned where we’re staying. This is probably the oddest place we’ve stayed. It is a, I don’t really know what it’s called, but it’s kind of like a mobile home park – although the homes aren’t mobile at all. They are the size of double wide trailers – although they look like houses not trailers. Anyway, it is a little community of these little houses.



It is completely full except for nine lots which they are waiting to sell. So they decided to let RV’s park in those empty lots until they sell them. Well from what we saw, only two of the spots will an RV be able to get in to. Anyway, no RV’s really go there – we were the only ones and definitely looked out of place. They said they don’t get much RV business and won’t be allowing RV’s much longer anyway as they expect the lots to sell very quickly. They actually don’t allow pit bulls there but made an exception for little Slugger.

Debbie
3/28/07

Family

We started the day with a nice hike at a nearby trail which they've been doing every morning right after breakfast. It's a flat trail around a desert area but there are no stickers so the dogs seem to enjoy it. There do seem to be a good supply of lizards, ground squirrels, and rabbits. Even though the area is very large we kept all the dogs on leash as there is a freeway system surrounding the area not to mention that there certainly could be rattlesnakes here and we just don't need to tangle with any of those!

It was breezy during our walk but got significantly more windy throughout the day. The wind was blowing so hard that it really was hard to keep the car on the road. And an announcement was made to try to keep all pets indoors as the wind was blowing the dirt all around the city so the danger of picking up Valley Fever was really high.

Mike then did a few maintenance type things to the RV while we waited for the guy to come fix the ding in the window. While driving to Tucson there was a repaving project taking place on the freeway and a rock got thrown into our window. The guy tried to fix it but you can still see it as it was fairly large. Fortunately it's not in Mike's line of sight when he's driving so it won't be any trouble in that respect.

After lunch we headed over to Scottsdale. There is a little place there that we visit every time we come to the Phoenix area. It is called "In The Raw" and is a natural juice bar and doggy bar. They have great sandwiches and bakery items as well as fresh juice and smoothies. But we really go there for the doggy bar part of it.

They sell all sorts of natural dog food and fun doggy items. But the best part is the little doggy bakery and doggy smoothies. We got each dog their own smoothie. Sparkie and Slugger each had a Peanut Butter Banana smoothie and Wazzu had a Peanut Butter Carob smoothie as she hates banana. They serve them in very cute doggy bowls - this one has been thoroughly cleaned by Slugger!



Outside they have a nice fire hydrant fountain and so that's where we give the dogs their smoothies.



We sit on the very nice patio next to the fountain area and enjoy our smoothies while the dogs have fun with their drinks. Wazzu is always so danty with hers and is the last to finish.



As you can see they all are enjoying their smoothies.



And even though we only come here a couple times a year the dogs totally remember this place. Not only is it a fun place but the scenery here is beautiful too. It is right next to a lake and there is a nice sidewalk along one side so we always take a nice walk after our drinks. However, today wasn't very pleansant at all so our walk was very short.



The wind was so strong that it was not only hard to walk but it was COLD. It sure felt good to get back in the car!

From there we drove to Mesa to have dinner with some family members that we haven't seen in MANY years. I'm not sure why but to me there is nothing more important than family. I would do anything I could for any family member no matter how close or how distant. I am very loyal to family. So when I found out that a number of my family members had moved to Mesa I just couldn't pass through the area without seeing them.

I called Patti last night and she was so nice to set up a family gathering for this evening. We had a great time. It was so nice to see everyone again and they were just so kind to us. Patti had said it was fine to bring the dogs along too. I wasn't worried at all since our dogs are very well behaved around people and just lie down after the initial excitement of hellos. Oops - not quite.

I hadn't realized there would be other dogs there too. Our dogs like other dogs and get along well with them - but they like to play! So lying down quietly wasn't quite in the cards.

As always, we decided to go in first to get our “greeting” taken care of before introducing dogs to the mix. As it turns out there was another dog already there – big ferocious Trinity. Well actually Trinity is a little Papillion. But she thinks she is big and tough. At least that’s what she told Wazzu when we brought her in. Of course Wazzu is very respectful of other dogs space so she just let Trinity think she was the big boss.

After a few minutes we brought Sparkie in. Once again Trinity spoke up loud and clear. And as always, Sparkie wants “no trouble from no one.” So she too gave Trinity all the distance she wanted. We then decided to bring in Slugger. First of al he was so excited as there were so many new people and he wanted to meet and greet them all – exuberantly of course! Then he saw and heard Trinity. He didn’t see a big mean tough dog – he just saw a noisy little dog that looked that it would be great fun to play with. Slugger was gentle but of course very wiggly. About that time Trinity thought that maybe with three big dogs around she wasn’t the big mean tough dog she had originally thought she was. So she spent the rest of the night very silently hiding behind her daddy’s feet. She was such a sweet little cutie. Good thing she has a very loving home as we may have been tempted to take her with us.

This is Trinity.



Slugger was just a little too overwhelmed by the excitement of all the people and Trinity so after a little bit we put Slugger and Sparkie back out in the car. As it turned out it was good timing as then another dog arrived. This dog is probably one of the most beautiful dogs we’ve ever seen. Kona is an English Springer Spaniel and is still very young – translate that as playful and wiggly – but at the same time, well behaved.

Wazzu absolutely loved her! They were in the house doing big play bows, boxing, and flirting. They were really having a great time. After letting them play a while we brought Sparkie in. She and Kona hit it off too. Kona must be one happy go lucky puppy as even Sparkie wasn’t scared of her. So now it was Sparkie and Kona’s turn to do some playing. It’s fun to see Sparkie engage in play with another dog as she is usually much too frightened to do so.

I wouldn’t exactly say that things had calmed down a whole lot but at least everyone was familiar with each other and their surroundings. So we decided to bring Slugger back in. As it turned out this was just sensory overload for Slugger. He loved Kona and Kona loved him back. However, we were indoors and it was getting a little crowded. Kona and Slugger wanted to play but we had Slugger on leash so Slugger was just getting more and more excited. He was pulling so hard on his leash that he was making his eyes get really red – as were his ears and mouth. He started doing his little “talking” that Wazzu taught him to do during play. While Mike and I knew it was just his “play talking” it could easily sound different to people that aren’t familiar with doggy talk. So we tried to separate Slugger from Kona but being the friendly happy dog that he is, Kona just kept coming right back to Slugger to try to play.

I was so worried. Here I had told Patti that our dogs would be excited to meet everyone but then they would just lie down and go to sleep. Well, with another fun dog to play with, sleeping wasn’t exactly what they had in mind. I didn’t really notice anyone being worried about all the ruckus but I certainly was. These were not the well behaved dogs I was used to! Wazzu was good and after her initial playtime with Kona she settled right down next to me. Sparkie, however, really thought she needed to help with the kitchen duties. The garbage can was sitting out in the kitchen so Sparkie thought they must have needed her help with that. She brought a butter wrapper out into the living room and handed it to us. I guess she wanted us to hold it for her so she could clean it off real well. A while later she then brought us the butter box that she had also retrieved from the garbage can. The night was getting longer for me. No matter what we did Sparkie refused to lie down. It was a hardwood floor and just too hard for skinny little Sparkie – she didn’t even want to sit on it. I hadn’t thought of that in advance. We could have brought her little pillow for her but just didn’t think about it.

During dinner Mike and I decided it would be a good idea to put the two youngsters back out in the car. The problem was it was SUPER windy still and Slugger was very scared in the car. That’s why we put Sparkie in the car with him so that hopefully he wouldn’t be as scared. We had a very nice dinner that Patti had prepared. We enjoyed not only the food but the company as well.

I was just so happy to get to see these relatives that I used to see so frequently but hadn’t seen in such a long time. Aunt Mae and Uncle Ed were there.



I was so happy they came – it really was special to get to see them again. I was amazed to hear they are celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary this year! Aunt Mae reminded me so much of Grandma Jones. I just can’t explain how happy I was to see her.

Also there was my cousin Tim and his wife, Tammy.



My cousin Rob and his wife, Jen along with their extremely beautiful and talented dog Kona were there also. (Big apologies to Kona for the camera flash monster eyes!) This is one dog that anyone would be lucky to have. I could have easily taken that dog without a second thought had I been given the opportunity.



And of course, my cousin Patti and her fabulous husband, Rod.



We are so very thankful that we got to see each of them again. It was a great evening and I really look forward to seeing them all again on our next trip down this way……whenever that may be….. Thank you so much Patti for putting this little gathering together with such little notice. It really meant a lot to me to be able to see you all again.

Debbie
3/27/07

NATCH Sisters

This weekend we were at a trial at Paradise Valley Park in North Phoenix. It’s a great trial because the people are very friendly and we know a lot of them from the NADAC Championships each year. We’ve made a lot of really good friends here – including the people that are in charge of this particular trial. We met them many years ago at the Championships and have stayed in touch ever since. And it is really fun for Mike and Sparkie as there is a LOT of competition here. The only time Sparkie has had much competition is in Phoenix and the PNW. There are some really great dogs and trainers here. No 1st’s for Sparkie here! She came in just behind two of the dogs that beat her at the Championships the last few years. But she is right on their tails. The best thing is that the handlers for those dogs are such nice people that we really enjoy seeing them.

Wazzu was still a little bit sick and it was really hot so we had a bit of a mixed weekend. Saturday started out relatively cool. And our weekend started out great. After the first couple hours we had five runs between the three dogs. Wazzu and Sparkie both Q’d in their two Regular runs and Slugger Q’d in his Jumpers run earning his Novice Jumpers title. How fun is that!



Oh, and on the first Regular run Sparkie ran an absolutely perfect run and earned her NATCH-8! What a team. We are so proud of Sparkie. Waiting at the start line is the hardest part but Sparkie was perfect.


When signaled she took off like a shot.



But then things changed. It was time for the girls to do Jumpers. Wazzu did a beautiful run and she was really fast. I was so proud of her. We were out in the field celebrating when Mike came by and said “great run, too bad about the bar.” WHAT? Turns out we had knocked a bar that I never saw. One of our instructors used to say that if you’re dog knocked a bar and you didn’t see it that’s probably why it was knocked. Well, bummer! Then Sparkie ran and had a beautiful run. As she was doing the last three jumps she dropped a bar – that is so rare. We’re not sure why she knocked it. Oh well, it was still a beautiful run.

Then came Touch N Go. Only problem was they changed the order and we didn’t hear about it so we missed the walk-thru. Fortunately we had time to watch a few dogs run so we could learn the course. It's not the same as getting to walk it but it's better than nothing. Wazzu and I ended up doing fantastic (coming in 2nd in the 20+ class!!!!!) but Mike and Sparkie had an off course.

Wazzu slowed down as it got hotter and it was hard to get her moving. We barely made time in Tunnelers – Sparkie did great! Little Slugger got distracted (this was a REALLY hard place for him as there was so many distractions) and was overtime. But he looked really cute at the start line.



Then there was just Chances left – same course as we ran last weekend which both the girls did fine. Sparkie made it no problem. Wazzu was going for her NATCH and Susan Perry was the judge so I really wanted to get it since Susan is the one that really helped Wazzu and I with distance. Wazzu did it fine (after a bit of “discussion”) but I wasn’t able to get on the correct side of the line in time. Wazzu wouldn’t go out at one point so I had to take a couple steps on the other side of the line – which was okay as long as you got back before the dog took off for the jump. I was about a half step too slow. Shucks.

Sunday was HOT HOT HOT and Wazzu wasn’t feeling well from the minute we got out of bed. The first run of the day we had to quit as Wazzu absolutely wouldn’t run. Sparkie had an off course. So not quite the good start of yesterday. TeeHee. The second Regular run both girls Q’d. Sparkie was actually beautiful. Wazzu started out walking at best. But after a few obstacles I was able to do a front cross which seemed to perk her up a bit. We weren’t speedy but we did just make time. Touch N Go was next – Mike and I were there to walk it today! – and both girls Q’d with Sparkie coming in 3rd and Wazzu being the last dog that Q’d – just making time.

Now it’s the heat of the day and it’s time for Weavers. Oh goody. Sparkie of course was awesome. Wazzu started fair but coming out of the 3rd tunnel a bee went after her. Needless to say, chasing the bee slowed her down quite a bit putting her almost five seconds over time. Novice Weavers was even later and now it’s mid afternoon and really hot. In addition, Slugger was bored as he hadn’t done anything all day. He tried but he was slow in Weavers and had trouble concentrating so missed a couple weaves. Oh well. Here he does he weaves correctly - but a little slow.



Late in the day Wazzu had another chance at Chances for her NATCH. So I got her all wet and got out a smorgasbord of super high value food to get her excited. It worked!!! Wazzu was fast and perfect thus earning her NATCH-7! Susan Perry had been watching and came over from her ring to congratulate us. How nice was that!! That was so special for us. Susan is just so nice!

Sparkie was perfect in Chances as well. That only left Jumpers. Wazzu was trying and was actually pretty fast but in the middle she got confused by a rear cross I tried which pulled her off the jump and it took us time to get back on track. Nice run but we were .05 overtime! Big Bummer.

Then came Sparkie. This Jumpers run had a box and it was hard. But Mike decided to give it a try. Sparkie was amazing. Mike stayed in the box and Sparkie just did everything he said without even the smallest boggle or hesitation – it really was beautiful.



After the box part was done the handlers could leave to do the last couple obstacles – which were a hard switch to the left with an off course jump on either side. Darn – Mike didn’t give her a strong enough switch and she took the off course jump. But Mike didn’t care one bit. He was ecstatic! It really was a run of beauty and she did some really hard complicated stuff. I am so proud of her and am so impressed. People can say what they want about mixes – but this is one amazing mix we have on our hands. I will forever be proud of this run. Imagine if she and Mike actually got to train and/or practice!

Little slugger didn’t get to run until after 4:00 and it was hot and he had gotten very scared just before his run. So he didn’t Q but he did stay on course. If you look closely you can see the little guys tongue hanging way out the side of his mouth.



We all had such a great weekend as everyone really made us feel so welcome. The people and the dogs here are so great. And the weather is great too. In addition, Mike and I met when we each lived in Phoenix. We'd love to have a place here but that certainly won't happen as we just don't feel good about subjecting the dogs to Valley Fever that much.

As we were resting this evening Slugger was so cute. Mike was having his normal evening snack. Slugger was too tired to sit up for a bite so he just put his front paws up on the couch as he continued to lie on his pillow.



Just too cute!



Time to give the NATCH sisters a well deserved treat.

Debbie
3/24-25/07

Definitely Desert

Today we drove from Las Cruces, NM to Tucson, AZ. As always, Sparkie enjoyed the ride. There is nothing better than a nice sunbeam!



With another time change (four changes in the last week or two) we have no idea what time it is anywhere. But we could see that it was still daylight when we arrived so we tried to find a place for the dogs to play.

Mike found a mountain about an hour or so away that had some trails. It was a little odd as there was a warning sign posted that said this was an area of smugglers and illegal immigrants so to be very cautious. Oh my, it’s always something!

We found a trailhead and decided to give it a try. Because of the warning signs we decided to keep the dogs on leash. Turns out this was a canyon trail and the trail just went down, down, down.



It was obvious that I couldn’t make it so Wazzu and I turned around while Mike and the youngsters kept going. They ended up making it to the bottom where there was a creek the dogs could play in. One part of it was wide and deep so Slugger was able to swim for a while. How fun is that!

In the meantime, Wazzu and I were slowly but surely making our way back to the top. It was warm, and since Wazzu didn’t get to go down to the creek, she was hot and kept laying down in the shade while I rested.



What a change in scenery from just a couple short weeks ago. As you can see there are a lot of prickly things around…..I guess they are really known as cactus!

The very skinny tall cactus you see in this picture is Ocotillo.



This is a type of Cholla - although not the nasty kind that jumps out (literalLy) and attacks the dogs.



Here is a close up of the purple Cholla seen above.



We had a nice view of the city and the landscape although it was quite hazy.



After we all met up again we drove back to the RV during which time it started raining and getting very windy. It turned out to be probably the windiest night since the tornado in North Carolina. We are really rocking.

Time for bed...rock-a-bye-baby......

Debbie
3/20/07

Phoenix....Where We Met

Time to move....again. So we took the dogs for a walk around a nearby park to at least let them get a little fresh air before another day of driving.

From this park we could see the mountains we were at just yesterday. You may remember that I said it started to rain while we were hiking. Well, it turned to snow. And if you look closely you can see the snow on the mountains in the middle of the picture. Those aren't clouds (in the middle just above the dark blue) that is snow.



As we finished the walk there was a little bird that kept flitting about. It kept landing in the trees where of course it's hard to get a picture. But just as we were ready to leave the bird came out of the tree and just hovered above us. We'd never seen this beautiful bird before. This is a Vermillion Flycatcher.



After about a three hour drive we arrived at Paradise Valley Park where we'll be participating in an agility trial. We did a trial at this park last year too. Although this year they held a fun run on Friday evening. Sparkie thought this was a great idea. Mike signed her up for just one run and did she ever have a blast. She did the course perfectly so Mike decided not to do any training as he wanted her to think she had done well.



Wazzu had no interest in doing a fun run. She was however VERY interested in hunting the MANY ground squirrels that were playing around the park. This could be a long weekend as there is no way I want her digging for the ground squirrels. We don't need to encourage the Valley Fever in any way!



Debbie
3/23/07

Together Again

It was supposed to be really hot today so we decided to take a drive up into the Lemmon Mountains and find a place to hike where it would be a bit cooler. I guess we didn't exactly look at the forecast too closely - turns out there was supposed to be scattered thunderstorms.

We drove up and up and up. We stopped at a few of the viewpoints. Here you can see the road down below.



It was really hazy again today so we didn't really have a nice of the city.



On the way up the mountain you have to stop and pay $5.00 to continue on up. That seemed weird to me but whatever. When you pay they give you some maps and brochures. Mike kept the maps and handed me the brochure warning about Mountain Lions in the area and what to do if you come across one. Suddenly I wasn't so keen on going hiking.

We found a trail that was supposed to be fairly flat called Sunset Trail so we decided to give it a try. I guess most people would probably consider it fairly flat. But what they didn't tell you was that it was a fairly narrow trail and it was right on the edge of a cliff most of the way.



As you might guess we kept the dogs on leash the majority of the time. Interestingly enough they weren't one bit scared. In fact, Slugger kept jumping up on rocks and looking out into yonder.





I had a lot of trouble getting a picture where you could actually see how straight down it was as there was no way I was going to lean out over the edge.



Suddenly we started hearing thunder and felt some raindrops. We immediately decided it was time to turn around and head back fast! As we started to drive back down the mountain we could see blue sky and ligtening and pouring rain over parts of the city. It looked super cool in person - unfortunately by the time we found a place to safely pull over it was already moving on. But we got a little glimpse of what we had seen.



From there we went to visit Nancy, Terry, Leah and Bo who were our next door neighbors when we lived in Maple Valley, WA. It was so good to see them again! When we originally met Nancy and Terry they had a cat (Kichan) and a bird (Ebenezer). By the time they moved to Arizona they had adopted two of our foster dogs, Leah and Bo. There couldn't be a better home for these two wonderful dogs. We are so grateful that Nancy and Terry adopted both of them.

Leah was around when Slugger was a baby and he loved her so much! Every time Slugger would get loose from our yard he would make a beeline next door hoping that Leah or Nancy or Terry would be outside to play with him. Bo returned to live with us for a second time before being adopted by Nancy and Terry. Now Slugger was really in heaven with both his best friends living next door.

So when we all get together again, Slugger is one happy little fellow. Of course the rest of us are happy as well as we really enjoy getting together with Nancy and Terry and enjoy seeing two extremely special dogs.

The dogs all act as though they've been living together for years. They pick up right where they left off without missing a beat. Here are the five dogs outside on the back porch.



Nancy made some wonderful homemade pizza for dinner and as you can see Mike had quite an audience.



Somehow I missed getting a picture of Terry - where was my brain! But I did get manage to get one of Nancy watching the five sweet dogs together.



We had the most fun afternoon together. We feel so fortunate to be able to get together with them and to continue to have them all in our lives. Together again indeed and so very special.

Little Slugger is smiling and wiggling around in his dreams this evening re-living his afternoon with his best buds. Ah, so special.

Debbie
3/22/07