Leaving Las Cruces

(Las Cruces, NM) Today was our last day in Las Cruces. So of course, Mike had to make one last trip to White Sands with the dogs. He decided to go early so the dogs could play before it got too warm. It was only supposed to be 62 degrees today but Boogie gets hot so easy. As it turned out, it was a really good thing they went early as the park closed at 2:30 today due to missile practice being held there this afternoon.

Due to the missile launching this afternoon, they closed the hiking trail where they always play. So Mike just had to pull off the road and hike from there. That meant there were no trail markers. And let me tell you, once you get out in the dunes, every direction looks exactly the same. So they couldn't go very far out at all for fear of getting lost.

Here are the last pictures you'll see of White Sands for this year. It's so interesting that Slugger just doesn't even want to walk anymore. But when they get to White Sands he runs around like he is a puppy. He and Boogie have a great time together...even though it may not look like it!




Even though they play in pairs at times, they spend most of their time all playing together.




Of course you always have to play a game of chase! Not sure where Wazzu is off to so quickly.




Mike was really tricky today - he took a picture of the dogs resting in the back of the car on the way home. (Slugger's spot is in the front seat.)



So long for now, Las Cruces.

Debbie

3/2/10

Just Can't Do Enough

(Las Cruces, NV) I didn't do much this past week, unless you consider taking advantage of IHOP's Free Pancake Day and going to physical therapy three times, doing a lot. It amazes me how I can do so few exercises yet be so exhausted afterwards - and I'm only doing shoulder exercises right now.

Mike took the dogs on a couple of our favorite hikes here in Las Cruces. One is kind of a canyon and it is very rare that we see anyone else there. So the dogs can be off-leash the entire time which is much to their liking.



Much of the trail is rocky but it doesn't seem to bother the dogs at all.



Near the top of the trail is an old mine and in wet times there is a waterfall there. It's so cold out right now that Mike actually saw a lot of icicles there this time.




It's hard to get pictures there to show the beauty and grandeur but it is a very interesting walk.



Then on Thursday, Mike got brave and took all four dogs up to White Sands. It was a perfect day: cool, not windy, and no one else around.




The dogs took great advantage of the day. They played and ran around, up, and down the dunes for three full hours.




They took turns playing with each other. Someone please tell Boogie that he needs to take it easy on Wazzu. Afterall, she's no spring chicken any more.




Quite often all four would play together. They really all are very good friends.




And quite often they have a long game of chase.

It's very rare that Boogie isn't involved in the play.




I just love the beauty of this place. And to see how happy the dogs are playing there puts a smile on my face as well. I hope next year to be able to go along with them.




After a day at White Sands, Boogie actually rested for much of the evening. He normally comes back to my bed and barks non-stop until I get up and have him do some tricks. Boogie loves learning...if only I could think of more things to teach him that I can actually do.

This weekend was to be an agility trial. Saturday went well. The dogs were all very happy and had great results. Wazzu went 2/3, Sparkie went 4/6, and Boogie went 5/6. They all had a good time but it wasn't enough exercise for Boogie and he bothered me all evening. Don't get me wrong, I love doing things with him. But there is only so much I can do right now - and none of it tuckers him out!

On Sunday, Tunnelers was the first run. Sparkie and Boogie were both entered in that and did very well. It was sprinkling and a little windy. The forecast was for 40% chance of rain and more wind. So after one run they cancelled the rest of the trial. Big bummer. It seems to me that trials should be cancelled when the weather is actually bad...not when there is just a forecast of bad weather. Right after it was announced it would be cancelled the sprinkling stopped and the wind calmed down. I looked at the forecast and it had changed to 10% chance of rain for the rest of the day. Winds were to pick up later in the day however.

But when unfortunate things happen we just do our best to make the best of it. So Mike stayed around and did some practice with Sparkie and Boogie (Wazzu isn't interested in practicing). They had a great time as they rarely get to practice. Boogie loves to practice and doesn't get the chance all that often. When it was time to leave Boogie just sat there like a statue. I'm so glad he loves agility so much.

The dogs still wanted to do something so Mike went to a nearby park and they walked for over an hour. The weather was still just fine...no rain or wind. About 1:00pm the winds really did pick up (no rain) and it would definitely not be safe to do agility. But there were very few dogs there today and the trial easily could have finished before 1:00pm. It was just disappointing not to get to do agility today as planned. We definitely don't want to take any chances when it comes to safety. But to cancel due to a forecast just doesn't seem quite right. Oh well, it's not the end of the world and like I said, Mike made the best of it.

The three big dogs are just fine this afternoon but Boogie is being a royal pain. He wants to do something! We just can't do enough to wear Boogie out. It's going to be a very long day and evening.... We are all going to pay as he makes the rounds!

Debbie

2/24-28/10

Pregnant

(Las Cruces, NV) Ha Ha....no not us. But now we know what it feels like to be pregnant. We are very excited about our due date. Like any baby, this one may come early. Guess we won't know until the water bowl is broken or filled....oh I don't know. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with water.

On Thursday, the 18th, we drove from Phoenix, AZ to Las Cruces, NM. It was a long but easy drive as the weather was perfectly clear the entire way.

Mike and the dogs had a great weekend. But since I wasn't along there aren't any pictures.

Friday, Mike and three dogs, went to White Sands. My favorite place we've ever been. But to go there, you really need to be able to walk a long distance and walk up steep slopes. Unfortunately, that hat isn't me right now.

The dogs had a great time hiking around the dunes, running and chasing each other. Even though it was a cool day, Boogie kept digging holes and lying down in them. Silly boy.

Had I been at White Sands with them, you would have seen something like this:




These pictures are all left over from pictures I took March 08.




As you can see, the dogs are having a great time.




You might also notice that Boogie is involved in everything.




Then over the weekend, Mike and all four dogs went to an agility trial. Slugger wasn't competing but he didn't want to be left behind so Mike took him along. So I was home alone both days...they came home in the evening each night.

They had a great time. While everyone did well, Wazzu was definitely the star. Mike said she ran as though she was a puppy again. Fast and consistent - even getting a very difficult Chances run. She loves the cool and windy weather. And it was windy! They had to cancel Hoopers because they couldn't get the hoops to stay up. Big Bummer.

I felt like I was on a boat out in the ocean both days. The wind was so strong that, besides the extreme rocking, it made it really loud in the RV. When Slugger got home he was petrified. That meant I had a very close bed partner! Well, that's Las Cruces....but usually not until March. Now they are calling for snow the next couple days. What?!

Is there anywhere in the world that's dry and warm? If so, we can't seem to find it this year.

Debbie

2/22/10

Top of the World

(Las Cruces, NM) We discovered White Sands National Park a couple years ago – although if Mike could see out through his mommy’s tummy he actually saw the park over 50 years ago. Oooh, that seems weird in writing – 50 years, that's half a century! Oops, I digress….badly.





The dogs love it there so we took a little field trip to see what Boogie thought about it. Interestingly enough, the weather has been totally different each time we’ve been here. Our first time was so windy we couldn’t see the dogs at the end of the leash – truly. The second time was windy but we could see the trail markers if we really concentrated hard. The third time, there were still spots that were flooded from the very unusually wet winter. That was the dogs favorite time as they could zoom down the dunes and then splash through the water.

Today was clear, sunny, dry, and no wind at all which made for a very hot day…and we were there fairly early. I thought since Boogie had just been stripped he wouldn’t get so hot – but that didn’t seem to be the case.



If you go to the backcountry of White Sands there is a marked trail through the dunes. And believe me, you need to follow the trail markers which you can see here with the orange tops...



...as once you get out in the dunes it is extremely easy to get lost since it is just a sea of dunes no matter which way you look.





Boogie checked out the trail markers right away so he’d know the correct way to go.



Then he had some playing with Wazzu to do.



After wearing Wazzu and Slugger out...



...Boogie then tried to keep up with Sparkie.



You can sure tell how hard Sparkie is trying.



And how much fun she is having.



What a funny look on her face!



Sparkie had fun playing on the dunes with the dogs but I think she enjoyed running up the dunes with Mike even more.



When we go hiking, Boogie is a perfect little boy and stays right on the trail. But here there was no visible trail. You truly have to follow the markers. Since there was no trail, he just ran all over the place with the other dogs. He got much farther away from me here than he ever does on a normal hike. But he was good and never got out of my sight. I sure hope he stays this good as he grows up.



The big dogs remembered this place right away and off they went. They chased each other up and down the dunes and had a great time.





Boogie ran up and down the dunes for a little bit but he spent most of his time digging troughs and then lying down in them.





He'd rest there until we were a ways ahead of him and he’d come running to us just as fast as his little legs would take him. Then he’d dig a trough and down he’d go again. I really think he got hot from all the digging, not the sun!



We had to stop for water breaks often as there was no shade to be had anywhere.



Boogie’s nose was so sandy that I think he got more sand in the water bowl than water in his mouth. But he didn’t seem to care – he was a happy little boy.



Slugger stayed really close after the first 15 minutes or so as he was too hot to wander off. He had a big smile the whole time – but this was definitely a “hot” smile.



Running up the dunes was hard work and since it was so hot we only had Slugger do it one time. He was a gamer and gave it everything he had. You can see how hard he had to work to make it up.







After that big climb, Slugger needed a break. So Mike took a little break with him until he had caught his breath a bit.



Slugger couldn't quite make it up one dune that was along the trail and he just plopped down.



The dune was steep and after a couple minutes he was about ten feet farther down the dune. I don't even think he realized that he had moved.

With the dogs hot and wearing down a bit, I finally had some time to take some pictures of the beautiful scenery. Most of the time it was just a sea of beautiful white sand dunes. But there were two formations we came across that were very interesting. One looked like a little volcano.





The other looked like stump with white sand all over it. Of course it's not a stump as there are no trees out here at all.



In the middle of all this white, I think your mind can go to places it doesn't normally go. For instance, when I saw this I thought "this must be what a golf divot looks like to an ant."



As we continued along, we came across this tiny little dune.



Boogie decided this was a perfect place to make a little ledge. He dug and dug and just as he was ready to lie down, Slugger dashed over and plopped down in the nice little ledge Boogie had created.



Boogie was totally okay with that and just went to work creating another ledge next to the original one and took a seat.



After a couple minutes he was just too hot and plopped down in the sand.



I don't know why, but he didn't seem to mind sand in his nose.



He was lying down with his chin on the sand when Slugger stood up. This caused the sand to go over his nose - but he didn't move.





Every time he would breathe out, the sand would spray up into the air. It looked so funny. We wondered how he could breathe at all under all that sand!


The dogs may have been hot but they still felt on top of the world - and at times it looked like they really were.





While watching the others climb to the top of the world, I was noticing the different sand designs on the dunes.





This looks like a river flowing through the dunes - but it's not. It's just a flat spot.



Here are some shots of the dogs enjoying the scenery. Slugger enjoyed the scenery at a slow meandering pace.



Sparkie did it at a much faster pace....and farther away.



Boogie enjoyed the scenery while lying down.



We decided the dogs were too hot to make the entire loop and we weren't even half way around yet so we turned to head back. We were just about back when Boogie decided to make another trench....his best ever! He dug and dug throwing sand quite a long ways.





When he was finished he looked very comfortable - and quite the accomplished trench digger I must say!!



Even though the dogs were having a great time, we had other things to do today so it was time to head home.



The dogs all slept very well on the way back. And it’s a good thing Boogie did as his day wasn’t over.

When we got back it was time for the puppies to have some rat training. Harriet arrived with the rats and we got the tunnels set up on top of the ground. Boogie, his sister Mimi, and two other dogs got to participate in this little practice.

Boogie got to practice with a corner as that was his trouble spot at the test last month. Harriet held him at the start and he was very eager. He knew just what the game was. When Harriet let go, he was off like a shot.



When he got to the rat, he really worked it. He was much more aggressive than just a couple weeks ago. I think it was very helpuful that Meg moved the cage around rapidly. You work it Boogie!



To help Boogie develop a prey drive for the rats, they let him have his rat after he worked it in the cage for a while. The rat was really fiesty and bit Boogie as he picked it up. They said that was really good as it made Boogie mad and helped him want to go after the rat.



Boogie had a great turn and we could see that he is making lots of progress even in a short amount of time. He is a little greedy though as he wanted all the rest of the turns to be his turns too! But the other dogs certainly didn't want to give up their turns. They all had a great time.

Wazzu was really sad as she watched out the window. She didn't like the dogs hurting the rats. She wanted to come out and make friends with the rats. Guess she wouldn't do real well in this sport.

Phew, what a fun day for everyone! Boogie is one tuckered puppy.



Debbie
11/7/07