It's Thursday

What significance does Thursday have? None. I just could not think of a better title for the post. At least it is a good, honest title.... because no one can deny the fact that it is indeed Thursday. Now that we have established that we can move on.

What goes on around here lately? Well, we are making decisions about what to do at the end of the Summer and getting ready for our upcoming trip in the Airstream to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley. We leave in two weeks for that trip and if those two weeks could just hurry up and get it over with I would be very appreciative. I can't wait to be standing on the edge of the canyon feeling like an insignificant speck of dust lost in the enormity of the universe. Because that is how the Grand Canyon always makes me feel. It also makes me feel like I want to eat hearty "victuals" instead of boring old "dinner."

My only worry about the upcoming trip is Rudy. He has become a real puss about riding in the truck. He cries and shivers and pukes and carries on like a sick baby. This is going to make for a long drive to Flagstaff on the first day out. We may have to gag and bind him and tie him in a sack on the roof of the truck. Is that against the law? It probably is... so don't tell anyone our plan. He has also become "scared" at night lately. This new development is bizarre and unexplainable. It started one night last week when we let him out front for his final pee of the evening (he does this every single night around 11 so there is nothing new about it) and he freaked out barking at something in the dark. We could not see or hear anything out there (our front yard is the size of half a postage stamp and completely fenced in) and had to physically drag him back inside. That ended up to be a looong night. He never gave over to calming down. He was fully committed to the idea that we were all in serious peril and if he did not keep a diligent watch we would all be dead by morning. He patrolled the house growling and whining. He watched the door and the windows with wild, wide eyes. The hair was standing up on his back. I can only assume he came in to direct contact with the actual boogie man of myth and legend in the front yard. We tried to put him to bed in his crate but he was not havin' it. So we ended up dealing with Mr. Scaredy pants for most of the night. Try sleeping with a growling dog standing on your chest.

This behavior has remained in that now if he hears the slightest noise outside after dark he barks and patrols and grumbles and carries on for ten to fifteen minutes no matter what you do to try to shut him up. This is not gonna fly once we are back camping in the AS. It's not lookin' good for the rest of the summer in this casita either. We live next door to a small dirt parking lot (the only thing dividing us from it is a half assed coyote fence) for a bed and breakfast and people are in and out slamming car doors all hours of the day and night now that it's tourist season. Once we hit hot weather that requires open windows it's gonna be a constant battle against the barking. Ohhhhhh, the high pitched, sharp barking. Do I love my dog? Yes. Do I sometimes want to skin him alive? Double yes with a cherry on top. Do they make doggie ear plugs? If they do we need some. Send me some if they are out there. Or a sound proof booth! With a built in treadmill! That would be the best all around answer. Run Rudy on a treadmill encased in a sound proof booth for about 4 hours a night. Then everyone could get a good night's sleep. I am sure the people at Sharper Image can come up with something... this kind of crap is right up their alley.

So. Dogs. This has turned in to a really doggie blog over the past year has it not? Well, I am rollin' with it. Like it or not, you come here... you will be met by dogs and all of their vile behaviors.



As I have said before... Dogs keep it real. I like that about them. They may be dirty. They may eat garbage off the ground on the street. But unlike most people I meet they are genuine and enthusiastic about life for the most basic of reasons. They don't require fancy trimmings. Dogs just want everything to be more fun than boring and for everyone to feel OK. Truly.



There is one exception to the above rule in the world of dogs and that is our friend Larry. He wants everything to be more boring than fun. I kind of like it about him though. He is as mellow as mild cheddar and he just wants everyone to relax, relax, relax. Why the hurry? Why do we even need to go out today? At a certain point in any walk with Larry he decides that enough is enough and he becomes one with the ground he stands on. You cannot make him budge an inch unless you concede and walk back in the direction of home or the car. Once he is sure that he is on his way home he perks right up and marches ahead of the group to lead the way. Billy shot this portrait of Larry yesterday at the dog park in his moment of deciding that he would go no further.



You can also contemplate the calm demeanor of Larry in the humpy fight photo above where all the other dogs are engaged in either fighting or humping but Larry is steady as a rock and somehow just caught in the middle (unfazed.) Way to be Larry, way to be.