The Road Home

Our morning walk was really nice walking down the open road past the empty acreage covered in grass and scrub. I discovered a new type of critter hole. It was way too big for ground squirrels anyway. Maybe they were marmot holes. We walked down to a parcel with pine trees over grass and Indian Paintbrush. It was cool with no wind and low clouds. All of a sudden we felt a hot breeze in our faces. We saw the clouds raining but the water evaporated before reaching the ground. Eventually, a few drops hit us before we went inside. This meant that rain fell on us on each of our travel days during the big adventure. Pretty weird for a Southern California dog.

We packed the car again and hit the road after getting diesel, coffee, pumpkin bread, and road gum. We were heading home! It was nice when we left Williams, but it immediately got hot as we descended the Colorado Plateau. First the trees disappeared, then it became scrubland after which, desert. 

We drove towards the California border loosely following Route 66. At Bullhead City, we looked for Noah Joad. I don't think I knew him. We drove and drove through the California desert in the 110+ degree heat. At a rest stop, we saw a black lava field in the desert. Hours passed and we reached Barstow. At Victorville, we went back to "Blue Highways" again rather than the prospect of Los Angeles freeways. We could then get great bean and cheese burritos at a wonderful little hole-in-the-wall for dinner when we got home. Leaving Victorville, we passed the Joshua Trees. They were the first trees we had seen in a long time. After entering the Canyon Country, we saw a wildfire at Agua Dulce. It had just started and was running up the hill. It was still way over 100 degrees outside. I am glad we have good air conditioning in the car. 

After the desert landscape, first we had the Joshua Trees. Then we had the Valley Oaks, Eucalyptus, Sycamores, Orange, Lemon, Avocado, and finally Palm trees. The air finally started to cool as we entered the Santa Clara River Valley. That was great news for the humans.  We stopped to get our burritos and then at the grocery store for the next morning's coffee milk. I started to really know where I was when we drove through Ventura. By the time we got home it was only 72 degrees with a nice ocean breeze. I was so happy to get back to my house and my bed. The ocean was still there. The park would be waiting for tomorrow's walk. I had a grand adventure, but I was glad to be home!

A Mighty Fine Hole

I felt better in the morning after my fire ant experience. The male human took me for a nice walk before the fire ants were out. Bluff Utah is surrounded by bluffs that were beautiful glowing pink in the dawn light. We met another early riser and her dog out walking. We watched the world (or at least Bluff Utah's small part of it) wake up while I sniffed the scrub. Did I mention that I was a digger? I dug a fine hole on the walk. When we got back to the cottage, the male human sat outside while the female showered. Last night was really cold and I needed to snuggle closely with my humans to stay warm. It was a small bed for the three of us. Morning was very nice.

We drove south to Monument Valley only stopping for the female human to look at Navajo jewelry. The mesas stood proud above the flat desert in the morning light. We drove and started climbing higher and higher. The male human was concerned that we might have damaged the car when we banged the bottom. It turned out to be nothing; that made the humans happy. After parking, we walked along a path only to see the biggest hole ever. It must have taken a few very hard woking dogs to dig that. The humans were awed by the mighty fine hole with all the layers showing. They took lots of pictures and I sniffed for critters. We went from point to point and enjoyed each in turn. It was a lot of fun. Lots of people pet me at the visitor center. I drank the spring water from the place they call, The Grand Canyon. The water wasn't as good as I hoped, but it was wet in the heat. The humans had a good time together.

Eventually, we had to leave. We drove a little while to a town called, Williams, AZ. It was on Route 66, which they played up. There were lots of restaurants and the town was pretty dog friendly. We walked to and back from the restaurant. It seems I forgot all my city manners on this adventure because I didn't behave well on the walk. Eventually, I got back in proper form. The place with all the bedrooms had a really big bed. After last night, we all could have used it. I dreamed about many things because of this trip, but I was ready to go home.

Blue Highways (with apologies to William Least Heat Moon)

We traveled long and far yesterday. The humans decided we would take a different way going back. Today we were leaving the interstate and heading on blue highways through the mountains to the deserts of Utah. It would take longer but there would be better scenery. The green mountains were a sharp contrast to the grasslands we left behind. We climbed up the highway towards the headwaters of the South Platte. The humans stopped to take pictures and I found a critter hole to dig. Getting back into the car, a deer ran across the road right in front of me. I wanted to chase her into the glade of aspen. The aspen glimmered in the soft breeze and morning sunshine. All is right in the world.

We stopped again at a high overlook of a salt marsh valley. It was spectacular! We headed down to the headwaters of the Arkansas river. Along the roadside verge, I watched a  continuing mix of yellow, purple and white flowers. We'd climb and cross a pass, sometimes stopping sometimes pressing on.

The forests evolved to grasslands between mountain ridges. We passed a very lonely cemetery in a glacier cut valley. It made me feel sad. There were thunderheads over the buckskin hills that were dotted with green pines. It was all very nice. We stopped for lunch at a little brewery in Del Norte. I got leftovers. The male human got a Burnt Toast Ale. He seemed to like it. One time we stopped at an overlook of the headwaters of the Rio Grande. It was spectacular with rocky spires against the green forrest. The little seven line ground squirrels ran from me. I so wanted to chase them but the humans wouldn't let me off leash. 

We drove and drove on the two lane roads and the grasslands turned to desert after we crossed the continental divide. I slept through much of that. We marveled at Mesa Verde. As the land got drier, the greens evolved to first gold and then the red soil. The small towns were a mix of strong and dying businesses; some evocative of a time long since passed. We drove and drove. I think everyone was tired of being in the car. We finally got to own little house for the night in a really small town in Utah. The male human took me for a little walk but I got bitten by a fire ant on my right rear pad. It hurt like hell! The humans tried to make me feel better. We had a nice dinner down the street. My foot started to feel better. We sat outside in the soft warm air sharing a drink and marveled at all the stars. The humans held hands. I love my pack!

The Long Day

The last few days were filled by running around. I needed a rest. The humans packed the car and early the next morning, we all got in and away we went. We drove and drove back across the prairie towards the mountains and presumably, home. The male human drove the morning before switching drivers. The male human was pretty quiet. He had fought with his father the day before. When he is quiet like that, I know I need to take care of him. It was hard to do that in the car. I slept all morning in the back seat. It wasn't as hot as the last few days coming out. 

We stopped at a rest stop where the long grass prairie changed to short grass prairie. When settlers first came out here they thought this the Great American Desert. My humans told me to look for jackalopes, but I didn't see any. We crossed into Colorado and I saw these steel shapes of buffalo at a rest stop, We drove and drove, as I watched the grasslands with ever fewer trees, all stunted by the Southern wind. Every so often, we'd see a grain elevator standing proud of the prairie. I think they should be painted like a box of crayons. The prairie evolved to low rolling hills of brush. Still no jackalope.

We passed Greenland, The Black Forest, North Pole and Cascades. Who knew we could travel so widely in our car? It started to rain and the air cooled from 93 degrees to 60. We checked into the hotel and the male human took me for a long walk. I sniffed and marked to make up for the long ride. I saw two bunnies as well. I miss Belle's magical squirrel porch.

Fields of Dreams

The male human woke early with the thunderstorm. He rose and walked with me in the grass as the sun turned slowly lighter with the leaves of the elm silhouetted against the grey sky. He sat with his brown liquid drink on the screen porch as the rain started. The female human came out and joined us. It was nice, all of us together. It cleared off

A little later they took some of their stuff and packed the car again. We all got in and drove for about an hour. We got to a place that is really different from the houses in the city. It was a house in the middle of a grass field. This field was surrounded by longer grass and trees. It looked like a great place to explore. The people there seemed to know the male human well. I can't believe they did not have a dog. Who has a house without a dog? Anyway they were really nice. I loved their attention. We went to a farmer's market and got vegetables and some Persian food for lunch. After we got back we had a great lunch. I got to lick the plates!

We took a walk down in the old overgrown quarry. Some parts were mowed but my favorite part was the long bluestem grass and the trees. I chased critters really hard through the long grass. I got separated from the humans and made them a little angry, but I was so happy! I ran and ran until I could run no longer. I laid down to cool off. The humans herded me back towards the house a mile away. It was hot out. In a bit, I ran on ahead straight back to the house. That was so much fun! I loved that place with the long grass.

The male human cooked a meal for his friends. We sat on the back porch with the humans drinking wine while he finished up the meal. The humans ate and talked and ate and talked. They seemed to have the best time. I was so tired, I dozed while they were at the table. I helped clean up by licking the plates - I am the helper dog. They talked out on the deck again. Before finally going to bed. What a great day! I love this place.

We all slept really well. We got up and I took my morning walk with the male human in the long grass again. I loved it and behaved better today. The humans organized the house and cleaned off surfaces. About 11 AM people started to show up at the door. It was all very strange.  I loved it when people visit my house but this was very different when I was in someone else's house. There were a couple dogs too. The male human's parents showed up and I was very happy to see them. There must have have been 50 people there. People brought food and ate and drank on the deck and in the yard. People would wear funny glasses and looked up at the sky. Everyone seemed to be having great fun. About 1:00, the sky got dark in the afternoon. People took off their glasses and saw a ring around where the sun should have been. The sky looked like sunset. It was very cool! Soon, it got lighter and the sun came out again. The party went on. People started leaving after a little while. By late afternoon, all the others had left. It was time for a little nap.

What a great day! I want to stay in the house with the long grass. It was so fun here.

Whirlwind

Every day is a whirlwind. We went here and saw these people. We went there and saw those people. New smells. Riding in other people's car. Luckily, Belle and Legoz were always friendly faces (and smells). The male and female humans helped the younger male human with his car for a couple of days. I have a bigger pack than I used to. There are Belle's humans and the male human's parents. There are others that visited that seemed to be part of the other human's pack. The squirrels don't run across the fence as often anymore. Maybe I scared them.

Last night, my human's went off without me and I was left with Legoz and the male human's parents. They were very nice to me. We watched a movie together. My human's picked me up and we went to Belle's again. Belle and I slept on the couch as the humans talked.

This morning, the male human got up early. There was flashes of lightning in the sky. We don't have that sort of thing at home very much. After he made the brown liquid, he sat on the screen porch and watched the lightning and the rain. When the rain stopped, he watched the silhouettes of the leaves agains the steel grey skies. I looked for squirrels and bunnies. The air had new and fresh smells and my nose was working overtime. It was quiet this morning in the neighborhood. Seemingly, everyone was sleeping in. The male human doesn't seem to sleep well. He should take lessons from me. I am an expert. The female human got up and sat with us. My pack was all together and all is right in the world. Now, if I could only get a squirrel!

The Big Reveal

What a day! Last night was pretty weird, sleeping in a room in some other dog's house. The humans seemed happy and comfortable enough, though. Once I could lie between them, all was good. In the morning, the male human took my for walk. It was kinda darkish, the sun was hiding behind dark clouds. I smelled all new smells and was teased by squirrels. They'd run across the street in front of me. They were just lucky I was on a leash. I went back to bed with the female human for a while. I love the Mama.

Today, Belle and I got along fine. She sure was lucky where she can live in a house where bunnies and squirrels come right into her yard. The squirrels were cheeky, running along the fence top. I wondered if I could jump high enough to get one. I'd like to try. I spent time on the screen porch watching the squirrels collect nuts between rain squalls. Later, we got into the car again but without all the "stuff." I don't know why humans haul around stuff. The should travel light, like me. On the other hand, the humans always pull out food, water, and other good things from that "stuff." I like that part.

We went to another house and guess who was there, but my best friend Legoz, the younger man human, the grandma and the grandpa. So cool, another house to explore. We had lunch and the humans talked while Legoz and I hung out. Legoz is a big Doberman and my brother! We lived together for five years. He is the younger Human's dog. I love him! The younger human and female human took us both for a walk. That was great too. More new smells with my buddy.

The male human was getting tired. He was real sick a year ago. I helped him get better.

Anyway, we went to Belle's house. The other humans went out but the male human lie down with me on the couch on the screen porch. I was just like when he was sick. Today, this part of my old routine was perfect. Maybe it helped him then, but today it helped me. What a great day! I sm a lucky dog.

Across the Prairie

Denver was nice, but the humans wanted to go on. I would have been happy to play with the prairie dogs all day. We had been chasing the rain for the last three days. We didn't see any rain yet. We left the city and the mountains behind and headed onto the high prairie. It was pretty boring from the back seat. Luckily, it wasn't as hot as the last few days. We drove and drove. My headache went away overnight. 

The humans would stop and switched drivers every couple hours. We entered Nebraska and we stopped at a rest stop and had a picnic lunch. There were a couple other dogs there. It was very fun. We continued to drive and drive. I slept as much as I could and watched out the window while awake. The area along the Platte had a lot of trees and was very beautiful. Very different from the short grass prairie back west. 

We drove and drove, Kearney, Grand Island, Lincoln, and finally Omaha. We got to the female human's sister's house. She and her husband had a little dog, Bella. I was pretty weird to go into someone else's house. We had to have a few words and I was scolded for being bossy in someone else's house. They talked and shared drinks before bedtime. It rained and thundered over night. I didn't hear the thunder off course. In the morning, the male human took me for walk before the rain started again. We say in the screen porch as the male human drank the brown liquid in the morning rain. I looked out the screen at a squirrel collecting acorns. I trembled with excitement with thought of chasing them. I have a very good life.

The Great Divide

These houses with all the bedrooms are pretty weird. There are all these other families sleeping here. Some have other dogs. Some have cats. The male human woke and took me for a long walk down a trail. There were amazing new smells and plants underneath the trees' canopy. I didn't see the cow that I saw last night, but I had a great time. We had eggs and sausage out on the patio as the humans looked at the big red mesa. I got their leftovers. We had to wait a long time in the car, moving very slowly to get into Arches National Park. The car behind us was hit from behind while in line. But the wait was worth it. We climbed and climbed up the face of a buff mesa to see even more really cool things. There were huge rocks going straight up out of seemingly nowhere. The sky was bright blue behind the brick red rocks. The people running the park were very mean and I wasn't allowed on the trails. The humans took lots of pictures. I sniffed and marked. My favorite part was the Devil's Garden.

We had to go, so we left the park and headed toward another road heading East. It rained in us again in the car. It wasn't really fun for me in the back seat. We drove and drove through the high desert with more mesas in the distance. We drove along and we could see rain squalls all around us. Traffic got heavier as we drove into one. The road must not have been designed well as we hit a part with bad drainage. All of a sudden we couldn't see out the windows. There was another driver driving too fast. I was afraid he was going to run into us but the humans kept us all safe. 

We started climbing higher and higher. My head started aching a bit and I got real thirsty. We saw old mining communities. They named towns some pretty funny names, Rifle, Silt, Gypsum, etc... It started getting a lot greener with trees and mountains. The highway department was doing road work every few miles and we would have to merge into a single lane. Maybe they could have done that better with a little planning. My ears started popping as we continued to climb. After Vail, we started down the mountain. It was really pretty with all the trees but my ears kept popping. The female human was driving and we were going fast with a lot of other cars through curves and steep grades. She drove really well but it was stressful. The humans switched spots after a bit and while everyone was stretching, I found a gopher hole in a large empty field. I dug and dug but didn't find the gopher. It was really boss though.

We got to a big town called Denver where we found another big house with a lot of bedrooms. After a nice dinner we tried to sleep. This bedroom had two smaller beds. There wasn't really room for all three of us in one bed but we tried. In the morning, the male human took me for a long walk again. There was a bike trail running by a greenbelt. The field had bunnies and a funny ground squirrel community. I hear they are called "Prairie Dogs." They are nothing like dogs, I know. I checked. I got to stalk and watch them. I found some long grass to practice my hunting skills. After a while, I had to flop and roll on my back for the pure joy of being alive. It was one of the best mornings ever. 

Into The Canyonlands

I was tired last night and slept really well though the humans didn't; or at least the male human didn't. We had breakfast on the patio and it was great. The manager offered to bring me food and others admired and pet me because I was being so cute. Cuteness is my secret power. We took off in the car (again - ugh!) and drove North to a dog park so I could run before another long drive. There were three dogs there. We all sniffed and got along just fine. It was hot though even if it was morning. I chased the ball until I wanted to lay down in the shade. I look out the window now a lot. We saw the entrance to Brice Canyon. I forgot to tell you I saw burros yesterday. They were grazing in the desert. Today, I saw cows, horses and sheep in the fields in Utah.

We got off the interstate and took blue highways today. We went to Capital Reef National Park. It was great! The trip to get there was absolutely gorgeous.  In the park, we saw lots of rocks and a little river funning through it. The rocks are formed into big cliffs with striations running across. A lot of the rock is red sandstone. They let me explore some dog friendly places where I sniffed and marked. We had a picnic lunch in a spot in the center of the park. There I saw three mule deer fawns gamboling and playing in the grass. I wanted to stalk and chase them, but Papa held the leash tightly. There was an orchard next to it with trees from the nineteenth century. There were apples, plums, peaches, apricots, almonds, and walnuts that were planted by the Fruita. 

We the walked around the petroglyphs. They were made by the Fremont people. I didn't care too much for the petroglyphs but I loved walking around and exploring. More people admired me and thought I was a good boy. It was pretty cool in this part if the canyon with a stream and trees giving us shelter. We drove for a while but they kept stopping to take pictures of rock and cliffs. When we left the park, we were still around lots of mesas and buttes. We could see thunder clouds in front of us as we drove Northeast. Eventually, the rain caught us and it absolutely poured on us when we were driving at 70 mph on a narrow two lane road. The humans were worried that the idiot behind us would run us over in the rain. Papa drove well though.

We passed through that and entered a place where there weren't ant plants at all, just grey alkaline soil. It was very inhospitable. I am glad the female human (Mama, to me) takes good care of her car. It had gotten really hot again and there was no place to pull over. I didn't like that place much. Some of these buttes look like a game the male human used to play with the younger male human. I think the game was Motorstorm. The younger male human moved away with my best friend Legoz earlier this year. I miss them so much!  We drove and drove until we got to Moab. It is really pretty but they seem to make a living on tourism. We had a nice dinner outside and everyone treated me really nicely.  I got a nice walk again afterwards. It was a very good day.

Run Across the Desert

Well, this is totally weird, last night the humans started putting things in bags. They then went to bed differently than usual. In the middle of the night, the house alarm went off. They fiddled with the battery after talking on the phone. I went back to sleep. The male human must have gotten up early, he woke the female human and me a little later than usual. They packed the car and then the male human drove away in the other car. What is going on here? He came back a little later and replaced the battery in the alarm panel. We then finished packing the car and drove off down the street. We drove for a long time through the highways of Los Angeles. It was really hot and they used the air conditioning. I watched out the window for a long time. 

I must have fallen asleep. When I woke, we stopped at a park in Barstow and had a picnic. I loved that. They have a special water bottle just for me. We had fried chicken, bits of steak, pasta salad and tomato / mozzarella salad. Yummy! It was so hot though. The male human (I sometimes call him Papa), said it was 100 degrees. Thats a lot hotter than the beach. The humans were very careful to see that I didn't burn my feet on the pavement. We got back in the car and drove some more. We stopped in the middle of a desert named Mojave. There were no trees there, just short scrubby bushes. There were real old mountains in the distance and the soiled was dried and hard. Papa said it was 115 degrees now. Yikes! That is too hot. This is not like my beach at all.

We drove through another city called Las Vegas. We stopped for gas and a cold drink. We got back in the car and drove some more. I don't understand this driving thing. Why can't we just be there? We started going up and down some hills. We could see thunder clouds building over the mountains. The scenery got prettier. We went through this wonderful cut called Virgin River Canyon. The walls were really close sometimes. But it was really pretty and it started cooling down. Papa stopped the car and let me out to explore. It was really cool with lots of good critter smells. That was a lot of fun. The female human was playing paparazzi and took some pictures of me and the really cool rocks. The cliffs had red, yellow, tan, grey and purple striations in them. They were too steep for me to climb. I marked them just the same.

We got back in the car and went to a town called St. George. We checked into a place with lots of bedrooms and other families. Our room had a bed just for me. How cool is that! We went to another restaurant where we could all eat outside. I had a cheeseburger! My favorite! The humans watched the lightning in the clouds. It started to rain and lightening more. Under the eaves, we all stayed dry but watched the storm while we ate. This was very cool! We watched humans scramble across parking lots in the rain. The lightning made silhouettes of the mountains in the distance. Another outstanding sight. We went back to the place with all the bedrooms and I fell asleep full of good food, good adventure and with my pack. All is right with the world.

What a great day!

π (or pi) is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. 

My name is Pi. I was found rummaging through garbage cans in an urban park as a puppy. That other family dumped me there; they were unhappy. The female human took me home. I have a good life now. Did I tell you that I was deaf? True. The humans talk to me with their hands. Sometimes I get confused, but they treat me real well. We walk every day. I chase rabbits, get to lie on their bed and all the good food I want. I was real skinny when the female human took me home. I am really fit now and am the perfect me at 55 pounds; I am a lucky dog. I want to be with them all the time. Pi is a good name for me because I am pie-eyed and a piebald. The ground squirrels call me "The White Spotty Devil," though. I love to stalk and chase them. My arch nemesis is a ground squirrel called Chirpy. He warns the others when he sees me.

This is me (with my resting bitch face - LOL)

My humans have been acting weird at home recently. They have been taking me different places in the car. I used to hate that but they started taking me to different beaches, stores, and restaurants where we all can be outside. It's not so bad now. I love being with them.

Today was a big day! I got up with the male human. He lets me outside and then starts the machine that gives the brown liquid. After I come in, I get to lie beside him while he drinks his brown liquid while sitting on the couch. He pets me as I snooze. Most days he leaves the house early in the morning. The female human took me for a walk to the park. I got to stalk the bunnies and ground squirrels. The gopher mounds are especially interesting. I have caught two gophers. I need to work on my technique some, though. I wait too long to lunge sometimes. I helped the female human do all the things she did today. I don't get most of them but I help anyway. I love her. 

In the park i just have to flop and roll on my back in the grass sometimes. It feels so great.

The male human came home and we all went down to the beach where I chased the ball. They kissed when other humans weren't around. I chased the ball so much I wanted to lay on the cool wet sand. That feels so good on my pink spotty belly after I run in the hot sun. We went home where they had a drink. I always have two choices of water available. I think I like the porch water best. Anyway, after a little while we all got in the car where I get to ride in the back seat. Eventually, we pulled into a parking spot at a restaurant where dogs can be with our humans. This was great! I saw Boxers, a Saint Bernard, and an English Bull Terrier. We dogs were all good and there was no problems at all. The dogs all had water, hamburger and brown rice. What a good time!

We went home and the humans had some ice cream that they made. It was very good! I know because I got to lick the bowl. I fell asleep snuggling with them on the couch. They went to bed where I fell asleep touching the male human. I have a good life.

I have a great life! I am King of the Neighborhood.

Just hanging out...

So you want to make a post about an adventurous dog, eh? 
Will there be squirrels? Snacks? Holes to dig? If so, SIGN ME UP!!

Pi is a happy dog, he loves hanging out with his mom & dad...

little does he know that in just a few days, life will become very different from what he is used to.