It doesn’t get better than springtime hiking in Northern California with my sweet Black Tri Australian Shepherd pal. The sky was blue, the birds were singing, and the flowers were blooming!
The last time I sat here, it was the middle of summer and HOT HOT HOT (sadly, it was too hot to take advantage of the nearby hiking trails). I was so happy to be asked to sit here again so my canine pal and I could throughly explore the trails (without getting heat strokes). And boy oh boy did we hike! We logged over 12 miles together!!!
Not only was she the best hiking buddy, but was an overall lovely companion. She really is the sweetest dog without an aggressive bone in her body. As an example, she accepts a treat more slowly and gently than any dog I have ever known. It’s adorable actually how careful she is. She’s just a love and I can’t wait to come back to care for her again.
DUTIES:
– Care for 1 dog
– Hand water a handful of outdoor plants
– Gather the mail
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
– The trails were even MORE amazing and lengthy than I realized. And the views?? Wow. And happily, the dog was much less nervous than last time, which made our walks/hikes more enjoyable for us both.
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
– One day the dog and I were walking back to the house after a hike a little later in the day that I planned and it was starting to get dark. I knew the dog was skittish, but I quickly came to realize that she becomes VERY skittish at dusk. She convinced herself that there was something behind us (there wasn’t) and she started running, pulling so hard on the leash I thought it might break or choke her. I ran a little ways with her to reduce the tension on the leash and was able to calm her. Poor thing. Note taken: get back to the house before dusk 🙂
