Happy to be back in Cloverdale, hanging out with my familiar furry friend, a Black Tri-Color Australian Shepherd for the 4th time!
Was it crazy hot most days causing the dog and I to be stuck inside a lot? Yep. Are we both introverts who like being home and enjoy taking naps so being trapped inside by the summer heat was not a problem? Also yep! 🙂
We did make sure to get outside for 20-30 min walks in the mornings before it got too warm and in the late afternoons when the sun dropped below the horizon. There’s something kinda magical about summer mornings and evenings, right?
DUTIES:
– Care for 1 dog (2 walks/day)
– Gather the mail and packages daily
– Water a couple plants that weren’t on the drip system
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
I happily discovered that the owners were growing tomatoes this summer so that meant I had access to unripe tomatoes and was able to cook one of my favorite dishes – fried green tomatoes!
I like to make them even more yummy by drizzling them with mayo/aioli and hot sauce 🙂
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
Sometimes I forget this sweet girl is not a huge fan of walks. She’s a shy/nervous dog and other people and animals make her uneasy. As an introvert, I don’t blame her, lol.
Sometimes she hides under the bed and simply refuses to come out (which can sometimes be a tad frustrating because it’s my job to make sure she gets her exercise).
I finally captured this photo of her expression as we were getting ready to go out one afternoon – cracked me up, hahaha.
This is not necessarily an unexpected event or challenge, but a good reminder to be aware of surroundings.
The coyotes were quite brazen this summer. One morning while walking the dog, a juvenile coyote trotted across the road in front of us (maybe only 30-40 ft away) and stopped and stared. It eventually trotted off to a nearby hillside and continued to watch from there. I kept a close eye on it. Its mannerisms told me it was just curious or wanted to play, but I’ve heard stories about coyotes tempting dogs away from their yards and into the woods only to lure them into an area where the pack is waiting to pounce.
