TGIF

Maybe the weather was a little better today. I don't think it was quite the same blast of hot, humid air when I opened the door. Maybe it was just that my attitude was better because today was Friday. Maybe I knew that I couldn't go another day without doing something, and it was my last chance to do something with Hunter because he's getting adopted Saturday. I took Maya, Hunter, and Mercedes out for a hike. We were out in the direct sun and it was plenty warm but the dogs were happy to be out. We did our regular two mile route and came home.

The walk is still very new to Mercedes and she really enjoys it.

Dogs never seem to mind another dog's tail
in their face. I guess they figure that everyone's
got one and it's just part of being a dog.

Maya walks next to me most of the time.

Mercedes and Rugger walked nicely together. Both
like to be out front and that was fine with Maya.

I couldn't get by with just one walk today though, because Rugger really wanted to go too. I thought about taking him along on the first one, but that would have made four dogs and I thought that was pushing my luck. I got cooled off and rehydrated and then headed out again, this time with Rugger, Mercedes, and Maya. Mercedes may be 11 years old but she doesn't act like it and she's still new around here and wants to be in on everything so she was happy to go again. I thought about taking TJ, but I didn't think that taking a senior husky out in this weather would be doing him any favors. Husky weather will get here eventually.

I parked at the pole barn and walked the one mile stretch done the baseball fields. Instead of doubling back as I usually do, we went into the woods and took a trail that is pretty much free of undergrowth and tall grass, to minimize the risk (to me) of picking up ticks. Getting out of the sun and into the woods was nice because the temperature dropped and the dogs got more excited. A walk through the woods is just more interesting, more sights, sounds, and smells. I felt the same way. This route added about half a mile to the walk back to the pole barn, but it took us past Sparky's Watering Hole for a good opportunity to cool off. When it was all over Maya, Mercedes, and I logged about 4.5 miles for the day, and Rugger and Hunter had a good walk too.

Rugger goes in to the deepest part of the hole.
Maya just gets her feet wet and Mercedes
tried to avoid even that.