Just a Tuesday in April

Some folks are celebrating UVA's win in the sportsball thing, but for me and the pack it was just another Tuesday in April.

Cash is really settling in. He barked this morning like he wanted outside, even though the door from the kitchen to the AC yard was standing open. I think he was probably accustomed to being turned out on his own and that's what he wanted. I wasn't really ready to do that yet. I had been taking him out on a leash, but this morning I took him out to the front yard off leash, along with Serena and Trooper. He just did his thing, exploring the territory, but he didn't make any effort to get out of the fence.

Trooper, Cash, and Serena checking out the boxwood out
by the gate. The neighbor dogs come over and mark it when
they can. Now whenever Serena goes outside, she does her
big bark and runs over to that corner of the yard.

This afternoon I took Trooper, Maya, and Serena on a three mile hike. That was pushing it for Trooper but we took it slow and stopped several times. Two miles on flat ground should be considered to be his limit, especially as it gets warmer. But he wanted to go and he enjoyed it, as did the two girls.

After the hike I did some mowing, with Cash, Serena, and Theo running around in the yard. Cash explored a bit of the pasture too. The grass is growing fast, the weeds are growing faster. This is the time of year I have to keep running just to keep up with all the things to do.

Cash is learning the territory.

Trooper

Trooper, Serena, and Maya on today's hike.

Lined up by size.

A rare picture of Theo outside without a tennis ball.

Cash exploring the pasture.

Spring is Over

Cash is happy to see anyone who walks by. He even rolled
over for a belly rub for me today.

Spring is a very short season around here and it ended today. The first day that you feel that heat and humidity, spring is over and summer has begun. I didn't turn on the central air today, but I came close.

When the clouds moved in and the wind was blowing, it wasn't too bad out and the girls and I got in a five mile hike early afternoon. Then the rain happened and suddenly it feels like summer around here.

We hiked five miles today but I plotted a route with three
water crossings so no one got overheated.

I didn't do much today other than work and hike. I took in a boarder this morning, Cooper, a former foster. He's here for a little over a week, camping out in Sparky's old kennel, more recently occupied and then vacated by Smokey. Smokey has been staying in the dog yard with Max and Theo during the day, sometimes joined by Trooper. The last few nights, it's been so warm that I've been leaving Smokey and Max in the dog yard at night too.

Smokey let me brush him! In fact he really enjoyed it. He's blowing his coat now and until I get more of it brushed out, I'd prefer he stay outside anyway. Max looks like his coat is about to blow too. Trooper and Theo can't be far behind. Tis the season of fur.

I think that the overly wet late summer, fall, and winter has
given us a better than usual crop of wildflowers this spring.

The new guy, Cash, is fitting in pretty well. He's staying downstairs, which suits him and is fine with me. He has not marked in the house. He's eating better than I expected, with just a bit of canned food or broth mixed in with the dry. I was told that he's smart and sneaky about pills and that is true. He didn't fall for my peanut butter pill pocket. Mixing the pill in with some canned food has worked the best of anything so far. He's a nice guy. I'm limiting him to the AC yard or leash walking for now. I want him to know where his home is before I let him out to wander the front yard on his own. His hearing is definitely limited, he sleeps the sleep of a deaf dog. That's another reason not to let him out to wander the front, even though it is fenced. Deaf dogs have no recall.

Because I stopped to take a picture of the
wildflowers, Serena had to check them out too.

Five miles and we encountered zero people going
early afternoon.

Cash seems pretty comfortable here already.

Afternoon thunderstorm positions, it's the only time Trooper
really needs to be close to me.

Cash

Cash came to our house Saturday evening. He's with Dogs Deserve Better - Blue Ridge (DDB_BR). He's a 12 year old German Shepherd Dog, unneutered, but we are taking care of that soon.

He's got a sad story (don't they all?), but he's not a sad dog. Dogs Deserve Better - Blue Ridge is a group that goes out into rural areas and offers assistance to people who can't or won't take care of their dogs. They encounter a lot of horrific situations but they try to form relationships with the owners for the benefit of the dogs. They build fences to get dogs off chains. They provide good dog houses, straw, food, and medical care. And they sometimes find the owners don't really care about the dogs and are willing to give them up. Other times they encounter situations that require Animal Control and law enforcement to get involved. Cash came from one of those.

At Cash's former home they found numerous dogs in deplorable condition and one dog dead. Animal Control was called, the dogs were seized, and Cash waited out the legal proceedings in an animal shelter. The outcome was good for the dogs that survived, and Cash came to Dogs Deserve Better. Saturday evening he came to us.

He had been professionally groomed, de-matted, and scrubbed till his fur was shiny. He looks really good and he looks like he feels good, probably for the first time in many years. He's 12 so he's got old man aches and pains, but he gets around without any problem. I was told he needs help on stairs, but that may improve with pain meds and some strengthening of his back legs. He's fine with other dogs, he loves his crate, he's got good house manners. Senior dogs are the best.

Welcome Cash. Although he's 12 years old, I don't see why he couldn't be adopted. He's a sweet boy and he bonds quickly.

The Lake Anna Adventure

About a week ago, Clay and I drove over to Lake Anna in Louisa County to a new brewery called Cooling Pond Brewery. For those not from the area, the name is a tongue-in-cheek nod to Lake Anna itself, which was built as a source of cooling water for the nuclear power plant located nearby. Anyway, on the drive to the brewery I noticed a sign for Lake Anna State Park, which I knew nothing about. I googled it, saw that there were hiking trails, so today Maya and Serena and I drove over there for a hike through what was new territory for all of us.

The trails are easy and nicely laid out and maintained, although there was some mud as a result of yesterday's rain. We went almost 5.5 miles and there's at least two, maybe three more similar length hikes we could do there without repeating ourselves.

It was a good hike. The girls were excited about the new territory. I saw some new things, and we stopped for me to have a beer on the way home. That's something I can't do when hiking at Pleasant Grove.

The only remaining structure was the smokehouse.

The sound of waves hitting the shore was new
and had to be investigated.

With new territory to explore, Maya was out
front with Serena the entire time.

There were two old homesites on the trail,
one of which was described as a plantation,
which was apparently rather grand in its day.

Love this pic of my two girls.