February 19, 2010

My canine buddy Blaze is grounded. He has been digging out under the fence lately, so when I went on my walk yesterday he tagged along. This was the first time I had walked with him without Debbie and her dog Meggie to keep Blaze interested in sticking with us, but we had a good time. Blaze likes to drag small fallen cottonwood branches around I had noticed, and he set out on yesterday's walk carrying a large flip-flop he found somewhere. So when he got too far ahead of me, I picked up a stick and called him. As soon as he saw the stick, he came running back and started jumping around trying to get it. I threw it for him, and he happily ran after it, but instead of bringing it back, he bit it in half and dropped it. For the rest of the walk, we played the same game until I found one that was too big for him to bite in half, though he tried. That one we played keepaway and tug-of-war with until he dropped it behind the hedges somewhere coming back through the Thunderbird Lodge grounds.

Today as we set out, I again found a big stick, but Blaze lost interest when we encountered a large group of tourists waiting to board the tour trucks. He wouldn't come to me, instead running around greeting all the tourists, so I kept walking thinking he would catch up when he was done making the rounds. 20 minutes later I arrived home, worried sick because he hadn't caught up and I couldn't find him on the way back, either. Since he doesn't wear a collar at home, meaning he doesn't have it on when he follows me, either, I was so afraid that someone had picked him up. But his human, Mick, just dropped by to tell me to stop worrying, because he was back where he belonged, but behind the fence where I couldn't see him. I've noticed the park service employees really look out for each other's pets. I guess Budd had told Michelle, and she called Debbie. Don't know who found him and put him back behind the fence, but I've seen Michelle do it before. There are so many stray dogs here, and people do tend to adopt them if they take a fancy to them--I'm just so glad Blaze wasn't a kidnap victim.

Speaking of Mick, we are looking forward to driving the canyon jeep trails with him tomorrow. He had offered to take us, and I confirmed we were excited about going when he came over to tell me Blaze was home. We will drive up Canyon del Muerto and look at the hand-and-toe trail that the Navajos climbed up Fortress Rock on, then swing back to see the Anasazi ruins throughout Tseyii canyon, what we know as Canyon de Chelly, on the way back. Even though we are anticipating bad weather, I'm really excited to finally get to see the places I've been reading about. Will post pictures if the weather permits me to get any.