Willa and Mountain Bikes

So, we tried something new (old to us but new to the dogs) today.  We went mountain biking.  Just Willa and Annie.  Not a long ride, but they loved it.  As did we.  What a way to earn a glass of beer!

Gorgeous wild flowers, smell of Ponderosa pine.  Lots of up and down.  Good fun.

And the girls loved the water and Milk Bones at the end.

Murphy's Day.

Those Loving Eyes

What Sage says

Murphy's Day.

Did Someone Forget It Is Spring?

From gorgeous spring weather to a bit of snow last night.  Spring in the mountains!  At least it gave the girls a crisp morning with lots of scents as the deer descended!

Murphy's Day.

Spring!

It is a riot of color over in the Canyon.

The girls are thoroughly enjoying the early spring.

Murphy's Day.

Weekend Work

Another weekend of preparing for disaster...just kidding.  But part of living in an area dominated by fires, is creating defensible space around the house.  Lots of work, but well worth it.  Fortunately it was gorgeous weather and we had great supervision.

Murphy's Day.

There Are Deer in Those Hills, Mom!

Willa is three.  Her first few days with us were spent at the Canyon.  And ever since then she knows that being in the Canyon means 'critters.'  In her early months as a pup she would sit at the edge of my bed, looking out over the fields, barking at anything that moved.  Curtains went up so I could sleep!  She still watches, guarding, but no longer barks in the middle of the night if a bug stirs.

She remains most vigilant over deer.  Those pesky critters who are tall and can run a lot faster than she does.

On our early morning walks her nose is always in the air, smelling the first whiffs of deer in the grass.

"Mom, there are deer around here some place."

"I know, Willa, I know.  They are taunting you."

Murphy's Day.

First Weekend of Spring

Look what is blooming!  East of the mountains, spring is beginning to show.  Since there was not much snow this year, and it has been slightly warmer, spring is beginning to pop up, particularly on the southern aspect hills.

This could be a rather bad year for ticks and fleas, so the girls got their doses of flea/tick medicine.  I am always rather reluctant to use this stuff, but given we spend so much time in areas filled with deer and other tick vectors, I would rather be safe than sorry.

On another safe than sorry line, we also spent the weekend further preparations for what is called defensible space, making sure we have done enough to protect the house from wildfire.  Lifted a lot of river rock!  Sore muscles = good weekend.

Murphy's Day.