14 Feb 2010

This was a very special day.  I knew it as soon as I woke up, something special was going to happen today.  I didn't know what, but I knew something was coming.
I could just feel it.  Dogs can sense things that humans just cannot feel.  We can even sense things about our humans before they feel it.  History says us dogs were first invited to join humans around the fire because we could warn them of danger before the humans even knew danger was about.  

Dad got up early and put on his blue working clothes.  Dad does that every day right now.  While dad was gone mom made us dogs an early breakfast.  It was really yummy.  Mom makes great breakfasts for us dogs all the time. Soon dad was home again.  Instead of sitting at his computer dad got changed quickly.  He dressed in those special clothes he wears when he goes out with his backpack for that hiking stuff.  Then dad got the backpacks ready.  He got mom's backpack ready too.  Mom and dad always argue about water.  Dad says mom should carry as much water as she can pack.  Mom says the water is too heavy and she only wants a little bit.  I don't know how mom will ever learn to carry a big backpack if she thinks the water is too heavy.  Dad says it is better to dump water at the end of the hike than need water before the end of the hike.  I like water, so I would agree with dad.

Pretty soon dad had all the stuff ready and he carried it outside.  But instead of putting it in the Toyota, dad put all the gear in the Dog-Show Van.  That was different - dad doesn't usually take the dog-show van for his hikes.  Then dad came back inside.  Mom took me and Daisy out in the yard to do our stuff.  Mom kept telling us to "Hurry".  What's the hurry mom, we are only going to be stuck in the house for a long time when you leave.  But mom did hurry us along.  Then it happened.  Mom opened the back of the dog-show van and told Daisy and I to jump in.  Boy did we, and FAST!

Dad got in the dog-show van with mom and they started driving.  Well, mom was driving.  We started going down the road like to dog training.  But dad didn't put my green training bag in the van, so we weren't going to dog training.  This was so exciting, trying to guess where we were going.  After a few minutes mom turned the van and we started going up the big hill.  We went this way often before - like when we did Bark in the Park at the baseball game or walking in the park.  We drove right past the park, so it must be the baseball game.  That was a fun day at the baseball park.  I got to eat hot dogs.  I don't think hot dogs are really made of dog.  In fact, I don't think they are really made of meat.  But hot dogs taste good anyway.  We reached the top of the big hill and started down the other side.  Yup - there is the baseball place again, I see it out the window.  Hey Daisy, we are going to Bark in the Park.  And we get to eat yummy hot dogs too.

But mom turned the van again.  When we got to the bottom of the hill mom turned the van and we didn't go to Bark in the Park.  Awwww.... no hot dogs?  Guess not - too bad.  I am a sad sad puppy - I wanted some hot dogs.  Mom kept driving a little more, then mom made a few more turns and we stopped near a big park called Chuck Heinrich Park.  I didn't see any other dogs or any fences, so it probably isn't a dog park.  Dad got out and left us, mom stayed in the van. Come on mom - let us out... we want to play.  Dad was gone a long long time, maybe a whole 15 minutes.  That is over 75 in dog minutes.  When dad came back he told mom that the trail was changed a little bit, and he was happy he checked it out first.

While dad was talking to mom some other cars started parking near us, and a lot of little kids started getting out and putting on hiking gear just like dad's gear.  I was watching them.  Some of them were wearing uniforms that said  C-U-B S-C-O-U-T-S  on it.  Dogs can't read real well, so I didn't know what that means.  Dad talked to a lady wearing the same uniform a little while.  then dad came to get mom. Mom and dad put on their hiking gear, then opened the back door to get me and Daisy out.  Oh-Goodie..... we get to go hiking.  I'm a happy dog - a happy happy dog.... I get to go hiking with my dad.

Dad got me out of my crate, put a collar on me, and then my long flexi-lead.  My flexi-lead is about 35 feet long and it reels up so it never gets tangled. Except when I circle around mom and dad really quick and get them tangled up.
That is always funny.  But before we started walking, dad did something different.  Dad said "River, you are a big puppy now.  It is time you started carrying your own gear".  Then dad pulled out a nice blue backpack and started fitting it on me.  Hey - this is WAY COOL!  I get my own backpack.  Dad had to adjust the straps some to make it fit me.  I was so excited I could hardly hold still for dad.  But dad got it on, then he clipped my water dish to the backpack, and put a big bottle of water on each side in the pockets.  The pockets had zippers so the water bottles wouldn't fall out.  Mom put a light yellow blanket in her pack, dad said it was Parker's old hiking blanket.  Hey - how come I don't get Parker's hiking blanket?  Well - no matter....  I have my own backpack.  This is SO COOL!

We walked over to the CUB SCOUTS.  there were lots of kids and a few adults.
And two small dogs.  Well - smaller dogs, not as big as Daisy and I.  But they were nice friendly dogs.  I knew we were going to have a good time.  The humans were talking something about TIN MINES - and dad was pointing to a spot to the west and telling them that the mines were over there somewhere.  I couldn't see what they were talking about.  Then we started hiking.  Dad led us beyond the end of the road, up a sidewalk, then up some stairs to the top of the dam.   

When I looked over the other side of the dam I could see we were headed into the desert, and there were pretty mountains a long way away.  The kids were laughing and the adults were talking, everyone was happy.  I was pretty happy too, I was hiking with my new backpack.  A short distance down the trail mom let Daisy run. Pretty quick Daisy got hot.  Then mom took the yellow hiking blanket that belonged to Parker and put it on daisy.  I thought that was kind of DUMB.  If Daisy is hot, why put a blanket on her?  But mom did.  Then mom held Daisy still and dad sprayed cold water on the blanket.  In a few minutes Daisy wasn't so hot any more.  WOW - now I get it.  Uncle Parker told me that he got too hot hiking with dad because he was a black dog.  Dad used that blanket to keep Uncle Parker cool while they hiked together.  Daisy is black, so she needs the wet blanket now.  So I didn't mind it so much anymore.  I am a white dog, I don't need a wet blanket.  Dad made my dish with cold water for Daisy and I to drink.  The cold water was so good.

After Daisy slowed down a little bit, dad let me loose.  I started to run, then someone hit me really hard in the ribs.  I stopped and looked around, but I couldn't see anyone near me.  Dad was laughing at me.  It's not funny dad.  So I started running again.  And someone hit me hard in the ribs again.  It hurt! And then I figured it out.  When I tried to run, the sides of my backpack with the water bottles would flap up and down, and slap my sides.  I guess you can't run very fast with a backpack on.  So I walked slower and stayed close to dad. We hiked a long time.  At one spot dad asked the scouts if they wanted to look into a really scary bat-cave.  Of course the scouts wanted to look, so dad sent them down the trail.  There was a small cave there, but no bats.  Maybe they were out flying or something.  Dad gave us dogs more water while the kids were checking out the cave.  Soon they all returned, and we continued hiking.

Dad said we hiked about 3 miles.  We had to take a few breaks for the kids to drink and tie their boots and stuff.  But we finally reached a place that dad called the SOUTH TIN MINE.  Dad called everyone around, and started talking.
Dad talked about safety, about being careful around the ruins and the mine area, and about the history of the mine.  Dad said there was something called a SMELTER out there from 1909 to 1915.  That was over 100 years ago.  Wow that is 700 in dog years.  Then dad let everyone go around on their own.  I explored a little bit, but there wasn't a whole lot to interest dogs.  So we four dogs just sort of hung out together sniffing each other.  Hey - it's what dogs do.

After a bit, dad called everyone together again.  He asked the scout master to check that everyone was accounted for.  Everyone was there, so dad led the group off.  I thought we were going back.  But when we got to the turn, dad didn't turn.  He took us on another trail.  Dad really knows the trails.  Dad took us to a place called the NORTH MINE.  We had to climb a big hill.  Everyone was tired when we reached the top.  Mom and dad took their packs off, then dad took my pack off.  The humans sat down for a rest, but us dogs did a little sniffing around.  Dad told all the scouts to stay on top, then dad took the scout master and some of the adults into the mine.  Dad wanted to check for any dangers and show the adults where to be careful before letting the kids go in the mine.  Dad was back soon, and the adults took the kids into the upper part of the mine, a few at a time.  We were standing on a metal grate covering the top of the mine, and I could hear the kids talking and laughing under me.  I tried to look down, but it was too hard to see.

When the kids came out, dad asked how many wanted to go into the lower mine area.  A few kids raised their hands.  Dad said "There is only one wan you can go into the lower mine.  With an adult, and with these".  Then dad handed out trash bags, and told the scouts to pick up any trash they found in the mine. The kids grabbed the bags, and went into the mine with some of the adults.  The scout master stayed up with mom and dad.  Everyone was gone a longer time.  Dad took mom, and Daisy and I, and we got to explore the upper mine.  Dad took some photos too.  It was cool in the mine.  I mean it was really cool.  Not cool, but COOL.  You know - like not HOT as in the sun.  But the mines were cool too. Sometimes human words don't make any sense.  Anyway.

When we got out of the upper mine the scouts were returning from the lower mine. Dad gathered up the trash bags in a pile, then told the scouts to take a lunch break.  Mom got out an apple and shared it with Daisy and I.  Then dad went for a walk with another adult.  They were looking for something called a LETTERBOX-GEOCACHE HYBRID.  I ran after dad, I wanted to watch.  Dad led us to a crack in the rocks with a few big rocks piled on top.  Dad moved the rocks, and there was an ammo can under the rocks.  Dad opened it up and showed us what a Letterbox-Geocache Hybrid was.  It was filled with lots of neat stuff.  I tried to sniff it all, but dad told me to leave it.  So I did.  Soon dad put it back and put the rocks over it again, then we walked back to the scouts.

Dad asked the scout master if everyone was ready to leave.  While they were getting ready, dad gave Daisy and I another cool drink of water, and dad put my backpack on me again.  I like my backpack.  Dad warned everyone to be really careful going down the hill.  It was very scary, dad had to keep coaxing me to keep up.  I kept stopping because it was so scary.  I was happy when we got down.  We followed the trail back almost to the South Tin Mine, but we turned east just before reaching the mine.  We continued going east all the way to the end where we got to Chuck Heinrich park again.  Three miles - over six miles round trip.  Daisy and I were tired.  Dad gave us another drink of water, and dad took my backpack off.  I was happy to get in my crate and rest.  Hiking makes me tired.

Dad stayed with the scout master until all the kids were picked up.  Then they talked a little more.  Mom left the back of the dog-show van open, and I sorta watched dad with one eye while I was resting.  Then dad closed the doors and got into the van.  We were on the way home.  Daisy and I were asleep before mom was out of the parking lot.

When we got home, mom put us in the back yard for a few minutes while dad got the backpacks inside.  Then dad brought us inside, and mom let Uncle Justin and Sammy out in the yard.  Dad called me up on his bed, and he washed my feet with a warm wash rag.  Dad was checking me for cuts and thorns.  Dad really takes care of me.  I wonder if dad did that for Uncle Parker too.  Hmmmm.... no need to wonder.  I know dad loved Uncle Parker.  I am sure he did exactly the same thing.  My first big hike was a really good time.  I got to wear my own backpack, and I got to explore new places and make new friends.  But best of all, I got to spend the whole day with my dad.  Thank you Uncle Parker - I have such a wonderful life, and it is because you picked me to be dad's new dog when you left.  Dad still misses you, and so do I.  But we have had some Great Adventures together.  I am sure there will be more Great Adventures to come. While dad was finishing up on my feet, I lifted my head and gave dad a big slurpy kiss right in his ear.  I know he likes that.  Then I put my head down to take a nap.  I hope I dream good dreams of Great Adventures with dad.

Until next time.....