09.08.11

morning run:
Ginger
Bette
Gracie
Frijolita
Blue
Eve
Lily
Floyd
(8)

Hidden trail plus a little extra: ~9k. Started out well. Everyone was great. I disciplined Floyd a bit on his water bottle etiquette but he was otherwise fine. We went north the standard way, back south to the intersection, through the shire to the swimming hole (very popular) and then took the dog-leg east to go straight to the large cross-over between the southern and the northern charcos, all of which added a little extra distance; from there we went to the hidden trail the normal way. There were three tourists (Mexicans) on the beach at Au Soleil Couchant and the dogs were all good but I put Lily on the hook before we got to them just to make sure she didn't bark at them. We went back into the monte at the tortuga sign and shortly thereafter the misbehavior began, inexplicably. First Lily ran ahead right past the turn south and barked at some old dude on a bike. I caught her, disciplined her visibly and put her on the other end of the leash; the old dude was amused by her (she is cute and her bark is funny if you like dogs), but I was not. Shortly thereafter Gracie pulled one of her disappearing acts. We had just passed some salt dudes loading a truck and I had gotten everyone around me when I saw Gracie wasn't there. It turns out that she did what she frequently does, which was go around in the monte where it's cleared there and come out way ahead, but I couldn't see her, she didn't come when I called her and I was stuck yelling her name, which does not thrill me. She knows better. She further compounded the misdemeanor by refusing to let me catch her and put her on the leash, which she knows is the protocol for this kind of crap. This infuriated me, perhaps a bit more than it should've. I guess I was expecting this group to be perfect and give me no trouble, which is something I needed emotionally, so I took these spats of misbehavior personally. Gracie spent some time in the box when we got home. I had to go to my dark place for a little while. All in all it was a pretty nice run on a beautiful day but sometimes it doesn't feel like it.
GRADE: B