17.09.11

morning run:
Archie
Chester
Truman
Reggie
Ernie
Rufus
Jack
Stella
(8)

Hidden trail the normal way: ~8k. I would've done the long and winding road but it just seemed like a bad idea. Stella is not to go out off the leash again for a long time. She's taken to misbehaving earlier and earlier in the run to the point where she just can't be off the hook. Today she was sort of listening until we got to the tortuga three-way heading out, and then she decided to break for the beach when we were going the other way; I had to run her down and put her on the leash, so she just stayed on the hook for the duration. We saw a photographer out on the Au Soleil Couchant road near where it bifurcates. He was taking pictures of some out-of-season flamingos in the charco and our dogs were perfect; I yelled once for them to come back to me and they all left him alone, didn't bark once at the flamingos or in any way harass them. The birds didn't budge and weren't bothered by us as we ran around the southern end of that charco. I was very proud. At the very end we saw one of those skittish strays that's been hanging around the beach at the next corner to the north from our house as we were rounding the bend. I saw it first and kept everyone back but, of course, Stella barked at it and sent everyone on a merry chase that she herself could not participate in. Everyone came back quickly enough and no harm was done, as usual.
GRADE: B