24.11.12

morning run:
Ginger
Gracie
Osita
Posey
Archie
Elewah
Molly
Amber
(8)

Southern charcos: ~9k. We went via the swimming hole on the way out, took the turn southeast from the palapa road that joins up with the road to no-man's land and looped around to the southern charcos, coming home via the serpentine, the intersection and Tuesday's crossing. That last bit was not my plan but was instead due to Amber's outrageous misbehavior which cost her quite a while in the box afterwards. I had Molly on the leash to begin with but I let her off before the swimming hole and she was off until we were almost to the end of the serpentine. Around that time I also had the thought that I should put Amber on the other end of the leash soon but I didn't act quickly enough. When we got to the intersection Amber took off south down the main road, dragging Osita, Posey and Ginger with her. The rest of them came back quickly enough but Osita and Amber were nowhere to be seen for a couple of minutes. Finally Osita showed herself sheepishly on the road but Amber cut across west to the charco between the road and our cut-over trail and wouldn't come nearer to me. I thought I'd head down the cut-over and get her to come to me but she saw what I was doing and I very clearly observed her decide that she would have none of it; she did an end-run behind me and bolted for Tuesday's crossing with Osita on her tail. I turned us around and gave chase but they were too fast and had already crossed when we were just hitting the eastern shore. From there on it was a footrace which I was obviously destined to lose. As we got to the coco trail Elewah also took off ahead and I thought the wheels were coming off but as we crossed the shripmery intersection I realized that Elewah was heading home because she didn't want me to scoop her up; she wanted to come home on her own and she was showing me she would do it by herself so I stopped calling for them and hauled ass home to find Amber, Osita and Elewah at the gate ahead of me. Amber knew she was in trouble and I was plenty hot over it but then she made it worse by evading me in the yard and giving me attitude when I finally grabbed her to put her in the box. I don't know if I'll ever be able to take her off the leash again but she certainly is a leash dog now and for some time to come. Until Amber decided to pull her little stunt at the intersection this run was an "A"; a real shame.
GRADE: C (at least we all came home)

morning walk:
Zasu
Miles
Henry
Lucy
Tito
Reggie
Monkey
Lily
(8)

Roni took this group out for a walk in the woods in spite of her various injuries and everyone really had a good time. Reggie is always a little scary leaving at the gate because he's so excited, so large and so clueless about his own size but once on the road he's always an angel. Tito enjoyed a walk without Hazel running him over all the time and Lily didn't run ahead quite so much because there were no other fast dogs on the walk. Roni avoided the charco they usually go to jump in because there was some loud machinery somewhere nearby, probably a salt loader; everyone thus came home a little cleaner than usual but no less proud of themselves.
GRADE: A

morning beach jaunt:
Bette
Frijolita
Linda
Hazel
(4)

I took these four up the beach to the tortuga sign just to get out and have some fun. There was a construction worker on the beach just north of our house and that spooked Hazel a little; she barked at him and didn't want to go around him, so I went back and picked her up and carried her around. There are some strays up at the army camp that barked at us a bit but everyone was really good. Hazel definitely does not like the water but Linda and Bette sure do; it was cold and choppy but those two swam a fair amount and Frijolita also jumped in many times.
GRADE: A