06.06.14

morning run:
Blue
Eve
Osita
Frankie
Jack
Lily
Twiggy
Hazel
(8)

Northern charcos: ~8k (closer to 9k this time). We really tried to get Amber out and it was a fiasco. I trapped her in a crate to begin with and had her just outside of the launchpad while I got everyone else together; when I tried to get her out to put her on a leash she freaked out and bolted all around the yard in a mad dash to get away from me. She isn't always like this - it is the energy of the other dogs that gets her into this state. She's going to have to be taken out quietly, by herself on a leash or with a single other dog she likes and when nobody else is too worked up. It was too chaotic after all of her shenanigans so I dropped the idea of adding another ninth dog and just took off with eight to let everyone calm down. My charges were perfectly fine once we left. This was a senior group and everyone was really good. We took the land bridge to the ridge to get to the intersection because I'd like to avoid Angel's pups. As we were heading east from the intersection I saw a little black pup (probably 4-6 months old) running like blazes ahead of us about 100m; nobody else saw it so I called them all to me and turned around to take the parallel access road north instead of the usual way. Everyone turned on a dime and came with me. We did the normal northern loop and came back via the parallel access road and the blue bag trail. I put Jack on the leash in the last 2km because he seemed to need a refresher the last time; he doesn't misbehave but if he runs ahead sometimes he doesn't listen or want me to get him on the leash and I end up having to trick him. This time I waited until we were coming home and everyone was mellow; Jack was right at my heel and he was good on the leash all the way home. I put Hazel on the other end on the coco trail to keep the pace down in the final stretch. We've had several rainy days in a row now so this is probably one of the last times I'll be able to say that the bugs weren't bad. They were a little noticeable but not bad. If they aren't bad tomorrow they will definitely be bad by Sunday whatever the weather does... the monte is good and soaked now so the timer on the mosquito breeding cycle has been punched. It was oppressively humid for most of the run; I looked like I had been swimming when we got home. Ugh. Still, a fun run.
GRADE: A