County Hiking Challenge 2012--Hike 7/9

Mommy had the day off today so we did our seventh hike in the challenge.  This one was 3.1 miles long so it counts as two hikes bringing our official total to 9.  Mommy chose a hike that she loves to do, but she doesn't like to do with me. How could Mommy EVER not like doing a hike with me you ask? Well, I agree it is crazy, but Mommy says she doesn't like doing this hike with me because of the coyotes. See, this preserve has had breeding coyotes in it for as long as Mommy has known about it at least. She used to hike it with my predecessor, Boo, and he didn't care about the coyotes, but I think that lady coyotes are really, really interesting. Even when I hiked at a 5 mph pace, at this preserve I was lucky to hike at a 2 mph pace because I have to stop every fifteen steps or so to sniff something or pee on something. Then, since the preserve is woods, what Mommy calls "high scrub" and meadow I usually would get overheated and dehydrated in the meadow part because of my black fur and the fact that I had peed every ounce of liquid out before getting to the meadow part.  So, we do this hike only when it is on the hiking challenge and when the day is cool, overcast and breezy like it was today so that I don't get too hot and dried out. Mommy says it is annoying hiking with a "piss-licking teeth-clacking fool".

 Starting out the hike. "Ladies I'm here!"

 Heading towards the woods

 Taking a water break at the bench in the meadow

 I will pee on some of these flowers for the lady coyotes

Since most of my pictures look like this one I'm going to let Mommy put up two of hers so you can see what this hike looks like if you aren't interested in sniffing the ground

There is a lake in the middle of the preserve.  Usually it is much bigger and full of geese and swans and stuff, but again, the drought has changed things.

This is the high scrub area.  That tree is not a short squat tree, that is a normal sapling being blown sideways by the wind because it wasn't just breezy today, it was very windy.  Wind speeds were up to 25 mph.

Anyway, it took us two and a half hours to hike the 3.1 miles which is very slow even for me these days, I drank about half of the water Mommy carried on the hike and then needed the whole little Igloo water jug full of water when we got to the car, but I left a whole lot of pee behind for those lady coyotes to admire.