An Easter Hike

It got up into the high 70s today! Needless to say Mommy and I decided we needed to go for a hike.  Mommy chose the river hike because it is usually cooler there than on the other trails and we aren't used to the warmer weather yet. We were glad we chose it because even by the river it was quite warm since none of the leaves have come out yet.

 

 The turtles were awake

Mommy and I hiked for about a half mile and then I thought maybe I should ride in the stroller. I wasn't sure though so Mommy waited for a bit while I thought it over.

Debating about riding

I rode for about a mile and then we got to the park where we stop to have lunch. I barked to get out and we walked to the benches by the river to eat. They were packed with people, but we waited and eventually the people left and we got to sit down and have our lunch. After the lunch I walked for a bit more and then decided I wanted to ride again, so back in the stroller I went. We hiked for awhile and then Mommy spotted a small snapping turtle trying to cross the bike trail. Mommy was worried the turtle would get hit by a bike since the trail was so busy today so we sat by it for a while so Mommy could stop the bikes if it went onto the trail, but the turtle didn't want cross while we were there so we moved on.

 Hi turtle! Are you looking for somewhere to lay your eggs?

 Close up!

We kept on going until we got to the park where dogs aren't allowed and then Mommy decided to turn around. I told her I wanted to walk again when she turned around so I got out and walked about one mile.

 We noticed the beavers have been busy improving their lodge

I walked for about a mile and then wanted to ride again, so back in I got. I got mad when Mommy stopped pushing the stroller to take some pictures, but she wanted to get a shot of the blue-winged teal because they have come back for the summer.

 Blue-winged teal

When we were almost back to the trailhead a little brown bat flew overhead. Mommy was surprised to see him since it was about 2 hours before sunset, but he may have just migrated back in, or he might be a bit desperate for food since the bugs aren't out much yet and it is still getting very cold at night. Then we saw some big bunnies in the woods.

Can you spot the big bunny?

There he is!

When we were about a 1/4 mile from the trailhead I decided I wanted to hike so I got out and walked back to the car.

Total miles hiked by me: 2.1   Total miles riding in stroller: 4.2  Total miles hiked: 6.3

A Hike Between Storms

We had a thunderstorm last night, but it had stopped when we woke up this morning. Mommy woke up first and said, "Do you want to come get the paper with me?" I opened one eye and then quickly closed it. Mommy got up and got dressed and came back into the bedroom and said, "I'll drive. You can come for the car ride." I responded by getting up, walking over to her side of the bed and flopping back down with my head on her pillow. Mommy went and got the paper by herself then she made us breakfast and I got up for that, but then went back to bed.

After she finished reading the paper Mommy came to find me and said, "It is going to rain this afternoon. Do you want to go for a hike now?" I opened one eye, groaned and flopped over onto my side. Mommy said, "Well you have to at least take a walk and go potty, so get up." I reluctantly got up and took a one mile walk with Mommy and then curled up on my porch bed and went back to sleep.

Around 1:00 I woke up and started barking at Mommy because I had decided I DID want to take a hike. Mommy looked at the weather radar and said, "Well, we only have about 2 hours before the next storm hits so we'll have to go somewhere close. She picked a short hike that close to home and packed up the car and off we went.

This is the only patch of trees on this hike so Mommy thought a cool overcast soon-to-rain day was a good one for this trail

I hiked the first 3/4 mile and then decided I wanted to ride in the stroller. There were lots of chorus frogs peeping and red-winged blackbirds calling despite the weather being so overcast.

I got mad when Mommy stopped to take pictures of these birdhouses. 

We don't know who they are for, but nobody is going to be able to move in if they don't close them up.

Mommy pushed me in the stroller for a mile and we took a side trail off the main trail for a bit, but then the cold front came in and Mommy decided we had better head back to the car. When she turned the stroller around I barked that I wanted to get out and hike so she let me out and we continued on.

There was a nice little creek hidden by some trees on the side trail

Mommy thought for sure I would tire out after a half mile or so and want to get back in the stroller, but I didn't.

Me plugging along.

I walked the whole way back. It started to rain when we had about 1/2 mile to go and I glared at Mommy because it is always her fault when it rains on our hikes, but we made it back to the car and I got to get inside before the rain started to do more than drizzle. Mommy got a bit wetter because she had to take apart the stroller and pack it up. She should have thought of that before letting it start to rain on us.

Miles hiked by me: 2.25  Mile riding in the stroller: 1  Total miles hiked: 3.25

Is It Finally a Spring Hike?

The temperatures almost got into the 60s today so Mommy and I had to do a long hike. We decided to hit the river trail because it is very long and so you can hike for as long as you have time.

How do you know it is spring and not fall? The deep ruts from the bikes give it away.

 I hiked the first mile while Mommy pushed the stroller then I got in to ride.

Mommy had a laugh when she spotted a group of 10 year old boys running around without shirts on while their parents sat and talked. She said only in the upper midwest would parents say, "It is in the mid fifties today. Sure, go ahead and run around half naked outside. It is a great day for it."

Usually at this part of the river we see turtles sunning on the logs. 

Today we saw carp sunning on the logs.

Just kidding. Mommy knew this winter was going to be really rough on the fish in the lakes and ponds because the ice was so think and opaque and covered with over three feet of snow.  When that happens the lakes and ponds become deprived of oxygen and a lot of the fish die.  We didn't think the same thing would happen with the river since the water moves under the ice, but it must have barely moved in some of the shallower sections and a lot of carp lost their lives.

After the dead fish we came to the great blue heron rookery. 

We've never seen so many of the nests occupied before. We are betting they were attracted to the dead fish. Should be a good year for herons.

 Here is a closeup of the herons

After the herons I was ready get out and hike again. We were going to stop for a snack at my favorite benches by the river, but when we got to the benches two people who were together were each taking up a bench for some reason. They talked to Mommy and pet me, but neither of them offered to get off their bench so we could sit. So we continued on to the bench by the river's flood plain.  Mommy considers this bench to be Boo's bench because he liked to stop there when they would hike and so Mommy requested a bench be installed and the county DID install it!

The river had gone over the trail a little bit, but not enough to stop us

The flood plain

 Me relaxing after I ate my snack

After our snack I got back in the stroller and we turned around to head back to the car.  I forgot what trailhead we had parked at so when we were a quarter mile from the more northern lot we sometimes park at I insisted on getting out and hiking again. Mommy told me I was going to be mad when I realized we were at the wrong lot, but I kept barking to get out so she let me walk. When we got to the trailhead I tried to turn down it to get to the lot and Mommy said no, we weren't at that one. I walked a couple hundred yards farther and then insisted on getting back in the stroller.

A mile from the RIGHT trailhead I insisted on getting out of the stroller again. Mommy let me out and I hiked the rest of the way.  I did demand a rest at the bench a half mile from the trailhead. Mommy offered to let me ride in the stroller again, but I didn't want to do that, so, since we had time Mommy said we could sit there for a half hour.  About 10 minutes into our rest a herd of about 10 big bunnies came up behind us. They didn't know what to make of the stroller any more than the big bunnies did last week, but this group, instead of running away stood behind us and stared at us. Sometimes one or two would get brave and approach us, but then they would back off.  I was lying in the shadows under the bench so I don't think they could see me, but they certainly could smell me.

What is that big red thing?

 Why does it smell like dog?

Big bunny!

After about 10 minutes of being stared at by big bunnies I couldn't take it any more so I stood up and barked and they all darted back a bit. Then Mommy and I continued on our hike to the end.

Miles hiked by me: 3.5. Miles riding in stroller: 4.5. Total miles hiked: 8.

The Stroller is Out of Storage!

Mommy noticed the other day when she was driving past the preserve by our house that the snow had all melted off the trails. So, today, even though the temperature never got into the 30s, Mommy got the stroller out of storage!! I barked at her when I saw she had it. Then I barked at her while she inflated the tires. I continued to bark at her while she put it in the car. Finally we set off for our hike.

 I hiked for the first 1.25 miles sniffing everything before I asked to get into the stroller

Mommy finds it interesting that I will insist I'm tired at a 1/2 mile when we don't have the stroller, but will continue walking for over a mile when we do. I don't see what is so interesting about that. After all, I know that when we have the stroller I can always get in and ride when I get tired so I don't have to worry about getting back to the car.

We saw Canada geese chasing ducks off a pond that usually is where the ducks hang out. We wondered why the geese were acting so badly until we came to the geese pond and saw this:

 

 A pair of mute swans had taken over the goose pond. 

Swans are very territorial and won't let geese nest in the same pond with them.

We've never seen swans at this preserve before.

 Since Mommy had her camera out she decided to take a picture of me.

 Stop taking pictures and start pushing, Mommy!

We kept going and then we heard a very distinctive call which means that one of our favorite birds were back!

 Welcome back sandhill cranes!

I rode in the stroller for 1.25 miles and then I barked to get out again. It was a good thing I did because shortly after I got out we came to a section of trail that was still covered in snow. Mommy would never have gotten my stroller through it with me in it. I hiked for a mile and then asked to get back in the stroller. Shortly after I got in the stroller we came across some deer. They didn't know what to make of us. They were downwind so they could smell dog, but all they could see was a big red thing.  So they decided the best thing to do was run away.

Bye, deer!

When we got back to the car I started barking that I wanted out of the stroller. Mommy told me to wait but I wouldn't listen. I wanted to get into the car and while Mommy was taking the front wheel off the stroller so I could get out I tried to turn around and get out the back door and I flipped the stroller over backwards! It took Mommy quite awhile to get the stroller upright and me untangled from it. She said I should have waited, which I thought was rather cold of her. My hip is a little sore, but not really injured. Mommy gave me a tramadol when we got home just to be safe though. I'll probably get another one tomorrow morning.

Miles hiked by me: 2.25. Miles riding in the stroller: 1.5. Total hiked: 3.75.

Daylight Savings Day HIke

It has been Mommy and my tradition to take hikes on the days that Daylight Saving Time starts and stops.  When I was younger these hikes would be all day hikes, but now they are just hikes for as long as I want to go at one of the trails we didn't get to much in the previous hiking season.  Well, the weather has been so bad we had a lot of trails to choose from this year.  Mommy decided we should go to the lake trail in the northern part of the county so off we went.  Mommy made me wear my lifting harness because she wasn't sure if the trail would be icy or not.  I sure was glad she did make me wear it because when we got to the trail there was a HUGE mound of snow blocking it.

That pile was about as tall as Mommy.

You can see the trail curving off to the left behind it.

Mommy and I worked our way around the pile of snow using my harness to keep me on my feet on the uneven climb and got to the trail. The conditions beyond the mound were quite good.  Very few people had hiked or skied on it so it was mostly soft snow with very little ice.  I guess the big snow pile had protected the trail from the less intrepid users this winter.

There were even some spots where the snow had all melted.

We didn't see a single hiker, but there were quite a few ice fishermen out on the water.  Mommy said it sure didn't look like a fun sport to her especially since they aren't allowed to build shacks on this lake.

The Christmas trees behind that fisherman were put out by the county. The lake was originally a gravel pit so they are still working to improve the bottom. When the ice melts the trees will fall in the water and provide hiding and nesting places for the fish.

 

There were lots of really good things to sniff in the snow and I ate a pile of fox poop too. Mmmmm

After we had hiked a little more than a 1/2 mile I spotted this truck in the north parking lot.  

I led Mommy straight to the truck, then stood by the door and held my paw with the missing toe up in the air and looked miserable to show her I was too sore to keep hiking. Mommy pointed out to me that 

A. My foot was not sore BEFORE I saw the truck 

and 

B. It wasn't her truck and she wasn't going to steal it. 

She did agree to turn around and head back to our car though.

The clouds gave us a nice return hike show.

Total miles hiked 1.25. 

Mommy and I both can't wait for the snow to melt so my stroller can come out of storage.

My Monthly Diary for February, 2014

IS WINTER OVER YET??!!!

I was tempted to stop there, but I guess I can tell you a little bit more.

• We got more cold; 16 days at least 10 degrees colder than normal and 7 days at least 20 degrees colder than normal
• We got more snow; three and a half feet over normal so far.
• We got more ice and I've slipped and fallen on that ice more times than Mommy can count. I have to wear my lifting harness if I'm not wearing my coat so Mommy can help me walk on the icy sidewalks and streets.
• I'm tired of cold and snow and I have pretty much decided to stop pooping outside after dark and just sneak off and poop in the back room or bedroom instead of telling Mommy that I have to go potty.  Mommy is now watching me like a hawk in the evenings. Despite all her attention I did manage to poop on the bed five times last week.
• We did get three days that were 10 degrees warmer than normal. That was exciting and I did finally get to walk across the ice on the lake because we got enough of a snow/thaw/wind/rain/freeze/snow cycle in those three days that the the lake ended up with a nice even packed down layer of good traction snow on it.
• I decided I wanted to go hiking last weekend and followed Mommy around barking at her until she gave in and took me to the nearest trail. 300 yards into the hike I decided it was too icy and insisted on going home. 
• Mommy wondered why the mattress had gotten all lumpy after she moved it to the floor to make things easier for me.  It was because I had hidden a half dozen stuffed animals under it.

 Wake me up when it is spring.

My Monthly Diary for January, 2014

Snow. Cold. Snow. Cold. Snow. Cold. Rain. Beautiful day, HIKE! Snow. Cold. Snow. Cold. Snow.

That pretty much sums up January.

The polar vortexes came in and gave us dangerously below normal temperatures then they went away and gave us normal temperatures with snow or above normal temperatures with rain. Then they came back and repeated the cycle. We had a -16 degree day (without the windchill) and a week later we had a 44 degree day. A week after that we had a 9 degree day. When I was younger I'd have loved this weather, but with my arthritis in my back these wild shifts have not been helpful. Also, the ice that forms over everything after you go from 44 degrees and rain to 20 degrees in a 24 hour period makes walking really hard when your back feet tend to go wherever they feel like no matter what you are telling them to do.  I've had to wear my lifting harness and boots a few times and I've been wearing my coat and boots a lot. On the below zero days Mommy had me me wear socks under the boots. On the -16 day Mommy even wrapped a scarf around my ears so I wouldn't get frostbite on the tips. We got a lot of looks and honks and comments that day.

I refused my coat and boots one below zero morning and then, when we got about two houses down I was so cold I started shivering and picking up my feet and glaring at Mommy because it was all HER fault that I wasn't wearing the right clothes. When I smiled at her and dodged she should have chased me down, tackled me and forced my boots and coat on me and not just said, "Fine. Go out without your coat and boots and freeze."


We got about 17 1/2 inches of snow in one snow storm

 

It was so deep that when I tried to go out and potty in the backyard I fell and got stuck in the snow.  Mommy had to shovel a path for me to a tree and then a big spot for me to poop in and another for me to turn around and head back to the door in. Even though she made that potty area for me I did mostly decided it was easier to poop in the house. Mommy was not pleased.

Because of the cold days Mommy got a couple days off work which was nice. I always like it when Mommy stays home because of bad weather because that means I get to walk as slow as I want in the morning and then we stay inside and there is a lot of snuggling in bed time.

The 19th of January was my Gotcha Day and would you believe it MOMMY FORGOT!!!  I've been with her for 13 years and she FORGOT!!  I didn't get any special treats or even a "Happy Gotcha Day" from Mommy.  I had fallen out of bed the night before and landed really hard and Mommy spent my Gotcha Day rearranging the house so that our mattress is now on the ground and not on the box spring (Mommy took away the bed frame about a year ago so I could get in and out of bed easier).

The new bedroom arrangement

 Little known fact: box springs can be used as bulletin boards

Since Mommy was so busy that day she bought a chicken at the grocery store and I always get a lot of meat from a store chicken on my meals and as treats so Mommy said that should count, but I don't think it did since she didn't know it was my Gotcha Day.  So a few days later when Mommy realized she had forgotten she gave me extra treats and some more chicken that night and we celebrated then.

Finally this month a couple days after my FORGOTTEN Gotcha Day Mommy came home from work early. I was sound asleep in the bedroom and I didn't realize she had come home for about a half hour.  When I woke up and heard noises in the other room I came out to see what it was and there was Mommy, but she smelled weird and she looked like she had been fighting with a big dog or something. I refused to come near her and say hi and I avoided her the whole rest of the day.  She told me I was acting silly because she had only gone to the dermatologist to have a growth removed from her lip and they decided that two moles on her face had to be removed too. I didn't care. When I had to poop I refused to tell her and instead went into the puppy room (dining room) and pooped.  Then later that night when Mommy tried to get me to go out in the backyard and potty I refused to go because I wouldn't walk past her while she held the doors open and it was too cold outside to leave the doors propped open for me. Instead I went into the bedroom pooped on the bed. After Mommy cleaned up the bed she went to sleep and I waited until she was asleep before I went into the bedroom and joined her in bed. 

The next morning I got up and avoided her as soon as she woke up and then I refused to go outside again. A few minutes after Mommy gave up on getting me to go outside I snuck back into the bedroom and peed on my bed and pooped on hers. Mommy got mad at me and I got locked in the puppy room for the day. That night Mommy was allowed to take a shower and after she did she still looked kind of scary, but she smelled normal so I wasn't afraid of her anymore and we went back to being friends again. If she was smart she would have just rubbed her face against the couch until the lip thing had fallen off and then we wouldn't have had all that drama.