A walk with two dogs

Now that winter is over, I'm having a little problem with the dogs when I walk.  

As soon as we get in the pasture I turn Gabe loose.  As long as big boy Apollo is with us, I don't think there is any danger of Gabe getting attacked by eagles, coyotes, or foxes.  But these two partners in crime run so fast out of pure joy at being free, they soon get very thirsty.  If we get near the muddy little pond in back, that's where they drink; and in order to get a drink, they have to walk through the mud at the edge of the pond.  So today I decided to avoid the pond and try to walk the same distance somewhere else on the place.  That would work, right? 

I am so happy I'm able to take my walks again (knock wood).  It takes twice as long as it used to to go the same distance, but my knees are holding up so far.  The dogs, of course, frolic and run.  Once I get back in the pasture to "the point", I feel a wonderful sense of freedom, like everything is in it's proper place.  It reminds me of what Old Lodge Skins said in the movie "Little Big Man" when Jack asked why white people killed women and children.  The old grandfather said, "Because they are strange.  They do not seem to know where the center of the earth is."

I know where the center of the earth is when I'm walking in the woods.

So I took the dogs in a different direction.  The river bottoms are flooded so much now that there is some standing water at the very back of the property at the lowest point on the place.  I stood where I could see glimpses of the water far below, but it wasn't enough.  I've been feeling pretty good lately, even without much sleep.  I felt like I could make it down to the bottom of the canyon and somehow get back up, as long as I took my time.  It's been a long, long time since I've even tried it.  

The hills are so steep I had to hang onto fence posts and trees going down, but I made it.  The dogs ran ahead to the bottom to get a drink.

This is where I landed, on the northwest corner of the property.  Back in 1993, it was deeper, and there were otters swimming around in this spot.  

The dogs ran to the water to drink, and next thing you know, Gabe decided to go for a swim.  I wasn't fast enough to get a picture.  Apollo stayed out of the water, but drank heavily.  Big dogs can drink a lot when they've been exerting themselves.  

You can see the railroad tracks behind our place, and the flooded river bottom on the other side.

Here is a path that leads from west to east back there.  Since I hadn't intended on venturing to the lowlands, I didn't wear my Muck Boots.  I wore my new leather walking shoes instead.  However, I managed to stay out of most of the mud.  There's a spring that runs out of most of the hillside there on the right year around, so it's always a little... or a lot... wet.  See the dogs, way up ahead of me?

The boys and I went south into my favorite canyon where I found a spot to sit while they nosed around.  I think if you were able to ask a dog which he'd rather lose, his vision or his sense of smell, he'd choose to keep his sense of smell.  They love smells, the ranker, the better.  That structure you see up high is one of the grandson's many deer blinds.  Yes, this old woman had to climb back up to that level when we were done in the valley.  I was still feeling pretty good though, and taking my time.  I rested a lot and let the dogs play.

Time to head back, and here's the path.  I rested twice on the way up.  

We walked a couple other paths once we were above the canyon.  

Time for another rest stop.  By this point, even the dogs were a little tired.  And Gabe decided to sniff Apollo's butt just in time for a picture.  

The valley you see below us we call "Marvin's Mushroom Heaven".  Seriously!  Marvin is a former neighbor.  

Apollo wanted to take a nap, but at this point I got him up and we made our way to the house.

Right now I feel no worse for the wear.  I'm so thankful I've figured out a way to go back there and enjoy my walks again.  Slow and easy wins the race.

 

Next entry, I promise, will be about the Memphis trip.