Clinton Lake Hike

"Like a boss"... Aki seems to think she owns Renee's minivan!

"Are we there yet?"

   This morning Renee and Joe picked me up, and I loaded the Shibas into her van, along with her dog, Rosie (aka "Giant Aki") and we headed out to Lawrence, KS to meet a few others from the local Sierra club. The organizer planned a 6-mile hike through the woods and along the lake, on the blue & white trails on the north shore. The weather turned out to be perfect: cool and overcast, and only a single tick, unlike my previous experience in the area.

   After the hike, the lure coursing, and taking in a nice vista from the top of Sander's Mound...

   Renee, Joe, the dogs and I headed over to Mutt Run park to play a little more.

"Nobody here but us Hobbits."

   Joe found some seed pods which had fallen from the trees, and before long, we all were mustachioed!

"It's-a me, Mario!"

   I took this cute photo of Joe & Tay (who adores Joe). And Joe (one of the wittiest kids I know!) did a face swap:

Of Course

   At our rest stop at the halfway point of our hike today, I saw a man unloading two large Borzoi from the back of his car. It surprised me, because how often do you see Borzoi?! Then I saw an Afghan hound, a Basenji, a Rhodesian Ridgeback... what was this, a sighthound convention?? The man informed me that a group was there with their hounds practicing lure coursing. I'd heard of this sport for years and often wondered if my dogs would be into it, though I'd never had a chance to see it run in person. 
   Today's lure coursing is humane: rather than chasing an actual hare, the dogs chase a white plastic bag, zipping along on a line being pulled by a machine through a series of pulleys along the ground. There are straight sections, and quick jogs to simulate the erratic path of a real animal. The people were friendly and invited me to bring the dogs to watch, and one even suggested that we might try it. Hmm...

The best photo I was able to get, of a very fast Afghan on the course

   We gathered to watch. And the second the plastic bag moved on the line, Aki and Taylor both went berserk. They thought it WAS a real animal! They shrieked and howled and lunged on the leashes while the other dogs ran one by one. Apparently my dogs didn't realize they had just hiked 3 miles!

   One of the organizers came over and I paid the small fee and she suggested that my dogs should try a quick out & back rather than the first course, since this was their first time. I said I'd leave it up to them, but that my dogs were good runners, and would likely do more. She nodded, and showed us to the course, instructing me where to stand and how to hold the leash around their necks so that the dog could be instantly released when the pulley started.

   Aki was first, and made a valiant effort, chasing the bag to the back of the course and through a few turns. She wanted the bag, but isn't especially fast nor was she especially bloodthirsty. She returned and touched the plastic with her nose to ensure it was still. A good first attempt. 
   Taylor was a mad man. He completed the full half-mile course, relishing the chase, and even more: relishing snatching up the plastic in his mouth & shaking his head, to "kill it", much to the amusement of the group. He was my ringer. In fact, he was SO FAST that no one got ANY PHOTOS of him.  ;)
   I rejoined my group and we continued our hike back, and Aki and Taylor kept stopping and looking back in the direction of those evil plastic bags. They seemed to want more. And they continued to drag me along the trail for the entire 6+ mile hike.
   I couldn't help but think of a scene from one of my favorite films, Snatch, in which hounds coursing after a real hare is likened to a man being hunted and kidnapped by his enemies. (The coursing starts at 2:33, and there are several f*bombs. You've been warned.)

Tickfest 2012

   You will probably think this cartoon is an exaggeration, but sadly, had I taken a photo of the actual event (I didn't), i assure you that it would be virtually indistinguishable. I went hiking at Clinton Lake on Saturday morning, and as if the heat & humidity weren't evil enough, Mother Nature surprised me with hordes of thirsty ticks laying in wait. All in all, the 4.25 mile trail produced a minimum of FIFTY ticks among our band of hapless mammals. I lost count.

Sunset at Clinton Lake

I finally posted photos from my Clinton Lake hike on 3/25...

A Hiking We Will Go

   Rafael unexpectedly came in to town from Rochester and had Sunday free, and the weather was GORGEOUS ( spring arrived about a month ahead of schedule due to "the winter that never was", but I don't hear anyone complaining!).  We figured those were all the excuses we needed for a hike, so we piled into my Rav and drove out to Clinton Lake.
   It's amazing how everything has greened up and blossomed in the last couple of weeks. It really is miraculous how quickly it happens. Between that, and the fact that I haven't been hiking since my surgery over seven weeks ago, this outing was particularly appreciated. The dogs could barely contain themselves—and didn't! We pulled into the parking lot, and Rafael opened the back gate, and the dogs flew out and into the woods in the blink of an eye. Leash-less, of course. It was impossible to tell which way they went—the trail split off shortly upon entering the woods, and the tall, impossibly green grasses concealed them.
   Apparently it was a day of miracles, because Aki answered my calls and was back with me just  a few minutes later. And Tay—the one I was really concerned about—obediently returned a few minutes after her. I guess if everything has to be on his terms, but he returns safely, that may be the best I can hope for. But I could tell our training sessions over the last few weeks are WORKING.

brilliant green

Taylor spontaneously posed for Brett

(and for me)

   There were lots of firsts: the dogs found a snake & millipede, &amp Taylor repeatedly jumped for joy (actually, he was jumping because he wanted to EAT the snake!)

   Aki swam for the very first time... by accident. A guy in a boat came somewhat close to the shore, & she took off to try to catch him. It was just like the old Looney Tunes cartoons, where Wile E. Coyote runs straight off a cliff, and hangs midair until he realizes he ran off the cliff, then reacts. Aki leapt into the water valiantly, got up to her ears & you could see the look on her face: "Oh no! This water is WET!! I have to get OUT!!!" She hurried back to shore. It was very funny. (And now, just imagine observing the 3 of us idiots trying to get into & out of a kayak!)

We also found a new lil' friend... (click to see more)

    Afterward, we drove through Lawrence to have dinner at Free State. The traffic was slightly insane as we neared town. Suddenly Rafael said, I think KU might be playing tonight. Yep, it was the Sweet 16 game, which fortunately was live in St. Louis. Campus was mobbed with celebrating students. But through some stroke of luck, we easily found a parking spot past Mass St., walked right into Free State (pass a mob of kids drinking beer out of plastic cups), and got a table with NO wait. Amazing! The end to a perfect afternoon: a Cyclist (beer + lemonade) and a bison burger.

Lucky Find

   I have to credit Taylor for this one... We were walking on the rocks along the shore, trying to make our way back to the trail, when Taylor suddenly lurched—he had found a ribbon snake! It was slender and quick, and did NOT want to be eaten by a portly Shiba, so it took off. I struggled to keep up with it. It finally circled the trunk of a small tree and turned to stare us down. While Taylor held it there, I went behind the tree and nabbed it!

   I've always loved snakes, ever since I was a young child. I think they're beautiful and fascinating. I don't think I'd handle the poisonous variety, but I don't see many snakes, so I can resist handling the harmless ones. (The worst part is that they spray musk all over your hands in an attempt to scare you away... Gross! But these lil' guys are too small to bite you.)

This snake is a little feistier than I thought—watch your nose!!!

A snake bracelet. A snakelet.

Rafael takes his turn, with Taylor supervising closely:

By the time Brett got it, the snake was more docile: