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Monday, July 12, 2010

Dog Days of Summer

Here are some thoughts on summer as told by my dogs...

1. Relax and just enjoy the sun on your face.

Marley sits in the shade with his face in the sun.  He is panting and has his eyes halfway closed
2. Make time to hang out with old and new friends.

Paris, Becky, and Rafferty sit in front of an old wooden cabin.  Paris and becky have their tongues out while Rafferty has his mouth closed.
3. Turn bath time into fun time.

A wet Marley runs down a path bordered by sagebrush with a spray of sunlit water droplets surrounding him.
4. Be enthusiastic

 Becky runs through the dirt.  All 4 feet are in the air and she has a crazy look on her face
5. Share your stuff.

 Hugo stands at the edge of a pond with a yellow frisbee in his mouth as he waits for Paris to get out of the water.
6. Go for a swim.

 Paris swims in the pond.  Just her head and upper back is visible in the water
7. Take a nap in the shade.

Hugo lays in the shade, frisbee between his paws, with his eyes closed.
8. Try your hardest to get dirty!

Marley runs through the dirt with water and mud up in the air.
9. Take a walk and enjoy the great outdoors.

Backlit by the sun Paris wanders through a field of soft wild grasses.
10. Do something you enjoy with a friend.

 Two dogs swim with a ray of sun lighting the otherwise dark water.

My New Place

Well the last two months have just been a whorl-wind.  First we had two back-to-back trips, one to Colorado, the other to Yellowstone for Search and Rescue Training.  Next it was time to get ready to move.  My work just opened a new rescue facility where all of our animals will be housed initially and where the dogs will stay at night.  I lucked out and got one of the caretaker apartments...but that meant trying to move while also opening a brand new facility and still keeping the adoption center running!  Needless to say, it has been a fast ride!
[A large, red and stone, barn-type building with wooden decks sits in front of dusky mountains.  It is surrounded by sage-brush]
We are now all moved in and enjoying the peace and quiet after having lived in town for many years.  The property sits on 100+ acres, so Marley is in his element.  With so much room to run and no where to really run to he and Hugo are having a blast!

We live in a one bedroom apartment over the 16,000 square foot Ranch.  My favorite part so far is being able to use one of the 3! dog baths!!!  Makes grooming go sooo much quicker with 4 dogs! 
[A far away view of the Ranch building.  Many acres of sagebrush surround the building.]
 The views are pretty amazing: "Million Dollar Views" as they are commonly called here.  But it is pretty isolated.  My commute is much longer now.  No more  quick runs to the grocery store!  All in all it has been really fun so far and I hope it continues to be!
[A dirt road winds its way through sagebrush with sunlit hills in the background.]
[Shadowy/blue mountains sit in the distance under a light purple and pink cloudy sky.]
[The sun sets behind a hill turning it to black.  The clouds are a darker purple and touched with pink.]
[A dirt road winds through sagebrush under a light blue sky.  The  distant Wasatch mountains are dusky in the evening light.]
Even some of the weeds out here are pretty!  
[A thistle blossom goes from green on the outside to crimson and then white in the very center.]