MS150 - This wind blows!

This was the most difficult ride we've done in 6 years. We had strong head/cross winds and it was COLD! Most people were unprepared for the cold -- if you look at the pictures many are in short sleeves on day one. On day two people were wearing anything they could to keep warm -- including their flannel pajamas!



You would layer up to get warm, but with the strong head wind you would work so hard that you would sweat and be cold when the wind blew. This was especially true when standing still at the rest stops - the wind would just whip through your wet clothes. Here's Brian with our gear at lunch on day two -- note all our layers hanging out to dry on our bikes.



Our average speed was at least 2 mph below what it usually is on the first day. That resulted in finishing in 10 hours 45 minutes instead of our normal 7 hours 30 minutes.

Of course there was lots of scenery to take in, but I have to say that this year I spent more time with my head down concentrating on getting up the hills than enjoying it. Although this one field was too good to pass up...



Sunday was much better. It was still cold, but the wind was calm during the morning, so we set a fast pace early. We crossed the finish line in downtown Austin at around 2 pm.

The saga continues...

Not 5 seconds after I clicked "Publish" Wally escaped again. A huge gust of wind blew the front door open. He went from sitting in between my feet while I was on the computer to light speed down the hall and out the door. More than 2 hours of pleading, thousands of treats and a can of yummy wet food later and I got him back. It's a Wally record!

He would stand 3 feet away from me and shiver (it's really cold out) and cry, but wouldn't let me touch him or put the leash on him. I finally talked him into jumping in my lap while sitting in the truck in the driveway.

Now he's inside and exhausted (but certainly not hungry) and of course he wants to sleep in my lap.

All doors of the house are now locked and bolted to prevent wind and/or Kayla assisted escape.

New Man in My Life

Here he is .... The new "little man" in my life - Wally. One night I had a dream that Molly hadn't died, she was just lost and I had to find her. The next day we found this little boy wandering around the neighborhood. I figured it must be fate. He'd been walking up and down the streets of the neighborhood all day and no one could catch him. It took me a while but with lots of treats and canned dog food I was able to convince him to come in the house. We named him Wally because it sounds like Molly.


He's very smart, affectionate and cuddly. He gets along great with the other dogs too. In the house he sticks to us like glue. Follows from room to room, sits in our laps on the couch and sleeps in between us at night.


Outside it's a whole other story! He runs away at any given opportunity and won't come to us. I can open the front door completely and the girls will not run out so I was not at all used to this behavior. If the door opens a crack he is off like a shot, running and staying just out of reach. It's all great fun to him and the game can go on for an hour or more. We also learned that he knows every loose board and tiny hole in our fence. So he can get out of the back yard whenever he chooses. Hence the leash and tie out in the next picture. He can't be out in the back yard without being secured!


So I thought I had this all under control. He gets picked up when I open the front door and put out on the tie out when he is in the back yard. Ha! he can't out smart me!

Yesterday, however he proved he is still way smarter than me. He got Kayla to open the back door for him! Then he proceeded to run around the neighborhood for 2 hours with me mostly in tow. He always came back to the house just when I was frustrated enough to leave him out there. He would wait at the front door, I would open it and he would run off again! Eventually I caught the little sneak when he crawled back under the fence and returned to the back yard!

Here's his sneaky look....

Molly at Peace

I said goodbye to Molly today. I held her in my arms for her final moments and comforted her just like I did the day I found her when she was alone and sick three years ago. It was a wonderful 3 years for all of us.

Recovering

Here's Indy resting in the sunshine with her leg brace.

Finito!!

Finally! The pool has been completed since April, and we've been so busy swimming that I have not had time to upload any pictures...

Doggies First Swim

Since we've had a lot of rain over the last few days there is about 10 inches of water in the bottom of the pool.

Indy decided to investigate....



Kayla got incredibly worried/excited. Note her watching Indy from the rocks in the upper left of the picture.



As Indy walks through the water Kayla runs to the other side to watch.



Niya is so excited she JUMPS IN FROM THE SIDE OF THE POOL. She doesn't use the stairs. It's a 5 foot drop onto solid concrete. She's no worse for wear and runs out into the water and tackles Indy. The two then run out of the pool and Kayla tackles them on their way up the stairs. Then they all ran around the back yard like their tails were on fire.


If they get this excited over what is essentially a puddle, I can't wait to see them when the pool is filled!

Pool - Tile, Coping and Waterfall

The tile, coping and waterfall are in place. The dogs once again are fascinated. Indy surveys the whole pool.


Kayla thinks the coping was put in place just to make a little Kayla sidewalk ....


Everyone checks out the rocks....

Chihuahua Puppies

We went to Fondren 5 Star today to see the 5 week old Chihuahua puppies.





All they wanted to do was climb in Brian's lap and sleep.


Of course this little one thought his shorts were very tasty.


We tried to take them off his lap and put them on the blanket and they would all crawl back into his lap and fall asleep. There are so many of them that by the time we got all of them off, the first ones would be back!


The only time the showed any moxy was when mama came down off the bed -- then they wanted breakfast.

Pool - Week 2

There has been a lot of work on the pool in the past week! The dogs have been keeping busy by barking at tradesman, inspecting work quality and taking long walks when the back yard has been occupied during "business" hours. It's a tough life and they are exhausted.

Late on day 3 the gunnite trucks rolled in. The men sprayed the gunnite into the steel mesh mold to create the pool shape and created steps by hand. They worked until after dark -- I'm sure the neighbors were thrilled.



The next morning, our hole had been transformed into a pool!



Next, the inspectors came out. Indy cautiously watches while Niya looks for cracks in the gunnite.



Niya checks the maximum speed limit for exiting the pool by way of the stairs.


They've added plumbing, drains and electricity which has left the yard looking much like a Bugs Bunny cartoon.



After a hard week of work there's nothing Indy like better than to sit in the dirt and sun herself.

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Pool - Day Two

On Saturday they came and laid down the steel. The pool is now caged off and the doggies cannot go down and play in the hole...


After the steel came the plumbing.


Tomorrow is gunnite!

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Pool - Day One

Here's the layout that Brian and I designed. The pile of leaves is where the waterfall will be. Indy is inspecting the designs to make sure it is of the highest quality.

After the pool is outlined with wooden stakes, Molly checks to insure that there is easy access for elderly dogs.


At 7:00 am the men arrive to begin the dig. The dogs, exhausted from the rigorous inspection schedule of the last few days sleep in.



Much to the dogs dismay, a gasoline powered digger was used instead of "paw" action diggers.


At the end of Day One Indy walks the perimeter.


Niya inspects the tanning ledges.


Indy walks the bottom looking for possible leaks.



After the site is declared safe, I am able to go and stand in what will be the deepest part of the pool.

Kayla also performed a special inspection of the tanning ledges where she tried to leave the workers a present for tomorrow, but there was no photographic evidence....

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Desert Vacation

We spent a week in the desert of Southern California. The desert is not at all what I expected. It's full of hills, mountains, plants and wild life.

We stayed in La Quinta, CA which is one of the small desert towns around Palm Springs. Interestingly there are no La Quinta Hotels in La Quinta, CA. We stayed at a place called Casitas at Santa Rosa.

This is the view from our balcony.

Lost Palms Oasis Hike

Took a hike in the sothern part of Joshua Tree National Park to Lost Palms Oasis. I had never seen palms that had not been trimmed before.

This is a pretty typical landscape -- rocks and a little bit of sand

We were shuffling along the trail and we were amazed to see this jack rabbit.

Can you believe the size of his ears?

Saw lots of lizards too.

This is a Teddy Bear Cholla cactus. It is not soft or cuddly and should never ever be hugged under any circumstances....

Here's the oasis at the end of the trail ---

Anza Borrego Desert State Park

The desert in Anza Borrego is completely different than the Colorado Desert in Joshua Tree.

We started a hike to another oasis in Anza-Borrego.

We hiked through a canyon.

Scrambled around on some bolders.

We were hiking along and we saw something moving on the cliffs ahead of us. Other hikers? A Mountain Lion? Nope -- a herd of Big Horned Sheep. This one had a transmitter around it's neck, or maybe that was her iPod...

All in all we saw a herd of 13 sheep. They were grazing all around us.

And aparently were as curious about as as we were about them.

After hiking the valley and seeing all the sheep we finally came to the oasis.

Here's me at the oasis --- kinda give you an idea of the size

Joshua Tree National Park -- North Entrance

Joshua Tree is completely differnt on the north side than on on the south side (where the Lost Palms Oasis is). There was even a significant difference between the west and east entrances of the north side of the park. The west is flat plains filled with Joshua Trees as far as you can see. Giant boulder piles decorate the landscape.





We had a great time climbing on the rocks!

Hidden Valley

We took a short hike through Hidden Valley, which is a valley completely surrounded by boulders. The ground inside the ring of rocks is protected from the harsher elements of the desert and makes the land more fertile.




I was quite disappointed not to find a ranch dressing sales outlet at the end of the trail....

Ryan's Peak

The climb to Ryan's peak starts at about 3000 feet. In a short mile and a half trail, you climb another 2500 feet -- so basically its a 1.5 mile rock stair case. It was about 100 degrees out, but the view was worth it.

Keys Overlook

The northern part of the park is divided in half by a mountain range. Keys Overlook is a very nice view...

If you look closely a desert squirrel was also taking in the view....

And then checking us out.....

Jumbo Rocks

On the east side of the mountain range there are no Joshua Trees. There are lots of boulders and cactus though. Spent more time scrambling on the boulders.





Here's Brian in the eyeball of Skull Rock.


And me goofing around...

Palm Springs

Here's a shot of Palm Springs from the San Jacinto Mountains