Monday, July 31, 2023

These days are noticeably less smoky with the weather more cool. I’ve been riding horseback, and yesterday, went again, this time taking all of my horses and dogs. The whole family is now better acquainted, having all traveled together on a horse trail.

Starting tomorrow, with three days off from work, I will take us out more. August is the last month before hunting season begins, and experience teaches that hunters reduce safety in forested lands. My animal family and I will go traveling on local national forest trails in August.

I always have fun horseback riding in our local forest. Back when a large domestic horse population existed in this territory, the forest sported many well-defined horse trails. Those old trails are dim, and I have enjoyed seeking and discovering a few. Upon identifying an old trail, it becomes my routine during subsequent rides to move my horse over the faded trail to help redefine it.

A plan to find trails keeps me missing my old hound dog, Ranger. He made hunting old trails easy because he always found trails. He loved them, and I followed. Recently, outings with my puppy Chase give me hope he might mellow into trail sleuthing. He loves racing all over the territory but always winds up on trails ahead of my horse.

Dear Friends: More starting tomorrow; for now, I’m off to work. Diana

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Are ya seein’ the current moon? It’s a beaut.

Yesterday, all four dogs joined me on a horse trail. Little Mitzvah came along. I hoped she’d be unafraid of being close to a horse and thus join Chase on future trails. She faithfully followed my horse the entire distance with just one problem; traveling behind my horse had her swallowing trail dust.

Our route began by following a canal and then moving toward a dry loop which gradually returns to the canal. After we were close to completing the loop and nearing the canal again, Mitzvah started coughing lots, to rid her throat of trail dust. Soon as we neared the canal, the dogs raced to it. The big ones dipped in; Mitzvah tiptoed to its edge and drank. She then seemed fine.

My two older dogs are twelve years old. Osix still is in good enough shape to follow a horse, but Miles has arthritis. The constant moving causes him pain. I could leave him at home, but it breaks his heart to not be allowed on a trail. I hope the current trips are slightly less hard on him. My horse just walks, we’re on short trails, and close to available water.

Dear Friends: At last, I’m on horseback again, and have super companions. Diana

Saturday, July 29, 2023

The header image captures Chase on a horse trail. He’s pausing until my horse catches up.

I went again to a horse trail with Chase, and the horse and dog still got along well. We were traveling in an area of mostly desert but with a large active canal running through a portion of it. On that hot day, Chase had opportunities to take dips, often plunging into the water and staying relatively cool while tracking with my horse.

I’m returning to work today and have another odd schedule, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., helping to close the store. I have fed the horses this morning and hope to get away for an early horseback ride.

I wish to ride with two dependable trail dogs, and this time will take Mitzvah and Chase.

Maybe Mitzvah will run with my horse and Chase. On a trail, perhaps her small stature is a bit of a gamble; however, she’s smart and also partly a Jack Russel. She loves to run. Maybe she’ll be just fine. If she resists trail challenges, she must wait in the horse trailer while I ride and Chase tracks.

Dear Friends: Miles wants to go, but running will give him arthritic pain. Diana

Fifteen months ago, Chase came home with me.

Friday, July 28, 2023

The puppy, tiny and cute, was very tired. His rescuer had promised he’d grow into a small adult dog, as she’d seen his parents. Several months later, she obviously had been lying about the puppy’s potential size. I accepted having been a sucker and swallowing the bait.

Chase began to grow, becoming a 50+ pound, easily identifiable Rottweiler/Shepherd (and whatever else?) mix. Soon, he also became a source of great stress. First, he was a capable escape artist; he quickly climbed and cleared 6-ft.-plus fencing. Moreover, he became aggressive toward my older, weaker male dogs.

Those were severe strikes against attempting to rehome Chase. Nobody (including me) wants an escape artist or an overly aggressive dog. On the other hand, Chase had redeeming qualities. He was very smart and quickly could grasp what I wanted (although he could ignore much). Also, I was becoming “his person,” and he didn’t leave my side when loose. Another hesitation about rehoming my too-smart, too-big dog is that, having only lived with women, he’s a little suspicious of men.

I elected to try keeping Chase. My housemate helped, and we worked long and hard to adjust fence heights and prevent escapes. We accustomed Chase to wearing an e-collar to gain instant communication with him. In the months he’s worn that collar, I’ve had to beep it maybe three times.

Finally, I began taking Chase to hike in public spaces, wanting him better socialized and adjusted to meeting unexpected dogs and humans. He is better, too. For example, the day before yesterday, we hiked with Rachelle, our friend, and Ryder, her young Aussie. Chase and Ryder had never met before and played happily nonstop.

Those experiences are upping my courage. I planned to accustom Chase to running on trails with my horse yesterday and took him, my dog-savvy mare, Sunni, and my trail-experienced Border Collie, Miles, to a trail. Miles might help Chase learn to run safely with a horse by staying appropriately distant.

To my great surprise and delight, there were no problems at all! Both dogs tracked dependably and safely with Sunni for miles. Running with a horse seemed an activity Chase had been doing since the day he was born.

Dear Friends: My boy is maturing; I like him and might dump his e-collar. Diana

Thursday, July 27, 2023

The header photo captures new buddies, Ryder and Chase, in a canal doing one of their many wallows. Ryder’s person, Rochelle, is a long-time friend, and we were hiking with the pack.

Her dog, Ryder, is three years old. He and my energetic puppy were unstoppable. Rochelle and I walked about a mile with our racing dogs probably covering 20 miles. They frequently dipped into and out of the water.

I was surprised to discover that Osix wasn’t delighted over an unexpected pup joining the pack. At first, but not for long, she was unwelcoming; cool Ryder took her curled lips in stride.

Protective little Mitzvah worried early on, too, but recovered quickly. She needed to focus on dodging the roughing-it-up pups. Rachelle and I found ourselves dodging, too, whenever Ryder and Chase came roaring into our path.

Although the area’s earlier, beautiful spring plants are disappearing, and being replaced by sprouting weeds, the canal still appeals. It has sections of rushing water with colorful plants and draws attention. I enjoy capturing images.

Miles loves to take dips, and he sometimes ran with the younger dogs. At twelve, he still has lots of go but arthritis curtails his longer runs.

Mitzvah oversees the waders.

Dear Friends: There isn’t much that beats sharing quality time with pets. Diana

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Today is the first of three days off from work. I’ll be taking the puppies out to run, planning to ride horseback while having Chase running alongside, and preparing for roaming with a camera in search of birds.

The header is a long shot from my iPhone. I think the bird is a Jay.

Oh, yeah, there’ll be a fellow here starting to replace the broken fence posts.

These will be busy days after a week of tension at work. I got scolded for refusing to spend three days watering plants in the Garden Department. I was accused of not being a team player by not doing the needed work. My position was having stood up for myself and refusing to spend three full days in the August heat, with wet feet and dragging a heavy hose.

We got through this. Like most businesses, this one is short of employees. And, I was willing to walk down the hill to apply for work with a competitor.

Economically speaking, these are interesting times. Company values are important, but management must embrace the importance of valuing employees. It’s a time of bending old rules and accommodating situations differently.

I’m thinking about these troubling times, impacted by such as AI, robots, supply chain problems, and changing workers’ opportunities and attitudes. Management needs to rethink many old tried and true styles in order to keep everything running well enough.

Dear Friends: I’m off now to gather puppies and go hiking. Diana

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Just a quick good morning, as I’m scheduled to work early today.

It’s still smoky outside from about four active wildfires in nearby areas.

Dear Friends: Despite the smoke, have a good day. Diana

Monday, July 24, 2023

This morning will bring a hay delivery. I’m thankful for lower hay costs following a wetter winter. Several dry winters preceding this one curtailed crop growth, boosting costs out of sight.

It’s a reminder that, in one way or another, we’re grasping the potential power of two astonishing conditions. Those are climate change and human technology, impacting our world significantly.

I’m considering two key technologies now capturing bunches of attention, AI and batteries, both controversial. AI has the potential both to help and exploit humans. Battery technology will increasingly need rare Earth resources. Developing the technologies appropriately will require less belligerence and more collaboration among nations.

It’s ironic wishing to move ahead intellectually and technologically in light of current world behaviors. Conditions of collaboration aren’t glimmering against the realities of war in Ukraine, of rioters flooding the streets in Iran and Jerusalem, of severe drought and hunger conditions in African countries, and of people fleeing their home countries for better living conditions.

In America, our embattled institutions exhibit little, if any, collaboration. Among a majority of American voters, our major institutions and their leaders are in disfavor.

Dear Friends: Earthy conditions of “no turning back” curtain our future. Diana

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Arriving home late yesterday after working until 7 pm was no fun. Waiting for me were hungry animals, and some needed cleaning up. Bummer that I missed the PBS Saturday night rerun of a “Downton Abbey” segment. I’ve watched that series often (alongside almost everybody else in the world) and still enjoy its episodes these days.

Word on the internet is that a newly-written season of the show is coming up. That’ll be interesting as “Downton Abbey” debuted ten years ago, with a huge cast. The header photo shows its original group of actors. By now, many might have moved on in their careers. I understand that missing will be The indomitable Maggie Smith.

The original series ended in the late Twenties. I wonder where in time, a new season might restart the story. It’ll likely zero in on the Abbey babies: Mary’s son, Tom’s daughter, and Sybil’s child. Surely, Bates and Anna also would have children. Daisy, too, might be married and with kids; she’d also be Head of the Kitchen.

So, there’s lots of curiosity about what might have occurred in the lives of interesting characters. I’ve not mentioned the shadowy Thomas, who needed some happiness. In my favorite segment, the ladies had to cope in the aftermath of a handsome foreigner’s invasion of Lady Mary’s bed.

Dear Friends: I’ll look forward to add-ons from the pen of Julian Fellows. Diana

Schnauzer/Doodle in the Aisle

Saturday, July 22, 2023

My hours at work today seem awful; they’re between one and seven p.m. The Hardware Department’s “nightly closer” is on leave for a family emergency. The general shortage of employees is sliding me toward the store’s closing hours. My pets must wait longer for food, and my work at home lasts into the evenings. This isn’t a perfect world, so I’ll make do.

I’ll adjust the animal feeding times, reschedule the home and property care, wrap my head around current changes, and try to stay open to more. Have I ever mentioned disliking unexpected changes; of course, who doesn’t?

Yesterday, I fired the contractor who was installing an outside, free-standing lighting fixture. He’s a nice guy and a coworker, but unlike anybody who’s performed work for me, he went into action without first providing a job description and a price quote. He quickly appeared to be becoming very creative and overworking the project. I asked for a price estimate, and it was very high. His vision was too grand for my simple-lighting need.

I appreciate creativity and enjoy customers describing theirs to me as they shop where I work. They teach much, and I’m a sponge. So is my contractor-coworker, but business is just that, and his business rules don’t allow unquoted, uninvited creativity. What happened between us illustrates some problems in mixing business and friendship.

Dear Friends: I’ll take great care to be specific and detailed in the future. Diana