Weekend Update

Started the weekend with Gretchen's longest ride/run to date. Though this is a picture of CJ on this morning's hike, Gretchen did pretty well Friday night. We did just under 12 miles in the quiet pitch black around Marsh Creek. It took her about 6 miles to settle in and just run. By that time I was about done.

She didn't do a whole lot Saturday, so now we know what to do if we need to put her in a coma for a while.

Saturday rained mostly. After running some errands (i.e. buying a lot of crap), we went out for a little car shopping.

Car shopping sucks and that's all I'm going to say about that.

This morning we were up bright and early for Jen to paddle and me to hike the dogs.

It's amazing how quickly the sun's inclination changes. Now the sunrise is at the south end of the lake. Seems just a month ago it was a lot closer to the north end.

The hike was good for the dogs. It simply annoyed me. CJ is either getting more deaf or more stubborn in his old age. He wouldn't listen for shit. That's not true. He did listen (sometimes) for treats, but bit your fingers off getting them.

Gretchen had her own special annoyance. She found some kind of rotten something (poop of some kind I suspect) and rolled in it. It was all over her head, neck, legs, harness, collar, you name it. It was nasty. It stunk up everything. It wasn't long after getting home that she got a bath.

After the hike and breakfast it was time to start chores. Like any weekend in the fall, this one was committed to leaf mulching. By this time in the season it gets tricky. There's so many leaves you can't just run over them like you would cutting the grass. You have to raise the mower deck real high and go backwards.

That's right. Backwards.

For some reason the tractor gets over the piles and mulches them better if I go backwards.

Whatever. It works.

After raking and mulching the front yard (nearly 3 hours!), I got to run out for a little and watch this.

There was a local benefit jump jam down the street from me. Pretty cool. Got to see, hang out and chill with some folks I haven't seen in a while.

Wish I could have stayed. Hell. Wish I could have participated, but I had to get back and finish the chores.

Not to mention pull a tick off my nipple.

Yeah. It hurts.




- b