Merry Christmas!

Here is our Christmas photo taken at the humane society. Technically it was 'photo's with Santa' but who wants some strange Santa in the photo. We kicked him to the curb and took this photo. The photographer was great at getting both dogs to at least look forward. He had a whistle so Shika was looking at the sound and Rocky was looking at the people knocking on the wall since he couldn't hear the whistle. I wish I could find where this guy works because he was really good.

Davis County Hike

I joined a couple hiking groups here in Utah and found some of them were too intense and had drama queen organizers. Save the drama please! So I started my own and met a lot of nice poeple that just like to get out with their dogs and enjoy a good walk.
Yesterday my friend and I hiked with the Davis county hikers, which by their member profile seemed like an older crowd. We really enjoyed it and had a great time even if we did end up having to do what I called mud ski down one section of the trail.
Today, since the snow had melted, we walked another trail in town and the dogs are now snoozing it off.
Someone else took these photos during out hike of the crew.

Wasatch Canyons

Rocky went for a trial visit at the Wasatch Canyons facility. The woman that organizes the dogs that come in likes to have dogs there so the kids have something to think about besides themselves. Good plan if you ask me. I believe they have 2 or 3 other dog teams that visit and she prefers the big dogs.

This is a behavioral health and substance abuse facility for teens from 13-18. Rocky did great and enjoyed playing in the gym with the kids. He's been snoozing since we got home. We will be going back every other week starting next week on Sundays. Hopefully the baths he has to get before he goes won't dry him out too much in this desert air.

I'm putting together a little photo album of his before and after photos to hopefully show the kids the reality of animal neglect and abuse. It's also good for them to see a handy capped dog who is very well adjusted and happy go lucky. Not just handy capped but a dog who overcame his neglect and despite it all loves anyone who will pet him and let him lick their face! That's my boy :o)

Humane Society of Utah's Photos with Santa

Today we went to the Humane Society of Utah's photos with Santa. Okay so we ditched Santa and just took a "family" shot. I'm not into strange Santa's in my photos. The photographer was great and they had lots of people helping. The guy nailed an awesome shot the first photo he took. Although I don't like the canned cheesy themed background the picture was good so we'll take it.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine was taking Halloween photos of people and their dogs for the Have Pittie Pit Bull rescue of Utah so we went and had this photo done. I had to crop out the edge where she overshot the curtain but it came out cute. Shika was in no way in the mood for photos in the center of a very crowded mall.



Shika decided to turn around and give me kisses instead of looking at the camera.

TAU 5K Fun Run/Walk

Rocky and I helped with the Therapy Animals of Utah's fund raiser. We helped set up, walked the 5K and hung out until the festivities were over at around 11:00. So with him being busy from 7am-11:00am and a 3-4 mile walk when we got home he's now a sleepy boy! We did the walk after because his sister Shika did not come with us on the 5K. It's hard enough to juggle 2 dogs but when you have so many unknown dogs around, and I was trying to assist in passing out shirts, I didn't want to take any chances.

I have an e-collar, which I know some people will think I'm horrible for having. Since Rocky is deaf I'm trying to use it like a clicker. It has a vibration mode so I'm trying to teach him when I hit the vibrate mode he needs to look at me. Nick mode is saved for his fixated behavior. We have broken him from his car mania now we are working on some of the dogs in the neighborhood that get him spun up. He was expecially interested in the rooster this morning at Wheeler Farms!

I have been bad about picture taking on hikes lately so here's a few random ones a friend of mine has taken on walks and at events we've attended.

There are some interesting signs as you hike to Timpanogos cave in American fork canyon. They also have good nature signs on the animals in the area. Thank goodness I haven't run into any cougars. I have had coworkers at IMFT who have had them in their neighborhoods before. That's one animal I'm content to see in the zoo!







One of the local pools allows people to come to the pool with their dogs before they close for the season. Rocky discovered deep water by accident. Then he decided he really enjoyed getting in the pool. When I first brought him home he wanted nothing of even getting his feet wet. Shika was the same way. After they hike a few times and discover the water is cooling they get in every puddle, creek, or deep water they see.

Bowman Trail-Millcreek Canyon SLC

My pictures seemed fuzzy today so after seeing how they came out I cleaned my camera lense. Better luck next time. The colors were fabulous!! The reds in Millcreek canyon were awesome. I'm so glad I hit both canyons this weekend. They are so different. My favorite is still American Fork.






We have recently picked up new members in our hiking group. One actually showed up today with her cutie Abbie (I think-I'm horrible with names.) Abbie is a little sassy Sharpei. Not the typical Sharpei size but the typical goofy Sharpei face. And good for Jill for adopting her from a shelter.





This is a frequent photo I get of Shika trotting back up the trail. This one and her laying in the water. I think some strangers have some of her laying in the water! I know some stranger in DC has a photo of her in her backpack. Apparently this was quite a site for this person. People are strange.

More Fall Colors Photos

Here's a few photo's my friend took on our hike today. Love the one she got of me and my two by the lake. It's hard enough to get a dog to look at the camera then throw a deafie in the picture! :o)

Just when you thought your car was dirty!
Outdoor gear sudo contained in the pink crate, doggy pack pack, human back pack, two German Shepherds, and probably 100 lbs of shedded doggy hair.



Me and the kids:



Shauna, Chui, and the tops of my two's heads:



Myself, Rocky, and Shika again-one of my favorite photo's of the day:



Shauna and Chui. Juno had to stay home :o(

Fall Colors

Well the colors weren't as spectacular as I had hoped but they were still nice. I'm used to the greater verity of colors back east. I think the reds probably peaked a couple weeks ago so today the yellows showed their beauty.

Rocky started out with the doggy pack but quickly grew hot. I even gave them a lighter load of water today thinking it would be cooler. He's now snoozing it off. Shika was a sport and carried the pack the rest of the hike.

I'm missing my weekday hiking that I did when I used to work shift but I'm not missing the 12 hour days I used to have to work. I was thinking the ATV's would be gone this late in the season and the gate closed where they normally flock. Unfortunately I think I was remember a late season camping trip during the weekday when I hadn't seen the ATV's. So we picked a different trail and about got run over by some other off roaders-moto cross types. These guys though were very polite and stopped their motor bikes in time to miss totally plowing over us and leaned way over off the trail up hill to let us go by.

We also came across some of those crazy off road cyclist and a couple on horses. All were very polite. I find that American Fork outdoor recreation people are WAY nicer than the people you run into in Millcreek canyon where the city people want to just run up do their thing and run down with out stopping to enjoy it. Sometimes the Millcreek crowds are just flat rude. I also enjoy that we, even though we are dog people, don't run into a lot of dogs. Too many people in the other canyon let their dogs run off leash because they are too lazy to train them properly and the dogs are totally out of control, unruly, and start fights.

Here's some photo's of today's hike.

Draper Rehab

Well it looks like Rocky will be going to Draper Rehab (AKA nursing home.) It's about the closest place I can make it to after work by 7pm. Seems most places don't have the option of going on the weekend because they don't have staff and the other place we were going to go was a ways away. I would have had to change my work schedule one day a week.

This week I had to go alone with out Rocky and shadow a woman. She had a Chinese crested. She mostly held him so the people that weren't all with it couldn't really pet him very well. Rocky will go next week. I think his head is as big as Tate's entire body so people will be able to pet him easier with out me worrying about him getting dropped. Next week Rocky and I go with the woman I went with this week. We'll see how he does.

Shika is always nervous when we upset the routine with room mates. Now she is back to her calm self. She doesn't seem to like the whole room mate idea even though she got walked a little more in August the room mate didn't handle her in a way to make her feel secure. She's a dog you have to be very verbally firm with. If you act all nicey nice to her and use a soft high pitched voice for some reason it spins her nerves up.

We moved to a bottom floor apartment at the back of the complex. Even though I hear the squeaks from the floor above we are away from the courtyard and all the screaming Utah children so it's actually more peaceful back here. We are also right by the neighborhood park entrance which is nice. I don't have to walk through all the yappy dogs in the complex who don't get walked further than one building away from their homes. It amazes me that small dog people think they don't need exercise-the dogs or the owners :p

Since we are on the first floor the dogs can act as goofy as they want with out me having to worry about the noise vibrating through the floor to any neighbors. Rocky of course takes full advantage and bounds through the house once or twice a day with his toys. I'm still waiting for them to unpack while I'm at work ;) This is Rocky's idea of helping his mommy unpack:

The Machine Gun Fire/Herriman Utah Fire

Yes we were right in the path of this fire Sunday night. What a truly awesome site as the flames licked up all along the ridge and it moved down the mountain at us. I am truly greatful for all the efforts of the fire/EMS/police/national guard and other emergency crews. Having been one in my pastlife (volunteered on a fire dept in Ohio and police officer in Kansas City) I can imagine what they put up with.



Mostly I am greatful I was home and able to get the dogs out with me. I could not imagine not being able to come home and having my home destroyed with my dogs in it. That would be a thought I would have never been able to get out of my mind had it happened.

Thanks to our wonderful friends who let us stay for two nights until it was safe to come home! You will see her photo with her two husky mixes in many of our posts. Her husband isn't much of an outdoorsman so it's usually us and our dogs and whom ever else we can talk into going.

Photo's from My Louisianna Trip

Recently I was asked to go with a different group than the one I work with and help with a test in Louisianna on our equipment. The test didn't happen due to HSE issues but we were there a week and did take a day to go to the Tabasco plant. This is the ONLY manufacturing plant for Tabasco in the world. Quite amazing.

We didn't get to tour the island after due to rain but I did get some great photo's. The drips running through some of them are the rain coming down. I love the south and the GREEN! I could however have done with out the heat and humidity.