Disneyland

I itched with energy this morning. After a week of short runs on our neighborhood trails, I wanted to really move. We headed to the Flats. Right out of the car, Kona went to work sniffing a wall of flowers. I think she felt excited about the change of scenery too.
After a quick stretch of fireroad, we pealed onto a singletrack to start our climb. I couldn't keep pace with Kona. She stopped when she reached the end of her line. On climbs like this, I remember that Kona is running with resistance up these hills. I try to imagine someone pulling me backwards and telling me to run. She's one super athlete.
We pushed through the steepest section of trail to rejoin the fireroad. I was surprised to see several people on their way down the trail. It wasn't yet 7AM. I learned later that they had the right idea.

The extra activity on the trail served as a good distraction. Before I knew it, we reached the Flats. Kona went right to work. This must be a hotbed of animal activity as Kona always goes on a sniffing rampage.
After a few minutes, I sat down to take in the city below us. I was happy to see kona slow her pace and willingly stay close to me. She took advantage of the break to try to quench her thirst. She still hasn't learned that the grass has started to turn to foxtails. Foxtails are good for choking, but aren't much of a water source.
Kona acted so much more relaxed compared to the first few times we hiked to the Flats. She happily sat for treats, but still kept one ear on alert.
I laughed out loud during our descent. Kona held her tail high. I felt relaxed with endorphins. This was a morning with my dog.

Then came Disneyland.

The further we ran downhill, the more people we passed. Kona took everything well until we past a group of 20 hikers. They stood off the trail, swinging their arms in the air to warm up for their hike.

Then came the little girl. She sprawled sideways, on top of her dad's shoulders.

Back on the fireroad, the line continued. It seemed like no one came to hike with a group smaller than six. When we finally made it to the parking lot, a group of 30 middle school boys charged towards us.

Yeah, Kona's not too into Disneyland. I should have known better. The trails in the forest get swamped on the weekends. I forgot the only forest trail I've taken Kona to on a Saturday is the Peak. That trail gets crazy also, but the thing we have going for us there is that trail goes straight up. It's not family friendly. Our route today intersected one of the only flat trails on public land in our area.

So we made a mad dash to the car. Yikes. No more amusement parks for us.

A Shout Out to Marge
Congratulations to Marge! She just rocked her first AKC agility trial. Marge and her human Sam are on their own journey to overcome fears. They always inspire us! Way to go!

Brave Bragging

Last week, Kona had many spooky days that seemed to be brought on by pain in her jaw. Her fear of me eased over the weekend and she has been one brave pup these past few days.

On Monday, I recruited my parents to join Kona and I on our hike. We didn't make it out as early as we usually do, so there was more activity on the trail. Kona handled the extra people and dogs without a blink. About half way through our hike, I heard gunshots. Lots of them. This particular trail borders the shooting range for the local police department. (Yes, the joys of urban trekking).

I cringed when the first round went off. Kona jumped. Then she went back to her all important job of the morning-lizard hunting! She was so obsessed with chasing lizards that she hardly rotated an ear after the first round of gunshots.

When we got home, we were greeted by painters who had taken over the kitchen and rearranged the furniture in the living room. Kona has seen these three people a number of times, so they weren't complete strangers and I wasn't surprised that Kona didn't seem too botherd by them. I was surprised when she approached one painter with her "little wiggle." When Kona is happy but not too sure about a situation, she lowers her head, holds her tail down, but still manages to wag her tail. It's the "little wiggle."

At first, Kona was worried about walking through the ransacked living room to get through the kitchen and out the backdoor. But after a few tries, she got it down and now moves through the rooms without any coaching.

Sure, I had to turn around after only a block while trying to walk Kona in the neighborhood this morning, but she's still doing great. Even with two nonpack members moving through the house, she's currently curled up in her bed.

I count each relaxed moment with Kona as something special. I hope she learns to be at ease in more places, but I'm also glad she has her handful of safe spots to really let loose.

Mountain Goat Sighting

I should have known from the dramatic sky that the morning would bring something special.

The elusive mountain goat leaped up the vertical hillside, leaving a thin green trail.

After waiting motionless for seconds on end, I saw the mythical creature emerge.

Spring Hills

Just as Kona hopped out of the car for our morning Ridge run, another car pulled up to the trailhead. There seems to be more hikers out this week with the spring holiday. The unexpected car spooked Kona. She spent much of the morning with a tense posture, but nerves wouldn't stop her from exploring.
I was the cheerleading squad. Each time Kona stopped to sniff I gave out a, "Woo-hoo! Go Kona girl!" I was too busy cheering to notice a little wooden sign. See it?
Here's a closeup. Kona soon buried her head into those nice green bushes. "Woo-hoo!" I kept with the theme.
The plants on our Ridge announced spring this morning. I saw my first poppy of the season. These are California's state flowers. They sometimes blanket hillsides, painting the landscape gold. This one stood on its own.
Kona had bursts of enthusiasm mixed with her nervousness. During a brave moment, she swished into tall grass. She has developed an obsession with lizards and seemed disappointed to find nothing during this search.
As we headed into the second half of our run, Kona gained some spunk, but she wasn't relaxed enough to stop for a picture. Off we went.
We soon came to a discovery we made over the weekend. Kona stopped to sniff and then pee on this pile of coyote fur. There was so much hair it looked like someone had taken a brush to the coyote's undercoat. This was only part of the pile.
On our way back to the car, I stopped to marvel at green hills. Living in such an arid climate, I know the days to enjoy flowers and grass are numbered. I'm glad we may get another dose of rain in the next couple days.
Mystery mouth update
Kona's jaw has improved. She started to give full yawns on Sunday. She seemed so excited to have a functioning mouth again that she spent much of Sunday evening eating everything in the yard. She chomped grass, sticks, collard greens. She then threw up a pile of foliage during the middle of the night and woke up the next morning with-what we call around here-a serious case of the stinky bum.

She's getting better.