They Tip Over?!

Yet more road hazards in New Mexico.

I’ve known for years that vehicles are dangerous—you only have to pay attention to the news—but yesterday I learned of a new danger: the damn things can tip over! We’re here in Colorado Springs, have been since last Wednesday, and our plan to leave yesterday morning was foiled by wind warnings in northern Colorado and Wyoming. But, the frightening part was the “no light trailer advisories” all along the I-25 in Wyoming where, get this, "blow-overs of light trailers are very common”. Blow over!? What the hell? Who decided this was a good way to travel? If I thought I could walk home I would but, realistically, my feet are just not up for an 1,800 km trek through this rocky, cactus-filled country. I have no choice but to endure the death trap a few more days and be prepared to hold on for dear life if required.

A little something I picked up beside the Rio Grande.

Teresa and Nollind have been much easier about going home this year compared with two years ago. Back then it was a bit like watching someone try to stuff a cat into a carrier. This year they seem to be looking forward to it, even excited. Me, I'm all over it—room to run, pooping in privacy, no foreign objects stuck in my paws on an almost daily basis, and oh…my leather couch...sigh. Leaving tomorrow I’m told, if the wind subsides.

Campsite in the Rio Grande Gorge

Granted, the stay in Colorado has been pretty nice, with a visit to a terrific off-leash dog park every day we’ve been here. It has a creek running all along its 24 acres and, no matter what time of day we go, there are plenty of other dogs. And, for the humans, it’s fenced, so they can enjoy themselves too (such worriers). Before coming to Colorado, we were camping in the Rio Grande Gorge near Taos, New Mexico for a few days. There wasn’t a lot of off-leash time there but some very good hikes and a lot of peace and quiet.

I continue to occupy my time with the training of my humans. They’re doing quite well in some areas, failing miserably in others. I’ve got them dipping my glucosamine chews in bacon fat so that I’ll eat them (and they think they’re outsmarting me!).

Taking my people for a walk at Garden of the Gods, CO.

On the failing side, it took me two weeks to make them understand they’re not to sit in or place items on my seat in the truck. Really people, why so difficult? The whole time Darren was visiting us, Teresa sat in my place right behind the passenger’s seat. I made such a fuss I couldn’t imagine how it wasn’t obvious, but no, they just debated on why I was suddenly not travelling as well as I had been. If humans spent less time looking at electronic screens and more time observing what’s right in front of them they’d be so much smarter, maybe even as smart as dogs.

It's All Good but the Goat Heads

New Mexico would get an A-1 rating from me if it weren’t for the “goat heads”. You heard me right, I said “goat heads”, although a biologist type would probably call them something different. A nice local woman in Las Cruces told us what the vicious little seed pods are called, the ones that stick to my feet almost every time I leave a paved surface. Logan doesn’t pick up nearly as many as I do…I guess he doesn’t always get the worst of things.

White Sands, New Mexico

But otherwise, New Mexico is very dog friendly. White sand dunes for romping through, lakes with water in them, restaurant and coffee shop patios that permit dogs to accompany their people, and even mountain hiking trails with real streams! It’s a bit colder here–we even drove up a steep, windy road to a place that had snow on the ground–but for we furry types the temperature is just about right.

Crossing a creek at Hyde Memorial S.P.

Today we have company coming, our friend Darren from Calgary. I was worried he was going to bring his dog Roxie with him, and she and Logan would go off playing and ignore me, but I found out yesterday that she’s staying home. Roxie’s all right, but I’m relieved. I don’t like having to share my buddy with other dogs. We went to a dog park in Santa Fe and, as usual, he was off playing with everyone he met, including this one enormous dog that bounced around like a giant rabbit and totally freaked me out. 

The Capitol of New Mexico in Santa Fe.

I’m more inclined to make human friends, like the two students at Ecco coffee shop in Santa Fe. The one petting Logan in the picture even sat down on the sidewalk with me for a while. She was so sweet, sigh… That was such a great day, we went along on a Santa Fe downtown walkabout and there were so many people and exciting smells. I was exhausted by the time we got back to the truck.

My new friends at Ecco.

We’re in Albuquerque now, and there are a bunch of things planned while Darren is visiting us. I just hope some of them include dogs, especially because T will be riding in the back seat with us and I’ll be able to use her lap for my pillow–one of my most favouritest things.