April Fools

 Hey Tribe,

Just wanted to share my two April Fools with you.

I don't know what they're doing... catching snowflakes, perhaps?

Step Aside, Rudolph

Hey Tribe,

It's Christmas Eve!

Just a quick note to let you know who will be guiding Santa's sleigh this evening.

Ever since Rex received the news he'd made the team, he's been practicing his dashing through the snow skills.

So, tonight, if you hear the pitter patter of paws, it's just the B (as in Bear) team coming to eat your cookies.

First Race

Hey Tribe,

Rex and I tried something new today - we entered a Dryland Mushing race!

Dryland Mushing is dog "sled" racing with wheels, such as a bike or a scooter, and without snow. 

We are not a speedy team: Rex runs at an easy pace he could maintain for miles and miles and is slow enough I wouldn't be seriously injured if we crashed.  Our lack of speed worried me, not because I knew we wouldn't "win," but because if we were too slow a team behind us might lap us on the trail; Rex can be reactive to other dogs, especially when he is on a lead, and I really didn't want him to pick a fight with another racing team.

However, today, I think he felt my eagerness and he put some pep in his step and we raced.  We really raced!  So much so that we caught up to the team ahead of us and passed them, with Rex not even glancing at the gray husky.  I was so relieved and happy and had such fun as we cruised through the trees toward the finish line.

Rex is such a good boy and I am so proud of him.  He always tries his best and we have a lot of fun together, no matter what we're doing.  I can't wait to enter another race with him as my partner.

Fly is Five!

 Hey Tribe,

Yep, our baby girl is 5.

Fly and I went on a hike we've never done before and it was such a fun morning/afternoon!

Our friends, ThePurposefulWanderer and SalPal, joined us for hiking and blueberry picking.

Since we went early, we were the only ones on the trail and Fly was able to run free and try to catch as many ground squirrels as she wanted.

We found two lakes, which Fly tested for swimming suitability.

The water in this area is so clear and I absolutely love walking along the sandy bottomed streams that tranquilly flow out from the lakes.  I could spend all day here and be quite content.

As the morning progressed, we could see people in the valley below us and Fly looked down at them with the air of one satisfied with accomplishing something ahead of others.

When we returned home, Fly spent her afternoon hunting goldfish and swimming in her pond.  The pond has been her most favorite thing this year!

Happy 5th Birthday, best girl!

DIY Dog Pond, Finishing Touches

Hey Tribe,

This is the last installment in the DIY Dog Pond series and we will be talking about finishing touches and general observations.

One of the important things about the pond that I wanted to mention is the placement of the water filters.  As mentioned in the supplies post, I have four mechanical filters working to keep the water clean and healthy. Two of the filters are like little fountains and I've placed them along one side of the pond, the ramp side, mostly because they aren't designed to be placed in over 4 feet of water.  My skimmer cleans surface water, so it is placed in the shallow end of the pond and it feeds a little waterfall (my favorite feature of the pond).  It is the filter placed in the deepest part of the pond that is the true unnoticed workhorse of the pond, however, because it has the important job of pulling the oxygen depleted yucky dead water that collects at the very bottom and bringing it up to the surface where it can be refreshed and made healthy again: the filter pulls in and cleans the dead water and the little frog spitter literally spits the water out onto the surface of the pond.  It is essential that the pond water be cycled and not let to grow stagnant, both on the surface and down in the 7 foot depths of the pond.

Fly watches the fish, 7ft below the surface, swim around the bottom filter.

We waited about a week after pond construction was completed before introducing the fish to their new home, but once they were in there, they made the place their own.  In early morning and evening, they can be seen near the surface, playing around in the bubbles created by the fountains and throughout the day they swim about in the deeper sections, out of reach of eager dogs.  I believe they have grown even larger and must be eating well, because we do not have any mosquito larva visible in the water, and we have not fed them at all this summer.

At least one frog has visited the pond and the shallowest part of the pond is a favorite location for frequent bird baths.  Bees land on the turf skirt and sip the water that wicks up the edges and dragonflies do flybys and skim the water's surface.  It's a busy pond.  I've added rocks and places to accommodate all manner of visitors.

It is also Fly's new favorite pastime, though not necessarily for the reason I thought it would be.  Ever the predator, I thought she would just run the edges and hunt the fish, which she does, but she also seems to enjoy swimming just for the sake of the swim - even after she has made an unsuccessful dive for a darting goldfish - and she will paddle back and forth before eventually making her way to the ramp and climbing out to hunt the edges once again.

I am also pleased to report that it is the perfect size for me to take a dip and swim about for a bit; the 7 foot depth means I can really swim without feeling like I'm in a tiny wading pool.  I enjoy sitting on the shelf, my body mostly under the water, with Rex standing next to me as we watch Fly hunt fish and swim laps. 

This DIY Dog Pond might have started out as a fish pond turned dog pool, but it has become much more than that - it is a summertime retreat, a preferred destination, and an activity we don't even have to leave home to enjoy.