Hi, everybody! Daisy Jones-Klein here, hoping you’re having
a swell Summer. I know I am, but then again, most any time of year is a good time
for me. Yep, it’s still good to be Daisy.
Summer here in Santa Fe is pretty sweet. And there’s lots to
do! In addition to my usual chores like pinning down sunbeams and making sure
the kibble-to-poop pipeline stays filled, there’s a whole new crop of bunnies
to chase; after all, someone’s got to teach them who’s Boss around these parts.
Plus, the longer days mean more time for afternoon naps. What’s not to love?
And with the warmer weather upon us, we’re getting out and
about more often. Some places are dog-friendly, which is great for a certain road-trip-loving
quadruped. But other places aren’t, and the Peeps have to go off sans moi.
So last week my Peeps took me to Camp Barkaway for an
overnighter. I like it there, ‘cause me and the other doggies can nap and yap
and bark our brains out all day long, and never get shushed even once. It’s
fun, and it helps me stay at the top of my game. Yay for Camp Barkaway!
But when I’m away at Camp, what’s the point of hanging
around a quiet house without me? None that I can think of. So my Peeps went out with some friends to the
upper Pecos River Valley. It’s in the middle of the Santa Fe National Forest,
and only about 10 miles east and over the mountains from here, as the crow flies. But for any of you Readers
out there who happen not to be crows, it’s a little over an hour by car.
But
what a different world! The Pecos River cuts a deep valley, offering tall trees, camping,
hiking, birding, and fishing, all in the midst of a cool mountain forest. My Peeps and their friends shared a cabin right on the Pecos River, and with the rainy El Niño season
bringing extra rain to the state, you could hear the rushing water everywhere.
And there were a zillion hummingbirds! Hummers like New
Mexico in the summer plenty enough, but this place was off the charts. At the
General Store at Tererro, the well-tended feeders host hundreds of the little
guys every day. If you don’t mind blurry wings, it’s easy to take close-ups
like these pictures.
And for a short video clip of the little flying critters,
click here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/87mfdto7nhsen9e/Hummers%202015-07-23%2019.48.34.mts?dl=0
In yet another telltale sign of Summer, I’m shedding everywhere!
Apparently the classic fashion advice about how “White goes with everything” doesn’t
really apply when it’s white doggie fur on a dark sofa. Who knew? Now, as you can
see, I can be pretty comfy on a sofa, and I just leave it to the Peeps to vacuum
up after me (my staff is pretty good about that!).
Seems Mom had a different idea. Why not get me a nice pillow
so I can de-fur all over that instead of the sofa? That seemed comfortable
enough for me, and my Peeps got me a special pillowcase to make sure that
everyone knew just whose corner this was.
Pretty good likeness, if I say so myself. Handsome, too! But
here’s the best part of all. Study the previous picture, and now look closely at the
next picture, and see if you can spot the one teeny-tiny difference between the two:
Did you spot the difference? Did you? ME NEITHER!!! It’s incredible,
when you think about it. I’m 100% Jack Russell Terrier, but I also think I’m
about 45% chameleon. How cool is that?!?!
There are lots more road trips to tell you about, but they’ll
just have to wait until the next time. It's time to walk away from the old laptop for a little while. After all, I’ve still got an afternoon
nap, then an evening walk, then dinner, and maybe even TV. I'm telling you, the days are just
packed!
Daisy Jones-Klein
Santa Fe, NM
July 2015
