Twilight Trek

Over the weekend I filled in some of the holes Maya made in the yard. I dug up topsoil from the little woods back of my yard and filled in the most jarring scars. It will take a fair bit more dirt to fill all the places she has excavated but that may have to wait til spring. She hasn't been at it much this week, and I suspect she's spending more time indoors during the day. Her fault. Not sure dogs can be trained not to dig but since we go to training weekly and Maya is moving up this week to the Obedience II class, maybe I'll find out more about what can and can't be expected of her.

Actually, she's doing so well around the house. She rarely tries to get out when we open the door and she is much more inclined to sit when people come in, though that depends on who is entering. She rarely jumps up on me and if we're alone she won't even come over to me unless I call her. But when the kids or Meche are home she's already excited and then comes scurrying over to me and sits for some attention. Still, she chews indiscriminately and yesterday gnawed on Fionna's Nook cord. It was on Fionna's bed plugged into the wall. Not cool for Maya, and not F's fault since she had shut her door, or so she says. But others open it and don't bother to shut it. Unfortunately, Fionna was only one page short of finishing a novel and is pissed at the dog. She was complaining about my dog and disavowing family ownership. Too bad. For that disrespect, she can pay for her own new Nook charging cable.

Meche and I took Maya for a walk on Sunday afternoon about 4 o'clock, up the mountain I discovered in the summer. It was Meche's first outing there--and only the second time she has accompanied me to walk the dog, though once I went with her and the daycare. We didn't make it to the top of the mountain, but almost, turning back at a junction where the trail splits in three places, one going left vertically up to the peak, such as it is, and one going around the side and approaching the high point from a more gradual ascent. The other trail, a mountain bike route, goes right and loops back to the main trail. We turned around as the sun was setting and I wasn't sure we'd get back out before it got to dark. Daylight savings time ended over night and I didn't want to overestimate the day. It was a good call.  It was pretty well into twilight when we reached the car and Meche admitted she'd been scared the whole hike. It's a pretty isolated area, though there are houses along the road. It has a lonely quality to it and I seldom run into other people there. I like that about it. Meche said she didn't know how I could go alone there all the time. I said I have my trusty dog with me! I've been slightly spooked a couple of times there when I've stayed too near to darkness, partly because I've noticed Maya doesn't like it when she can't see and gets more nervous at dusk. I wonder what would happen if we encountered a coyote or a bear. Not impossible at all.

It was nice of Meche to go with me. Hardly anyone ever does.

The next day I was off from work and took Maya to the wilderness. We met eight or 10 dogs at different points on the trail and Maya was happy to romp a bit with the others. She behaved super, too, coming when I called her to walk in the opposite direction from her friends, and she waded deep into the stream, getting herself cleaned off nicely. We also ran into Karen and her dog Maggie. They  originally told me about the wilderness after I met them on a walk in a leash-only park, so after I started going to the wilderness and met her and her husband and baby there a few times, I told her about the mountain. I've never met her there but she told me they'd gone various times, usually midday, and love it. Maybe we'll meet one of these times. I don't tell many people about the place. I don't want to spoil the quiet, spiritual tranquility I sometimes feel there. It's like having my own private woods, almost.