Cochiti Trail with 8 Dogs

Eric on bike on Cochiti trail 

with 8, yes, eight dogs

 running 12 miles.

Our Sumo-boy way up front in the lead.

Vasco, the patriarch of Eric's pack, the father of 5 pups,

chose the role of protector of me and Isabella, on his own. 

While quiet the athlete, he took it on himself to stay behind.

He will do the same when Eric's wife comes along on outings.

But Vasco barely knows me, and I must say, 

I felt safer with him near.

Ecstatic reunion between Eric and Vasco

as the 7 of them catch up with us 3.

Interestingly once Sumo decided to hang back with us,

Vasco felt free to run off. They traded places. Amazing.

The sight of dogs off lead, 

able to follow their noses

with their tails up high

is such a happy sight.

Fresh Breeze

Ah, fresh breeze on my cheeks 
while riding my bike 
with two pups on lead, ah!

I made it out on bike with the pups by 7 this morning. No big deal? Well, for our sleepy town, little happens this early, the streets are still mostly empty, the air can be cool, even cold as autumn seems to have announced it's approach already. For me it is a big deal to beat the temptation of the net and head out, rather then on the computer, before the heat of the day.

My pups did great, stayed focus and did never once threaten my life with  erratic, spontaneous impulses of their own. I marveled inside the coffee shop, where we stopped on our way home, how easy life has become with more mature (going on 5 years, both) dogs. No longer did I have to feel anxious about their behavior outside while I was placing my order inside. No longer did I feel a need to crash the waiting lines to get back out to prevent mayhem. They are really good doggies, but canines they are. It is always better to not approach an unknown tethered dog. Today one girl somehow got scared off. I really do not know what happened, did not hear any klamauk. I felt bad, wished the girl would have wanted to try again, rather then slink away from my pups. I surely do not want to imprint fear of dogs on any girl through my pups. Wish someone had introduced me gently to dogs when I was young and scared and certain those German shepherds  were out to bite my hand off. 

Isabella-girl, who often now lags behind (having discovered that my eyes are not on my back) today, with a glimmer in her eyes, got to running ahead and gave Sumo this mischievous look back. I love that glee filled spirit of hers that exudes out of those big brown eyes.

Passing a tree full of apples many of them on the ground, I learned that some city workers do think and make sensible decisions of their own. The fallen apples will not be wasted in a land fill, but will feed a sow. Hooray for not wasting food! Hooray for one man's initiative and hooray again for the city no longer fertilizing all public parks as it used to be done. No thanks to toxins and yes to green managements. In our community it is the law that fruit hanging and dropping on/over public spaces is common goods. My eyes were open for loot!

That is how I stopped at a neighbor's plum tree where the side walk was littered with gooey, gunky, messy, squooshy plums. Hoping for some whole fruits, I stopped and stared, as two girls, I learned 9 and 3 years old, approached me. Ah, so cute, the bigger girl pushing the wagon holding her younger sister. I learned that she has a day off from Summer school because she has a mean teacher. Her paper did not get a star like most others, so she decided to give herself a star! And for good measure she added a second star on her sisters sheet. Oh well, the girl conceded that she misses her best friend, a boy, and she will go back to school tomorrow. I was surprised to find two very cute girls unsupervised on the streets. Hope they will get their expected new puppy tomorrow and that I will see them again at the dog park, under supervision.

All in all a most delightful morning today.

Fall, not from grace, but new bike!

It happened, one of my worst fears, I fell off my bike yesterday!

Only one week earlier I had succumbed to a good deal and got myself a new and different bike - on sale. It is hard to resist a good deal and even harder when my purchase benefits charity. For every bike sold in the US, one goes to an African health care worker! The Kona Africa bike www.konabiketown.com/ was conceived to support the distribution of health care in Africa. Isn't it a great idea! This bike it is perfect for me:

I love the look of the composite, to me elegant, frame, not a glossy, but dull, solid black. Finally a step through frame that does not require of me to be an athlete in swinging my one leg back over a huge milk crate or over the darn bar, - while holding my two pups on lead. The bike has one gear only, just fine for riding downtown, on flat terrain, going on errands and exercising my pups. The foldable crate up front is cute and to me very practical. It holds all the necessities for outings: Camera, phone, and for the pups, poop bags, treats and water. The brakes require some getting adjusting to. The one brake handle on the bar adjusts the back peddling system and not used properly can easily spill disaster, as happened with me. The Kona bike comes with a lock of the back wheel which has limited use here in the Southwest where bikes get stolen, even with parking meters they had been attached to! The seat is wide and comfortable enough and ah, sitting upright is such a relief, such a long missed pleasure, it's got to be worth the expense. I have been wanting to ride upright for decades and it seemed impossible in the US to find this kind of bike, similar to what I have known and loved in Amsterdam.

I have been riding bikes since I was 10 years old and got one for Christmas. I remember my mom, afterwards, expressed her worries about my discovering their surprise gift and spoiling the fun. The only fall off a bike before yesterday was when I followed my mom through a busy intersection in Zurich and anxious I got my tire stuck in a track. Thankfully nothing broke ,not then when I was maybe 12 years old and not yesterday. No, I don't wear a helmet for bike riding, it spoils the fun for me. I did wear a helmet eventually riding my scooter though as even I recognized the irresponsibility and foolishness in not doing so. Helmets do look ridiculous on most anybody and most certainly on me.

My mountain bike has been good for me. I bought it 15 years ago by default, as no upright bikes then were available from our local dealers. The pretty color lettering had much to do with my choice. It is a solid bike, with gears that make it reasonably easy to go uphill. It has served me well. I hope I can keep it as there is bliss in having the right tool for the right occasion.

to be continued, maybe ...