Saturday Morning Walk at Eisenhower Park on National Brownies at Brunch Month

On Saturday morning, Diane took Molly and me to another walk with the San Antonio Nature Hounds. This walk was at Eisenhower Park, where Molly and I have walked with the SA Nature Hounds before, but that walk was at night. This walk was organized to start at 8:15am, so that we could walk before the predicted record 106-degree temperatures set in.

We had approximately 16 people and about the same number of dogs that walked with the group. There were two Jack Russell terriers named Mojo on the walk. Early during the walk, Diane saw a human she knew who had been running along the trail. She walked with Diane and us for a while as the two humans caught up a bit on what has been happening in each of their lives.

We saw some runners and walkers along the Yucca trail and other dogs with their humans. There were actually quite a few other dogs with humans walking in the park on the trails. There are no bikes allowed in this park, so I couldn't chomp at passing bikes.

At the end of the walk, the humans gathered around a picnic table and ate brownies and drank cranapple juice or iced coffee. The walk organizer said that it was "National Brownies at Brunch Month." One human made some brownies with special chocolate and without flour. One human provided dog treats, which Molly and I appreciated.

San Antonio Medical Foundation Trail and the SA Nature Hounds

On Tuesday evening, Diane took Molly and me to a San Antonio Nature Hounds Meetup at the San Antonio Medical Foundation Trail in the Medical Center. It had been over a month since we had walked with the SA Nature Hounds. Diane determined our last group walk with the Nature Hounds was at Eisenhower Park on July 15. (She likes details.) It has been so hot this summer, so that deterred Diane from participating in more of the scheduled walks. I live outside and I like to walk, so I'm not too particular about the weather.

Tuesday night's walk included 7 dogs and 7 people. The San Antonio Medical Foundation Trail is a 2.2 mile trail. Our group observed 7 deer during our walk on the trail. Even though the area is surrounded by medical facilities, apartments, and other residential facilities, there is some wildlife in the trail area. We explored a new portion of the trail and veered past the apartment complex where Diane lived when she first moved to San Antonio. We eventually returned to the trail and got back to our starting point. It was fun to walk in a different location with some other dogs.

Brackenridge Park at night with the SA Nature Hounds

On the evening of July 3rd, Diane took Molly and me to Brackenridge Park to walk with the San Antonio Nature Hounds. (Mike didn't attend--something about HGTV.) Brackenridge Park is one of San Antonio's more historic parks, and it is heavily used, especially during holidays, like Easter and Independence Day.

There were about 20 humans and probably close to 25 dogs walking with our group. Several other humans walked with two dogs, and one human named Dianne walked with three dogs. The route was fairly flat, except near the end. We walked through the Japanese Tea Garden, so there were lots of steps to walk up and down there. Molly kept trying to pull ahead, but I just walked at a comfortable pace.

Molly graduates from beginner class

Molly graduated from her Beginner Education class this evening at PetSmart. Mike brought me along to the class to watch Molly. I had attended class at this store a couple years ago. I got a few treats during class, too.


Molly was rather excited and got distracted during the class test, but she still passed. The instructor, Charity, noted that I seemed relatively calm for my age.

Molly's certificate and scorecard are pictured here.

Molly and I will probably take a class together in a few weeks. Mike thinks it's important that we continue our education.

Buddy at Buddy Calk Trailhead

On Monday night, we had a family outing with the San Antonio Nature Hounds. Diane and Mike put Molly and me in the back of the Prius and we went to the Buddy Calk Trailhead along the Leon Creek Greenway. There were 12 other dogs and people who walked with us. The trail is mostly a wide sidewalk, so it's good for walking, and reminded me of the walk along the Salado Creek Greenway. However, the trail was heavily used this evening, and there were a lot of bicyclists (probably another Meetup group!) and a lot of runners and other people and dogs using the trail. We had a variety of dogs in the group. At the watering stop, which was next to a golf course and on a ridge, we had a nice breeze, which was pleasant, following the warm (about 86 degrees), humid conditions (about 63% humidity) we encountered on the walk. Mike was impressed that one of the dogs, who is part blue heeler, was so good at fetching. Mike is disappointed that I don't return objects to him when I fetch. We took this group picture. Molly and I are on the far right, and I'm looking toward the trail.

We returned along the trail at a more rapid rate, because it became dark as we walked. We walked behind a couple other dogs and female humans. Molly and I enjoyed our long walk in a different place!

Buddy's buddy

A lot has happened during the last few weeks.

In late April, Diane took me to the Callaghan Road Animal Hospital. This is a new veterinary clinic just down the road from our house. I hadn't been to the vet in a while, but it turned out the vet who saw me is Dr. Guevara, who had seen me before at another vet clinic. He remarked at how well-behaved I am, especially for a heeler. I got my rabies vaccination. It turns out that I have heartworms, so I have to take some medicine and get some treatments. I don't feel sick, however.

On Saturday, April 30 a tan puppy (probably 4-5 months old) squeezed between the gate and the fence post into my yard. How bold! However, she and I like to run around and play together, and Mike thinks we look good together, so she has been able to stay, so far. Diane was gone at the time the puppy showed up, so Mike decided the puppy would stay.

The following Saturday morning, Diane and Mike walked the puppy (who seems to be called "Molly" most of the time now) and me to the neighborhood park. We stood and sat around and there were quite a few other people there. The people were holding a ceremony to re-name the park from Ingram Hills Park to Joan Price Park. Joan Price is the president of the neighborhood association. She writes the newsletter that Diane or Mike and I deliver once a month to the houses on Stardust Drive.

Molly and I stood and sat patiently during the ceremony. We didn't bark or misbehave. We met the City Councilperson for this District, the city's Mayor's mother, and even the Mayor.

On May 14, Diane took me on a Volksmarch again. We left Molly at home. We walked along the Salado Creek Greenway. Diane saw some people she knew as we walked along the wide sidewalk or boardwalk. At one end of the walk, we went into the MacAllister Park Dog Park. I got to run around the dog park off leash. I saw Tang (another red heeler, whom I had met a few weeks ago on a SA NatureHounds walk) at the park. There was a large dog named Whiskey. There was a German Shepherd who seemed to tussle a little roughly with several dogs. We left the park after I had walked around and explored most of the park. We walked to the other end of the Greenway, near Los Patios, where the path currently ends at the access road along Loop 410. As we were walking back to the checkpoint, I saw a long black object along the edge of the sidewalk. Diane stopped and looked back and realized it was a snake. With the rain that we had on Thursday, snakes became more active. It didn't bother us, though. I wonder what adventures we'll have next.

I am having fun playing with my new buddy. I run around the yard a lot chasing Molly, and she seems to like to play a lot, too. She's got puppy energy, so sometimes I just need to rest a little, but I'm having fun with her!

Buddy and Diane on April 23, 2011 walk, at entrance to Singing Waters Vineyards. Photo by Martin Callahan.

An Easter Walk to Comfort Area Wineries

Saturday, April 23, 2011: I rode in the vehicle for a while today out to the Hermann Sons Youth Camp near Comfort. Diane brought me on the Easter Walk (& Wine) and we walked with Marcella and Mark. The sky was semi-overcast, but it became more sunny as the day continued. The temperature was in the 80s, but there was a good breeze, especially at some points along the walk. The walk was in the country along lightly traveled roads. We did have to walk over about 6 cattle guards--I didn't know what to think of those metal grates, but I was wary of them. The first two I was able to walk along the edge, like Diane did. On one guard I was able to walk down a metal strip in the middle. The last two I leapt over with some encouragement.

There were many hillside views along the route. As we got off the road and turned on the driveway to Singing Water Vineyards, we saw a field with more than 30 brown, and white and brown goats--both adults and kids. The kids scampered around and bleated. We got to the checkpoint and Diane, Marcella, and Mark went inside a building where they saw wine casks, tanks, and sampled wines. Meanwhile, I stayed outside with Pat at the checkpoint table. When Diane came back, Pat told her I was well behaved. That's because I was lying down most of the time, because I appreciated the opportunity to rest in the shade.

We continued back along the road where we had walked. In the distance, we saw cattle walking near a creek. Later we saw some donkeys and horses. The walk continued to Bending Branch Winery. This is a new winery. The tasting room opened in August 2010. I sat outside under the shade of a large live oak tree. There was another dog also resting nearby. He appeared to be part sheep dog and part blue heeler. The walk continued along several roads and there was not very much shade along the last stretch of the walk.

Marcella found a plastic egg along the route fairly early in our walk. If you find a plastic egg, you get a prize, such as a live plant. Near the end of the walk, one of the walk organizers drove by in a truck and asked if we had found any eggs. The humans said they had found one. By the end of the walk, we found two more eggs--one for each human. Diane and her friends called these "pity eggs" since they were sure that the organizer had put these eggs out along the trail after talking to us. But the humans liked their prizes; they selected plants. We walked a total of 12 kilometers. I sat fairly still in the car on the ride home, because I was tired!

An Evening Walk from Lady Bird Johnson Park

Friday, April 22, 2011: We did another walk with the San Antonio Nature Hounds. It was warmer and more humid tonight than it was last week. However, at 86 degrees and 50% humidity, it was still comfortable, compared to what we expect this summer, and we enjoyed the walk.

When we arrived at Lady Bird Johnson Park, we met a few other people and dogs. Diane knew one couple we saw. Then we found out that the meeting point was further into the park. (Diane didn't read the directions carefully enough.) Others drove, but Diane and I walked to meet the other Nature Hounds near the linkage to the Salado Creek Greenway. There were 12 dogs and 10 people in our group.

The walk organizer brought one of his Great Danes, and there was a new walker with his Australian Ridgeback, named Rigby. There was another dog who was part Red Heeler (like me!) and probably part Husky (with blue eyes) named Tang! There were a number of other smaller dogs, and Maggie, who is a border collie mix and who barks more than the other dogs do.

The trail was a wide concrete sidewalk and suitable for strollers, and probably even wheelchairs for most of the route. A few people on bikes and skateboards passed us, but there weren't a lot of other people or dogs out walking on the trail besides us. When we got to Loop 410, where we heard and saw lots of vehicles passing by, we stopped, waited for the rest of the group, and some of us got water. I was hoping I would get a treat, but I didn't. We turned around and re-traced our steps on the Salado Creek Greenway, back to our starting point. Diane and I returned to the car. I was fairly content on the ride home.

Fiesta Time Walks, 2011

I’ve been lax in getting my blog updated lately. However, I’ve had a couple walks lately that are noteworthy.

On Saturday, April 9, Diane loaded me up in the back of the Prius after a meeting she had, and we went to Fort Sam Houston. Diane thought that when she went through the checkpoint at the entrance to the base that there might be some scrutiny of the dog in the back of the vehicle, but there wasn’t.

Diane kept me in the car while she checked in. I got a little anxious and moved into the backseat (rather than the cargo area) by the time Diane returned. However, we had an enjoyable walk together. At one point, I hopped on three legs for a minute or so, and Diane wondered what was wrong with me. I guess I stepped on something sharp, but then it was ok.

As we walked along the edge of the golf course, we marveled at the variety of Texas wildflowers in bloom along the edge of the golf course, which seemed to be the most prolific wildflower bloom we’ve seen in the city limits. As we walked, we encountered 3 children. One child, a young girl in a purple jumper pet me and rubbed my ears and remarked on how soft they were. The children tried to sell Diane pieces of broken tile. We continued walking. It became hotter and I was thirsty as we neared the end of the walk. During the last portion of the walk, every time we walked in shade and I felt a breeze, I tried to lie down. Diane generally wasn’t too receptive of my lying down, except once or twice.

Friday, April 15, 2011: The San Antonio Nature Hounds. 14 dogs walked with 11 people at Comanche Lookout Park on the northeast side of San Antonio. Some of the views were from hills, so that was nice. The weather was perfect, according to Diane. The humidity was low (about 10%) and the temperature was in the 70s. The other dogs were pretty well behaved. I interacted a little with a few of the other dogs, but I kept to myself quite a bit, too. At one point I was limping a little and a nice woman pulled a sharp sliver out of my paw. That felt better and I walked normally after that. The only downside of the walk was that it was so dry and dusty that Diane's shoes were covered with dust by the time we got home.

Nature Hounds: Wednesday Market & Riverwalk Stroll

Diane and I had an adventure Wednesday night. I rode in the back of the Prius downtown and we parked under the highway, near the Pearl Brewery. We first went to the Wednesday evening Market near the Riverwalk, where we met several other Nature Hounds walkers (humans with dogs). After hanging out for a few minutes, we went over to the Yellow Train by the Pearl Stable to meet other dogs with their humans. We met up with about 10 other dogs and humans. We then proceeded to the Museum Reach of the San Antonio River Walk.

Many of us dogs were a little reluctant to walk down the metal stairs to the Riverwalk, but we did it. There were about 8 additional humans (without dogs) who joined us on our walk. I enjoyed the 4+ mile walk along the river and back to our starting point. At one point, we witnessed a stabbing victim getting attended to by police and filmed by some local news camera people.

I walked alongside several different dogs. Diane said I was well behaved. I liked that we walked more than normal. I could have walked farther.

When we finished our walk, some of us went to Timbo's for some human food. Timbo served our humans on the patio outside. Bob, the white Golden Lab, who is about 1 year old, barked and wanted to play with me. I chomped at him several times. His human thought my chomping was rather amuzuing. I was interested in the food served to humans, but I didn't get any human food. Diane gave me a few dog biscuit treats. Bob and I got into it a few times, but I laid down several times, too.

We walked back to the car. I enjoyed the adventures I had Wednesday evening!

A Walk in the Valley of Lions

I haven't posted for a long time (over a year). My interpreter has been preoccupied with other matters, although she does walk me a few times a week, on average. Mike walks me more days per week, but he doesn't vary the routes very much.

Yesterday, Diane came home from a Volksmarch. When she told Mike about "walking" I got very excited. Diane decided that since the Volksmarch was nearby--in Leon Valley--she could take me for a walk there. Diane and Mike put me in the back of the car and she drove to the Leon Valley Public Library. Diane and I were the last walkers of the day, #197. One lady noted how well behaved I seemed. Diane told her that I had been to beginner’s class of obedience school.

I encountered new smells and sights and heard and saw other dogs behind fences along the trail. I did not bark at them or react. When we reached Checkpoint #1, the man who was staffing the table poured some fresh water into the dog dish for me, but I preferred to lap the water as it was pouring out of the container, rather than just lapping the water out of the dish! We walked the bypass through a residential area to Raymond Rimkus Park. We walked on the path around the park and back to the Leon Valley Public Library. Then we walked down Evers Road, took a right on Forest Pine and walked to an open lot, where we saw the historical marker for the Evers family cemetary, and the cemetary behind it. This is the family for whom Evers Road is named. We continued back along the greenway and back to the library. I could have walked farther than this, but I did lie down when we were at the Finish table. In fact, when Diane wanted to take me back to the car, I rolled on my side, as if I didn’t want to move at all. However, I got up and we walked to the car. Diane took me on one errand and then we went home. I had a good walk!