I had an observer as I fed the horses this morning.
Category: Background
New Gig
Today I had my first solo experience driving the Mountain Community Senior Services shuttle. I first heard of this service over a year ago, and since I had been looking for a volunteer opportunity, I signed up a few weeks ago. MCSS provides two types of transportation for community seniors: volunteers who drive seniors to appointments in the volunteer’s vehicle, and volunteers who drive the shuttle for what is called the “social” program. For the social program, the shuttle picks up clients at their homes, delivers them to lunch, and then returns them to their homes. At present, I am driving once a month.
I was fortunate that the first woman I picked up today was adept at giving directions, so I didn’t have to rely on the GPS of my telephone. Although I thought I knew northern El Paso County fairly well, I have discovered completely new neighborhoods sheltering among the foothills.
The shuttle was easier to drive than I expected. I had figured it couldn’t be any more difficult than our (no longer existing) horse hauling rig, and I was right. I was amazed about how small the Subaru Forester seemed when I drove it home afterward.
First Snow and Alpenglow
I took this photo through one of the west windows, leading to the artifact in the lower part of the photo. We are having our first real winter cold snap: it was fourteen degrees Fahrenheit when I woke up.
Autumn Valley
I took the dogs for a walk yesterday, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. (The downside of the lovely weather is that we are under a Fire Weather warning today.) It’s cute to watch the dogs struggle to contain their enthusiasm since they are learning that I won’t attach their leashes until all four paws are on the ground.
Basking
Today we achieved a milestone: I took Bandit and Rion for a walk together. When Bandit first came to us he pulled so badly that I felt I had a sled dog on the other end of the leash: a big sled dog. He has learned not to pull nearly so hard, and sometimes even walks on a loose leash.
Every morning I make the bed, and every morning Bandit rearranges the pillows afterward. Rion never rearranges pillows, but he will take advantage of the nest that Bandit makes.
August Sunrise
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Bandit
Or as I affectionately call him El Bandido. Unfortunately, he does his best to live up to his name, and gets into everything, not just rattlesnakes. I like the way he seems to be winking in this photo.
Mountain of Slash
A few weekends ago, Jack and I used a friend’s pickup truck to take some yard tree trimmings to the county slash and mulch site. A volunteer is helping Jack, who is wearing his sun / dust protective gear, unload the truck.
“I wonder where…
…that rattlesnake went.”
Four weeks ago, Bandit was bitten by a large rattlesnake when Jack was walking him in the late afternoon. With a lot of superb, and expensive, veterinary care, he made a complete recovery. Last night, I took him for his first walk since he was injured. We stayed far away from any areas that might harbor rattlesnakes. This the the first time that I had ever taken him for a walk, and he behaved better than I expected. He is a thirty pound dog with sixty pounds of pull when he gets excited, but he was calm except when a runner went by practicing uphill sprints. Bandit thought running with the guy would be a lot more exciting than the brisk walk I was trying to maintain.
Elk In Snow
This morning I drove on icy, snowy roads on a mission of mercy to get cough drops and chicken soup for Jack, who developed cold symptoms overnight. On the way I passed this herd of elk, who seemed bewildered by the May Day Snow.