Rescue Journal

We went for a "little" walk yesterday.

 ·  Apr. 1, 2007

Angelina and I took Maddie, Kirby, Kenzie, Kiefer, Piper and Sienna (her first on-leash walk since she had her CL surgery) for what we thought would be a normal, if a little more lengthy, walk on the dikes yesterday. We assumed (you know what people say about assuming) that starting on the other side of the bridge (where many people start their walks) would add a few kilometres to our normal 60-90 minute stroll.

Try 19 kilometres. We ended up inadvertently walking the Blue Heron Rotary Loop. Plus an added 4 or 5 kilometres making our way back to the truck from the end of the trail.

Poor Madison is 13, and she walked every centimetre like a trooper. I'm sure she felt like we were trying to lose her on the trail (you have to know Maddie, we call her Eeyore for a reason).

Kiefer kept trying to nap. Every time there was a slowing in the pace he figured it was time for a siesta.

Kenzie, of course, thought it was all a big adventure, until it got dark, then darker, then really dark. The later it got, the closer she stayed to us.

Piper ended up on leash because I kept seeing, or I thought I kept seeing yellow eyes in the grass. After Carol's horror stories about coyotes stealing little dogs off the trails (a la "A Dingo got my baby") I was paranoid.

Sienna was a champ, she just wanted to run with MacKenzie. Kirby was Kirby.

I had bought a pair of awesome new sandals just before we left for the dikes, and they were so comfy that I decided to wear them, even though they had not been broken in. After the blisters broke, the blood started pouring, and the skin sluiced away, I really came to regret that decision. Angelina eventually traded shoes with me so that we could make it back to the truck.

So, better than four hours after we started, we completed our little hike. I had left my cell phone in the truck, so Chris was beside herself with worry, and had headed out to search for us, having no idea where we were walking.

It's really, really dark on the dikes at 9:15 on a cloudy night......

Comments

Carol

oh, and our scouting uniforms were green (just like little soldiers, i loved my green baret (sp?), i wanted to go to vietnam with my green baret (sp?) and soldier with honor and save the world...i wasn't allowed because i was a stupid girl so i became a wanna-be hippy then a rescuer instead. this life of mine is all the fault of the 1960/1970's american government's male macho policy makers who thought women were soft and hysterical when faced with adversity....hah! i bet kissinger wouldn't last a day at SAINTS!

Carol

i was a girl SCOUT...even in the sixties the states did not allow blatant gender biased labels against their daughters altho i don't think the american boy scouts sewed or baked cookies back then either so we were still in actuality scout'ed differently. i earned badges too...i made chinese almond cookies once all by myself, they were good!

Deb

As in you were a Girl Scout for one day? Up here in the Great White North they are Girl Guides, but girls can now join the Boy Scouts, making them Girl Scouts, I suppose.
I was a Girl Guide, getting badges for knowing how to sew or knit was just not that exciting for me.

Carol

hey! always be prepared...i was a girl scout once! safety, safety, safety...that's the rule, it is a good rule.

Deb

And Gilligan (the Skipper too), the Millionaire and his wife, the movie star, the Professor and Marianne....oh, that was only a three hour tour. Never mind.

Carol

you should take water, and bug spray and a first aid kit, a flashlight, a small tarp, water proof matches, a swiss army knife, a warm fleece, a water proof windbreaker, an extra pair of socks and some granola bars too.

Deb

I'd do the walk again (minus Madison and Kiefer) but wearing proper footwear and socks, starting earlier, and taking a jacket....and my cell phone. I'm sore, but Angelina isn't. Brat. We'll let you know the next time we want to go walkabout.

Mo

I LOVE those kinds of walk... so the next time you wander out for a " little " walk , give me a ring .

Colleen

Wow....19 k's + a few more. I'm exhausted just reading about it! You guys must be aching and paining, besides the feet. :)

Deb

My cell phone had one bar of power left, and I really had no intention of being gone long enough to start a panic. I will start carrying the phone though, we knew Chris would be going nutz.
Poor Maddie and Sienna, though. I feel really bad for both of them. Our house is pretty quiet today, all I hear is the odd snore or deep sigh.
Thanks for the advice about getting my feet back in shape. I got three great pairs of shoes, and I'm reduced to band aids, moleskin and really thick socks. Walking is a challenge today.

Carol

oh, and can you fix my typo's please...i can't, it is your post. thx...btw...good cake deb, that is all i have eaten so far today...it has fruit so it is healthy.

Carol

oh and to heal your bistered feet quickly...soak them twice a day in warm water and epsom salts and mix a dab of polysporin, a drop of iodine and a bit of aloe vera gel and apply it sparingly after the soaks. and next time wear socks!

Carol

and you guys carry your cell phones WITH you, what the heck good are they in the truck????..geez, chris had me worried too. you are all grounded by the way!