Adventures in Catsitting

Posted by on April 18, 2009 in K-9 Ranch Training Center- Boulder, Colorado.

Yesterday afternoon Miles and I set out in an attempt of reaching the K-9 Ranch. Johnny and Mitten were safe and snuggly inside while we had the truck in 4hi and 3rd gear. We were headed up for a sleepover with the cats and a big day of snowy fun when we awoke.

As I drove up the mountain, the snow was coming down so fast that I had to run the wipers on high and the defrost on high. All the while Miles, true to his wintery nature had his head completely out the window. Almost as if he was in a crow's nest helping me navigate the rough seas of snow that lay ahead.

I had to get out a few times to knock the snow off my wipers. What did I hear? Complete silence. What did I see? An ocean of the cleanest white snow you could imagine. Not a single sign of life. No cars on the road, No lights on the houses, no birds in the sky, no animal tracks on the ground...
Felt a little like "The Shining" for a moment there... Completely alone.

Trees were down every other turn on the road blocking the path due to the wet snow. It was 30 degrees according to my car's thermometer. This type of snow does a lot of damage. A tree must have hit the power lines, because there was not a single light on any of the houses.

As I rolled down the bumpy white space - (that's how I found my way) - in the space between the trees - I became a little disoriented. I looked back at Miles, my fearless companion. He was on an adventure - not a care in the world. I thought to myself, how nice to live like a domestic dog. He has it all, a good leader to look to and never worried about the next meal, pure happiness all the time.
But, back to the story... I have been driving this road for 10 years and know each bend, hair pin, and steep hill like the back of my hand. Eventually I figured out where we were. We were coming up on Walker Ranch. The forest opens up here, so I had no way to navigate without the cushion of the trees on each side. There were NO tracks to follow. Just a blanket of white.

Miles and I hopped out so that he could go bananas in the snow. And that's just what he did. Great big Rottie Circles, Miles making the distinct Rottie noises, a grunt each time he brings his front feet forward, Quite impressive to watch - although it doesn't last long, he tires fairly quickly from anaerobic activity.
Once he slowed down, he dropped his nose to sniff, but found nothing to follow. This too is eerie for a dog like Miles that if allowed will take off following any slight detection of a scent.

So, we snapped some quick pictures and headed back down to town. So, we didn't quite make it, but it was a fun little attempt. Mitten and Johnny had to brave the blizzard together. We'll make another attempt today if the road is re-opened!

My Pictures will be up soon...
Need to shrink them...

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