Scratcher of heads, rubber of bellies
“Not a Junkyard Dog”
This old tank covered in graffiti is my favorite reminder this once was not preserved parkland. I think Bear was watching some hikers over on the Whiskey Bottle Trail, he’s generally not one for looking in the camera and that’s OK. Most of the park is lush with plants and animals and doesn’t resemble the entrance to a junkyard but I do enjoy photographing the tank whenever we’re in the area.
📷: Nikon Z fc | Nikon 16-50 DX
🗓️: January 6, 2024
📷: Nikon Z fc | Nikon 16-50 DX
🗓️: January 26, 2024
Bear and I take a water break in a spot where perhaps neither human nor dog has ever set foot before. I so miss being able to take him hiking every day! We were back here yesterday, I didn’t think we’d have time for this short trail at the end but he charged around our favorite loop so fast that even after stopping to watch a herd of deer we still had plenty of time to come up here and take a water break before heading home.
📷: Nikon Z fc | Nikon 16-50 DX
🗓️: January 19, 2024
During my time off I’ve loved taking Bear to trails I normally avoid as they are crowded on the weekends, stepping aside to let people past is the most common way he steps on something painful. Here we’re taking a water break at the junction of the Axle Grease and Rock Tank trails, it was a Tuesday so we only encountered a few people. I’m not sure he cares but I enjoy seeing him discover new places.
📷: Nikon Z fc | Nikon 16-50 DX
🗓️: January 16, 2024
A couple of weeks ago as Bear and I had Balanced Rock to ourselves I was forcefully struck at how I was happier than I had been in a very long time. Not that there hadn’t been plenty of happy times in the years prior but that after several months of leave my mind had finally unwound and let me stay and revel in each little moment. Surprisingly rather than the euphoria slipping away with the realization my leave was about to come to a crashing halt, it stayed with me as we hiked back out through this stunning land.
📷: Nikon Z fc | Nikon 16-50 DX
🗓️: January 26, 2024
Bear and I haven’t been hiking in four days, a mix of me being run down for a few days after my second Shingles shot and the desert getting some much needed rain. The nearest park prefers you not hike in the rain and I haven’t felt up to driving further afield, particularly not with the work commute resuming in a week. It’s chucking it down at the moment, Bear is softly snoring beside me with both cats zonked out on my legs.
📷: Sony A6700 | Sony-Zeiss 24mm f/1.8
🗓️: December 23, 2023
Yesterday I returned from a trip and Bear was so excited his feet did the happy dance Ellie used to do when I got home from work. He kept running around the house so I took him out for a lovely 6.5 mile hike. Today we took an easy 2.5 mile walk as I had an appointment for my second Shingles vaccine in the early afternoon, at the moment he’s snoozing beside me as he was in this picture from a month ago.
📷: Nikon Z fc | Nikon 16-50 DX
🗓️: January 11, 2024
Bear towering over Four Peaks after our hike to Balanced Rock. I’ve been trying to take a variety of shots to help me remember my leave of absence as I gird up to get through one last year of work, I’ll never step far away from him but by now I trust him enough to move a few feet away for a picture, as long as there’s nothing of interest nearby.
📷: Nikon Z 7II | Nikon 24-200mm
🗓️: January 9, 2024
Being able to spend time with Bear each day these past few months has been such a delight. Our work on his daily walks paid dividends yesterday when we came across an unleashed dog in the preserve. The trail was narrow and the dog started barking as soon as it was beside us. Before I could respond Bear de-escalated and led me down the trail, turning around for a treat when we were far enough away. I was so proud I would have given him a handful but after chomping down the first, Señor Oso was back on the march, culminating in his first visit to the Basalt Ridge Overlook (and only my second).
📷: Sony A6700 | Sigma 30mm f/1.4
🗓️: December 29, 2023
While testing Bear’s hiking shoes I ramped him up to longer and longer hikes, while he easily got the hang of them I noticed they were rubbing and creating a sore on one of his feet. My wife gave him a red wrap over a bandage to keep him from licking it and while he was waiting to be fed, with one leg tucked underneath him and his colorful rope toy out front, it looked like he had one festive leg and one FESTIVE leg. I’ve been taking him without his shoes on a mix of neighborhood walks and trails that don’t have many rocks and are wide enough that he’s less likely to step on something prickly. That has worked well and I’ll keep that up for the next month while I can still hike with him every day.
📷: Sony A6700 | Sony-Zeiss 24mm f/1.8
🗓️: December 9, 2023
Boolie 