to all robins...bite me!!

 2 nights in the ER and now a stretch off.  can i just say, if you can't handle your weed..don't take it, but thanks for the laugh!!

 spent a large part of my awake hours trying to wear out the super dogs!  they apparently can not be worn out.  i always spend time when i get home throwing the tennis ball.

 aside from food my largest role in these eyes is that of supreme tennis ball tosser.  i think they do like me, but i could just as easily be replaced by an automated tennis ball thrower.  haha..  okay probably not.

 i slept a bit and then we headed to Campbell Airstrip for a nearly 4 mile walk and tennis ball throwing was, of course, included in the activities...required for almost the entire 4 miles.  the tennis ball was lost near the end of the walk so i got a break...though i still had the chuck it and Ivy Rose was sure i had a tennis ball. 

 don't tell, i did have a spare tennis ball, i usually do, but that late in the walk i really wasn't planning on letting on that i had it.  don't want them to start to think leaving the tennis balls in the woods will automatically mean the reward of a new tennis ball. 

 we all unwittingly teach our dogs bad habits...my friend and i one day unwittingly taught Blossom to hump Rio Catalina. by the time we figured out what we had just trained her to do, it was too late.  we would get chatting and i would forget to toss the tennis ball for Blossom.  to get our attention she one day humped Rio.  it worked, we got her off Rio and then promptly threw her tennis ball...rewarded!! oops!

 with Butch, i thought it would be a great idea to give him an old tennis shoe to chew on...dogs do not know the difference between old shoes and new shoes. they are equal opportunity chewers.

 these are a mixture of dog park the other day and Campbell Airstrip today i think.

 i stopped by Cheney Lake to check on the grebe nests.  figured the nest that had 2 eggs would have been hatched by now...

 instead there are now more like 5 eggs.

 after that i decided I'd get over to Reflections Lake to see what i could see of the wildflowers.  they tend to bloom mid June and i didn't want to totally miss it.  it sprinkled a bit but not too bad. probably enough to keep the bugs from being too nuts on me. 

 the mosquito's are building though.

 there was a spider on the wall in one of the ER rooms last night. i kept walking past him on my way out of this particular room and i knew he was there but he still scared me every time.

 i know i could have killed him off but some days i just make deals with the arachnids. you don't bother me and i won't smash you to smithereens.  not sure how to spell that and I'm not sure if spell check will get it either. (spell check did know and corrected me)

 they just look cute in the wild flowers.

 hope i can chase wildflowers around the state a bit this summer like i do with mushrooms and fall colors.

 my deck flowers are looking pretty fine. i still have one more pot i really should fill up. the yard work phase is nearly over...now it's just mow, weed whack and prep for the next winter. i do need to get more pea rock things for that area by the shed. the dogs do enjoy having a new area to chase the tennis ball.

 this is the airstrip. 

 these are a trek to the dunes with my friend and her new puppy...her older pup joined as well.  i believe she and Jake have become big fans of the dunes!! dogs do love it there!

 we'd gone a day or two before this as well.  this day was nice because it was a bit overcast so not as hot.  the dogs could go crazy and we didn't need to worry about too hot sand.

 there is a pool of water...my two headed right for it, of course.

 was just reading about the bear attack of last week again.  i was out there by myself, i often am.  it's go alone or not at all most days. often i do text a few folks and see if anyone is free, but if not i just go with the dogs.

 i carry bear spray and an air horn.  no gun.  guess that is either brave or stupid. 

 i do kind of chuckle to myself when i cross these big strong guys with a gun out there...thinking they are passing a middle aged female in the same bear country as they are in ...but sans gun.  kind of makes me feel like I'm the brave one.

 I've been up in Alaska since '95.  several close encounters and I've yet to need to use the spray. not sure I'd be able to get it out in time anyway if a bear chose to do the unthinkable. i tend to just try to live with the idea that most wild animals would rather not encounter us either.  make noise, let them know you are around...mostly they will leave you be.  there is always that random bear or random situation. 

 took a few tries but i think we got very lucky with the photo above. turned out super sweet!!  i bet that pup has grown since this was taken.  haha.  they do grow super fast.

 they look to be replacing the fencing along the motor cross track. it was mostly down anyway. 

 the dogs had my attention all day so really i must say i got nothing else accomplished. i do love being outdoors though. the flowers are beautiful

 the pups were mostly on leash out there today at Reflections.  i really need to make good on my plan to do a leash walk every day....i fail mostly because they really are just good off leash.  they totally need the training and being better on leash would open up more fun stuff to do with them.

 this is the Campbell Estuary .

 the bird chasing has been our biggest issue with leash walking.  Tusker is on the hunt at all times.  if he goes, she goes.

 the robins....they always keep just 20-30 feet ahead. just enough to make Tusker and Ivy both nuts.  flying off once we start to get close, only to stop another 30 feet off and repeat.  torture.

 here is one of the grebes on it's nest at Cheney Lake.  a dragonfly below.  those are always cool.

 Saudi women are driving finally!!  so happy for them....doesn't seem like much but it's a start towards more independence.

 wild Iris are all over

 above you can just see the little baby peeking out from under the wing.

 our guard dog at work comes in at shift change for some unmuzzled loving time.  good for all!

 both nights i worked regular Er for the first half and then morphed into holds

 the rest are from the start of Homer with the dogs. 

 need to pack and plan and then just bite the bullet and do a few days out at Valdez...sans dogs as they trial a new sitter.

 a small lake or large pond?  i often stop here to let the dogs swim, walk a bit and get the driving jitters out. the water is always a hit

 these birds were not pleased with us being there and became very dramatic and animated.

 no worries, no baby birds were seen or injured.

 the antics kept up though.

 here is one in a calmer moment.

 now that the dogs were back to swimming i guess they felt safer.

 they can be beasts though!!

thankful for:  a. the entertaining moments at work.  keep being dumb and coming to the ER people, we love it!! b.  when the screaming, annoying patient isn't my patient c. these Henry's hard soda, grape flavor...num!  i basically drink the equivalent of one beer every one or two months.  our patients generally lie about their alcohol intake.  thankful that i do not have the alcohol tendencies of others.  it can be good, but mostly i see the bad that comes from it.