Happy Earth day...and yes i talk funny to my dogs and cats!

 Anchorage needs to do more for Earth day.  am i just not finding the big festival?  i think they do better for oceans day?  maybe.  not sure.  would love to get WARIS a booth at some sort of earth/oceans day.  tough to figure dates and contacts right now...all part of the learning.

 went with my friend TO to Eagle River Nature Center.  i'd been wanting to hit it for some time and it's just not worked out right...today the weather was lovely so we headed out there.  Rio had decided to join us.

 we went just under 5 miles, not exactly sure since i forgot to turn off my map my fitness app so it hit 5 miles as we were driving away.  oops.  that happens.

 my black and whites are still a bit dark.  i finally figured to look at my other camera body and see what was different...so hopefully i have fixed that little issue and my pics will be improved. we walked to the river and then back.  it's a long walk for Rio but she did great.  here she is enjoying the cool river water...Blossom enjoyed it as well.

 i was trying to help Rio get through the rocks and Blossom was attentive and barking i think.  TO wondered if Blossom was showing concern for her blind dog sibling...no, not at all...she was wanting her tennis ball taken out of the pack and thrown into the water.

 in the past Blossom has  actually rescued Rio when Rio was going off trail.  Rio was off leash at the time and Blossom stopped and began to bark to let me know something unusual was happening.  that and Rio's desire to meet a moose have kept her on leash since then.  when i first got her i would have her off leash just to help her use her other senses and stick close to me.  i think it helped her build up trust.  at some point i believe she got too confident and was more willing to explore on her own.  having a blind dog out exploring is not a good idea.

 great day to be out there.  saw hardly anyone else out there.  sun was out so we could linger at the river for a bit.  i see it more in the winter so it was nice to see it without all the ice.

 i was all set to hit the gym, had my shoes on and was headed out the door, but a friend called from CA and i hadn't spoken to her in ages so i picked up.  great to catch up, despite the missed work out.  sometimes in life you just prioritize, friends win.

 otherwise i can't say as i accomplished tons today.  clean a bit here and there, but i guess that is my lazy life.

 it's already after midnight.  where do these days off go.  i'm back to work tomorrow.  the next week we have to do the competency fairs.  so not much happening until May.  i still need to firm up plans for the summer.  some will just be loose.  tent camp and hope there aren't any crazy bears out to kill me, sleep with the bear spray and the noise maker.

 we did run into mosquito's down by the river. i thought i may have gotten bitten, but i'm not finding any bug bites right now.

 both dogs are pretty beat.  Blossom was sleeping downstairs and started to dream...love when dogs wag their tails in their sleep.  so adorable...surely that is a sign of a happy dog!!

 my brothers and i used to always talk funny to our dogs.  we had a whole language it seems for "rags".  i find you tend to create different voice characters for each animal.  i'm sure people would think i'm a nut case if they heard me talking to my animals...lets face it though, we are all nut cases.  us humans are all strange in our own way...it's what makes life fun.  all the quirks.  we can be quirky and entertaining. i think my pets have their own quirky, entertaining ways as well.

 always love a good shake...below is a tiny mosquito on Rio's back...you may not be able to see it, but it's there!!

 reminds me of my mom's picture taking skills.  remember her showing me all these pictures she'd taken on a trip.  each photo required an explanation as there was no way to have a clue what the picture was without the explanation.  okay...this is the lawn, but above that was ....

 Blossom had fun....she loves water...and it's great clean water so she is reasonably clean.  no point paying good money for a dog wash wash...she'll be right back in stinky or muddy water tomorrow.  but tonight she is clean!

 love  the story of the guy who made a non-profit collecting the soap remnants from hotels and recycling them for donation to 3rd world countries...great idea!! people are so smart!

 trees...always love them.  it won't be too long before these trees have leaves on them again.  love when the world turns green again...even if it's for  a short time.

 no snow out here today.  a bit of muddy patches on the trails but really a pretty sweet walk today.

 much i didn't get done this week...there is always that. the important stuff gets done eventually and the other stuff probably won't matter in a year or next month really.  life is priorities.  being outside on a day like this or stay inside and wash toilets or walls or floors...i'll go outside.

 the floors and chores will wait.

 i did wipe out the inside of the car while i waited for my friend...that was good.

 off to bed. TO below enjoying the day.

thankful for:  this lovely earth, may it exist for many generations and not be destroyed at the hands of us awful humans! leaders that actually make positive steps to protect the earth rather than destroy it. mother nature, who eventually finds a way to take back the control.