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Tag Archives: Hiking

Mysterious Hole

30 Jul

Since we’ve gotten lots of rain here, the ground on my trails which is usually hard as rocks, has softened up.

It’s become so soft that somebody decided to dig a big hole – right next to my trail.

This hole was awfully close to some cactus so I thought I’d better investigate to see who might have done such a thing.

A few sniffs here – and a few sniffs there.

Hmmm. There are so many smells around here. It’s hard to figure who might have dug this.

What? Huh? What are you saying, person?

You think I dug this hole?

Where would you possibly have come up with an idea like that?

I’ve been dragging you around on this leash. I haven’t been out of your sight for a minute.

I don’t know when you think I would have had a chance to dig this without you seeing me.

Besides, I’m not much of a digger.

I bet you can’t even think of the last time you saw me digging a hole.

Oh. Well, that was an exception.

That Frisbee was brand new and I really needed to bury it.

23 Comments

Posted by Bongo on July 30, 2013 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: digging, Frisbee, Hiking, hole, Pets, Trail

Lost People

25 Jul

I think it’s pretty hard to get lost on my trails – even when I go outside of my usual rounds, but of course it’s pretty easy to follow the smells.

My person thinks the trails are hard to get lost on too, but she uses a different method to find her way.

She’s taller than me so she can see further. She says there are lots of landmarks to find your way by.

It’s also hard to go very far without running into either houses or something that falls between a very large rock and a very small mountain.

I can’t read them so I have to trust my person when she says those tall poles sticking out of the ground hold signs that point out the trails.

In some places there are even cairns to mark the trails. At least my person says they mark the trails.

I thought they were put there so dogs could leave messages for each other. At least that’s what we use them for.

Even with all these ways to navigate (Person, navigate is too big a word for me.) the trails, my trails can be really tricky for new people. There are little loops that go off and come back to the main trail. Maybe they were put there on purpose so people would go in circles and not be able to find their car again. Then the trail loop car collectors could take their pick of the cars that were left.

Those car collectors probably don’t like my person much though. When she’s asked, she tells those lost people how to get out of the loop.

I think my person’s pretty cool though. Today I got loves from some people she was helping.

Those people were really lost. They were trying to find a place called Wisconsin.

20 Comments

Posted by Bongo on July 25, 2013 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: Hiking, lost, Outdoors, Pets, Recreation, Trail

Walking’s not an Option

23 Jul

Lately I’ve been wanting to go on a different trail – it’s a little longer than the way we usually go on my trails.

But my person always says she’s too busy, or it’s too hot, or she comes up with any number of excuses.

Today it was cloudy and cooler, and my person didn’t have bunches of stuff to do, so we got to go on that trail.

We were having a great time – until I heard it.

Thunder!

Over there – and that way too!

We were surrounded!

Person, why did you want to go on this trail? We could have been almost home by now.

There was only one direction to go – and my person wouldn’t let me go that way.

Okay, fine. Then we’re not going at all.

It became a game of tug of war.

Until my collar came off.

Then my person did something really strange.

She walked to the end of my her leash, sat on the ground, and started taking pictures of me.

I like the sound her camera makes. Eventually I walked to where she sat.

Then she moved back to the end of her leash, and made me walk to her again.

Then she did it all over again.

My person thinks I’m afraid of this thunder, but I’ve been thinking. Sometimes I complain too much when she stops all the time to take pictures. I think I’ll be nice to her today and let her take all the pictures she wants.

And just to prove I was doing it to be nice to her, when we got past the part with all the best scenery, I started walking with her again.

27 Comments

Posted by Bongo on July 23, 2013 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: Arizona, Hiking, Outdoors, Pets, Photography, Recreation, Sedona, Thunder, Trail, Walking

Puddle Invasion

19 Jul

A few days ago I was walking on my trails minding my own business when I saw something that surprised me.

My puddle had come back!

Well, half my puddle anyway. But my puddle has been missing for months and months.

I don’t know where it disappears to, but it does that a lot.

It just gets up and leaves. And then it shows up again when it feels like it.

***

So the next day I was really curious.

Would my puddle still be there, or not?

I found the strangest thing when I got to the puddle spot.

My puddle was still there…

but it had been invaded.

Dozens of tiny tadpoles filled my puddle.

Swimming, wriggling, and darting all over the place.

I tried to stomp them out…

but there were far too many of them.

They filled every little bit of my puddle.

***

I went back the next day not knowing what to expect.

And you know what I found?

No puddle, no tadpoles, nothing.

My puddle had fled and taken the tadpoles with it.

I thought I might find one or two tadpoles wriggling around in the dirt, but there were none.

***

Then today when I went back I found the puddle again. Even bigger than before.

But the tadpoles were nowhere in sight.

I have enough trouble trying to figure out where my puddle goes when it leaves…

But where in the world would a puddle take tadpoles?

23 Comments

Posted by Bongo on July 19, 2013 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: Hiking, Pets, Puddle, Tadpole, Trail

I’m Rich!

24 Jun

I found it! I found it! I’m rich! I’m rich!

I just found the best treasure ever on my trails.

I didn’t have to dig for it. It’s not a buried treasure.

No. It’s right here in plain sight.

Well, it’s a little ways off my trail and that’s probably why nobody found it before me.

But now I found it, and it’s mine.

Oh, you can’t tell what this plant is that’s hanging out behind me?

It’s a money tree! And it’s all mine.

Can you imagine what I can do with all the money from this tree?

All the treats I can buy?

I’ll be in treat heaven. And then everybody will be coming and giving me loves so they can have some of my treats.

What? You can’t tell this is a money tree?

Check this out.

Do you see the coins hanging on this tree?

Look. They’re all over it.

Now don’t get any ideas.

I found this tree and it’s mine.

I’m not telling anyone where it is.

But if you’re real nice to me…

I might give you a coin so you can buy a treat.

Click here to find more mischievous pets.

51 Comments

Posted by Bongo on June 24, 2013 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: Coin, Hiking, money tree, Pets, Trail, Treats, Tree

Ocotillo All Over

18 Jun

Last year my person and I took an extra long walk on trails that we hardly ever go on, because my person said that was the only place on my trails where the ocotillo grow.

Well, she lied.

Because we went on a trail that we sometimes go on – but the last time we went on it there was a sign on the part that goes back to our house saying it was closed. The sign said they wanted more cactus to grow on it – or something like that.

And besides that there were two people cuddling with each other this time.

I would have gone right up to those people and got some loves too, but my person said we could take the long way back.

The long way goes parallel (I don’t know what that word is – my person made me use it) to my regular trail, but it’s higher up the hill. My person says she hasn’t been on it in a very long time and I’m not sure if I’ve been on it at all. At least it doesn’t smell familiar.

So we were walking along on this long way trail and there they were.

Bunches of ocotillo just hanging out on the side of the hill.

They were even blooming with their little red flowers on top.

I’m still not sure why my person cares about these things though. I mean, look how tall and skinny they are.

If I was that skinny my person would probably take me to the vet for treats and loves.

I sure hope my person doesn’t try to take some of my treats and bring them up here to these ocotillo plants to fatten them up.

I think I’d better head back home now so I can keep a close eye on my treats.

Oh no, I forgot.

There’s a tame ocotillo across the street at my neighbor dog Toby’s house.

Toby, quick! Hide your treats!

20 Comments

Posted by Bongo on June 18, 2013 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: Hiking, ocotillo, Outdoors, Pets, Photography, Recreation, Sedona, Sedona Arizona, Trail, Walking

Not Alone

22 May

It was a nice, quiet day on my trails and I was enjoying having them all to myself when my person had to tell me we weren’t really alone out here.

I looked all around and I didn’t see any people or any dogs so I don’t know what she was talking about.

My person told me to look some more.

I think she’s nuts. There’s no one else here.

Hey person, I’m done looking. There’s no one here. I need to get on with my sniffing to find out who was here.

Well, check this out. Look at the little guy in this cactus flower.

And here’s another one. Trying to bury itself.

How do you expect me to notice these guys if they bury themselves inside the flowers?

***

Or this guy?

This guy really is trying to hide. He found his own hidey hole.

At least this one is out in the open. I think he wants to show off. I’ve never seen one like him before.

***

Oh, look now. Even the ants are getting into the act.

What am I supposed to do person? These are my trails. But look how many insects there are. I’m afraid they’re going to take over.

It’s useless trying to get rid of them. They’re everywhere.

This is really depressing.

I might as well be chasing butterflies.

23 Comments

Posted by Bongo on May 22, 2013 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: cactus flowers, Hiking, insects, Pets, Photography, Trail

The Empty Trail

15 May

Yesterday I posted about my hike in West Fork. It was so much fun. There were lots of people and dogs on the trail. And shade. It was nice and cool there.

Today I went back to my own trails.

Empty.

The parking lot was empty.

The trails were empty.

The only ones on my trails were me, my person, and a few birds.

I didn’t even see any lizards.

I think everybody went to West Fork and stayed there.

Maybe I should go back there too.

I miss all the people and dogs. It was cool and shady there. And there was water.

But wait a minute. I just thought of something.

These are my trails, and I’ve finally got them all to myself.

I don’t have to tell any other dogs whose trails these are.

I don’t have to worry about people who might not want to give me loves.

I don’t even have to stand aside while people – and dogs – come walking past me.

I think I’ll put a sign on my trails. “Bongo’s Trails – Go to West Fork.”

I won’t leave that sign up forever though.

Because I want to go back to West Fork again. I’ll take that sign down then.

31 Comments

Posted by Bongo on May 15, 2013 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: Hiking, Pets, Trail

West Fork

14 May

Over the weekend I got in the car with my people and we started going somewhere I’ve never been before. My people said it was a place called Oak Creek Canyon. All I know is that the smells there were a lot different than the smells on my trails.

I sure hope this isn’t a new route to the dog hotel.

The car stopped and when I got out I didn’t see a dog hotel anywhere in sight.

Whew! I can relax now.

We walked a little ways and then I found it. It’s a trail sign and it says West Fork.

This is where I told my people to go. My friend Lola and her person Shary said it’s the best trail ever, and my people have never taken me here before. That’s okay, because now I can take them here.

Hey, check this out! It’s a bridge – and there’s water down there.

Now I’ve got to figure out how to get to that water.

This trail is nice, but I’ve seen lots of little trails that lead to the water. How come we’re not taking one of them?

Finally! The water!

Hey, this is like a Slip N Slide.

Here I go!

You want to do what?

I just got here and I’m not coming out.

***

My people finally convinced me that there were more trails and more water to swim in and they were right.

My person even found flowers to take pictures of.

I think my person is a flower magnet.

***

Finally! I got to go swimming again.

I’m just getting out for a minute.

You want to go where?

I don’t think so. I’m not done swimming yet.

***

I was forced to leave the water and head back to the car, but I’ve got a plan.

See if my people can get me to leave this place now.

45 Comments

Posted by Bongo on May 14, 2013 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: Hiking, Oak Creek Canyon, Outdoors, Pets, Photography, Recreation, Sedona Arizona, swimming, Trail, Westfork

Road Trip

06 May

My younger person is home from school this week and today he and my person told me to get in the car with them. I like jumping in the car but I always get a little nervous about where I might be jumping back out.