Gallivanting, Part One

Grackles at one of the Reid Park waterfalls.

From Reid at Random

In recent days, Cayenne and Pepper have made it very clear that their beloved dog park is only part of what they want and expect from our daily outings together. Sometimes they head for the exit gate of Miko's Corner Playground after only 15 minutes or so, only to lead me away from the car, gallivanting across Reid Park as we've done so many times recently. Even on a leash, they seem to enjoy the chance to cross fields and sniff at trees and running water, encounter more humans and dogs, and be happily frustrated that I won't let them chase the ducks again.

The most interesting concert-goer, according to Pepper, had four legs.

Sunday evening, for example, the Tucson Pops had another concert in the park. I took the dogs to the back of the performance center long enough to hear their first selection, Peachtree Promenade, which I liked very much. Next to us, and elderly couple had their folding chairs and a blanket, and a ferret in a box. Pepper was extremely interested in the ferret, much to the amusement of the man, who held the ferret up in the air briefly for the dogs and me to see. When we left, Pepper didn't want to go. At the end of the five minute walk back to the car, Pepper tugged at the leash to go back to the dog park. I took them in and removed their leashes, and Pepper immediately headed for the opposite gate - the one that led back toward the ferret!

The open door has a lighting feature I didn't notice on a daylight visit.

But they mostly seem content to go where I want to go. I wanted another look at this sculpture, which I call Open Door. It has no identifying plaque, and is not mentioned online anywhere I've found other than this blog. Early in the week I noticed as I drove by at dusk that it has neon lights that come on at night. I didn't notice these the first time I photographed it. But when I went to take another look this week, I was sidetracked and missed the sculpture at first, and had to circle back around. The source of my distraction was a couple of young women who were allowing their dog to splash around in the feeder streams and ponds that lead to the southern duck pond. I warned them not to let their dog into the lake itself, because, as I discovered with Cayenne last week, it's full of smelly muck.

"Oh, this is, too," the young woman with the leash said. "I just give her a bath afterward." Uh, okay.

From Tucson Rain, Floods and Washes 2009

It's been raining all week here, which is unusual for Tucson in May. Thursday set two new records for the date, one for the lowest high temperature (68 degrees), one for the most rain (0.53 inch, which is more than double the average for the entire month of May). I have lots of pictures from Thursday afternoon, when I took the dogs gallivanting in the intermittent rain, and drove to places most likely to be flooded. But let's save those shots for the entry after next. Before that, I owe you a Weekend Assignment entry, but I've got to get some more sleep first.

Karen