Reservoir Zuul

Zuul and I have been operating without appropriate guidance this weekend. We spent most of it napping and having fun. Saturday Morning suggested we return to Mt. Tabor Park. I realized that there are 191.47 acres that fall outside the bounds of the official dog park. Zuul is pretty good with the whole off leash thing these days, so off we went.


We spent a little time in the official Dog Park before we ventured out to discover the real Mt. Tabor. Home to several reservoirs, Zuul stopped for a photo opportunity at a couple.


Contrary to the snow, hail, and sub-zero temperatures over night, some trees think now is a great time to bloom.

View from the top:
Hello, Portland!

I would guess that we saw about 1/3 of the park during our three hour tour. Lots left for another journey.

We spent some time at our old standby, Brentwood Park.


In other news, in my solitude, I have made the executive decision to alter Zuul's home alone situation. I think Zuul may, in fact, be tired of sitting in a crate while no one is at home. I experimented last Thursday evening by leaving Zuul in her crate with the door open. I'm not sure she noticed, she was pretty distracted by her Kong. Some doors in the house were shut, a couple chairs left in the hallway, et voila: happy puppy when I arrived home. She was up and waiting at the chairs in the hall, but a touch of her bed revealed she had been secretly napping.

After exhausting Zuul at Mt. Tabor, I stuck her in her crate and shut the door. She was quiet for about an hour before she started crying bloody murder. I waited for silence and let her out but shut the door to the bedroom with her and her cozy bed. I didn't hear from her for three (3) hours until I poked my head in the room and woke her up. I made another go of it on Sunday and did not hear from Zuul for another three (3) or four (4) hours until I poked my head in the room and woke her in the process. Not bad at all.

I'm still nervous to leave her home alone behind a closed door. The last thing I need is for her to go nuts at the door and carpet like she has done to her crate, hence the chairs in the hall. She'll just stand at them and not realize that she can go under, over, or thru them. They also serve to keep her away from the TV. She'll go nuts staring at that all day. She was fine at lunch today. I woke her up as I came in the front door. Yay!

As of Sunday, 30 March, 2008, Zuul weighs 56.2 pounds while wearing all of her gear.

picture credit: me
picture credit: me
picture credit: me
picture credit: me
picture credit: me
picture credit: me
picture credit: me