Arizona

Man’s Bestfriend or Worst?

by Ingrid

Its 5:30 a.m., I’m in a deep slumber tucked in a nice warm bed when I’m abruptly awakened by Bear’s pacing and whimpering.  I mutter a few choice words #@!? before crawling out of bed and slipping on my slippers.

RVing“Come on boy, let’s go out”.  Bear normally sleeps in until 6:30 a.m.  I wonder what’s going on and then it dawns on me…..must have been those yummy treats the neighbor next door gave you.  Our new friends Nance and Don have two Labrador Retrievers.  Not only did Nance and Don take US out to lunch, they gave Bear a large bag of dog treats, YUM!

So as I mutter damn dog, I’m thinking dumb mom for giving the little guy too many treats.  Sometimes he’s just so darn cute I can’t say no.  As I quietly open the RV door, I’m greeted with a blast of cold air.  Did I mention I was too lazy to throw on some pants?  I step down out of the rig, grab Bear and lift him down.  Wow, it’s cold.  Sure hope no one else is up and about.

As I stand outside the RV at 5:30 in the morning in an oversized nightshirt that covers ‘the goods’ when upright, my legs are bare and when I bent over to place Bear on the ground, I felt the full effects of the cold morning air causing me to bend upright rather swiftly and look around.Full moon

I immediately became less concerned about my moon and more engaged in the full moon in the sky, I’m thankful Bear got me out of bed.  The moon was full and bright.  Stars filled the sky.  There was a quiet stillness with the faint sound of coyotes in the distance.  I all but forgot it was 38 degrees outside and I’m standing there in a nightshirt and slippers.  FYI…the desert does get cold when the sun goes down, especially in winter.

Business done, Bear and I retreat back to the warmth of the RV.  He goes back to his bed and snuggles up for another hour of sleep while I start the coffee.  I open the blinds and while sipping coffee I watch the sunrise.  As the moon dips in the distance, it goes from white to an orange yellow – yellowly orange like a big egg yolk in the sky.  Did I already mention, I love my dog?sunset

While sitting at the RV window, I watch as a flurry of morning activity begins among the vegetation.  Cotton tail bunnies, chipmunks, and birds of all kind forage for food.  I still haven’t had a good view of any Javelina’s yet.  Just a glimpse one night.  And I did cross paths with a coyote the other day.  Darn thing wouldn’t hold still while I readied my camera.  I even spoke soothingly to him, “Please come back!  Would you like one of Bear’s treats?”  He was a healthy looking guy and big.  A day later while hiking, I got super excited (and nervous) when I thought I saw another coyote on the trail.  I was faked out by Jake, the German Shepard.  Fun times!

Ah…..these mornings are glorious.  The sunsets are stunning and the views are pretty….I feel more alive than I have in a long time.  The tumultuous times of 2012 are but a memory.  Yesterday is history, tomorrow is an adventure.  Happy trails, my friends!hiking

37 thoughts on “Man’s Bestfriend or Worst?”

  1. LOL! Great post, Ingrid! Hopefully Bear’s internal clock hasn’t been reset to 5:30am! The days ARE getting longer. Warm temps in the immediate forecast – YAY!

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  3. Wow sounds so like the Kalagadi… except exchange coyote for lion… man I can just imagine that cold wind awakening… that’s what you call a different wake up call….

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  6. Great story… “I immediately became less concerned about my moon and more engaged in the full moon in the sky” Great line, lol! 🙂

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  8. I never got a picture of a coyote either when I used to run into one every morning in Henderson NV when I’d go running with Ginger. The one I saw was scrawny and its bone stuck out though (I don’t understand that, because I heard of many a cat that got taken by coyotes in that neighborhood; maybe he had a fast metabolism).

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    1. The coyotes by my house in CO are skinny and ratty looking. Small dogs and cats are known to disappear as well. Coyotes or big birds? The coyotes here, look really healthy….lots of rabbits and quail running around…an abundance of food. I’ll keep my camera handy.

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  11. Ingrid and Al – Thanks for the recommendation of Camp4Coffee, I ordered a bag of Sledgehammer and enjoyed it this weekend. The order came fast along with a coffee mug and thank you note, I will definitely be ordering from them again. Hope you guys are well and stay warm! Best, Kevin and Tracy.

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    1. Awesome. I’m partial to the Sledgehammer and Al the Blue Mesa. It was a pleasure meeting you guys. Maybe we’ll run into each other again….perhaps McDowell 🙂

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        1. We’ll be back at Cave Creek in Feb….let’s hope it’s warmer for ALL of us. We’re on to Quartzsite tomorrow for the adventure 😉

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  14. It’s so difficult to get out the door when it is so darn cold but the rewards outweigh the cold, don’t they? Beautiful photos Ingrid. 🙂

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    1. Those sunsets and sunrises were the best…..nothing even close at Lost Dutchman, but loved the hiking at LD. Don’t they say “variety is the spice of life”? Guess that’s why we like moving around 🙂

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