Sunset in Las Vegas

 Hi everyone! Wednesday was a big day for me. My Mom took me to a new place where I got put into a big tub of soapy water and then have to stand in wind. Then some strange woman rubs me all over with something that makes a buzzing sound while my neck hangs in a noose. All this happened with multiple dogs running around on the floor. Another strange woman asked if I wanted to run around with them but I said, "No thanks." Then, my Mom came back to pick me up and she sent me back to the noose to get my mustache trimmed. Gee, what a girl has to do to stay pretty! I slept for the rest of the day.

Oh yeah, there was an absolutely gorgeous sunset last night.

Hiking with GG's Aunt Debbie & Frank - 12/30/11 thru 1/3/12

When Aunt Debbie and Frank came to visit, I was delighted! Mom and Dad were happy and I had four more hands to pet me. However, I was not allowed to go with them when they went out the door. So, this is the story they told me.

On Thursday, Aunt Debbie and Frank went golfing while Mom and Dad went hiking since they were already obligated to lead this very strenuous hike down at Gold Strike Canyon. When everybody got home, they were very sore and tired. But happy.

That evening, Frank treated everyone to an evening at one of the last showings of the Las Vegas "The Lion King" at Mandalay Bay. Now, that would have been right down my alley but, alas, I was not invited.

Valley of Fire

On Friday, everybody got up early and left me in the kennel for a lot of hours. They went 'splorin' out at Lake Mead. First they swung by Anniversary Narrows and found that it was still closed. Then they drove up by the lake and found a pretty spring area. Next, they went on up to Valley of Fire and this is where these photos are from.

They hiked a 3.5 mile hike called the Valley of Fire Slot Canyons. The color of the rock and the formations of the canyons are "out of this world." ... whatever that means. When they finished the hike, the sun was almost setting and there were many photogs out taking a lot of beautiful pictures.

Liberty Bell Arch

On Saturday, Mom and Dad were scheduled to lead another hike but this one was easier and there were a lot of hikers that went with them. Liberty Bell Arch is a 5 mile hike down by the river just below the dam in Arizona.

That evening, Frank treated the four people to a yummy dinner at Brio for an early New Year's Eve celebration. When I heard the fireworks go off at midnight, Mom was the only one to peek out the window and see a couple of them from the Strip.


Death Valley -
Zabriski Point

So, the next day, we all got up and packed for a trip. They were going to Death Valley and I was going to the vet to be boarded. ...hmmm, yea. Anyways, so after they dropped me off, they drove through Pahrump (which prompted many jokes about the local brothels) and on to the Furnace Creek area of Death Valley. The photo above was taken at Zabriski Point where the sun was low enough to create beautiful shadows across the frozen sand dunes.

Badwater

After a visit to the Visitor's Center to get our window sticker, we drove out to Badwater before the sun went down. (It goes down around 4:15pm there at this time.) The light was great for photos there, too.

Next, they ate dinner then went back to the hotel. They struggled with a young inexperienced desk clerk and managed to get two very nice rooms with king beds and fireplaces.

Darwin Falls

The next morning, it was required that they all get up really early again. A long drive through Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Emmigrant and Panamint Springs brought them to the trailhead for Darwin Falls. As the ranger had eluded, they found the two mile trail to be a challenge due to slippery rocks, crossing small limbs over water and squeezing around a protruding boulder. But they did it! I really wish I could've been there.


Mosaic Canyon

Next, they ate a nice sandwich at Stovepipe Wells Saloon then headed up to close by Mosaic Canyon. At only a mile, out and back, the beautiful little slot canyon entertained for a short jaunt among the marble walls. But, quickly now, the sun was beginning its descent to the horizon and there was more to do.


Stovepipe Wells Sand Dunes

The day was full of new stuff for all four and the sand dunes at sunset was a "must do." So, all four took a hiking stick and trudged out into the sand. Sand isn't easy to walk in. I know. I can go only so far then my short legs get stuck. Luckily, the four people have longer legs. Dad was determined to reach to farthest and highest sand dune. It was about a mile from the cars.

As the sun went down, interesting shadows filled the sand dunes with photo- graphic oppor- tunities. (Okay, that was a mouthful.) There were a lot of other people out there, too. Some were using sleds on the sand. They were probably a lot younger than Mom and Dad. ... Just sayin'.

That evening, back at the hotel, Dad, Aunt Debbie and Frank had dinner but Mom was pooped! I guess she just couldn't keep up with all those older people!

Golden Canyon / Gower Gulch Loop

So, the next morning, Mom was rearing to go and everyone else was a little slow at first. But, the 4.5 mile Golden Canyon / Gower Gulch Loop raised everyone's "Wow Factor" and the hike went by fast as they went from one incredible view to another. The hike went up under Manly Peak which is a pointy frozen sand dune that can be seen from Zabriski Point. The trail is a narrow path that is cut into the side of the dune.

Then they climbed down the next canyon passing a couple of old mines. This is a wider canyon, not as photogenic but easily hiked.

There was a little bit of scrambling involved. That just makes things interesting. Then the trail takes you back to the cars along the base of the mountains. Aunt Debbie was having a small shoe problem but Frank was very helpful in solving the problem.

Lunch was at the Furnace Creek Cafe again.

Dante's View

Before leaving the park, the four of them drove up to Dante's View. "Up" is the keyword here. Dante's View is seen from the top of the mountain above Badwater. You can see all of "Death Valley" per se. Of course, the park is much larger but this is the valley portion.

All that was left to do was ride home and make sure Aunt Debbie and Frank caught the plane the next morning. Oh yeah, and pick me up from the vet. (That part is mucho importante!) I could tell that Mom and Dad were very energized and very happy that the visit went so well.

Feather Cactus Bloom

My feather cactus hasn't bloomed since we moved out of our house two years ago. It's blooming now! Most likely, it enjoys the southern exposure that it did not have at the loft.

GG's New Digs

Hi! GG, the Las Vegas Cockapoo here! Grandma, I bet you were thinking I would never speak up! I've just been so busy since we moved into our new house that I haven't had time to get Mom to take all these pictures. My Dad had to get the property management company to fix a lot of little things, then he had to build stuff in the garage, then he had to grow grass, then he was busy talking to our new neighbor ... I like that part because our new neighbor has two little kids that look a lot like me ... well, they are small and have four legs. I guess the resemblance ends there. We love to play together. Then, Mom got busy with her job again. I don't know where she goes but she comes back really tired a couple of days each week. And, she goes hiking. I don't want to say anything but she comes back really dirty after that. Then, she sits at the computer for most of the rest of the day. Something about another blog. Soooo! Well, here I am, finally. Like my backyard?

I would like to show you around a little. In the second picture, you can see my front door. Here's where I bark a lot. It's also a cool place to lay. The third picture is an overview of the living room. My bed is in the perfect place ... the middle of the floor! You can also see my toy box. Very important. The next picture shows the guest bedroom. Grandma, this is where you and Gordon will stay when you visit. Small but there's a nice view. Mom had just rubbed my tummy and I was staying there just in case she came back and rubbed it some more after she took the picture.

The next picture shows me sitting beside the dining room table. This is my view when Mom and Dad are eating lunch. They don't give me anything from the table anymore so I sit patiently until they finish. I'm such a good dog! Oh, also, Mom's cacti are sitting on that table to the right. The cacti are very happy there. She will probably put some of the cacti upstairs in the loft in the winter. The loft is in the picture to the left. It is a cozy room where I think Mom will spend some time when it gets colder.

I get to choose which ball I play with every day. That's fun! I sleep in my bed in the morning. I only get on Mom and Dad's bed when they invite me up. I play with Mei Mei and Happy when our neighbor is outside. I chase balls in the yard. And, this morning, I did something really cool! Mom was busy down at the pond cutting a tree and I wasn't getting enough attention so I threw my ball in the pond. I got a lot of attention then! Unfortunately, I had to wait and wait and wait until the ball came close enough to the edge so that Dad could reach it. That was kind of a bummer. It took so long that I thought I was going to have to go in after it. In the meantime, Mom gave me another ball and I threw that one into the pond twice. For some reason, Mom and Dad didn't see the humor in this.

GG's Family Vacation at the Grand Canyon - 06-19-11 thru 06-23-11

Hi! GG, the Las Vegas Cockapoo here. My family went on a vacation to the Grand Canyon last week and all I got was this lousy T-shirt ... well, actually, I didn't even get a T-shirt. What I got was a stay at doggy camp with all my friends. From what I hear, it was really hot anyway and I was probably happier in the air conditioning. My Mom and Dad and Uncle camped at Mather Campground where the temperature ranged from 37 degrees the first night to 88 degrees the last day! ... Hmmm ... I'm kinda glad I wasn't there. Anyway, I'll tell you what they told me when they got home.

My Mom got a nice big campsite, #266B, where there was plenty of room for two tents, two cars to park and a big family to gather. Two nights, Uncle Tim slept in the extra tent. One night Cousin Mitchell slept there. Then, one night, Cousin Paige slept there. If I had been there, I would have slept there to keep Paige warm if Mom and Dad would have let me. I heard there was an elk that walked through the campsite one afternoon while everyone was having lunch. If I had been there, I would have told that elk a thing or two. I have experience with elk.


On the first evening, my family had hamburgers, turkey burgers and boca burgers on the grill. They were delicious, so they said. Then, the three campers buried themselves under all kinds of sleeping bags and blankets for a cozy cold night. Everyone else went back to their Yavapai Lodge hotel rooms. Early the next morning, five of them set out for the South Kaibab Trail. One hiker, Gordon, proudly made it down to Ooh Aah Point and turned around. Two hikers, Debbie and Pam, went down and back to Cedar Ridge then returned to the hotel via the Rim Trail. The final two hikers got down to Skeleton Point where they could see the Colorado River. The trip back up was hot but they were no worse for the wear.

Previous to the trip, my Mom had injured her knee, my Dad's foot was a mess, and my Grandma's hip was acting up. So, the "gimpy brigade" plus Paige rode the bus to Bright Angel Lodge and transferred to the red route. The line for the shuttle out to Hermits Rest was very long and after waiting for two buses to load up, Paige and Mom (Kay) decided to walk on up to the first overlook. My Mom had brought her hiking stick and made good use of it. My Dad (John) and my Grandma (Marie) waited through two more buses and Grandma made it on the second. My Dad got her settled then began walking, bad foot and all. Just a note: if you ask me ... and no one did ... there are not enough shuttles posted on the red route. Everyone told me that the waits were too long in the hot sun and not enough people were being served at the busy time of the day.


The second night Grandma took everyone out to the Arizona Room steakhouse located at the Bright Angel Lodge. The steaks and salads were good but ... well, I would have been happy to eat the salmon .... After dinner, the sun was getting low to the horizon and the Grand Canyon shadows came out. They took a walk along the rim a short ways and took a few pictures.

The next day, everyone except Mom and Dad drove down to Sedona, Arizona and became one with the universe or got centered or just looked at a bunch of pretty stuff. The photo to the left shows what Mom and Dad did that day. I'm glad they had a chance to rest. They have been busy, busy, busy. By this time, everyone had figured out that the best way to communicate between each other was by texting so Mom and Dad knew when everyone was coming back and were ready with a good old fashion wiener roast.


I've heard stories about my Mom's childhood. Apparently, Grandpa (Clay) loved to have wiener roasts in their backyard especially in the fall when they were burning leaves. Sounds like great fun to me. I could probably score a couple of hot dogs in an evening, I'm sure I could. Anyway, everyone had a great fun time cooking their hot dogs on the end of drooping hanger wires.

Next, the marsh- mallows came out along with the Jiffy Pop popcorn! Wow! That sounded like my kind of evening. The weather was getting warmer overnight and everyone settled in their respective beds early enough for Uncle Tim and Cousin Mitchell to get up early the next morning for a long hot hike down the Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point.


Uncle Tim and Cousin Mitchell, both men in good shape between 29 and 48 years of age, made it back up to the rim around 12:30pm. That's pretty good time, if you ask me ... but no one ever does. Anyway, they were definitely using all engines to complete the hike and no one ended up in the clinic with heat exhaustion.

While Tim and Mitch were hiking below, Aunt Debbie, Aunt Pam and Mom took a pleasant long walk along the Rim Trail starting from the Market Plaza. At one point, they all peered below at Plateau Point and wondered if the two hikers were there yet. As it turned out, the hikers were actually at the point at that same time but it was so far away that the rim walkers could not decipher anyone on the trail. Moving on, the ladies visited the Kolb Studio, took pictures of the condor (#26) on the cliff rock, and began walking up the rim from the red route bus stop. Just a note: I sure would have liked to see that condor. I've never seen such a big bird for real ... only in pictures.


The views from the rim must have been overwhelming because Mom took a lot of them. The photo above shows the first five miles of the Bright Angel Trail as it zigzags down toward Indian Gardens. Mom was telling me about the last time she climbed that part of the trail in April. Honestly, I don't think I could do it. And, I've got two more legs than she does!

Mom caught the bus and rode out to Mohave Point where she got the river pictures then headed back to camp. Aunt Debbie and Aunt Pam continued there explorations all the way out to Hermit's Rest and back. That night, the menu included chicken on the grill by the campfire. Later, Mitchell provided S'mores, which I heard he is excellent at. They packed up the next morning and headed out. I got picked up around 3pm and I was really happy to see them again. You know, ... I just never know ....