Day 3 and Smiling

Where to start! I guess the general gist is that I landed in a good place, with good people and AMAZING dogs. Its 20 miles from Bend in an area called the Badlands Wilderness, I shit you not. Its high desert, an open expanse of approximately 64,000 acres, on a 40 acre property. Its dry and wild and beautiful.  Sandy soil and shrubs, rock outcropping and Juniper Trees. A 360 degree view of Central Oregon.
In the distance you have the hulk of Powell Butte, lying big and wide and low, like Jabba The Hut…but prettier, with far off mountains all around. Vague on direction and details,  I know, honestly have been too tired and distracted to ask! Jerry suggested that if I walk out in any direction in 10 minutes , to get a feel of how remote it is, how….well….alone you can be. And also, if Im confused as to which way is home, which can happen real easy, just howl…and the dogs will howl right back, see me home safe. Its a comforting thought.

There’s alot of weather. Right now we are lucky to have perfect days. 80 + degrees and often a breeze, in comparison to the 108 degree days they were suffering before I arrived. Sit long enough in one spot and you bake still. Or pick a friend to hang out with and crawl under the shade of a doghouse and you do just fine. Huge clouds, thunderstorms and ridiculous sunsets. In response to my cooing out of the window, I say to Jerry, ( my new roomie and founder of Oregon Trail of Dreams) ” You probably get those alot though right”, slightly embarrased at my own gushing…he barely looked up from his computer.”Oh. Yeah…every night” . Score.

I picked up poop for hours yesterday, and did a meet and greet with the dogs on route. Over 100 of them. All soft eyed and desperate to love and be loved. Then scrubbed out and filled their water cans, hooked to the side of their house with a nail. Slopping 5 gallon buckets of water up and over the lumps and bumps of the yard. I was pretty tired when done. Ok fine, I was KNACKERED! but I will get faster, stronger Im sure. I’m now a dab hand at flicking a dried piece of poo on to the scooper thingy. One for the resume .

The team of geriatric, retired dogs that roam free on the property and rush (stumble) enthusiastically up to you whenever you appear, remain a constant joy. Such characters. Some one stole one of my hiking boots that I left outside the house last night like a true rookie. Fortunately Nick, Rachel Scdoris’s husband spotted it in one of the dog houses, where it had been gifted with pride at some point in the night. Not chewed.  Just taken . For fun.

I have been into Bend 2 days in a row.  A luxury on Gas I won’t be affording every day. Yesterday to buy food at Safeway,  biting my lip, doing math, counting pennies and finding myself moving back into a long forgotten Rahmen Noodle phase, Its a Sled Dog Handlers life ! You work for love, not money.  I hit a meeting today, and wandered around downtown Bend, along the lush, grassy slopes along the river where people lounged in the shade of trees, treated myself to a slice of awesome Mondo’s Pizza, savoring every bite and checked out the Farmers Market which I now can’t afford.  Lone gone are my days of $4 lattes in Marin and splurgy food shops at The Good Earth!

Ok, that about all my shoulders will allow. Yes, it is possible for your shoulder joints to hurt when you type apparently. Its a Pooper Scooping injury. Rare, like a Dance Floor injury Molly Graham, and strangely just as much fun!

Pictures of Doglets coming soon… !