To pee on the tundra...

Today, after spending far too much time on the physical and chemical properties of matter followed by the essentials of long division, I needed a break. Again, the mountains were in blankets of shading that seemed to change in the 15 minutes that it took me to get home. Sharp and shadowed...the colours were like a painter's toolkit. The weather was also awesome. It had that crisp smell of autumn with a hint of campfire and was warm enough to carry the jacket I had zipped up.

The only thing to do after getting back from school was to give in and take the dogs out for an itty-bitty stretch. Together we climbed up the toes of Mt. Duval and hung out on the tundra checking out the hamlet. Making it any further up the ankle is just not possible with these two pups.

Jumping from rock to rock and sinking in the mossy areas, both Scarlett and Gryphon looked like they were having a ball. I felt bad about having them leashed, but who knows about the wild dogs around here? The bears haven't made it this far yet, but I was still a bit nervous.

Halfway home I met a guy exiting the back door of his apartment with some sort of yorkie mix. Dickens. Now, Dickens had no problems running around on his own, so I let my two loose; other than a few panic episodes when they got lost in the grass, it was just as if we were in the big dog park back in Ottawa. They would have been fine but for the fact that they found a spot that was seriously covered in husky pee (or something of the sort). Of couse, Gryphon had to do his whole 'manly-man' marking thing - I don't know what his piddle is supposed to achieve - but Scarlett got in his way. Before I knew it, urine was dripping past her ears and Gryphon had hopped on to the next scent. Nasty.

Both received baths when I got in. Both now smell like 'Ultra Moisturing Shea Butter' body wash. Kinda weird actually...