New Shoes, New Year

Here's Pepe as we make our way to Alpine one fine morning to get the last of his new "shoes" at BAM Automotive. We were both very ecstatic. I just love to see his shadow racing across the morning countryside.



On New Year's Day 2010, I climbed up to the top of a mountain of 500,000,000-year-old rocks to sit and contemplate my life as I've come to know it, and how to find a new direction in my life as I'd like to know it. Joining me were the mated pair of Chihuahuan Ravens at Persimmon Gap, George and Gracie. Unfortunately, as they were about to connect in mid-air, my finger tripped the shutter release and I missed the moment. No matter, as I found their presence and aerobatic skill quite comforting. Darn the luck, though!

Waterbugs

Being an avid entymological observer for most of my life, I was thoroughly transfixed while gazing into one of the pools at Cattail Falls one day by the seeming mindless meanderings of these little aquatic critters, busily motoring about on their way to apparently nowhere. ("We don't know where we're going, but we're making good time!") The video doesn't really do them justice, of course, but it's still fun to watch these little guys, anyway.

Artoo Gettin' With It

Here we have another Star Wars-related video. For my birthday, my brother-in-law, Joe, gave me a hot-shot unit (battery jumper/air compressor), and I've managed to have to put it to use ever since. (There is some debate as to whether Joe knew I was going to need one somehow, or whether I've needed it because he gave it to me.) One day, I was airing up a slow leaker and looked down to see the unit doing a little dance, much like R2-D2 (a.k.a. "Artoo") does on occasion. I just couldn't resist catching it on video.

Yoda On The Run

One last doggie antics video, this one of a cute little pug named Yoda, owned by my nephew Matt and his girlfriend Amy. I never would've suspected that those short little legs of his could move so fast. He must be using The Force. ("Moving fast, I am.") The gasping and wheezing you hear during his rest stops is natural for a pug, so don't fret too much. You'd breathe that way, too, if your nose was squashed in like that. Poor little guy!

Chewy In Action

While on the subject of active dogs, my friends Jennifer and Romaldo recently adopted this wound-up red blue heeler named Chewy, a real live wire if I ever saw one. I don't know how they fit so much personality into one animal, but this guy's got a ton of it. Here it is playing with his favorite toy, the Flying Monkey. (No relationship to The Wizard of Oz flying monkeys, thank goodness!)

Dog Release - Take 2

And here we have Pete letting his pack loose. He has a slight delay in his release, due to one of the females being in season, and has to hold her back before he can let the rest loose. He finally gets the show underway and, as before, it's over really quick.

Dog Release - Take 1

While we're on the subject of animated animals, here's one of two videos I took over my birthday weekend. My brother-in-law, Joe, and his cousin, Pete, have packs of beagles they use for "hunting" rabbits. No rabbits are ever killed during these hunts, that I'm aware of; the hunts are mostly put on for the exercise of the dogs, and for the overall amusement of the owners. This is Joe letting his bunch loose. You have to watch quick!!