Jackpot: Yesterday Was a Great Day!

Turkey Tracks: September 1, 2022

Jackpot: Yesterday Was a Great Day!

Jackpot met my beloved friend Linda early yesterday morning. She came in quietly, and he didn’t hear her until she was at the inside kitchen door. Oh my goodness! There is no question that he’s going to set up an alarm when someone comes. And he braced and barked in front of the kitchen door, all set to protect himself, me, the kitchen, and the house.

Of course he warmed up to her in no time at all. She is a darling, how could he not?

Our morning walk after the rain was at a neighbor’s property on the road above me. There are horses and trails, and the neighbor has always been so generous to share the trails with neighbors and friends.

Jackpot went off leash this visit right out of the car.

I let him go at his own pace most of the time, so he has plenty of time to smell everything. The walks are about us both having fun and are not meant to be about me exercising, though I am getting exercised I can tell you. There are many places where we both pick up the pace.

He found his first stick and proudly carried it around. I threw it ahead for him a few times. (There is now a paved drive to a newly built house that curves away from the trails.) I had wondered if he would chase a thrown stick. AC loved that game. Jackpot will learn to follow a thrown stick’s flight as the days pass. Right now I just threw down the road.

And guess what! He does all the stairs now. He went up earlier this morning, but I got this video later in the day.

After lunch, Jackpot had a quiet time in his crate while I paid some bills. Eventually, we went to pick up some fresh raw cream that I get each week, and on the way home, I think he graduated from his front seat hook-up. Here’s my new co-pilot. (There is a chain rigged to the back seat so he can’t get thrown forward.) And I desperately need a haircut—it got postponed until Jackpot came and had dedicated time with me.

Maybe the best part of the day happened on our second walk. We went over to the Snow Bowl again, and he met “Boo,” a favorite dog friend last seen last winter. Boo and Pete/Paul (I have to get that name sorted) thought he was seeing me with AC Slater, and Boo ran to greet us. She took Jackpot right down to the pond’s swimming hole and right into the water. She doesn’t go deep, but Jackpot followed her on the ramp and wherever she went. I wasn’t quick enough to get a better video. They were moving too fast. I’m sure we’ll see Boo (a rescue from Arkansas) and there will be more swimming along the way.

Here’s a picture I took of a stand of cat tails blowing in the wind. There is always a breeze in this “bowl” that is surrounded by hills/mountains. You can see the pond on the other side of the road. It’s a beautiful spot.

I had a VERY tired dog after he ate his dinner!

There were NO potty accidents all day. That’s a first.