Photos and text copyright Romping and Rolling in the Rockies 2009-2017.

All photographs and text within this blog are copyrighted.

You may not copy or repost any photos or text without specific permission from the author of this blog. When in doubt, please ask.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Beat that, Rusty!

Yesterday evening, R and I witnessed a winter sunset. A thick blanket of winter storm clouds covered the mountains of the Continental Divide.
 Even R seemed impressed!
Meanwhile, K relaxed at home after her short walk. She seemed to be resigned to her new sedentary lifestyle, mixing rest and brain games.
Then, this morning, K read over my shoulder about Rusty the Rooster trying to one-up her and R by standing triumphantly on a boulder. When we headed out for our little walkabout, she contemplated his challenge and how to meet it despite the cast on her leg.
Then, she promised to be very careful as she climbed onto a small boulder.
Without asking me, she upped the ante, standing with her forepaws and hindpaws each on separate rocks. Try that Rusty!
After K was resting at home content with a frozen kong, R joined me for a short mountain bike ride. The air was damp and cold. It felt like snow could fly at any moment. When we arrived up high at Hug Hill, R zoomed like a guided missile to the juniper bush where a chipmunk likes to hide. Alas, no chipmunk lurked there today. I think that he started his hibernation, R - look at the snow up just a little higher than us. It’s time for a long sleep for some animals (including the bears who might be sleeping at the den where I have a trail camera).
One of the cardinal rules for using behavioral training to overcome R’s obsessive-compulsive disorder is to spread out his obsessions among many different activities. One suggestion was to allow him to become rodent-obsessed. I’ve nixed that idea – R is already so obsessed with rodents that I’m having trouble with him on the agility course. If he scents a rodent, we’re done with agility training because he becomes completely focused on the rodent. The other big rule is never to castigate R for following an obsession. I’m told that scolding him will make him even more obsessed. So, as he goes nutso over rodents and forgets that I exist, I have to look for creative ways to distract him – like running away from him while acting like a lunatic. That worked this morning but probably won’t again… He's too smart!

Here was the mountain view from Hug Hill - most definitely a winter look. We climbed this mountain during a warm summer day. I think that it's arctic up there now! I can't wait until the clouds finally lift and we can see the snow-covered mountains in the sunlight!
The feeling of snow in the air brought many locals out onto the trails, feverishly squeezing in some more outdoor time before true winter sets in. I met several fun friends on the trails today, and one even showed me a new trail that included this view. Woo hoo!
I was planning to visit some new blogs today of the many kind people who commented on this blog over the past few days. Alas, our internet connection is crawling today. It took four hours to upload the photos in this post! Every time I tried to open a new blog, all progress on uploading the photos stopped. So, I’m saving my blog visiting for a day when our connection is a tiny bit faster! But, thanks to all of you for lifting my spirits!

29 comments:

  1. INCREDIBLE pics!!!

    We feel the chill in the air from here!

    As for K: you go Girl!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It was worth you not visiting us so we could see the pictures! They're beautiful!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The pictures are gorgeous :) So glad to see K "on the rocks" so to speak!

    Kisses,
    Emma Rose

    ReplyDelete
  4. The clouds in the first photo look extremely dense, like marshmallows.

    K and R seem like the perfect dogs to me, even though R is obsessed with rodents! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ahhh, the challenge is on - what will Rusty do next? :-)

    Such beautiful photos - again.

    Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Woo - K - we love the challenge of two boulders and will see what we can do. But getting Rusty to actually concentrate on anything is, well, a challenge. But we are sure he is up to it. As soon as we can knock his snoring off as he is currently sprawled on his back on the couch.

    ReplyDelete
  7. K will always be Boulder Queen. She is game to climb even in her cast. The mountains looked snowy today for sure! I wore a scarf and fleece here in Denver when we went to brunch.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for stopping by! I'm following you back! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Very nice pics as always!
    Great job K!

    Cheers,
    Maxx

    ReplyDelete
  10. What breathtaking pictures. Just beautiful.

    Glad to hear that K had another big step:)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love the picture of K on top of that rock! Looks like there is no stopping her. Looking forward to maybe seeing bears some day with your camera near the den!

    Your pal, Pip

    P.S.: I am a city dog so this all very exciting to me!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Well we are new to you too thanks to the OP pack and the herd. That rooster is up to tricks. I think he met his match. You have a super blog and look forward to more adventures.
    norwood
    PS I'm highly rodent driven too. Mom does that lunatic move. It works after I've ran off and loss the chase but in the midst of it... forget about it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It does look like winter is approaching. But beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I would love to be running beside you on your trails. I can hear the sound of your wind this very moment. Your breeze is tickling my ears.
    I have been visiting mother nature too.... we're waiting for the first big storm to come.
    Awsome photos.
    Thank you for letting me look.
    love
    tweedles

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love the new mountain view! Just makes me want to be there, and I don't! lol

    I love the idea of a smackdown between Rusty and K! He is a little, uh, easily distracted so I think K would definitely have the edge with him.

    Great post!

    Cheers,

    Stella & Jo

    ReplyDelete
  16. Does K always look so quizzical? She looks like she is either thinking really hard or is a bit worried about something. She looks like she could be a deep thinker. She looks like she's a tough cookie and I'm so grateful she is still able to get out and walk with you. The days are counting down.

    ReplyDelete
  17. K, you look just fabulous on that boudler. The head shot is particularly gorgeous!

    Woofs,
    Tommy

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hurray for K! Guess when she's working on that frozen Kong she's also thinking of new ways to impress us on her next jaunt.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Nothing worse than a bandaged paw...me too last year when I was chasing a bouncing ball on hard beach sand...yow that one hurt for a month. Now I'm oh so careful...as if!!
    Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to you all!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I stopped by to offer you some Power of the Paw...seeing as I'm practically related to that Bobcat Fella, plus I have more toes than he/she...My paw power is considerable! To you and K and R...many much encouraging purrs!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Just found your blog thru the Herd. Live down in Greenwood Village, so it's a pleasure to see what's going on higher up! We have a great mountain view though not as close as yours. I enjoy watching the peaks fill with snow from here! Your labs are gorgeous dogs.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh, gosh! Those pictures were soooo pretty. My mountain - Pikes Peak - had just a teensy bit of snow on it this morning. Usually by now it's pretty well covered. But it's been awful warm. So it was real nice to see that there's snow somewhere in Collie-rado!

    Wiggles & Wags,
    mayzie

    ReplyDelete
  23. I have to give thanks to The Thundering Herd for leading me here! I love your photos!
    Hawk aka BrownDog

    ReplyDelete
  24. Found your blog through The OP Pack.
    Absolutely gorgeous pics! Glad to have been directed to such a great blog!
    Kodi x

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh my what an amazing sunset! Get catch on the pick with R looking at it.

    LOVE you changing leaves.

    Bet K felt good on top of that rock :)

    Really love that last shot! Snow on the mountains, they look like they were dusted with snow.

    Chasing my tale...
    Addie, Lucie and Hailey

    ReplyDelete
  26. you are so good with your pups!
    and such gorgeous views and captures you have shared with us. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  27. WOW - to all your pics! And YAY to K for pushing the envelope. That can't be easy with a cast on her leg! Go K!
    The Road Dogs

    ReplyDelete
  28. I'm late in the game between Rusty and R and K, but I'm enjoying it! How fun! Even though the dogs probably don't have the slightest clue what their owners are doing!

    ReplyDelete

If you are a Blogger registered user, you can skip the step asking you to verify that you are not a spammer. For posts older than 5 days, I have comment moderation turned on.

Thanks for your comments!!!!!