Week 1/Durango

Our dog, Elsa, is very much in her adolescent puppy age, and it's been tough with her anxiety around people, children, cyclists, dogs approaching or just being within about 10 feet of them. She just goes crazy. It started a while back, but I can see that it really escalated in this new place. I've reached out to a dog trainer for one session who can hopefully give ME some good advice on what to do to help her thru this spot.
Haha, I may need some anti anxiety meds before she gets thru it, tho! It's very isolating for someone like me who likes to stop and talk to just about anybody.

We managed to get some good hiking in this week. Last weekend we went up Junction Creek, Falls Creek and Perin's Peak and part of Horse Gulch. These are our favorite easy (get acclimated to elevation) hikes close in to Durango. This weekend we have done part of the Castle Rock hike and then Cascade Creek this morning. These two hikes are at higher elevations...about 8-9,000 feet. Our longest hike was up Cascade Creek today at about 5.6 miles. So beautiful. Lots of variety with passing what I call the Berenstein Bears cabins on a very rough jeep road, crossing a few streams and getting nice and wet, meadows and old forests that line the west side of the creek.

I did not get as many pictures this week on our hikes. I'm just simply enjoying the views and being with William in this place.

I spent a lot of time reading books and researching dog behavior online!! Haha. I'm loving a book my friend Mary Ann suggested on Prayer: Why Our Words to God Matter. I also read another of her suggestions called End Times Simplified.  This afternoon I started a mystery, A Tap on the Window, which looks like it will be pretty good. I'm in the middle of One Nation:What We Call All Do by Dr. Ben Carson.

Friday afternoon we met our daughter in law's parents for burgers on Main Street. They have been road tripping in their RV for a few months now. We caught up on family and heard about their work w/ habitat for humanity they did while on the road. First time we have ever had dinner alone with them and our kids have been married 10 years! It was great!

We have done FaceTime with our girls and their families and it's great to have that way of communicating when you are out of town.

Apples and snack break at the old abandoned cabin.

Hiking up Castle Rock 

Wm's office Monday-Thursday

Elsa and her most favorite chew.

Perin's Peak Wilderness Area

Falls Creek hike

Falls Creek hike