Telluride Dog Blog: Live in the neighbourhood with you!

Well, let’s make the most of this beautiful day, since we’re together we might as well say…..as old Mr. Rogers would have said as he put on his cardigan. It’s time to take you on a tiny tour of Texas….Texas like we didn’t even know it existed. This entire complex is new since owner left town and she’s a lovin it if I do say so myself. My opinion is based on the amount of time I spend ALONE in the dark on my dog mat. However, the air conditioning works well and she’s pretty good to me when she returns home.

First, let me say we are in a one bedroom apartment. Do you have any idea how small this can actually be? It’s not like living in a dog house but just about….say I as a small canine. We’ve only tripped over each other a couple times. What makes this so doable is that there are plenty of communal spaces….pools, gymnasium, patios both on the ground and on the top of the buildings. They nicely installed a dog area where we can go late at night and do our thing in private. The entire apartment complex is on the equivalant of a giant park with myriad walkways and trails and restaurants. So let’s go on that tour.

Here we have the view off our patio. It seems like a fake photo with the kayaker in the distance but as I type this up…a family of four went by in a couple kayaks. Of course this is no whitewater adventure and they are simply meandering their way down this manmade (but pretty long) waterway. Chuckle if you will Telluriders….this is a huge improvement on what was available to people when we first moved here….SHOPPING.

Looking back toward our patio we feel that perhaps we have time travelled and are back in Giverny….April in Paris remember.

As we pass this common area we arrive at the waterfall. A lone Mallard sits at the top of this waterfall every morning – we think he’s demonstrating his incredible ab strength holding himself in a static position (as he deftly hovers but never topples over the edge) to attract a potential mate. Of course….have we had our camera with us at 7 a.m. – NO. Owner barely has her eyes open at that hour and I doubt she’s even noticed the damn duck. I have…..canard a l’orange is on my mind as I doze off each night.

As we continue on our walk, we pass by a large central plain where me and my new buddies gather most evenings around 5:30 for a game of chase my tail.…wait, no I’ll chase your tail,…wait, I want to chase the ball. I drop out once they start to play ball. I have never understood the fun in that pointless game. It is thrown over and over again and it gets boring quickly. I usually hang out with Cocoa and Melbourne….more on them next week.

This place actually has boat ferries and a trolley. Like Telluride the trolley is free but I think the boat ferries are quite expensive. This I understand as there is never anyone on the darn things which makes them costly to run. See…I can do basic math calculations in my head. For the most part the boat ferry seems to be a place for herons to hang out and preen their feathers. Obviously I’m back on that “everyone is looking for a mate” theme again. Well, not me….operations, snip snip, etc. I am only looking for companionship and a cuddle once in a while.

A few ducks live around here and I find them quite amusing. When I really need a good leg stretch, owner lets me run up to the edge and chase them up and down a bit. I’m not a novelty and they pay me no mind. It’s been two weeks and I get their point. I’m never going to jump in (she’d kill me!), I’m never going to catch one, and they are never going to give a damn that I’m hopping around like a jackrabbit on the bank. New diversions can get old so quickly, can’t they?

We continue on for our constituional until we hit the bridge. Usually owner’s patience has worn out by then and she just wants to yank my chain and get me back. This is a great place, don’t get me wrong, but it can’t hold her attention like the wilderness can in Telluride where we can walk/hike for hours. I get a good hour outside and then back we go. Sometimes we cross over and walk by the restaurants where I can find a crumb or two on the ground but usually it is straight back home with one fun little detour.

Check this out! I LOVE fish. I LOVE brightly coloured fish. I love sharing a drink with some fish. I like to LICK fish. Give me a fish and I’m happy. Give me some KOI and the day is golden.