This weekend I am teach a tracking class to a group of novice but very enthusiastic handlers and their dogs. Yesterday and today I goofed off a bit, caught up on some paperwork and scouted out good potential locations for training this weekend. Although dogs can and do track on just about any surface, I am a little fussy about the type of vegetation I work inexperienced dogs on. I want to shape habits and behaviors from the beginning and by manipulating the environment (in this case tracking them on grass of a certain height and thickness) I can develop correct habits and instill "muscle memory".
I also went for a long run with Jill in downtown Columbia. www.mapmyrun.com has sadly eliminated any excuse I have for avoiding running when I am away from home. Jill and I did a 5 mile out and back run along the greenway which is a railroad track converted to a bike path in the center (literally) of the river through the city. One of us (the one who has done a lot less driving lately) enjoyed the run a lot more than the other.... There was a guy fishing (and catching catfish) next to the damn where Jill is sitting. He asked me to watch his fishing poles while he ran to use the rest room. I said sure but then once he was gone realized that if someone tried to steal his fishing poles I might be of some use but if he got a fish he was seriously out of luck....
During the course of my tracking field recon missions I saw this tree.
I am not sure what it is (sumac??) but it reminds me of Vermont.
Then I saw this. Which did not....
You can't read the fine print but basically it said that the alligators can do and eat anything that they want....Yeah no kidding.
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