Tag: Tip

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At Distance, still

We’ve been “stay at home” for just about a month … except for a couple of trips to re-supply fresh produce.  Then the weather got real nice, making it that much harder to just walk the neighborhood.

Staying distant as possible, we took a road trip to the Prineville Reservoir. Mostly we just wanted to see what was and what was not open.

Turns out the BLM has gated off the places with parking lots. Campgrounds were closed to camping and the signs said to keep socially separated.

That wasn’t a problem.  Tip found a spot to cool down and roll in some dirt.

Yeah, he needed that!

The drive didn’t really cover much distance, but it did wonders for our spirits.

There are lots of places you can go and still be more than six feet … just have to be careful about parking at trail heads, boat landings and campgrounds.

 

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Snow Boots

Right after the holidays Central Oregon got a huge boost to the snow pack.  In the few years since moving here we’ve grown accustomed to these “foot in a day” dumps of snow. The scene outside our front door can change dramatically in a matter of hours.

Luckily the neighborhood gets a regular snow plowing and our Subaru has it’s winter boots on. We’re basically ready for winter’s inevitable challenges.

As pointed out numerous times in our blog, morning walks with Tip is how we start the day. The addition of a layer of snow means you need to add traction devices to boots and boots to paws.

The latter can be a bit of a challenge. Tip doesn’t mind wearing boots, however they do add to prep time. Then there is the occasional occurrence with boots coming off in deep snow.

Often the walk will start with boots on and end with them in pockets … we’ll get the hang of this eventually. For now we don’t let it interfere with the morning’s activities.

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Stick Game

December’s snow melted away between Christmas and the first part of January. We took the opportunity to do some exploring along the upper Deschutes River.  It’s closed to fishing this time of year, meaning far fewer people and with only a hint of snow on the roads you can get nearly to Wickiup Reservoir via USFS roads.

At one spot we stopped to grab some pix of lichen and such with the macro lens.

Tip figured it was a good time to play a bit of fetch. He proceeded to pull a stick from the pine needles and insisted one of us throw it for him.

This game can last a few minutes or carry on for half an hour … today it was a brief game before we got back on the road and continued exploring.

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A Game of Fetch

Before winter storms close the Cascade Highway, we try to make one final trip to Upper Deschutes River.

The three of us love this spot. Jack for the fishing, JQ for shooting video and photos. As for Tip … this is his favorite swimming hole. Fun is had by all.

In the Fall you can often catch the spawn as the big Rainbows move into the river from Crane Prairie. The river is very different during each of the seasons. not sure when is our favorite. But then, why choose?

 

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Dog Toy Nirvana

Ruffwear is a premium dog gear company and they are located in Bend. Their headquarters recently completed a remodel and ‘re-opened’ the retail store.

This is one of the few stores where any dog is welcome, so we made a special trip to let Tip look around. He has a bunch of Ruffwear gear, but it is nice to see what is new.

What is really nice about Ruffwear’s store is there is no guess work in finding a harness or collar that fits. Lots of places sell this gear, but rarely do they carry a full line.

We found a tote to hold Tip’s stuff when we are on the road.

Also, we picked up a replacement for his well chewed fetch toy, the Lunker Floating Throw.

It works great in the water, and recently we discovered it floats quite nicely on top of snow … a perfect solution to the inevitable “ball sinking in the snow – never to be found again” problem.