MY FIRST HIKE – OLLIE DOG BLOG – 8-21-11

I’ve been hearing about this hike in the Sierra but never expected it to be sooooooo much fun.  The air was filled with the smell of evergreens and the crispness was so different than the city air.  There was endless room to run.  The landscape was rugged and beautiful.  We passed lots of mountain lakes.  It was late for flowers, but they were everywhere.  It was dog heaven.

Here I am at our destination, Penner Lake, a quite spectacular sight.  I am quite pleased at myself for climbing this mountain.  I think that I will go take a dip in that refreshing-looking lake.

Holy Toledo!  Why didn’t someone tell me that the lake was filled with ice water?  I think I may turn into an icicle before I make it back to shore.  I could be frozen in place with this crazy, panicked look on my face.  What an indignity!  Someone will need to thaw me out.  That hairy Ella has so much fur the water probably never penetrates to her skin, which is why she looks so calm.  I am a more delicate doggie.

Finally, I got used to the cold water or just got numb and retrieved sticks. Oh, I love to do that, but next time I am going to bring a wetsuit.

Then a beautiful mermaid emerged from the deep, emerald depths and floated nearby for a bit.  I wasn’t quite sure if she was going to take my stick away, so I stayed close to shore.

At the end of the day, Anne wanted a nice family photo. I put on my best goofball expression to try and get that zero Ella to laugh. You’d think that after all those treats Anne lugged up the mountain for us that Ella could at least turn around and smile for one half second, but no, she just turned away with that expressionless look she wears most of the time as if she couldn’t be bothered.  I tell you, sometimes she just needs a time out.

See, even when she smells a delicious flower she has no expression.  Isn’t this field beautiful!

Back in the car, we were asleep in a minute.

Zzzzzzzzz.  Dreaming of my perfect day and my next hike.