It was warm today. This morning was pleasant enough for Chelsea and me to take our longest walk through Tallgrass and then around the park and through the woods to home. She is SO happy. Then I made her unhappy by giving her a bath. She was simply filthy. Of course, I am sure that she felt that she was just beginning to smell just right. Now she smells like Puppy Love.

Dropped all our tax stuff off with Mark for figuring. He and I reviewed it a bit and then I drove Dick to his dentist appointment. He just had a cleaning. It went very quickly. Our next stop was to Valley View. The order is in for another week of one of the antibiotics. So we are on again. This time it is just once a day AND in the middle of the day so will be much easier on us.

We got to spend the rest of the day at home.

I was remembering a friend of mine from California, Ron Heinze. These were jeeping friends. Ron and his wife Connie and their kids were members of the Orange County Four Wheelers. They had a dog that was part greyhound. He was huge and a big love. His name was Tucker. When we would get ready to go out on a jeep ride, Connie would always tell Ronnie that he had to take Tucker with him. Ronnie would beg Connie to keep Tucker in camp. He always said. "Please, Connie, don't make me take him. He LEANS on me." The dog would sit between the seats next to Ronnie and Would lean on him.

One weekend it was terribly hot. We were driving along the All American Canal, a system of canals that was part of the irrigation system in that part of the desert. We pulled over and all jumped into the canal for a swim and to cool off. Ronnie tried to convince Tucker to go in to cool him off and finally just tossed him in. Tucker was not happy. The sides of the canal are cement. Tucker rose up out of the water on his claws and climbed up the cement walls - on his claws. He wore them down too. When he got to the top he glared at Ronnie and shook himself all over him.

Maybe our "heat spell" reminded me of the hot day that this occurred on.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. The first day of Lent. Where Is the year going?

Be happy.

Mary