Yesterday my good friend Susan and I did a 8 mile hike in the mountains up to a waterfall.  We are so fortunate to live in a place where we can drive to a trail head and be walking in the woods in less than 15 minutes.  We got an early start because record high temperatures were expected.  We had my two dogs and her dog Ace along. The creek we walked along had a lot of water in it but the trail rose way above the creek at some point and followed the ridge.  It did get very hot but our reward was a beautiful camping spot with a large pool of icy cold mountain water above the waterfall.  We were all in the water at once!  As hot as we were it doesn't take long for our legs to go numb from the glacial water.  We sat and ate our sandwiches and gave the dogs some treats. 
The hike out got very hot and the mercury did hit 103 degrees Fahrenheit.  We stopped often along the way whenever the creek was close enough to get into.  We hope that by next week's hike the temperatures will moderate.
   Stella and Gordo both got baths when we got home.  I think they were both half asleep in the tub.  Gordo usually senses a bath is imminent and hides under the bed, but he just stood in the water and let me scrub the dirt and soot away.  Stella likes bath time, especially getting rubbed down with the towel which, to her, is a great game. They both slept most of the afternoon away.  I will post a couple of photos of our days adventures.   
 

   We were very happy to have a visit from Kaylene, Stella's breeder, on Tuesday.  She brought Stella's mom, Hilly, and litter mate, ZuZu.  They have visited before and we even met up with them in Missoula in June.  ZuZu is tiny and about half Stella's size.  She has very short legs and black markings.  After the usual dog posturing rituals, they had a wonderful morning of romping and chasing.  I posted a photo of them playing with a toy.  Gordo and mom Hilly weren't interested in playing but the two sisters had a great time.  The only casualties were several of my young growing annuals.  They bit the heads off of several of my marigolds.  They didn't eat them, mind you, just pulled the flowers off, just for fun!  Then I discovered later, an aster that was broken off at the base and a huge nasturtium bush that was pulled right out of the ground.  I told Kaylene that I have learned through the years to plant lots of extra plants for just these occasions.  If you have dogs you must expect some damage to plants.  By the time Kaylene came by to pick up her dogs Stella was exhausted and happy.
 We are having a serious heat wave. Temperatures have been in the 90's and are expected to soar into the triple digits over the next few days.  Today. Gordo, Stella and I walked down to the river from our house and played in the water.  I took the frisbee which is Stella's favorite toy and threw it into the shallow pools off the main river channel.  Gordo was so sweet!  He would swim out and get it, bring it back to shore and give it to Stella who would bring it to me.  Sometimes they would play tug of war with it, Gordo not wanting to give it up right away.  As the afternoon wore on Stella became braver about getting into the water.  She still won't go in over her head.  That's fine, she will do it when she has the confidence.  
   This evening I was invited to my friends house for a 4th of July BBQ.  Kent is out of town on a business trip and it was so nice of Brad and Laurie to have me over.  They have two mini dachshunds, both females; Isabelle and Olivia.  Everyone got along just fine.  Gordo and Olivia weren't very happy about the fireworks and spent some time under the bed.  A dog's hearing is 100 times more acute than ours so the sounds can be very harsh to them.  However, both ventured out eventually and joined us on the deck to watch the spectacle.  It is important not to feed into their fear of loud noises by fussing over them or drawing attention to their fear.  It only reinforces in their mind that there is something to fear.  I made that mistake years ago with Stewart on a New Years Eve.  He never got over it. 

Well, the garden is growing and the hot days are upon us.  June came and went and we have taken advantage of the warm sunny days by getting out into the woods.  Stella absolutely loves the out of doors and for every mile I walk she runs three...in true Jack Russell fashion!
   We have several favorite walks near the river and she is getting used to water.  She actually loves water but has not ventured into the deep pools that are over her head.  A little caution is a good thing.  The river was running very high in June and a little dog could be swept away in an instant.  I put her on a leash whenever we were near the river bank during that time.  We have gone on walks with many of our friends, both human and canine.  Recently we walked with my friend Tori and her dog Ani, the Australian Shepperd whom you may remember from postings back in April and May.  She is a big girl now and she and Stella got along just fine.  I have posted a picture of the two of them.
   We have also gone on walks into the mountain canyons near our home.  My friend Susan brought along her dog Ace. He has his picture on my website.  He and Stella mostly ignore each other but love to run up and down the steep path together.  
   Last week we did a picnic dinner down on the river and found a nice spot where the river had been running high but had receded, leaving behind mud, muck and standing water.  Well, Stella showed her true colors by digging into the goo and was as happy as I have ever seen her.  A real terrier, that one!  It also lead to her second bath which she doesn't seem to mind at all.  I remember Stewart and Gordon and their first baths....sheer terror! In fact Gordon still runs at the mention of the word. 
   Leash work is going very well and Stella has gone down to the river many times on a leash.  She pulls occasionally if she catches the scent of something good but a gentle reminder to "heel" and she is right back at my side.  Sometimes if she hears a sound she will freeze, which is exactly what a dog does when it encounters something unknown.  I stop and let her check it out until she relaxes and realizes that it is no big deal. We then continue on.  The most important thing is that I don't over react or "baby" her with too much attention at this moment. If I stay calm and relaxed, so does she.  
   Stella is still wanting to jump up on everyone we come into contact with.  I try to keep her on a leash at these times so that I can control her behavior with a gentle "Off" and call her to me.  She is stubborn and tries again and again....I must be patient and not give in.  It doesn't help that some people say "Oh, it's OK, she is so cute and I don't mind."   I tell then that it won't be cute when she is older or if she were covered with mud.  They are very understanding at that point and help me out by ignoring her.  I think she will get over it as she ages, especially if we can take away any positive response she may get by doing it. 
   

   I have been posting a lot of photos lately.  I keep catching Stella in some very unique situations.  She continues to grow and change and still shows a growing fascination with the world around her.  Last Friday she had her stitches taken out from her spaying.  We waited in the exam room for several minutes and I got down on the floor with her to calm her and help her relax.  By the time Dr. Boer came in she was lying next to me and had settled down very nicely.  She still likes Dr. Boer and doesn't seem to have any fear of him or the place.  She gets so excited just to get in the car and go somewhere.  The minute she sees a person or dog or cat she wants to go to them and make friends.  Unfortunately, in her excitement she also wants to jump up on them.  I have been leashing her in these situations and let her know that this is not acceptable with a firm "OFF!".  She is getting the idea and  is slowly learning to settle down a little and then she gets to greet people. 
   Her leash training continues to progress.  We have been taking short walks around the neighborhood.  We sometimes go for walks to the river and she does not have to be on a leash.  She always stays right with me or a few feet away.  
   She has been going through a barking phase for the last week or so.  Every Monday morning the garbage truck goes down the alley next to our house.  It is a very loud truck and makes lots of noise and rumbling.  This morning she started barking frantically the minute she heard it.  I took her to the window and we watched the truck pass down the alley picking up garbage cans and dumping them into the truck.  I took lots of deep sighs and stroked her gently, keeping myself as calm as I could.  She slowly relaxed and is now sound asleep in her bed at my feet. 
   She has become a world class frisbee catcher!  She tracks the frisbee as it flies over her head and takes a huge leap into the air to catch it.  Depending on how well I throw it she catches them more and more.  I'll have to get Kent to try to catch her in mid air with the camera some day.