Of Chickens, Pigs, Dogs, and Squirrels

Attended the Church of the Chicken early this morning and found it to be delightfully peaceful and contemplative.  I realize a lot of you all will be attending the church of the pigskin this afternoon and I hope it is as soul-feeding for you as the trails were for me.  Generally conditions are still at least Good, and the upper terrain is certainly Very Good.  As things warm up things will get a bit more dicey, with cold nights causing the slushy track to get pretty slick and chunky, so please use caution out there.  We're trying to arrange for an early and mid-week groom to keep things freshened up, and of course that depends on the availability of volunteer manpower.  I'll keep you posted as well as possible.

The Abert's Squirrels (or tassel-eared squirrels) were out in force today, chattering and scampering around and enjoying the warmer weather.  I saw some coyote scats and lots of sign of hares and other unknown (to me, anyway) residents of the Ponderosa forest. 

Several scats of the Canis familiaris were also to be seen scattered about the lower loops.  I know most dog owners are responsible people and do clean up after their critters.  Some dog owners - however - leave me scratching my head in bewilderment at their incomprehensible behavior.  To wit:  placing their perfectly biodegradable dog poo in a plastic bag and leaving it at the trailhead for someone (???) to transport away for them.

Let me just lay it out for you all.  If you have a dog, grab one of the handy spatulas conveniently located near the trailhead.  Carry it with you.  If your dog defecates on the trail, use the spatula to fling the offending fecal matter off the trail.  Nature will deal with it in due (doo?) course.  Finally, return the spatula to the bucket on your way out.  Could it be any simpler??  No-one wants to dispose of your dog's poop for you.  If it's your dog, it's your responsibility.  I hope this clears things up.  Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.  I feel better now.

As far as volunteer labor for this entry, the only thing accomplished was the construction of this blog entry; a dubious achievement at best.  We'll call it .5 hours.