It’s officially the “monsoon season” here in Arizona, and the temperatures are soaring. That means up at O-Dark-Thirty for my morning walk, and after sunset for the evening business run. Last week it got up to 110 degrees, and I was lucky enough to find a petrified lizard with no innards. When I picked it up…mom could see all the way through it. She freaked, yelled, “drop it”, and “leave it”. Personally, I thought it would have made a nice trinket to hang around her neck, being a native desert creature and all.  🙂 She disagreed.

We rounded the corner and as I approached my favorite bush to park my load, I heard a rattle that puts the fear of God in every dog walker around. This is the time of year when rattlesnakes are abundant. Me…being the investigator that I am, started pulling toward the sound. Mom, being the smart woman that she is, started yanking on the leash, yelling, “GRACIE…NO”. It was a battle of wills, for sure. The harder I pulled, the harder she yanked, until all four of my feet were off the ground. She finally had no choice but to pick me up. As she gave the bush a VERY wide berth, she discovered the source of the rattle. It was a deadly Walmart plastic bag. Talk about a close call! She absolutely saved my life!  <3

We headed for home before I started to get too hot. I heard mom talking to a neighbor about a woman who took her dog for a walk in the heat of the day and burned the pads off her fur baby’s feet. Mom said if she ever caught up with that woman she was going to take her for a five mile hike down the blacktop…barefoot. I love my mom!  <3

I need a nap…call me when dinner is served! 
Don’t forget to visit my website…www.talesofgracie.com

hot dog