Saturday morning with Sally, Gabriel, and Dakota started with a saunter down our dirt and gravel covered road. We were in search of early morning light and a stretch of our collective legs along the gathering glow round the tall stands of sunflowers and asters perched however precariously along the lanes. Randy Travis's herd of cattle has multiplied in recent days and Gabriel loves to stand on full attnetion as they jog away from his approach. Upon arriving back at home, I apologized to Gabriel and Dakota as Sally and I set off solo to Santa Fe's very own dog Bakery and pet Boutique, the Pooch Pantry owned by Daphne Wright and Geno Baca. It's a fabulous store owned by some very generous and delightful people and has some of downtowns best dog treats to boot. That was our entry point for this year's Fiesta's Pet Parade. Daphne, Geno and their dog Roxxie (a recent graduate of my Canine Communication 101 class) and Sally set off with a crowd of friends and family and an arsenal of Pooch Pantry treats to join in this pet parade. According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, this years crowd celebrated about 3,000 participants. I spotted a group of girls dressed as Barbies, a group of Wizard of Oz characters, dogs dressed up like cowboys, Basset Hounds sporting aviator styled goggles, and other hilariously themed participants.
Sally simply sported her Assistance Dogs of the West vest and serpentined along Palace Avenue in search of Pooch Pantry treats and pets from curious canine onlookers.
Sally and I left the scene and headed to Alto Park for some down time--down from the Fiesta band music and crowd noise. We soaked up the sun from a park bench. Sally snoozed while I soaked up some pages from Clicker Trainer Karen Pryor's well known book Don't Shoot the Dog! As the clock approached noon, Sally and I set out in our Subaru to a Sport's Fundamental Class with well heeled (pun intended) trainer Deborah Tolar. Deborah had us thinking, employing the very best in operant conditioning-- using novelty, clicker training, and treats to help us on our way of self discovery and learning.
By One O'clock Sally and I were ready for a break and so we headed over to Vinagrette's for a leisurely lunch with our very best friend Deborah Wakshull (mother to Oscita....pictured in the Doggie Dash and Dawdle photo with Dakota at the close of this blog). Sally struck up a happy nap while Deborah and I traded tales of our ever evolving New Mexico lives. It was a perfect day for an outdoor leisurely lunch after an active morning. Viva Fiesta!
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