Springtime in AZ! (pt.4)

After our exhilarating morning on the mountaintop, we hungry hikers lunched at our usual post-Springerville-hike lunch spot, the Arby’s in Eager, on beef-n-cheddar sandwiches, and then headed back to St. John’s.  Unfortunately for Geneva, wearer of the exceptionally awesome knee high pirate boots, said boots had bitten the dust rather woefully, and the way the soles were coming away from the boot, I’m actually surprised she made it through the hike without losing a toe to frostbite.  So once we got to town, Paul dropped me off with the kids at the Alco store to pick up a pair of runners (and socks – this family never has enough socks), while he ran to the IGA to pick up a few foody items I had forgotten in my hasty trip to Winco the day before.

At last we returned to our little corner of the world at the ranch and released the eager canines from the kennel.  It was then that we realized, much to our chagrin, that you can’t leave an albino dog in the sun all morning (especially at higher altitudes) – not even if the temps are very cool.  Poor Gwinnie was sunburned (even her eyes were bloodshot, though that might have been from the wind)!!   However, it didn’t slow her down one bit – especially when three young puppies from our neighbor across the valley showed up to visit.  Here’s an example of why we are regularly finding ourselves adopted by yet another dog:  Laurent, upon inquiry about the strange dogs, explained succinctly: “They looked like strays, so I had to feed them.”  Well, once fed, do you think they would leave?  By no means!!  And furthermore, they decided that Gwinnie was their new Goddess, and followed her around adoringly for the rest of the afternoon, and into the evening, not leaving until after our campfire dwindled and we left the embers dying in the cold wind to go inside the cozy cabin for the night.

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