After our exhilarating morning on the mountaintop, we hungry hikers lunched at our usual post-Springerville-hike lunch spot, the Arby\u2019s in Eager, on beef-n-cheddar sandwiches, and then headed back to St. John\u2019s.\u00a0 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\u2019m actually surprised she made it through the hike without losing a toe to frostbite.\u00a0 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 \u2013 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.<\/p>\n
At last we returned to our little corner of the world at the ranch and released the eager canines from the kennel.\u00a0 It was then that we realized, much to our chagrin, that you can\u2019t leave an albino dog in the sun all morning (especially at higher altitudes) \u2013 not even if the temps are very cool.\u00a0 Poor Gwinnie was sunburned (even her eyes were bloodshot, though that might have been from the wind)!!\u00a0\u00a0 However, it didn\u2019t slow her down one bit \u2013 especially when three young puppies from our neighbor across the valley showed up to visit.\u00a0 Here\u2019s an example of why we are regularly finding ourselves adopted by yet another dog:\u00a0 Laurent, upon inquiry about the strange dogs, explained succinctly: \u201cThey looked like strays, so I had to feed them.\u201d\u00a0 Well, once fed, do you think they would leave?\u00a0 By no means!!\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n
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