Chainsaw in the yurt.

I would certainly like to live in this cabin. It's in our price range, theoretically, at $740,000. It is on Mt. Madonna road, which is out near my work. Except the part of the road it is on is sort of unmapped, way up over the mountains, looking down a the other side. Hence this photo of the house, in winter.

The directions to get there are sort of unexplainable, and lead me to believe it is a long, challenging jeep road up through the mountains, likely about an hour plus drive from Santa Cruz. I have been up this road once, on an excursion to see "how long it would take to take the back way" home, having no idea there was a whole other universe up there, that is officially, in Santa Cruz. There were waterfalls and yurts tucked into canyons and unpaved sections and thank god we had a map is all I can say. It is the wilderness known as Santa Cruz Mountains and some people actually enjoy living up there. It's a little militia for my tastes, veering more towards huskies on chains secured to large trees and trucks with multiple gas cans bungeed in the back and multiple gun racks in the back window. Too many chainsaws per capita up there.

Normally, at this time, on a Thursday, I would be driving out to practice with the dogs in the morning before work. The unexplained back stabbing pains of yesterday made me think that perhaps this is not a good thing to do today. So we are having another week of no agility, no running, no contacts, no practicing. For an agility blog, this is pretty weak right now. Such is the way my agility life ends up.

The dogs did practice being well behaved and not evil to Tom the roof guy who came over at 8:00 this morning to look at the roof issue that makes most contactors run screaming. That is not getting us any Steeplechase placements though. Tom, being a roofer, has seen it all and remained calm and took photos and will call me in a few days with what will likely be the very expensive estimate. Also to his credit, he likes dogs too and they did not keep barking at him. Timmy likes all contractor guys, so that is not an issue. Ruby hates them until she comes out, sees they are not coming to chainsaw us to bits and rob the house of all the rotting taxidermy and is fine. Otterpop pretty much does what I command her to because she is under my power so if she doesn't take Ruby's lead, she is fine. Tom the roof guy even said she is cute, which is something Otterpop doesn't hear a lot.

OtterPop with Timmy, before her new collar. She is disturbed. Timmy is zen.

OtterPop with Ruby after new collar. Well behaved, like little ponies.