Traveling with dogs, the desert version, where a lot of things could kill you.

Whirly things. We learned that if the whirly things are on, Banksy will think she is dying. And do whatever she can to kill the whirly things, she will attempt. In the future, wherever we go, we will check on whirly things and make sure that they're off.


Cactus. Cover all cactus. One of our dog pals got some cactus in him and it hurt. Pools. Fence off the pools. The mayhem of the pool is beyond exciting. Even though Banksy isn't in the swim club, she very much enjoyed asking to go outside late at night to watch the floaty thing in the pool. The pool was amazing, if you are a dog. But watch out for cut pads if they swim and swim, then run and run.


Just don't bring guns. Bring comfortable shoes, instead.


Otterpop gave us the biggest scare. There was a dog scuffle in our tent, right by Otterpop. My guess is that this spooked her enough to figure out how to escape from her beloved home away from home, Travel Crate. During the Team Relay finals, the announcer interrupted with a Small Black Dog has escaped and is running up the mountain message.

I didn't think it was Otterpop, but then put the two and two together of the info I had just heard about dog scuffle. I hitched a ride on a golf cart and lo and behold, the Small Black Dog running up the mountain, towards the freeway was Otterpop. Luckily about 50 people started chasing her around the 400 acre horse show grounds. She may have run a couple of miles in 90 degree heat until we captured her by corralling her into some garbage cans. My great thanks still go out to the brave dog chasers who kept her from running onto a freeway, and helped chase her down.

She was perfectly fine. Jeezus beejezus, Otterpop. I think we were lucky on this one. Dodged a bullet, so good thing for the no firearms, too.


Dog friends and people friends. We had a lot. Two best people friends and five good dog friends. Not all the dogs were best friends, but they figured out how to live together for a week. We fed them in their own bedrooms and made sure Jo didn't steal any socks. Banksy has a split personality of OMG YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND to any dog including ones that don't want to be her best friend, but then can turn on them over something like a spicy bean and do snapping teeth. When spicy beans and socks were kept out of the mix, she did great. All the people friends had a swell time, although in this photo look quite tired. We were all quite tired, most of the time.


We got to see the super moon set during the sunrise. We had fled the desert by this point, and had a rest near the sea. It's less dangerous, there. Although Banksy did explore a busy road through an unlatched gate and gave everyone a scare. Anything can happen, anywhere, I guess.


Of course we visited the dinos. No trip to the desert is complete without them. They have tiny little hands and great big teeth.

The desert is hot and spiny and not a great place for dogs. So many pokey things to step on and such great heat. It's beautiful, in that desert way, but the dogs like someplace cooler and with softer ground. Just be careful, if you go the desert, that's what my dogs would tell you.