Forest Banksy is earning her forest credentials. Normally, I would take her to our regular forest. But since I’ve been working on a project in there, I need to focus on our project and not puppies when I walk in there. So until Banksy is a pro forest walker, I decided we should switch to a different section, just a bit up the mountain. We will miss our regular forest for a while, but I think it will still be there when we’re ready to go back in.

New forests mean adventure walks. Me, Gustavo and Otterpop like going out, no map, no compass, no phone with google maps to gps it, and navigate by the sun and trees to make our ways through the woods. Ruby isn’t convinced of this method, since she has been dragged along on some long ass walks this way. And now Banksy has been initiated to my own special way of learning how the mountains work, and which forest feeds into the next.

I didn’t think we would end up so far to the North. So good for me for finding the road, but way farther to the north than where we needed to be. Exciting! Adventure! Because now we were good and lost and needed a new way to get South, preferably staying to the West the whole time, because East drops back down to the river. So off we went, with a few wrong turns, until even I was wondering, how exactly did we get up here? Luckily it was morning, we had all day, although the poor puppy has only so much battery charge until she needs her next nap.

Banksy hasn’t learned the privilege of hiking off her leash. I let her go a few times, and she stays just fine with the group, but the whiplash headturn when I say “Banksy” isn’t there, and in the forest, it needs to be there. She comes in instantly when I call one of the other dogs, but this is a feral forest creature recall, the kind I mistakenly taught Gustavo first, and this one doesn’t stick. And also, she’s not ready for forest running. Too gangly and uncoordinated. So she sticks on a leash, in the back with me and Ruby. Loads of treats for  her looking back at me for her name, with me hoping that the coyote we heard on our way in doesn’t smell the high value puppy treats in my pocket.

When we finally found the meadow near the road where I left our car, VICTORY! Everybody was relieved. Especially poor Banksy. Her legs may be long, but they aren’t ready for a 2 hour trek through the mountains. I still am not sure how we got so far off course, something to figure out next Adventure Walk, maybe tonight! But now Banksy knows what she’s in for, in her new life with me and team small dog. I think she’s going to like it just fine.