If you walk all the way down to the river, the paths there have names. Dead Camper, Sick and Twisted. The names are there for reasons. It’s a steep hill, walking down that side of the mountain. Nobody is supposed to be there. But we like picking our way down that hill, in the shade.

Gustavo doesn’t care. Doesn’t matter if the path goes straight up or straight down. He is running and he runs up and down and up and down and up and down some more. He never slows down, unless he thinks a certain tree is for certain a dead person. But as soon as he can be convinced to pass by the spectre, he’s off and running again.

Otterpop doesn’t care about steep either, but if I see her start to limp some, I tie her on to me. Always carry a rope. She’ll carry her personal tree branch and run every up and down with Gustavo if I let her, and then her leg starts to dangle and I worry will fall right off.

I have no means to re-attach this. So sometimes she has to stay tied on to me.

Ruby and me walk. But if I pick the wrong path, such as down to the river, and I see her start to hobble, I know it was the wrong path for the wrong day. I myself fell down twice, not sure how I thought Ruby would make it down in one piece. And if we’re all the way down, we have to make it back up. Dogs have 4 wheel drive, so if one leg stops working, they have 3 more to climb back to the ridge.

Ruby would rather 3 wheel it than ever let me carry her, so that is how we go. Slowly back up to the top. A long, slow walk. When we get home, she carries on if I try to touch her, so I watch her hobble slow back into the house. Don’t try to touch Ruby when something is broken on her or she’ll hide under the bathroom sink. I get out the hospital crate, and throw in a blanket, and in she goes. Sometimes, it’s very hard to be Ruby. We sure do hope she gets well soon.