Healdsburg Revisted

I find myself in Healdsburg California again. One year later. Me and Coco the crazy pup.

Her parents asked me again to come and stay while they work and vacation in Europe. I was happy to be asked. It's quiet and lovely here. Coco gets me out on long walks in the hills and it feels like home. She didn't want to go far at first. We would get only a block away and she would sit her heavy body down and not move, except back toward the house. I was bummed out about this because the walks were so healing last time. Each day we got a little further from the house before she would change her mind. I would coax her along, telling her she was doing great. Just a little further, Coco....

After a few days we were back to our old 2, 3 and 4 mile hikes in the morning or evening as the sun was setting over the beautiful Dry Creek Valley.
Coco and me.

I don't know what it is about this dog. To anyone in the neighborhood who knows her, she is mean and vicious. Barking at anything that moves and looking like she will tear you to shreds. Her bark is deep and scary and her teeth sharp. But she is a kind soul inside a troubled little body. She was rescued and who knows what her life was like before.

She is very protective and she takes care of me. I feel completely safe with Coco.....but we don't make any friends with others while out on our walks. I am busy holding her heavy weight at the other end of the leash so she doesn't bite someone or something...dogs behind fences drive her completely insane. She twists and turns and one time got off the leash and was throwing herself at the fence trying to get the big beast on the other side. It was terrifying. But only because I couldn't get the leash back over her head....I'll have to ask her owners to invest in a harness that she can't get out of next time.

We roam the trails in the open space just a block away. Up the trail behind the church and onto the dirt tracks. Through a silent grove of skinny redwoods, a sacred opening in their center. A very peaceful place. Up the trail, straight at the crossroads and onto the "All The Oaks" trail. It's a narrow dirt path that winds through a beautiful hillside, oaks, madrones, redwoods, butterflies, deer and birds keep us company. Coco drags me along, faster than my little feet can go. I ask her to slow down with a tug of the leash. She slows her step for a few moments and then picks up the pace. We come back down and across the hill for a quick swim in the pond. She is so happy to jump in and swim around like a miniature hippo. She finds a stick for me to throw and we play for a while. She makes me laugh out loud. We both love it up there. We stop for a sip of water and maybe a snack and are on our way. She begins to tire and stops at each spot of shade. I tell her we're going home. Her ears perk up and she's ready to go.

It's been a lovely time here in HEALdsburg once again. I'm very grateful. Until next time, Coco.