Wildflowers – Me and the Doods.com

A Cautionary “Foxtale”

This spring, following all of the unusual rain, the Santa Monica mountains are spectacular. The bush sunflowers, the caterpillar phacelia, the sage and the mustard are carpeting the hills in vibrant colors.

ELBEE Is the mustard taller this year or is she getting shorter?

The mountains are truly my happy place, especially in bloom, but lately I have refrained from taking the dogs up there. Along with the flowers have come rattlesnakes, poison oak and foxtails, a seemingly innocuous plant that can cause so many problems.

Despite an abundance of caution and sticking to local streets, Stanley had a recent run in with a foxtail. It started with him licking his paw non-stop and ended with a visit to the vet.

After two hours of waiting with Stanley as a walk in, I had to leave him there so they could resolve the problem. After some probing and a light sedative to ease the pain, they found the offending foxtail.

I had a real pang of dog mom guilt when they handed it to me in a small bottle. I don’t know how I missed it, especially since Stanley is very dramatic and throws himself on the sidewalk when something is bothering him.

STANLEY How else am I going to tell her.

Even worse, he came home wearing one of those huge E-collars that look so uncomfortable and have them bumping into everything. Gus was very sympathetic. Henry, on the other hand, took one look at it, bolted across the room, and stared at Stanley from a safe distance.

Fortunately, in the closet where I keep all things dog-related, I had a Zen collar for Stanley. It’s cloth, much softer and more wearable than those hard plastic versions. As a matter of fact, Stanley looked so relaxed that I decided to join him.

ELBEE Oy!

Seriously, keep an eye out when you’re walking your dogs. Those foxtails are a menace hiding in plain sight.

Adventure Awaits but Hazards Exist (Are the Mountains Yellow Tagged?)

ELBEE OMG she stole that title off an article in the newspaper.

Elbee’s right for once.

ELBEE For once? Please.

The recent front page article, “Adventure Awaits but Hazards Exist,” warned about the dangers of hiking as the weather heats up. My first thought was, “I hope none of my daughters sees this.” They’re not thrilled when I hike alone or with the dogs even under ideal conditions.

The writer touched on some things like bears and sickened birds and dead rabbits that I’ve never encountered as far as I know. Others struck closer to home.

Rattlesnakes, for instance, were featured as a major hot weather hazard. After being dormant in the winter, they’re out hunting and enjoying the sun. In my defense, it’s been years since that sneaky rattlesnake bit me on the ankle. Not to mention that a neighbor had a rattlesnake in her kitchen.

In an interesting aside, I found out that there’s a rattlesnake aversion class. Unfortunately, after familiarizing the dogs with an enclosed snake, they give them an electric shock so they’ll have a negative association. I was shocked when I heard that!

ELBEE Me too!

Then there are the ticks. I treat the dogs every month to keep them away but I found one on my side recently. I admit I was grossed out even though I pulled it off before it had done any damage.

ELBEE I have an idea. Frontline for humans!

The poison oak is very lush and pretty right now. I know some areas where it’s flourishing and try to be helpful by pointing it out to fellow hikers so they can avoid it.

ELBEE Strange that she had a terrible rash a few weeks ago that she claimed was an “allergy.”

Even though I’ve been taking Henry hiking with me since he was four months old, I don’t take a chance in the heat. I’m more cautious with the dogs than with myself.

Friday morning was a gift. It was cool and overcast, a break from the heat. I snapped on Henry’s leash and headed for the hills. I had to leave Gus and Stanley at home because their long hair attracts every foxtail and burr.

GUS & STANLEY The price of being fabulous.

Henry and I had a great hike. All of the regulars were so happy to be up there. We greeted each other like old friends. Some were meeting Henry for the first time.

As so often happens, as we were walking, I had a strange thought. It’s as if the mountains are temporarily yellow-tagged. You enter at your own risk and have to watch out for potential hazards. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a small price to pay for being in my happy place.

ELBEE Where does she come up with this stuff?

Adventures With Henry

This morning, I headed up a steep trail with Henry, enjoying the challenge and the beauty of the mountains, especially with the wildflowers still in their full glory. Near the top, I met two women sitting on the trail. I asked if everything was okay and one answered that she was just waiting. I assumed she meant resting. Turns out I was wrong.

A few minutes later a red helicopter started circling. I assumed it was doing routine fire patrol. I was wrong again.

It began flying lower and lower in tight circles. Eventually the door opened and someone rappelled out the side. Other rescue workers suddenly materialized out of nowhere.

I found out from one of the women whom I’d met coming up that the other woman had broken her leg and called for help. She added that the injured woman was 58 so her bones were pretty brittle. I didn’t share my age!

Henry and I were standing on an overlook with a few other people while all of the chaos was going on. We were afraid to move and get in the way. After quite some time, it seemed that everything was under control. I believe they brought an ambulance up dirt Mulholland, a drivable area, to transport the woman down.

But let me tell you, the wind from a hovering helicopter is like a tornado. We were getting pelted by pebbles and my sunglasses blew off my face and into the canyon below.

ELBEE Good thing she buys cheap ones because she always loses them.

On the bright side it was great training for Henry. I couldn’t have thought of a better way to desensitize him to loud noises.

Our other adventure this week was much lower key. We were walking on dirt Mulholland when a woman called out, “Aren’t you part of the PAC program?” Surprised, I told her that I was.

ELBEE She never would have recognized her if she’d been alone.

It turned out she was an ICU nurse at UCLA who loved the People Animal Connection. She knew Stanley and Gus plus thought she had met Charley years ago. She asked me about Henry who was being so sweet with her.

As soon as I told her that he was an eleven month old puppy in training, she couldn’t wait to call her friend, a PICU nurse at the hospital. While they were talking she decided to FaceTime so that her friend could see him too.

After she finished the call and was getting ready to leave, she took a moment to tell me how much it meant to the staff to have the dogs back in the hospital. She said they were truly helping everyone cope with the ongoing stress of COVID.

It was such a random but heartwarming encounter. The dogs continue to bring so much unexpected light into my life.

Go to Your Happy Place

Not for the first time, my title was inspired by the saying on a packet of Truvia.

ELBEE She is no Shakspeare.

As soon as I read, “Go to Your Happy Place,” the mountains popped into my head. And with some of the craziness I’ve seen over the past few weeks, I really needed to go up there.

First there was the woman at the bank. The branch had been closed for a week so on the morning that it reopened there was a long line outside. People were politely social distancing as they waited to go in.

As I walked up with Stanley, I heard an extremely loud voice. It was a woman near the front of the line, who ironically was from another country, mocking people of different nationalities. I’d guess she dropped the f-bomb about twenty times during her ranting and raving.

Eventually a manager calmed her down and got her inside. After doing her banking, she was sitting on a couch refusing to leave until two customers she was pointing at were arrested. Unfortunately, the police arrived shortly after she had been convinced to leave, dropping more f-bombs as she headed out the door.

Then there was the older man with long scraggly hair, sitting in the passenger seat of his car parked near a busy trailhead. The door was open and his bare feet were sticking out. As I walked by with the dogs, I realized that his feet weren’t the only things that were bare. A woman in front of me was so flustered, she said “I’m getting out of here as fast as possible.”

ELBEE She can’t make this stuff up.

When I went to my happy place, it was if the universe knew that I needed a few positive signs. I found heart-shaped rocks embedded in two different trails. A friend told me they were good luck.

I saw a smiling face that someone had drawn in the dirt.

I was delighted to see the first bush sunflowers of the season in bloom, a hint of the glorious explosion of color that will soon cover the hills..

ELBEE Now she’s William Wordsworth.

At home in the evening, what lifted my spirits almost as much as being in the mountains, was hanging out with the Doods and watching the sun set over my happy place.

**Does this picture make my head look small?**

Welcome Home

Last week the Santa Monica Mountains reopened after being closed for two months due to COVID-19. Returning to the trails was almost as exciting as giving birth or competing in my first bodybuilding show.

ELBEE Can you say hyperbole?

As if the universe knew that we needed a break, the weather was perfect. The stifling heat of the day before had given way to cooler temperatures and a slight breeze.

I met my friends Dennis and Shelli on a scenic part of dirt Mulholland. On one side there are spectacular views of the San Fernando Valley. On the other, you can see the ocean. I have never appreciated the views more.

Afraid we’d encounter the same chaos that had led to the closures, we were pleasantly surprised. It was like a big mountain party. For the most part, people, including us, were practicing social distancing and wearing masks.

The next morning, desperately needing to spend more time in nature, I headed up a narrow trail. Solitary hiking is my personal form of meditation.

ELBEE Explain that one to the daughters.

It’s also when I see my mountain buddies. I ran into one of the regulars who was holding a big bouquet of wildflowers. Aware that picking the flowers is a big no, he explained almost apologetically that they were a mothers’ day gift for his wife. He had picked them because he was afraid to go the market. I understood his hesitation and cut him some slack.

Speaking of flowers, some of the blooms had faded but others were on full display. The sticky monkey, yarrow and mustard wove vibrant carpets of yellow and orange. The elegant yucca dotted the hillsides.

Yesterday I took Gus and Stanley hiking. Walking the trails with them on a warm, clear morning was a joy. People smiled and waved at the sight of them. Many commented on how much maintenance they must be. It almost made up for all the burrs and foxtails that I am still picking off of them.

In the past, I’ve taken mountain photos of the dogs, but these have the most special meaning. They are photos of gratitude. I felt so fortunate to be in my favorite place with my four-legged companions at my side.

I have loved the mountains since I was a little girl. Now, if possible, I appreciate them even more. When your special place is closed to you, being able to return is a priceless gift. For a brief time, I was able put the pandemic out of my mind and focus on the positive.

It Was the Best of Times. It Was the Worst of Times.

Not another stolen title. It’s obviously from “A Tale of Two Cities.”

CHARLEY He’s read Dickens? Who knew?

GUS & STANLEY He suggested we read it but it’s a little slow for our taste.

COVID-19 is creating the best and the worst of times. People are social distancing when we’re out walking but there’s a real air of camaraderie. Strangers are waving and commiserating with each other from across the street.

Dogs are enjoying the best of times. I have never seen so many out with their owners. With the gym and everything else exercise related closed, taking the dogs out has become a perfect alternative.

GUS & STANLEY We’re enjoying seeing all of our buddies but don’t understand why we’re not even allowed to sniff them.

I heard a piece of good pet news on the radio. More people than ever are going to the shelters to adopt or foster animals. Home confinement, along with stress and uncertainty, have created a genuine need for companionship and physical contact.

On a personal negative note, definitely not trying to downplay the terrible toll of the pandemic, this week the mountains were closed. My special healing, spiritual place is off limits. This photo says it all. I’m with the Doods next to my happy place but I’m also next to a sign that says we can’t go in.

Ironically, my last few hikes before the shut down, have been some of the best. It’s March, so the spring wildflowers have exploded in bursts of color. With the recent rains and with so many sheltering at home, the air is as clean as I can remember. The views are breathtaking. The temperatures have been perfect.

Beyond that, I have encountered things in the mountains that I’ve never seen up there before. Take goats for example.

GUS & STANLEY Goats? Do they bite?

Yes, goats. My friend Shelli and I were hiking and suddenly there they were, at least 10 of them coming up a hillside next to the trail. I later learned they were doing brush clearance but the sight of them was pure delight.

On another morning I met a transgender woman. I’m not judging. We chatted. People are friendlier now with the need to connect. She was one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met on my hikes, sweet and beautiful in a fabulous pink jacket.

ELBEE I can’t disagree.

I even had a celebrity encounter. A woman was hiking with an adorable little black dog that suddenly sat down and refused to move. Yenta that I am, I told her that my dogs will often do that when they want water. She thought that was a very good suggestion. Not until my friend told me did I find out it was the actress Calista Flockhart.

ELBEE For someone who was a total fan of Ally McBeal, she’s really losing it.

Shouldn’t, Couldn’t, Wouldn’t

In this time of crisis, I thought that it might not be appropriate to write my posts. Then I was afraid I couldn’t or wouldn’t. Well here I am, doing it anyway.

ELBEE That’s a shocker.

A few friends asked me to keep up with my posts because they needed that brief break from reality. Wait, my posts are reality.

ELBEE That’s up for debate.

Like so many others, I haven’t quite been able to wrap my head around what is happening in our world. Not to minimize the pain and suffering associated with COVID-19, but daily life has changed drastically.

We are all spending the majority of time at home. The sports schedules are blank. Schools and businesses are closed. The husband went to the market at 7:00 this morning during “senior happy hour,” hoping to get a few essentials.

ELBEE She forgot to mention that in a few more weeks we’re going to know everyone’s real hair color.

Thank goodness for family, friends, the mountains and the Doods. They have been my support. They have kept me grounded.

The daughters check in by text and phone but it’s hard not to be able to see them or the grandkids. Kudos to Nicole, the middle daughter, who is an ICU nurse on the front lines. Her courage amazes me.

I am grateful for the calls and messages from friends. Their caring touches my heart. Their humor brings much needed laughter.

The mountains, as always, are my refuge, my sanctuary, my spiritual place. There are a lot more people up there than usual but everyone is being respectful of social distancing.

This week, on a gorgeous day between rain storms, I was hiking with my friend Shelli. With the views and the spring flowers, it was hard to believe what was happening down below. We took these photos to capture some of our joy in the moment.

ELBEE Why does Shelli have a normal picture while someone else is doing a double biceps?

Last but not least, Gus and Stanley aren’t going into the hospitals so the husband and I each have our own personal therapy dogs. They follow us around the house, kind of like stalkers, in a good way. As my friend Alice said, she and her dog have become unusually close.

Seriously, they have offered unconditional love and acceptance. Delighted that we’re home, they’re content just to sit by our sides or watch me write. They bring a calm presence that overcomes anxiety. They don’t judge or ask why, they simply comfort.

The Mountains, Browned Out but Still Colorful

Thanks to the wild fires and the change of seasons, the profusion of flowers that painted the mountains such vibrant colors is now gone. Except for the lemonade berry, the toyon and a few other trees, everything is more muted. The caterpillar phacelia, once a beautiful lavender, is now grey. The buckwheat has turned from pink to rust.

ELBEE Someone is showing off her limited knowledge of plants.

Still there are a lot of colorful things happening. Nothing like the naked hiker I saw a few years ago, but enough to keep it interesting. I’ve seen two rattlers lately, a gopher snake the length of a garden hose and a horned toad, very cute in a miniature dinosaur kind of way.

CHARLEY She used to scream and take off like an Olympian at the sight of a snake. Now she’s photographing them. I’m quite proud

On a trail near my house, I saw an ornate handled knife stuck in the ground. The word “help” had been etched into the dirt around it. It was very disturbing but there was no one in the area and there were no signs of foul play. A day later it was gone.

In stark contrast, this graffiti was on a nearby wall.

CHARLEY Now that’s ironic.

And talk about disturbing, a much older man on a bike rode by with his bike shorts so low that his butt crack was showing.

CHARLEY & ELBEE Unfortunately we saw it too and won’t be able to unsee it for eternity.

Something on the news a few weeks ago made me think that I could become one of the more intriguing people in the mountains. A woman with a beautiful voice was singing in the subway. A policeman shot a video of her and it went viral, leading to all kinds of opportunities.

ELBEE I’m afraid to see where this is going.

I sometimes sing to keep myself going when I’m heading up a steep trail. What if a ranger videotaped me and it went viral?

ELBEE Two problems immediately come to mind. She’s tone deaf and only knows about three songs.

I’d be the singing grandma of the mountains. I’d get so much mileage out of it that I’d reach my dream of becoming an influencer, a hiking influencer, even if I’m still not exactly sure what an influencer is.

ELBEE The only thing she’d influence people to do is to stop hiking. And I think the daughters need to get her one of those senior alert bracelets.

The Water Bottle

ELBEE “The Water Bottle” Is she serious?

The other morning, I was in the mountains taking advantage of June gloom. I love the cool weather before the heat sets in. I love seeing the last hurrah of the spring wildflowers through the mist.

ELBEE I actually agree with her on this one. I find it refreshing and I think it’s good for my already fabulous coat.

I had hiked up to one of my favorite overlooks above the main trails. It’s a peaceful spot that’s popular with the “regulars.” On clear days, there are spectacular ocean views. One man goes up there to practice tai chi. I sometimes get inspired to do push ups on the rocks. I’ve walked all the dogs up there and have even taken selfies with Elbee.

ELBEE Please don’t remind me. I was a mess from hiking. And do you like how she just happened to drop in the push ups. Although at her age, I guess I should say “way to go.”

STANLEY I wondered what she was doing.

I was enjoying the view when suddenly I saw a water bottle under the bushes. The curmudgeon in me was immediately annoyed that someone had littered. Littering, especially in the mountains, is one of my pet peeves. Years ago, when I used to take inner city high school students hiking, I was known for the “litter lecture.”

As I looked closer at the bottle, I noticed a white label on the side. In tiny printing it said, “Amber (German Shepherd) May Her Soul Rest In Peace. June 13, 2019.” The owner went on to write that this was one of her favorite spots.

Over the years, I’ve seen all sorts of memorials on the trails. There are man made rock formations, small wooden signs and strategically placed benches. At a mountain park that was a military installation during the Cold War, there is even a faded water bowl with the name Bosco on it.

But I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as simple and as heartfelt as the bottle. The water was left there for other dogs who, like Amber, were enjoying the mountains with their owners. It wasn’t litter. It was remembrance.

When I went back a few days later, the bottle was gone. Okay, I admit that the anti-litterbug in me was a tiny bit relieved. Still, I thought of Amber. I feel as if her soul, like those of so many other dogs who loved the mountains, is running free up there. It’s the place that I feel closest to Charley.