Jake at Fort Bellafontaine

On Wednesday morning, Jake and I went to Fort Bellafontaine to walk.  We went down the wrong path and landed up on the wrong trail.  Ooops.  We did eventually locate the Grand Staircase, but it was way too steep for Jake to manage.

Private Jake reporting for duty!

I'm keeping an eye out for Pirates!

Jake on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge Rte 66

Jake was getting his kicks on Route 66 where it crossed the Mississippi River.

Squint really hard and you can see the Arch!

What? What do you mean No More Jerky???

This is my happy face.

This is you want to give me my favorite jerky treats face.

I so happy when you give me my favorite treats!

This is my unhappy face.

What???

What do you mean my favorite jerky treats have sugar in them???

What do you mean I can't have them anymore?

But, but I love them!

Look again

My happy face.

Give me the jerky treats & you will see happy jake!

I was reading an article about the increase in obese pets (not me! -- Jake) and the article mentioned that 10 years ago, dog treats did not contain sugar, but today, it is often the third or fourth ingredient. Dogs have developed a sweet tooth. I got these chicken and rice jerky stick things from Trader Joes. Jake goes insane when he sees/smells them. The other day, he rolled over for one. Seriously. I thought, no Trader Joes wouldn't put sugar in the chicken and rice sticks. Who puts sugar in with chicken and rice anyway? I checked the ingredient list: organic cane sugar was 4th and organic molasses was 5th. That seems like a lot of sweetener for a chicken and rice stick. Isn't the molasses enough? Needless to say, no more chicken and rice sticks for Jake. He's very sad about it too. (Please mail me chicken and rice sticks -- Jake)

Jake with Hot Air Balloons

OH NO!

I'm not Doug!

NO! NO! NO! NO!

Jake at Creve Coeur Lake

Jake and I went to Creve Coeur Lake early Monday morning while it was still cool outside.  Unfortunately, it was humid.   Jake and I walked along the lake.  One side of the lake is shady while the other side has no shade.    The path is very flat.  The only issue is that the park is very busy.  For it being 9 am on a Monday morning it was incredibly busy on the trail.  Lots of bikers zooming by.

Look.  I'm standing by the lake.

Can I have my jerky now?

All tired out.

I need jerky.

Mommy and baby deers

Jake Rolling Over

LOOK! 

I'm rolling over!

Like a dog!

Can I have the jerky in your pocket now?

PLEEASE!

Jake at Cliff Cave Park

Since it cooled off on Thursday evening and Jake was all squirrelly, Jake and I went to Cliff Cave Park.  There are a couple different trails, Jake and I walked on the Spring Valley Trail and Mississippi River Trail.  The Nature Trail is currently closed because of flood debris.

First Jake and I walked along the first part of the Spring Valley Trail which leads to Cliff Cave.  This trail was rather rocky and crossed creeks.  Jake was not amused.  To get up some parts of the trail, Jake had to scrabble up and jump.

Does this not look like the happiest basset?

Jake is like my paws...they are wet.

This is part of the trail.

We didn't go on this part.

More of the trail.

After this trail, Jake wanted to go the overlook and look at the Mississippi River.  He's a very existential doggie.  Very Reflective.  

This is the Mississippi River Trail.

Nice, flat and paved.

As you can see, Jake was very excited.

He was rather tired of me taking pictures.

I think if Jake and I go back, we will stick to the Mississippi River Trail.  It's not very shady as it goes along the prairie, so we will have to wait until it is cooler.

Jake at Byrnes Mill Park

Hi all!
Jake and I went to a farmer's market at Byrnes Mill Park on Friday, June 25.  Jake was adored and got some homemade doggie cookies.  We also walked around in the park for a bit.  It was a lot hotter than I had anticipated and I also was wearing the wrong shoes. (I was wearing birks, which are not the best for mud, steep inlines, or rocky beaches.)

We went down a rather long steepish staircase (the steps themselves were fairly wide) and saw this:

This is the Big River.

I think.

We walked a little way up and down the shores for a bit.  Have I mentioned that Jake hates getting his paws wet?  We saw this:

To get closer, we had to walk through a bit of water. Someone had placed a 2x4 across the bit of water..

Yes.  That's Jake.  Doing everything in his power not to get his paws wet.

He got across with only dropping his back paw in the water.

Jake and I plan to go back when it is cooler and I have the right shoes on!

Jake at Al Foster Trail

Hello!

This morning while it was still relatively cool out, Jake and I went to walk along the Al Foster Trail in St. Louis County.  The trail follows the Meremac River on a ridge and connects to Castlewood State Park.  For the most part, the gravel trail is shaded.  Although essentially flat, I thought there seemed to be a slight slope to the trail.  The Wabash, Frisco and Pacific Railroad has track that runs along the trail, so if you have a dog that acts badly in the presence of trains, don't go on Sundays.  For a Friday morning, the trail was relatively crowded with bikers and joggers.  Jake and I walked about 20 minutes down the trail..that's usually about how long it takes him to do somewhere between a quarter and a half a mile.

A section of the trail

Moon over My Jake

Taken at Cliff Cave Park

Jake at Beckemeier Conservation Area

On May 27, 2010, Jake and I went to Beckemeier Conservation Area right next to Faust Park in St. Louis County.  I chose this park because the trail was short and I thought it would be a good start to visiting different parks.  Apparently, I don't know how to read a topographical map correctly.  I knew it was hilly, but I thought (looking at the map) that it wasn't all that steep and it was flat once you got to the ridge line.  I forgot to check the scale.  It was really steep getting to the ridge line and up from the ridge line.  It was so steep in spots that Jake actually slide down the trail at one point.  The trail along the ridge line wasn't wide enough for Jake and I to walk side by side.  The trail starts off in a glen/prairie area and then drops into the forest so it is pretty shady but not in the glen/prairie.

Link to Beckemeier CA.

It doesn't look so bad here...

Jake happily sniffing in the grass.

The trail in the woods

Jake at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area

Because it is so gruesomely hot and humid, if Jake wants a walk, we have to get up really early to go.  To celebrate the arrival of summer, Jake and I got up and 4:15 am and drove to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area to watch the sun rise over the confluence (where the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers meet).  Unfortunately, although the conservation area was open, the gate to the confluence itself was still closed.  However, there is a trail from the fishing peer to the confluence, called the River's Edge.  They aren't kidding.  In some places there is no buffer between the river and the trail.  One misstep and you are going swimming.    This trail is dirt and goes up and down.  Jake even did some climbing over tree limbs.  There is another trail, the Confluence trail, which is asphalt and flat as a pancake, but it has shade only on one side.  Both of these trails are a little on the long side for Jake.  I think the River's Edge Trail is 3 miles while the Confluence Trail is in the neighborhood of 4-5 miles.  Jake and I walked about 1/2 mile down the River's Edge Trail from the fishing peer.

Here's the Confluence Trail.

Columbia Bottom is rather large and has multiple exploration stations so that you can learn about the wildlife in the area.  It is a beautiful area.  One thing you do want to watch for is flooding.  Since is is flat as a pancake, it floods rather easily.  Also, hunting is allowed at various times so you might want to invest in an orange safety vest for your dog (and you) instead of say fake antlers.

Hey Mom...uhm could you get me unstuck....

no...stop taking pictures....

help me...

This is the confluence.

Right.  So I posed all cute and all...can I have the jerky?

Jerky for me....

But I want to look at the turtles....

(the viewing platform is under water by at least 5 inches if not more)

This is the frog that Jake chased (this is a new behavior for Jake).

The frog got away by hopping across Jake's paw.

Jake was very confused by this.

Mr. Froggy...where are you....

The circle is where I found the frog to take his picture.

As you can see, Jake's frog hunting skills need some practice.

Last one to the car gets all wet!

(This is the fishing pier...which was flooded.)

Link to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area

Jake at GreenTree Park

On Friday, June 18, 2010, Jake and I went to Green Tree Park in Kirkwood/Valley Park off Marshall Road.  This was not the park we were originally going to go to, but we got lost.  

It's a nice flat little park that is shady off and on.  The trail follows the Meramec River and links into Simpson Park, a St. Louis County Park via the RiverWalk Trail.

The Trail

The River

Duuuuude

I'm at the park.

Radical.

I'm a little peckish.

I sniffed a bunny.

I can't back up!

I'll go in the water!

I can't get wet!!!

Patriotic Jake

BUNNY!!!!!!!

BUNNY!!!!

I SMELL A BUNNY!!!!

BUNNY!!!!

THERE!!!

BUNNY!!!

Come On mom let's go chase it!!!

Please!!!

Jake at the CWE Art Fair!

Hello!
My mom's too busy playing with her cyberdogs working on her dissertation to tell you about our Friday night.  We went to the Central West End to see the art, listen to the music and take in the cool urban hip scene.  Well that is why my mom and my buddy Mark went.  I went to be adored and to find dropped pieces of food. And to meet some new doggies.

Here is a young fan adoring me.

Lots of people came up and petted me and exclaimed how cute I was.  

sniff sniff

The food, er art, is this way!

I haven't been to the CWE so there were lots of new smells.

There were lots of cool artists and some cool music.  I don't know why my mom cringed everytime we got near glass and my tail started to wag... We passed by a guitar player and mom tossed in some money...I had to go sniff and make sure she didn't throw in my cookie money...  One really nice artist had a bowl full of milkbones.  I had 2.  I wanted another one but....

YUM! Parm Fries!  YUM!

Please, mom, can I have more?

We walked around alot.  I met a great pyrenees, a corgi, a couple different terriers, an Australian Shepherd and all sorts of other doggies.  It was great fun.

I was a little disappointed by the lack of basset artwork.  I mean I'm totally cute and adorable.  Why wasn't there artwork of me?  

This is my cute, tired dog look.

Wouldn't I look great in art?

Jake on the Computer

This is my social network, plurk. It's great!



They make me ROFL!

Is it Walk Time Yet?

Seriously. I wanna go for a walk.