HoJos Antics

Clement Park is just one of several parks in our area of Littleton and provides a variety of outdoor activities.  It also encompasses a locally popular, small lake called Johnson Reservoir.  The other day, Biscuit and I decided to go for a walk around the reservoir.  Actually, it was I who decided.  Biscuit was just along for the ride and a walk is always good in her book.  The weather has been relatively warm and sunny here on the Front Range.  Go figure. 

Many people use this lake area for their exercise; walking, jogging, biking, skating, or just to get out in the sun with their dogs.  The distance around the lake is about one and a half miles.  There are some other paths as well. The prairie dogs have large colonies with expansive regions of holes in the open field areas, where they sit up and fertively chirp alarms when you pass by near them.  There are always geese on the water and I greatly enjoy watching the young kids feed them stale bread.  As you can see, it is quite the idyllic setting.  

NOT…

First, Biscuit must go potty (not pee-pee, mind you) in the first few yards and you are required to clean up after your pooch.  So, for the first bit I am walking down the sidewalk carrying a warm, bright green, very smelly bag.

Even though the day was fairly warm everywhere else in town, the clouds did a little dance over the sun and it seemed to drop the temp 20 degrees! (An exaggeration, I am sure)  While I was shivering at about a quarter of the way around the lake, a cold wind kicked up to about 20 mph.  As part of the lake was frozen, the wind coming off the lake was rather frigid.  Of course, I hadn’t even considered the possibility of a surprise cold wind like that, since it has been so warm here.  My ears were frozen before we even got back to the car! 

The idyllic geese had pooped huge (did I mention, HUGE!) amounts on the sidewalks and we had to weave our way through the land mines (haven’t they ever heard the term “curb it”?).  So anyway, we walked around the lake then got back to the car and were nearly frozen, when the sun comes blaring out from behind the clouds and the temp warms back up almost immediately.  Before my eyes, Johnson Reservoir reemerged as the ideal place to take your dog for a walk!  Perfect timing!

I did, however, learn that one should keep a warm shirt and maybe some ear warmers in the car throughout the entire year here in Colorado!  You know what else? Biscuit never once complained.  She would just turn and look at me every once in a while, as if to say, “Are you crazy? Why are we doing this?”.