Summer has definitely arrived in my neck of the woods. The dogs and I headed out very early yesterday morning so we could hike before the heat set in.

We missed a couple of walks last week so running was the main activity.

The heat quickly arrived so we took a couple of breaks along the trail.

Our breaks allowed me to photograph the gorgeous day.

Some of the cactus (cacti?) were blooming.

The reservoir was a welcome relief from the hot weather.

We missed a couple of our walks last week because I was busy purchasing a new (used) car. For the past eight years I’ve driven a Saturn sedan. I loved that car and it was always solid as a rock (nothing other than routine maintenance). However in the past few months it started having major issues. Considering the car had 172,000 miles on it I had to face reality and get something different.

As much as I loved that car, it was not good for hauling dogs. The tiny back seat meant that Sadie and Luka (and every other dog I’ve owned) had to contort themselves whenever we went for a ride. As I started looking for a new vehicle my main consideration (beyond the obvious price, mileage and safety) was to get something that was more comfortable for the dogs. (I think picking out a car based on canine comfort officially qualifies me for the Crazy Dog Lady Club.)

Mission accomplished.

We took the new car hiking this weekend. On the way home I turned around at a stoplight and saw this:

I think they like it.