Mabel's Excellent Adventure - Part Three

After that romp in the puddle, Max needed a bath so he and his mom headed home but not before telling me that the street that crosses the creek was completely flooded and had created a waterfall. I love waterfalls and knew I wanted to get down there and take some pictures.

I climbed the levee and realized the girl was not with me. Mabel had taken up with the teenagers again. I did what I always do when the girl is distracted and not listening... I left her. Georges was still on top of the levee, so I stopped and chatted a bit more, called to Mabel and headed for the waterfall.

When I was about halfway across the levee, one of the girls escorted Mabel to the top of the levee. She pointed to me and said, "There's your mom...GO!"

She gave Mabel a little shove and Mabel took a few steps toward me until the teenager went back down toward the river. Mabel followed. I turned and kept heading for the waterfall. As I neared the end of the levee, I realized I would have to walk in the street to get a good shot. Even though the road was partially closed from the mudslides, I was afraid Mabel would come running toward me and end up in the street.

As I realized I would have to go get Mabel and return for my photo op... I was mad. I walked back about 20 feet and saw Mabel on top of the levee again. I yelled for her...she ignored me. But suddenly, I heard another pup coming for me. It was one of the rottenweiler twins we hike with, Bart, and his mom. We all exchanged greetings and I squatted to give Bart a good skritch.
And all it took to make Mabel come from a quarter mile away was a fine dose of jealousy! She came blazing over to make sure Bart knew I was hers and to get her fair share of attention and butt scratches from Bart's mom. Brat!

Sweet Bart

Since a hike is always more fun with good friends, I gave up on the photo and we all headed into the creek along the top of the levee. Within a few yards, Mabel had ditched us! I explained about the teenagers and we all got quite a kick watching Miss Mabel interact with the three girls. Even Bart spied on them, wondering where his friend went.

"Hey! Where'd Mabel go?"

"What's Mabel doing down there???"

As we watched them from above, the girls kicked off those flip flops and were trying to cross the upper creek (it was shallow and safe but probably very frigid). Mabel of course followed. Once on the island in the center of the stream, all three girls picked up sticks and held them high in the air, squealing at their accomplishment. Noticing this, Mabel did the most bizarre thing...she picked up a stick and held it high!!!!!

The end of the "stick ceremony." Note the stick still in Mabel's mouth!

Our little hiking party descended the levee and ran into two bikers who happened to love rottweilers. We paused for them to love up Bart. Mabel ran over momentarily but quickly returned to her new best friends. As we started on down the trail, we noticed the girls had wandered downstream and were sitting on some rocks having a powwow... and there was Mabel, curled up, sunbathing and taking in the conversation.

Bart's mom said, "She would obviously rather talk about hair and nails and boys than hike with us!"

"Do you girls have boyfriends? Whadyathink about my boyfriend Max? He's a little young for me..."

And so I left my dog again. I figured that if we made it halfway to the lower waterfalls and the girl wasn't with us, I would turn back.

About 50 yards down the trail, the bikers caught up with us and told me, "I think you should know, those girls are considering taking your dog!"

"WHAT??"

"They don't understand why you keep leaving her."

"I leave her because that's the best way to get her to come. I leave her because she has her friends and I have mine. Some days, we hike together and some days, we meet at the car. Today is obviously a 'meet at the car' kind of day!"

I marched back toward Mabel who was now at the trail head (hopefully she sensed what was up). I was MAD!

"MABEL LOU, GET OVER HERE!"

She comes; looks up at me with that goofy grin that makes it impossible to be mad at her. But I tried.

"Mabel, those three girls have seven dogs between them. Do you see one of those dogs here at the creek? You need to decide who you want to be with!"

I turned on my heel, red curls angrily bobbing as I marched away from my pup.

The four of us had a lovely hike to the waterfalls and the teenagers were gone when we passed the levee again.

Bart & Mabel exploring

I had to drive around to get my waterfall photo after that two hour hike. The top of that four foot waterfall is a street.