Day 32 – Idaho Falls, ID

What can you say about a day in which you:

Meet a sweet mini-Aussie on your morning walk; very nice girl

Get to go for a walk in a downtown area, where a lot of people adore you

Are allowed to enter both a Petco and a Petsmart, with resultant treats

Meet a lovely four year old Goldie Girl, who loves to chase the ball

Spend the entire day with the people you love the best!

It was a great day, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I didn’t get the name of the mini-Aussie, but she ran out from her coach and accosted me very pleasantly, and we spent a few minutes exchanging vital information.  She was about half the size of my Aussie buddies, Alice and Cooper, but unafraid to make the acquaintance of someone substantially bigger, like me.  I thought she was really nice.

We parked in downtown Idaho Falls, and we did a tour of the historical buildings in the area.  Geri and Don had lunch in one of them, an old hotel that had been converted to offices.  I got to meet a number of people on our tour, including a Police Officer who was very appreciative of my demeanor and friendliness.  Geri and Don thought that the buildings were interesting, but noted that some of them had become really run down and underutilized.  They got the feeling that the downtown area was suffering a little.

This was a building for Odd Fellows

This is a City Building

 

Recognizing a shortage in my basic food supplies, they first found a Petco store to attempt to replenish my groceries, and I was invited to accompany them in the store.  I was able to do an inspection of their housekeeping in the dog food area, and found a few minor spills that hadn’t been cleaned up properly.  Rather than report them, I provided my usual clean-up service, creating a win-win situation.  Unfortunately, they were out of stock of my normal chow, and I couldn’t cadge any treats at the checkout stand.  We then found a PetsMart, where I repeated my inspection, but with meager results.  Happily, they had my food in stock, and I was able to participate in the checkout process, resulting in the award of three treats.  A good shopping experience.

We spent some time wandering through some older and interesting residential areas in town in the truck, and ventured out into the farmlands for a bit.  Geri advised that she would rather spend some time getting her hair cut than cruising through the herds of Angus and Guernsey’s, so we headed back into town and found a hair place in the local Fred Myer.  Geri was so pleased with the result that she strongly recommended that Don get a trim also.  Don went along with idea, and was happy with the results.  I thought they both still looked OK. 

Our next stop was the waterfall area that gives this place its name.  The town has done a good thing in recognizing the beauty of this area, and establishing parks on both sides of the river in the Falls location.  We walked along the paths that bordered the falls, and soon came upon a lady who was spending some time with her own Goldie, a reddish coated lady dog.  We watched as the lady launched a ball with her flinger, and the Goldie energetically pursued it and successfully retrieved it flawlessly every time.  My initial thought was in terms of  “What a waste of energy!”, but I had to admit that her performance was a magnificent display of canine athleticism, reminiscent of my old partner Buddy, who was a Ball Dog par excellance.  Geri and Don engaged her human in conversation, and found that the Goldie’s name was Bailey, which I know was the name of Buddy’s pal and housemate for many years, both in Lynwood and Ventura.  We spent some time with this pleasant couple, and I had to express my admiration for the excitement and verve that Bailey brought to the business of ball retrieval, even though I consider it a futile activity.  I mean, what happens when you bring the ball back?  They’re just going to throw it again!  So, I watched with a combination of admiration and amusement as she snatched the ball in midair, plunged into the river to consort with the ducks and geese, scavenge some bread that people had thrown into the river for the benefit of the waterfowl, and generally enjoy herself.  I like seeing other dogs having a good time.

This is why they call it Idaho Falls

Me and Bailey

No, it's not a real horse

More Falls

We finally headed back to the coach, and Geri and I had dinner together, as Don had pigged out at lunch, losing his usual good appetite.  We had a pleasant walk around the Park, and returned to the rig for some needed rest and work on the Blog.  We’re out of here tomorrow, headed for Twin Falls.  Sounds interesting!

PS: We have some pics for today, but our internet connection is so bad we can't post them; we will put them up as soon as we get a decent connection.