Don't have money for a big-screen TV, so I just moved my chair closer.

Knight School

We're back from our outing.
We went to the race track.

I've never been to a race track before, but tonight Pam & I went to the Greyhound race track down by the Phoenix airport. But it wasn't to gamble, or even to watch the races though we did see a couple of them.

Pam has wanted a dog for a LONG time. We've had dogs for most of our married life but not since moving here. Not that it hasn't come up often. I just didn't think it made much sense. We have gravel in the back "yard" and no fence. Pam works three 12-hour shifts each week and spends a lot of time out "running errands." (One of us likes to shop.) Back when I had handyman jobs I'd be gone all day for several days each week.

But, as you all know, I'm a pushover, the ultimate soft touch. So several weeks ago I started secretly researching dog adoption, planning to surprise Pam. I looked into small dogs, not because I'm a fan of the irritating little yappers, but because any dog we got needed to be a house dog. Remember - we have no fence and we do have coyotes wander through often. Most people here in Sun City have Chihuahuas or little Terriers or Pekineses or similar. (Yuck)

On a Saturday when Pam was at work I went up the hill to a Pet Smart store where one of the volunteer organization that specializes in small dog adoptions had set up shop. They had 6 or 8 dogs, all yappers, but nothing that seemed appropriate. But in the store window was a poster that said the local Greyhound adoption group was inside. I went in to take a look...and there began the journey that took us to the track tonight.

I eventually decided to dump the surprise plan and talk to Pam about it.
"Do you want a dog?"
(Before I had finished forming the "g" sound): Yes!
I told her about the Grehounds, I did some research, we talked about it, and went to the track tonight where that volunteer group hosts a free tour each Friday night.

Fascinating breed! Nicknamed "the 45 mph couch potato" because they are very docile, sedate, almost lazy dogs. Rarely bark, love people, and don't have any of the problems often present in larger dogs, like hip displaysia. They MUST be on a leash anytime you take them outdoors. Greyhounds are sight dogs, which means they hunt by sight instead of smell. They can see something the size of a bottle cap 1/4 mile away. And if it moves they are gone! They hit 30 mph in three strides and top out at 45 mph. Totally focused, too. They won't see anything except their "prey," including cars that will hit them.

The tour was excellent. The adoption agency volunteer did a great job explaining the breed, the life of a racing Greyhound and what happens at the track. We got to go behind the scenes and watch a race up close. Wow! You don't realize how fast those dogs are until you watch them go by 10' away.

I'll tell you more in subsequent posts. One of the volunteers will call in a few days for a phone interview. They're really careful about matching the right dog with people. Assuming that goes OK we'll set up an appointment on another Friday night to pick up a dog we agree will work with our situation.

If you're interested, read just the top portion of this article, down through "Description" to get an idea about how cool these dogs are.

On the way home, coming up the 51 Freeway, we saw a very bright flash of light. That's not something you want to see when driving in the Phoenix area.
That 15-mile stretch has two speed limits, 55 on the southern half and 65 as you move north. I so rarely drive over on that side of town that I forgot that little detail and was driving the same speed I do on the freeway over near our house (65 mph). The speed camera flash could have been for another car near me, or even a car on the southbound side of the freeway. But I won't be surprised if I get a $180 certificate in the mail in a week or two. The good news is that I've never had a speeding ticket here and you're allowed to go to traffic school once a year to have a ticket expunged from your driving record and the fine cancelled.
I may have to get myself a Spiderman lunch pail.

I ordered a carb rebuild kit today. Gotta get Gerta back on the road, and that's the next step.

It's really late and I've got a long day tomorrow.
I'll be back!