I hope you had an awesome turkey day! Our Thanksgiving week started off with me going to a special vet. I’ve had two lumps (one on the right front leg and one on the right back leg near my knee) growing that were concerning my mom. She took me to Dr. Grossman a couple of times over the last two years, and he said they were nothing to worry about. He’s a great guy, so I never gave them another thought. They didn’t hurt or bother me. However, they did get pretty big.
Mom was worrying about them, so she took me into the Dermatology for Animals clinic down in Scottsdale. D4A is actually located on Scottsdale Road at Williams. You turn east on Williams and take the immediate left into the parking lot for Blue Pearl Animal Emergency Hospital. The D4A office is located inside.
The facility is clean and everyone is very friendly. As soon as Dr. Frost came into the room, I liked her. She got down on the floor with me to say hello! Sweet human. She discussed options with mom, and I ate a treat. Before I knew it, Dr. Frost was poking me with a needle. It didn’t hurt, and everything in my bumps drained out. Poof. They were gone. Apparently, I had clogged sweat glands. Boom – that was it. I knew it wasn’t anything, but mom needed to know. Besides, she doesn’t speak dog, so telling her wouldn’t help.
With that, we were off to have a great holiday weekend. Mom was relieved, and I counted down the moments to turkey. Yum. I ate so much one night that I was loopy, totally tryptophaned out. Mom and dad transformed our house to a Christmas wonderland. My brother Edmond loves having his Christmas to sleep under.
To work off all we ate, we headed back to Deem Hills for a hike. This time, however, we didn’t take our normal three-mile loop. No sirree. This time we got on the Circumference Trail, which goes completely around the entire Deem Hill. It started off relatively flat and sandy but that soon changed to a slight incline and rocky.
Several other folks were out with their pups doing the same thing. We were all enjoying the cool temps. It 
had rained so much the last few days that the trail was muddy in spots. Be careful if you hike this trail when wet as the rocks get really slippery. Remember, Deem Hills is a basalt volcanic rock formation. By the way, the city tore out the old shade shelter and put in a new one. I was confused, though, because it looked 100 years old and rusty. They stacked a bunch of rocks up in wire, and I can assure you these will be perfect rattlesnake breeding grounds. Whose bright idea was this? Everyone we talked to said the entire remodel was a waste of money, and they made the parking lot smaller. The humans still don’t have a restroom, so plan accordingly.
As for me and my kind, we can go wherever we like! Our humans just have to pick up our “packages.” Anyway, the Circumference Trail is just under six miles. You keep following it around the base of the mountain, but it does climb up and down throughout. By mile 5 me and my mom were slowing down. Good thing the scenery was gorgeous. We had not seen the backside of Deem Hills, and it was full of saguaros, ocotillo, and chollas. The rain greened everything up, too.
We saw the dog park for the first time and now know where it is. We will have to check that out another day. My dad had plenty of water for me, so I could get drinks when I needed them. Since this hike will take 2 ½ to 3 hours, be sure you are stocked up for humans and canines. The last mile seemed to take a long time, but we made it back to the parking lot. I was grateful we didn’t do this in the heat. I’d say this is a fall/winter hike for dogs so we don’t over heat or burn our paws, thus why my folks took me now. They always have my back! I’ve got yours and will continue to share my adventures so you and your family can enjoy this great place we live. See you around!
Hi! I am Kumaito (Kuma for short), a multi-tan Shiba Inu. My breed is one of the oldest and purest from Japan. I personally was born in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, moved to Friendswood, Texas, and now call Phoenix, Arizona home. I enjoy running or hiking almost every day with my mom, chasing rabbits out of my neighborhood, playing with toys, pestering my brother Edmond, eating, napping … well, I love just about everything and everyone!
My mom, Lorraine Bossé-Smith is kind enough to help me share my Great Adventures, big and small. My mom is a motivational speaker, corporate trainer, business consultant, executive coach, behavioral-wellness expert, and author of eight published books. More importantly, she’s the best doggy mom ever!
Enjoy my blog at https://www.lorrainebosse-smith.com/category/kuma/ and be sure to follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kumathedog?ref=hl and Instagram: kumaitothedog
Get outside! You never know what you’ll discover, and our paths just might cross. Happy tails!
