Dinner Time In Grover

I wouldn't call the Grover Squat and Gobble a four star establishment, but no one ever goes away hungry. When "Dutch Oven Doug" plops one of his creations in the middle of the table, stand back. Dangerous has only two rules. Dinner guests must keep one foot on the floor at all times and clean up their plates. That's where I come in. I always lie under the table and catch any delectable tidbits that miss a dinner guest's mouth. It's also a great place to beg treats. For the uninitiated, it's surprising what a wet nose will produce when stuck in someone's crouch. It's especially effective with the more refined visitor not use to a little sheep dog hair in their entree.

Fish and chicken are rarely served at the Grover Squat and Gobble. You get your basic food groups beef, pork, and cheese. The beef is always well marbled and grilled to your particular taste which means Dangerous cooks it his way. Pork comes in a range of cuts, varieties, and thicknesses. You get bacon, ham, or sausage for breakfast, and dinner might be ribs, pork chops, or a roast. Occasionally, Dangerous will cook dutch oven lasagna, but you can rest assured he will mix in a lot of high quality Italian sausage smothered in cheese. For the health conscious, a small salad is usually served on the side with fat free dressing.

We don't get many complaints about the food. At least they don't complain in Dangerous' presence. If the high fat, 4000 calorie meals don't kill you, he might if you complain about the food. Dangerous tells me that you can cook anything that will fit in a dutch oven, and the key to his "driveway delights" is plenty of cheese. I guess I am lucky that a 55 lb. sheep dog won't fit in one of his ovens, or I might end up on the menu one night.

It's surprising what happens to dinner guests who are trying to watch their diets and waistlines. They spend time telling us that they weigh the same as high school, and how their wives and doctors have them avoiding fat and calories. You can't believe their change in attitude when Dangerous pops the lid on one of his creations. Wives and doctors are soon forgotten as they dive in and ask for seconds. I have never seen anyone pass up a second helping of raspberry cobbler.

As you can tell from the pictures, my favorite part of dinner is doing the dishes. I am a big help when it comes time to scouring out the dutch ovens. Dangerous is real particular about cleaning his ovens. He says that soap ruins the seasoning, but a little sheep dog drool helps season the pot.

Well, if you are in the area, dinner is usually served around 7:00 PM. Depending on whose their, you might even get a drink or two during happy hour. Drop me a comment, and I will try and get you a reservation at the Grover Squat and Gobble.

Injuries

You might think that our back country travels are risk free. Over the years, my only injuries have been sore paws, and an occasional cactus spine or two. Following Dottie and Little Guy cross country can, also, really poop a sheep dog out.

Every once in awhile, we have an accident. I was just a pup when Ole Dangerous made a trip to Elko to try out a horse. He even took his wife to give her a January vacation. What a romantic! The horse was a massive Paint gelding that supposedly anyone could ride. Well, to make a long story short, Dangerous spent six weeks sleeping in the recliner after the horse unloaded him on the frozen ground. To top it off, Abbey and I got kennel cough, and he had to drive back to Utah in a blinding snow storm pulling an empty horse trailer. Needless to say, his wife hasn't forgotten her romantic January Nevada get away. I am surprised they are still married after 40 years.

For the life of me, I don't understand why Dangerous and his buddies ride those thousand pound kegs of dynamite. Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy tagging Dottie and Little Guy around, but I keep all four paws on the ground. I remember a few years back watching Dottie knock Dangerous out of the saddle on a tree. He landed face down in a pile of rocks. He left a perfect rowel track across his brand new saddle, and he was really upset about the saddle!

I wasn't there when Ole Dangerous' riding buddy Bill almost broke his leg. The first picture shows what an 1,200 pound horse can do without even trying. Just imagine what happens when they put their minds to it. Maybe Dangerous had something to do with it. It was Bill who sold Dangerous Dottie for an outrageous price, and Dangerous might have been trying to get even. Who knows?

Sometimes the tables are turned. I believe Dangerous was working out-of-town when Dottie got the cut on her neck. Utah Jack called and left a message that she was hurt then left town to visit some of his many grand children. Dangerous didn't think much of it at the time. All horses get cuts and abrasions, but when he got home, he wasn't sure if Dottie would keep her head. Utah Jack thought the cut was far enough from her heart that she might survive. You have to remember that Dangerous is the wrangler and Utah is the builder. Dangerous can't nail two boards together, and Utah would probably feed a pasture full of dead horses before he realized anything was wrong.

Well, I thought you might want to know that Riding the High Plateau isn't all fun, games, and laughs. Even though the fun never stops. For old guys, they still saddle up spring, summer, and fall. Winters are pretty tough on my aging buddies, so they usually sit by the fire reading or watching TV. It's always good to hear from you. Dangerous reads me your comments, and I really enjoy them.

Hightop

As Dangerous explains it to me, the Colorado Plateau is a huge area including parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. I never know what state we are in, but I can usually tell the difference between red rock canyons and high mountain country. The red rocks offer lots of lizards and rabbits to chase while marmots are plentiful in the high country. Actually, I enjoy the hunt but watch from a distance when Blue and Sadie corner a marmot. Dangerous has told me about the time he pulled a "Rock Chuck" off his dog Abbey's face. I came along right at the end of Abbey's life, and I can tell you first hand that she wasn't afraid of anything on two or four legs. Even in old age, she use to kick my butt regularly.

We don't ride the Hightop every year, but we make the ride often enough that I know the trail pretty well. I understand that in the past Dangerous and his buddies would camp at the trail head because it is 60 miles from the Home Place. They are a lot older now, so they usually get up early and drive over to ride for the day. Those soft beds at the cabin are a lot more comfortable than a night on the hard ground for aging riders.

I like the Hightop because there's lots of water, and as you probably know, Aussies really like to get wet. I get to start the ride with a dip in Lost Creek Reservoir, and there are plenty of wet spots and streams along the way to quench my thirst. The trail also gives me lots of opportunity to sound the alarm when I run into elk and deer. Frequently, I get to set turkeys or blue grouse flying all directions. It's fun for me, and if I time it right, I can flush one right in front of Dottie. You ought to see old Dangerous try to get Dottie under control after a wild turkey flies over her head beating its wings to gain altitude.

Dangerous and his buddies like the wildlife, but I think what really attracts them is the solitude and long views. They tell me that they have never seen anyone while riding the fifteen miles across the top. I don't understand it, but they stop regularly and gaze toward the distant horizon. Since they are riding at over 11,600 feet, they have long views in every direction. On a clear day, they can see Mt. Timpanogos which is about 150 miles away as the crow flies.

Summer comes late to the Hightop. After a good winter, we have to wait until late June or early July to ride the trail. However, as you can see from the pictures, it is beautiful with tall grass and wildflowers. Even in June and July, you take your coat, or I should say Dangerous and his buddies take theirs. I am never without mine. At that altitude, you never know when a storm will roll in, and a summer storm on the Hightop can bring sleet.

There are plenty of places to stop for lunch. As you can see, Utah Jack and Fremont Bob are sitting under a tree taking needed nourishment. Just out of sight me and my dog buddies are cruising about hoping for a treat. Treats are usually rare when you are competing with Utah Jack and Fremont Bob for lunch. They have little problem emptying the saddlebags, but occasionally, they will throw us dogs a scrap or two.

I think the horses and mules even enjoy this ride. In the second picture, you can almost see the contended look on Ernest's face. Ernest the mule appears to be enjoying himself as Fremont Bob steers him through a meadow full of green grass and wildflowers. Like all mules, Ernest isn't interested in the scenery but is thinking great philosophical thoughts and hoping to fill his belly on the tender spring grass.

If you ride this trail oneway, you have to come down the Tasha Trail. While beautiful, it is steep and rocky. When the pictures were taken, Dottie was a young filly with only a few rides on her. She was born and raised in St. George, Utah, and had only seen water in a trough. It was great fun to watch Dangerous get her across some of those stream crossings. Even today, she doesn't like muddy water or black sucking mud. I don't know why. Sheep dogs like nothing better than a muddy roll from head to tail.

Well, I thought you might enjoy learning about one of my favorite trails. I have lots of them that I plan to share with you in the future. As always, I am interested in what you think, so drop me a comment or two.

Grover Boys

I wasn't around when there old friend, Ward Roylance, stuck Utah Jack and Dangerous Doug with the lasting handle "the Grover Boys," but for some reason it has stuck for 22 years. If you ask a High Plateau traveler if they know Utah or Dangerous, they will probably give you a blank stare. But, ask about the "Grover Boys" and you will get directions to their place and usually some strong opinions about their parentage. It is tough to think of these two aging back country wags as boys. As a dog, I am not familiar with "people years," but in dog years both of them are well over 400. Since every day is Saturday in Grover, maybe they are still boys.

I have never understood what draws so many travelers to the "Grover Boy's" cabin porch, but a lot show up regularly. Most come to venture into the wilderness with them, but anyone who visits has to check their ego at the cabin door. The cabin porch is no place for the pretentious or overly ambitious. You can find a complete list of the brave souls who survived an evening by reading all the business cards tacked up in the outhouse.

A more unlikely pair would be hard to find, but the "Grover Boys" have been friends for over 40 years. They are always giving each other unending grief. You would think that the stuff they hurl at each other would end in a fight rather than laughter. I have heard this exchange plenty of times. Utah Jack to Dangerous, "You really expect me to believe your ancestors stepped off the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock." Ole Dangerous replies, "At least they didn't arrive from Sweden on a Greyhound Bus." So goes the many exchanges. Everyone who rides and hikes with them gets the same treatment. Even a fine sheep dog like me catches it sometimes. You've seen my picture, and I am "show quality." At least that's what the breeder told Dangerous when he picked me up in Elko, Nevada. But, how would you like to be regularly called "Rosie-the-Red-Butted sheep dog." I don't have a red butt!

Utah is the builder with a sharp eye for detail. With inept help from his buddy, Utah built a cabin, restored the Roylance cabin, and built a horse barn. He won't let Dangerous touch power tools or hand tools without close supervision. Utah Jack never forgets a previously used camp site, and tells everyone he picks arrow heads out of Dangerous' boot prints. He also never misses a meal, and lives a contented life in the year 1956.

Dangerous organizes the wilderness adventures, feeds vistors, and wrangles the horses. He plans the next adventure before the current one is complete, always wants to know what's over the next ridge, and constantly searches for new adventures. Because of his unending activity and planning, his friends frequently drop the Dangerous label, and call him by his Indian name Ants-in-His-Pants.

Well, that's my independent take on these two characters. Maybe family, friends, past porch visitors, or others have something to add. Don't hold back! They better be able to take it after all they dish out. You might start by trying to figure out from the pictures who is who. Look forward to hearing from you.

Quiet Landscape

By now, you know I spend a lot of time tagging Dangerous and his buddies around. On the trail, I get to listen to all their conversations. They blame me, Blue, and Sadie for not seeing more elk and other wildlife. But, I know it's really the constant "yakking" back and forth among the horse riders that scares the wildlife. In the evenings, I have my favorite places where I lie listening to them retell the days adventures or old stories. Probably my favorite spot is under the kitchen table. Very few visitors ever chase me away when I beg for treats. Who can resist a warm head placed in their lap? One of my favorite visitors, Larry, once told me that I am a dog "who can't hold her licker."

As you probably know, Aussies are right up there on the canine intelligence scale. So, you shouldn't be surprised when I tell you that I regularly cogitate about the evening conversations. I am not much for politics or religion which are regular porch topics. Frequently, I get lost when they talk about women, girl friends, wives, and love. It might be because I am a spayed female even though Blue sometimes forgets. Fremont Bob's reported UFO sightings sometimes catch me a bit off guard. But, I guess the thing that I wonder most about is what draws this group of diverse characters together. After lots of thought, I think I have it figured out.

I found the answer while trotting behind Dottie and Little Guy. Every so often, Dangerous will pull Dottie to a stop along side Little Guy. He makes us wait while he gazes off at the horizon pointing out to Utah Jack some feature of the landscape that has captured his attention. The same thing happens some evenings after dinner, and we all congregate on the porch. Utah Jack will stand up and wander down the driveway. He usually calls to the rest of us to come and see. Sure enough, the sky will be lit up with a great sunset, and Utah wants to share it with the rest of us and take a picture. By now, he must have a thousand sunset pictures, but never seems to tire of them.

After lots of watching and thinking, I think I know what brings this group of characters together. Without the High Plateau and its quiet landscapes, they probably would have never met. They may not be quiet themselves, but their friendships are some how tied together by what they seek and see. The High Plateau and its surrounding deserts brought them together and has made them lasting friends.

Well, that's the way I see it anyway. But, who am I to know for sure. I might be an intelligent sheep dog, but you are welcome to correct me if you think I am wrong. Love to hear from you!

Pick the Dude

I know I have told everyone that I don't have a favorite book. Well, that's not the complete truth. On some cold nights, Ole Dangerous or his wife will read me my favorite Where's Waldo. You remember how it goes. You get to look through lots of confusing pictures trying to pick out Waldo. Sometimes, after riding the High Plateau all day, we gather on the porch and play our own version -- Pick the Dude. I thought you might enjoy taking a turn at the game we enjoy so much. In addition to the pictures, I will give you a few hints. Don't be taken in by the costumes. As I have explained earlier, you can be confused by style and fashion. I won't give you the names of horses or riders either even though you may recognize them from past postings.

Let's start with the guy riding the dark buckskin -- top picture, left rider. This guy is wearing a hat too large given to him by a friend. He is also wearing $400 Wilson boots custom made in Livingston, Montana. His horse has fallen on him, taken him off on trees, but never bucked him off. After spending too much time in the saddle, his right hip hurts, but so far hasn't required surgery.

The "cowboy" sitting the sorrel horse in the middle has the complete outfit -- hat, chaps, boots, and spurs. The whole ball of wax. One of his riding buddies frequently tells him that he dresses like a "pall bearer at a rodeo clown's funeral." He rarely whines after a long ride, but will complain if there isn't an extra sandwich for lunch. I have seen him land hard on the ground after his horse jumped out from under him. It can happen even to the best "cowboy" especially when you are getting along in years and packing a few extra pounds.

Don't mistake the guy riding the spotted pony as a construction worker. He might look like a redneck contractor, but he rides regularly, refusing to wear the regulation outfit. He buys his tee shirts and jeans at Kmart, and someone usually gives him the ball cap free. Sometimes we call him our "reluctant cowboy," but he goes because one of the other guys provides him a horse. He owns his own saddle, but it is too big for the pony. The horse is too small and he is too big, but he usually stays on unless his cinch isn't tight which usually results in a 180 degree spin to the ground. After the laughter subsides, we check to see if he's hurt while he's climbing back on.

The guy riding the paint has the best hat and boots money can buy. The hat is from Burn's Saddlery, and he wears expensive Wilson boots. The aviator dark glasses don't fit the cowboy look, but he thinks they are California cool. Unlike the first guy, the hat fits, but the boots are 14 AAAs. The borrowed horse packs him nicely where ever we wander, but occasionally, we have to stop a let me dismount. He's a good sport about riding with us, but occasionally "a little snot bubble" is seen coming from his nose if we ride too far or too long.

Well, by now, you have probably guessed who the dude is. If you could only ask the horses, they would tell you in a second. However, you can't ask even though the gray can talk, so study the pictures and descriptions carefully and pick-the-dude. If you want, let me know your pick.

More About Me

I know you won't believe this, but the other day Ole Dangerous got a call, and someone asked for a better picture of me. They also asked to learn more about my interests and other stuff. Well, I don't want to get too personal, but you have to respond to your fans.

I got to pick the picture, but Dangerous insisted that I include him. So you aren't confused, I am the good looking red head. Dangerous is the portly, old guy propped up against the wall. When you are his age, you never stand when you can sit and never sit when you can lay. A second after the picture was taken he was flat on his back lying in the rocks.

You can tell from my picture that I am a herding dog. Since Dangerous won't keep sheep, I am stuck with herding whatever is available. It doesn't matter to me if they are two legged or four legged critters; I just like to herd. When we hike, I run back and forth from the front of the strung out hikers to the back. I like to be up front, but I do my best keeping the herd together because you never know when one of them will get lost.

Herding horses is my real specialty. You ought to see Dottie and Little Guy when I encourage them into the horse trailer. Without my help, I am sure Ole Dangerous would never get them loaded. It is even more fun when he unloads them. I stand just out-of-sight waiting for that first hoof to hit the ground. As soon as I see it, I let loose with lots of darting and barking. If I am lucky, I can get Dottie or LG to step on Ole DD's bad toe. That's when the real fun begins. He howls in pain and cusses a lot. While loading and unloading is fun, I really excel when Dangerous is trying to mount up. At his age, its a real treat to catch him half way into his saddle. He doesn't bend like he use to and getting his right leg over the saddle bags really leaves him vulnerable. If I time it right, he may go all the way over or at least bounce along with one foot in the stirrup and the other on the ground like a pogo stick. It is great fun, but you have to have a high tolerance for name calling and extreme profanity.

Well, there's lots of other stuff I enjoy, but I guess you will have to follow along to learn more. In the future, I will share other interesting stuff about the crazy cast of characters -- two legged and four legged -- that I spend time with Riding the High Plateau.