The North Wall

It is a stark piece of limestone etched out of the mountainside years ago. Its upper crest is foxtail heaven. Its face is home to some stubborn mountain lilac. Its base is gritty with sand from years of wind and rain.

It is part of the Dog Kingdom.

Dog Kingdom- North Quarter

In a rainy winter it is  (or was) home to Lake Mueller.

Lake Mueller before creation of Dog Kingdom

In the transition from open space to Dog Kingdom, the wall stood its ground. Little bits of sand would settle to the bottom of Lake Mueller leaving dirt and sand for doggy feet and fur. That part of the wall often ended up in our living room.

But finally, finally, the wall has found its purpose. It is a cockeyed hand ball wall! Ever played hand ball (OK, mouth ball) with a Cocker Spaniel? Take a peek! (forgive the quality of the videos. It is difficult to juggle two tennis balls, a ball chucker, and the phone. I tried!)

It has become the new obsession.

They can go full tilt for about 20 minutes before they take the balls up into the bushes.

Speaking of bushes, while I was out there today, spouse noticed that one of the bushes on the South Wall (directly behind me when I throw the ball) looked like poison oak. Its leaves were turning red. The dogs have a fence trail right behind those bushes. Poison oak in the Dog Kingdom would not be a good thing.

After much Googling, we were still not sure. Neither of us had come down with the itches after petting the dogs. My plant identifying app kept saying it was a cactus!!! But there were leaves of three.

That was enough for me. Since spouse is deathly allergic to such plants, I was the appointed destroyer. Two hours later the poison oak was down. I, of course, was clothed head to foot and sweating like a stevedore.

Between exercising the dogs and playing plant destroyer, I sure got a good workout.

The dogs are sleeping. I will be soon.

All because of the North Wall.