• Canyon Road and Teca Tu

Dog sculpture with dogs

Dog sculpture

Santa  Fe's Canyon Road has caché, but that's not why Teddy, Rena, and I took an afternoon walk there. On a chilly Monday in March it was virtually deserted.

The only thing that took away from the experience was the dogs' leashes. They're long and squishy, perfect for open areas but not good for control, even with a "handle" at the halfway point. But the real problem is that my hands aren't always free because I carry too much crap! That's my happy face (left) but nervous posture.

Teddy (left) and Rena sniff out Teca Tu

Nearby we scoped out completely awesome Teca Tu, the biggest boutique-type store for pets I've ever been in. Good quality, variety, unique finds, and tempting smells the height of a dog's nose! Between the leashes and making sure we didn't knock anything over, I got a bit flummoxed. One of the sales staff volunteered to pick up things I wanted so I could stand still and breathe. She was also happy to take our picture. And that is why you should go to Teca Tu: outstanding customer service!

I hope I don't make Rena and Teddy sound like little devils. They are some of the best behaved, most sensitive dogs I've ever cared for. Rena pulls a little on the leash and may growl at another dog if they don't see eye to eye, but that's it. They are a dream to care for. Unfortunately, somebody (OK, me) forgot to put on Rena's harness for this trip, and I don't have the hang of those darn leashes. And can I use altitude adjustment as an excuse? No, since I've been in Sante Fe 7 days and they say it takes one day to adjust for every 1,000 feet.

Nope, it's me. I need to chill, get on board with the relaxed vibe here. Rena and Teddy are masters of it. As I sit here writing, I hear one of them snoring.