Great things come in small packages

We arrived in Prescott, AZ -- the location for our second sit -- after a four-hour drive from Las Vegas. When we walked up to the door, the welcome mat read "Ring the bell and let me sing the song of my people. - The Dog". The advertised serenade began on cue, and the door swung open to reveal an adorable, pointy-eared chihuahua. Whipping his tail back and forth while giving us an inquisitive sniff, Kahlo (pronounced KAY-low) decided we were OK and welcomed us into his home with sloppy kisses. 

We initially contacted Kahlo's mom, Nancy, in October of 2021. We didn't have any reviews because we were new to TrustedHousesitters at that juncture, but Nancy decided to let us care for her house and pup because she loved our story (note: our previous Vegas sit popped-up after we confirmed this one). A retired CPA, frequent traveler, and TrustedHousesitters veteran, Nancy was super organized. She gave us a tour, explained Kahlo's routine, and furnished us with protocols and contacts for every conceivable emergency. Her attention to detail put us at ease, and we wished her safe travels as she jetted off to Florida to celebrate her mother's 101st birthday. Our next eight days would be spent with this furry face. 

Prescott is located between Phoenix and Flagstaff and has about 40,000 residents. It's at 5,300 feet of elevation, so winter temperatures typically fluctuate between the 50s during the day and the 20s at night. Nancy warned us that Kahlo wasn't a fan of the cold, and he seemed highly discouraged by the half-inch of snow which fell over our second night with him. It took much coaxing to get him out of his preferred pile of blankets, and he truncated what should have been forty-minute walk after just five shivering minutes. His short legs gave him a low center of gravity, and we had no idea how resistant twelve pounds could be until he dug in. Defeated, we turned back to the house and his blankets.

Though homebody Kahlo was content with short walks around the neighborhood, we explored a bit farther afield without him, mostly in the afternoons when temperatures peaked. Watson Lake was nice, but Willow Lake was even better. We thought the 5.75-mile loop around the body would be a piece-of-cake, but we weren't ready for the two miles of bouldering which it required on the backside! Picking our way through the rocks, we eventually earned nice view of the area.

Dorian, of course, had his own pose...

Sonia's birthday fell in the middle of our stay, so Dorian planned a surprise day trip to Sedona on the weekend. Located about 65 miles northeast of Prescott, Sedona is the gateway to canyonlands. Overhead rock formations frame the cutesy town, and tourists enjoy hiking, biking, horseback riding, and off-roading in the stunning surrounds. A Pink Jeep Tour is a fun way to experience the landscape, and our two-hour ride took us to this incredible vantage! Check out the video of our ride!

Those looking for a healthy lunch should head to India Gardens. It's five miles north of Sedona and has lots of vegetarian options and a beautiful, dog-friendly courtyard. With COVID still in full effect, outdoor dining is a huge plus, right? Same goes for Pink Jeep. Given the choice between sitting in a crowded movie theater or bouncing around in the open air, it's a pretty easy choice. 

We had a ton of fun in Sedona, but Kahlo was the highlight of our Prescott time. When we initially arrived at her house, Nancy said Kahlo wasn't much of a lap dog; he preferred to sit near but not on people. While that qualification held for the first three days of our visit, Kahlo found a permanent place with Sonia starting on the fourth; whenever she sat down, he immediately sprung up and plopped himself dead center on her lap. Most likely a ploy to pin Sonia down and prevent winter walks, it endeared him to her in ways which she didn't imagine at our arrival. Though a very distant second choice, Dorian got a bit of Chihuahua love as well. 

Since Dorian is an avid bird photographer (his website here), one our goal is to have a mini-photo shoot with the each of the animals we care for. Though not as outdoorsy as Coral and Ruka from our last sit, Kahlo was willing to pose for pictures when plied with treats. We think he looks very dignified in his oversized sweater!

Prior to our time in Prescott, we had a preconception that Chihuahuas were temperamental dogs which spent all their time yapping. However, Kahlo proved us entirely wrong, and we forged unexpectedly-strong bonds with the sweet boy across our eight days together. He proved stubborn at several moments, but his short stature and stubborn nature reminded us of our dearly-departed Roody.

When the time came to pack up and roll out, we had a hard time leaving the little guy.  As we exited the house and climbed into the car, we could see his little face looking out the front window. He started singing, as he did when we first arrived, though this time it was to say goodbye. We pulled out of the driveway and headed towards Albuquerque, our thoughts with the little Chihuahua who stole our hearts.