Knob

We took a Mother's Day/L10 Birthday family hike up McAfee Knob Sunday. It was a very cool day for this time of the year (low 60s) and quite windy. This is the first time both kids have done this fairly tough hike on their own two feet. They did fine. I won't say there was no "are we there yet" whining, but it was minimal. I think Kate and I were more tired at the end than they were. L10 was also very tired at the end but gets around very well for a 13 year old dog.

Meloncollie

We had to give Henry back to the adoption agency after two minor biting incidents. I'm sad about it, but we had no choice.

Henry wasn't very sure of himself (given his background, that isn't surprising) and he and Ellie weren't getting along. She is fairly protective of us and he was very interested in food which turned out to be a very bad combination. When the kids were walking around with food (which they shouldn't do), he would be close behind and Ellie didn't like that. A squabble broke out and Kate got bit on the hip.

We chalked that one up to accident. However, there was another incident where he nipped at Sophie while they were really close together. No harm done, but absolutely unacceptable for a dog to nip anyone in that situation.

I dropped him off this afternoon at the kennel where ARPH will get him fostered again. I wish things had worked out and he has a lot of good qualities. Hopefully, he will not have to wait long to find a forever home.

Henry

I went and picked up Henry, our newly adopted dog, yesterday. Here is a picture of us at the exchange point - the Confederate War Memorial in Madison, VA. We got him from the Aussie Rescue and Placement Helpline, which was a pretty good organization to work with.

He's a purebred Austrailian Shepherd but is much smaller than L10. Ellie probably outweighs him by 8-10 lbs. and is much furrier so they almost look like different breeds. He's a blue merle with brown eyes and is quite handsome.

So far, he has integrated into the house nicely but needs some refinement in manners. He is very food and attention motivated. I know he's been bounced around a bit so I think he is overcompensating. We'll have to work on a few things, but he has an excellent role model to emulate.

On a different topic, the drive took me through Charlottesville north on Route 29. Once north of 250, I experienced all of the bad things about Northern Virginia - stop and go traffic, shopping centers and tract houses on cleared land. There used to be just quirky rural stores and outposts between Rio Hill and Madison. Remind me again how this kind of growth is good?

First

A picture of Ellie gazing sagely at the valley from our first hike of the year yesterday. It was a beautiful, warm day for early January and we had a nice hike up at Chestnut Ridge.

We have gotten approval from the Australian Shepherd Rescue and Placement people to adopt a dog. Hopefully, we will have another dog to hike with Ellie in the near future.

Speedy

Even at her advanced age, L10 loves running through the woods. Here she is on the hike yesterday.

dog

This fall, we are contemplating adding another dog to the family. A puppy has been firmly ruled out by the wife and I concur (puppies are cute but a whole lot of work). So, it seems like a good thing to do is try to find a rescue dog. The preference would be for an Australian Shepherd, less than 5 years old, that is housetrained and used to other dogs and kids and is located within a day of driving of Roanoke. The Australian Shepherd Rescue Page has a number of listings, but it might take some time to match all of our criteria.

Hot Dog

This is the first day this year that I've felt hot just being outside. L10 and I went on our 1-mile walk today around noon and it was warm and sunny out there.

There was a great deal of of storm damage and many downed trees not half a mile from where we were walking due to an intense microburst storm last night. Where we were, there was absolutely no damage. Strange.

Spring Day

Everything is very green right now and getting more so with the nice, soft rain we have falling now. Here we are waiting for the school bus and trying to stay dry.

I try to take the dog for a walk after the bus comes, at lunch and then after dinner. I usually manage to get at least one walk a day in. She likes it and so do I. Some people don't seem to walk their dogs very often. The dogs just hang out in the yard. I don't think that is abusive or unkind to the dogs, but it is a missed opportunity.

For me, walking the dog is a great way to get out and see what is going on. This time of year, it is especially nice because you can see all of the changes - leaves and flowers coming out, birds coming back, grass growing green and lush. Even in the winter, it is interesting to see the sky and clouds pass overhead and feel the cold. With a dog, you stop now and again and it gives you a chance to really look around. It is quite a nice little break.