Today I got to go to Parma Heights Baptist Church for a walk around the grounds and some great play time off leash at the fenced in playground! It is the perfect place for me to do my zoomies and not get yelled at. The video shows me in action and is very short because the Flip batteries died before I was through with my running. It only shows the very beginning, but I ran lots more after that.
It was fun exploring the obstacles on the playground too. I went inside one that looked like a big frog or alligator, not sure what it was and even found a big "bowl" of water because of the early rain that came last night and early this morning.
My first trip to Snow Road Park was so much fun! It's even bigger and better than Fernhill with more opportunities to go off path and explore! We only went on the main path today, but that means we have more areas to explore yet on future trips. I really want to come back here again soon! It's great for hot days because the woods path is mostly shade, unlike Fernhill that has more sunny places. Between the two, I like this is my favorite. Have you ever been here?
Trail to Greenbriar Commons
I see a pool and playground!
On our next outing, I got to explore a side trail that mostly goes uphill all the way. There is a bridge and a bench along the way. The first time we went on it, we only went as far as the bench, but the next time we went all the way to the top and discovered it connects with an area called Greenbriar Commons! There was a pool, a library, a playground and pickleball and bocce ball courts up there. My mom was very excited about that. There was a nice breeze up there and a bench to rest at.
Hey, that's that path down there we came up on before!
On another visit, we discovered another way down on a trail through the woods that comes out just a little way past the bridge. It's fun to discover new things!
Another day we explored the wide open space on the other side of the park from the trail. There are some woods over there too, but no hiking paths.
Last time we went, mom led us off the cement trail along a dirt trail that followed along the creek. That was the most fun yet even though it was mostly flat. There were some very narrow spots and at one point a little ditch that dad crossed first, then I jumped over and mom had to let go of my leash because she couldn't go as fast as me. Dad had a little freak out, but he was able to pick it up pretty quick. Sorry no picture of that.
I love walking at the parks and look forward to exploring a place called West Creek! I highly recommend going to the park! Woof! Woof!
It's hard to remember to take pictures when you are having so much fun!
We got lots of snow yesterday but the temperature got up to 40 degrees so I got to go to West Creek Park. As you can see from the video, I like the snow. It is great fun to walk in the deep snow and I like to dig into it with my snout. Sometimes I get snow on my face and head which makes my humans laugh. Since my mom's New Year's Resolution this year is to move more, I'm hoping I will get to move more too. I will try my best to get her to come along on my walks this year. Do you think she will?
First off, we surprised our dog, Abby, by taking her to the park for her early morning walk, which was actually late for her--7 a.m. She normally goes at 5 a.m. but since it was a holiday, we slept in. We were there for a couple hours and joined by a lot of other dogs as time went on. There was only one other car there when we first arrived. Abby and Gerard got two more walks in later in the day around the neighborhood.
Of course, I did some blogging which included making this video and blog post with my cat, Manny Boy supervising. I also posted a book review (yesterday's Favorite Reads for August post) and used the end of this video of tug-of-war between Abby and me as our Monday Mischief post.
We went shopping at Parmatown for new tennis shoes at The Finish Line. The saleswoman was very good, selling Gerard a pair too! We both got the Nike Airmax that she said is the best walking shoe they carry. It did feel much more comfortable than the worn out New Balance running shoes I had.
I decided to get some new eyeglasses because the ones I had felt like the lens would be falling out again and it's been five years since I got new frames. I am excited about getting the lens that darkens in bright light and that is glare resistant. They should be ready by the 17th.
In the afternoon we got some tennis in at our neighborhood court even though it was 89 degrees! I must be officially nuts, but it was fun and was a good workout. I won 6-2, 6-3 but lost the 5 deuce game. I had some water, raspberry iced tea and Turkey Hill chocolate marshmallow ice cream when I got home.
We both got some reading in and watched a little TV. After sweating while just sitting reading, I gave in and turned on our central air conditioning so the house will be cool by the time we go to bed so we will be able to sleep. (Review of Lead for God's Sake! is up at Grab a Book From Our Stack.)
It was a very good day! What fun things did you do on your day off this week?
Did you know dogs make excellent personal trainers? It is a very important job to keep our humans in good shape. My strong suit is cardio. This video only shows a small part of my walk. Mommy came along to take pictures of the disc golf course I showed her at the park (which she posted about yesterday). Then on the way home, I showed her how I usually go. Now she understands why my walks take so long, usually an hour or more. I think my mommy should come along with us all the time and she'd get in great shape real quick, even if she does take some shortcuts. I knew she was anxious to get home so I skipped going over by the soccer field even though I usually do that too. I hope you like the video--I had a great time making it! If you do not have a dog, please consider getting one. This is just one of the many benefits you receive.
Find other pet posts or link up yours at Pet Pride with Bozo.
(We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.)
Today I wore my new harness for the first time when I walked with mom and dad to the mailbox. My mom got it for me from the Animal Rescue Site because my regular collar has a section of metal that she thought might hurt my neck if I pulled on the leash or if my daddy wanted me to go in a different direction. It's soft and does not bother my neck at all. I can wear my collar with my tags again with it. I just got most of my stitches out on Saturday (except for those by the hole by my back leg). The good news is that the vet said I can go for 30-minute walks. That's good because I have been anyway!
Unfortunately, I still have to wear the cone collar so I don't lick back there-hee, hee. I still manage to get at it and I even figured out how to get that clunky cone off! Sometimes that bottom snap opens if I bang it against something hard enough and then I can slip out.
The staff at Bartels and Busack were very happy to see me today. They all pet me up and were so impressed that I was walking so well and looking so good. My blood work came back normal so I only have to take the antibiotic pills to keep my open hole from getting infected. They said my mommy and daddy did a good job with me too and that's why I made such good progress. They even made a video about me on their Facebook page: Abby's Story. Here it is:
I must say though that God is the one who gave those doctors the ability to put me back together and who healed me. My mom got people praying for my recovery that night and I know she and my dad both prayed very fervently for me to be okay and get better. She was so thankful that the vet was still there when she called and that a bunch stayed way past their normal working hours to save my life. It's good to have a good vet for a friend!
Woof! Woof! Thanks to everyone who prayed for me! I am now a "miracle" dog! Praise God!
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(50 cents per legitimate comment goes to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue for February in honor of cat appreciation month!)
I went on my first dog picnic ever on July 16 and had lots of fun meeting other dogs and their owners. It was at Longwood Park in Macedonia, Ohio. Yes, Karen and Gerard actually went outside of Cleveland and did not get lost! It was a long car ride--about 40 minutes. Canine Lifeline had a reunion for all the dogs that got adopted through them and included me too because the founder, Barb, was my foster mom just a little while before she actually started Canine Lifeline.
There were other dogs there who were looking for a good home still. I am glad I found one with Karen and Gerard. They have had me two years now. I weighed 55 lbs. and the vet said I was "obese." Now I weigh 37.8 lbs. thanks to all the walks I go on with Gerard. (It's not that they don't feed me, I eat very well.) I get lots of treats and even bones on special occasions.
Have you ever been to a doggie picnic? If you watch the video, you may be surprised that the dogs did not bark much at all but were mostly very happy. Lots of tails were wagging. It was hot, but they even had a fan in the shelter so it was comfortable in there.
Canine Lifeline has a Facebook page where you can see pictures of ALL the people who brought their dogs to the picnic. Ours is the first one! If you are a nice person and do not have dog, I think you should! I highly recommend PetFinder. You can find exactly the kind of do you would like that is near your area! Please give it a try and see what dogs still need homes. Woof! Woof!
Wouldn't it be nice to let your pets do the Christmas decorating for you? Watch this:
Gerard and I both thought this video was so cute and amazing that we just had to share it with you. There was an article in BARK by Lisa Wogan. The video was originally just made for fun for family, friends and the dog school members. It was made in a Budapest flat and took six hours to shoot it.
Hey, Abby! Watch and learn.
When do you decorate for Christmas?
Find the best posts of the week or link up yours at Saturday Sampling over at Half Past Kissin' Time.
I get up anywhere between 4 and 5 a.m. to have time to go on the computer to link up posts and visit other blogs and comment before I leave for work. This way I can get in two or two and half hours before work on a good day. That is, providing it’s not raining.
Abby, our wonderful dog, goes for two morning walks with Gerard before he leaves for work, rain or shine. Abby doesn’t seem to mind the rain at all, even when it’s pouring out she'll happily trot along as long as usual or longer if Gerard will let her. On rainy days when Abby comes back all soaked, I am the one who dries her off. It’s only fair since Gerard had to be out in the rain. I don’t want Abby up on our furniture when she’s all wet, so I get one of our big towels and start rubbing. Usually, it takes two or three towels but if it was a heavy rain, I bring out the big gun: my blow dryer.
The first time I tried this, she kept trying to get away, but now she realizes it actually feels pretty good and will cooperate with me by sitting or laying nice while I try to get her dry. It works fairly well, but I still keep her leash on so I can make sure she doesn’t run off before I finish. This is why on rainy days I visit less blogs, because it usually takes a good 20 minutes. She has nice thick fur but it takes awhile to dry. Here is a video I took while doing drying her off one morning thinking “I could blog about this” (multi-tasking is just what I do). Don't worry, it's not a 20-minute video! I just took part of the task:
So, what interrupts your computer time? Anything as fun as this?
If you watched yesterday's video, you saw me trying to get Abby to stay on the floor next to me while I drove. Saturday, Gerard came along too and we all went to the park and had a great time! Abby loved it. I was curious as to if she would stay on the floor between the two front seats if Gerard was in the car too and could be petting her. She follows him everywhere and loves to be pet so I thought maybe she would stay. What do you think? Watch the video to find out:
Abby liked the park very much. She liked walking through the water, met several dogs, loved sniffing along the trail and went after a squirrel! Also, thanks to Abby, I got a new camera because I dropped my while holding her leash when she tried chasing after something unexpectedly. We were taking a water break and I was sitting down on the step of the drinking fountain when all of a sudden, she tried to take off! My digital camera fell and the lens hit the stone.
Off to Radio Shack in the afternoon to get another one. By the way, the protection plan had run out on my other camera but even if it hadn't, it would not have covered because it was dropped. This is the first picture I took with my new digital camera--Spunky hiding from Abby behind the chair. At least she stayed in the room when the dog came in. Manny ran off.My second picture was this one of Gerard giving Abby a big hug!
Today I got to go to Parma Heights Baptist Church for a walk around the grounds and some great play time off leash at the fenced in playground! It is the perfect place for me to do my zoomies and not get yelled at. The video shows me in action and is very short because the Flip batteries died before I was through with my running. It only shows the very beginning, but I ran lots more after that.
