homemade agilty equipment

My son was busy today making agility equipment to practice with. Skippy does a good job on both the new teeter and the jump.

grilled pizza

One of our favorite dinners to grill out on the patio is pizza. Here's a basic cheese and veggie pizza. Skippy always like eating out 'cause he gets to have grilled chicken.

American chestnuts at Baldpate pond

Skippy and I walked in the wet woods at Baldpate Pond in Boxford/Georgetown yesterday. Raindrops always make the leaves look lovely. We ended up quite soggy and had to run for cover from the lighting. I was particularly interested in the numerous American chestnut saplings growing around the pond. I didn't see any substantial trees, but the young growth is still lovely. I've never noticed an American chestnut before in the Northeast. I'll have to check for larger, fruiting trees next time I go back as MassChestnut likes to locate 10 new trees each year to pollinate. "Once there were 4 billion trees. Then came the blight..."

hangin' out

Its the first day of SUMMER! Skippy's ready to kick back and take it easy. (Can you find him relaxing in the shade? No that not a fluffy black rug...)

agility class

We've started a new agility class. Beginner's level 2 at B.A.R.K. Wow! Skippy is advancing slowly but surely. Every class, the instructor brings out a new piece of equipment. This week the new one was the weave. Skippy's getting really good at jumping and going fast. He has to work a bit more on stopping on the table - he tends to fly right up and over it when he's supposed to sit until we tell him to go.

From top left: wing jump, Skippy jumps, Skippy waits his turn at agility class, weave, teeter, Skippy in chute, Skippy on A-frame, agility equipment.

Essex salt marsh

Today Skippy visited the salt marsh and river at the Cox Reservation of the Essex County Greenbelt Association. A great spot for a water dog!

Spauding Pediatric therapy visit

Today Skippy visited a children's hospital in downtown Boston. Its on the 10th floor of the Mass Eye and Ear Hospital. Skippy did a good job braving the metal stairs near the parking lot and crossing the busy road. He's been here before, so he knew he would be able to snuggle with some kids. The nice thing about this visit is he gets to jump right up onto the bed next to the kids. He curls up and gets patted. Skippy would have stayed there if I had let him. We visited with some great kids. We sure hope they all get well soon.

a new friend for Skippy

Skippy found a really cute friend at Fresh Pond today. Its Tilly, an 11 week old Burmese mountain dog. They ran and tumbled together. What fun!

patio lights

I've been collecting summer patio lighting to hang under our big umbrella. Nothing like a summer evening relaxing on the patio!

flowers in our backyard

Cleaveland Farm State Forest

Yesterday we went on one of our favorite walks: Cleaveland Farm in Boxford/Rowley. There is a great little pond that Skippy LOVES to swim in. He did some retrieving and then A LOT of running. Skippy has been feeling really chipper recently. (I think maybe he feels better with his lyme medicine). He just ran and ran in circles through the fields and woods!

We took our usual path by the pond and were met with a surprise when we came to the back of the pond. Beavers had flooded the whole area and made the trail impassable. DAM! They had made a remarkable dam that was not there last fall. Probably a three foot water differential. This is the second trail in the area that we have found to be blocked by beaver dams. (The other is at Bald Hill in Boxford.)

I am happy that Skippy is feeling so chipper this week. However, before our walk in the woods Skippy did some running that was very bad. He ran and ran after a young boy about 5 or 6 years old. The boy was VERY fast and VERY scared of Skippy. Skippy thought this was great and he bounded and jumped at his heels for several minutes. He was doing a little "mouthing" too. Many of us tried to divert Skippy, yell at Skippy to stop, tell the boy to stop running, but to no avail. I couldn't even keep up with the two of them - they were going so fast. Aaargh. Finally Skippy decided to play keep-away with me instead. Then I accidentally dropped his baggie full of treats and he grabbed this and ran off and shook it until they flew all over the place. As he searched for them, I got the leash on him. I am afraid that Skippy (the fluffy, gentle, calm and perfect puppy) has made a little boy pretty scared of dogs. Next time this would be a good situation to keep a leash on Skippy. The whole situation was just TOO exciting for him.

Hydrangea petiolaris

My climbing hydrangea is blooming this week. Always a welcome sight. I planted it about 10 years ago. It climbs up the dark side of our garage and sprawls out on the roof in the sunlight.

Middlesex Fells Reservation

Our weekend walk was at Middlesex Fells. A new place for us. An amazing 2,500 acres of fields and woodlands right near Boston. Skippy loved the big open field with lots of other dogs to run with. It was a misty gray day with silver dew drops on the grasses. A really nice day for a walk.

Too bad we got lost, but then I'd always heard that's what happens at the Fells. Its just such a big place that us city folks get lost. We even had 2 maps and a GPS! Oh well. We had a lot of fun. I think Skippy would recommend this walk.

If you go, the big field where dogs run is called the Sheepfold.

You can see Skippy's new summer haircut in these pictures. Really short for the hot weather!