Beach Bum July 15, 2009

This past weekend I was invited to go up to Old Orc hard Beach in Maine with my boyfriend and his family.  This was the second year we went for his sister’s softball tournemant, whose team his dad coaches.   Unfortunately she won’t be playing next year…so it won’t happen again

We stayed at the Wild Acres Campground right off rt 95, and it was just as nice as last year.  Angel (the family golden retriever) joined us, and I was pleased to see lots of dogs walking through the grounds.

Most campgrounds in the area are dog friendly, as well as several hotels we drove by, boasting the pet friendly sign.  Also, the beach is open to dogs in the morning and evening, before 10am, and after 5pm…giving plenty of daylight and time to run and frolick in the water.  There is no specified leash law, just an assumption that you will keep your dog under control.

Boy was Angel a happy dog!  As soon as the clock struck five we were on the beach, and Josh’s mom had took her for moring walks as well.  We saw dogs of all sizes; a little shih tzu bounces in the waves after a ball, and a mastiff lumbering along on the sand. 

So if you’re looking for a beach side vacation that’s not too far from home with the pooch,  (being under two hours, it could make for a nice overnight!)  be sure to check it out

Home sweet home June 28, 2009

Well…not for long actually!  I was only home one night after being abroad for two weeks before I went to a house to stay with pets.  It’s like a second vaction though…this time without my parents!

I was so grateful though that they took me along to Paris and Rome over the past two weeks.  We started out in Paris, and although we got off to a rocky start (my mom and I encountered a rainstorm while waiting for the hotel shuttle at the airport), I quickly fell in love with the city.  I was completely submerged in culture, art and history and enjoyed every minute of it.  A week wasn’t enough to see it all, and I look forward to returning one day. 

Next was Rome.  The weather was predicted similar to what the east coast had been seeing…rain.  But like in Paris, it was sunny and gorgeous, perfect for seeing the ruins and crumbles that remained in the ancient city.  It was an amazing experience, we attended the audience with the Pope on Wednesday at the Vatican and toured the Colosseum, but it wasn’t quite Paris.  I was happy to come home!

So I’m back in full swing, sorting out pictures that I will post soon, and booking houses for the rest of the summer and even the beginning of Fall!  Dara’s Bark-B-Que at the Pine Valley Mill was a hit today and the rain held off for us, the music played loud all day long.  Rich Bitch will pick up right where I left it, with custom orders from the open house and a commission for wedding jewelry we look forward to planning with the excited bride.  I believe a craft fair is in our future in Dublin, NH, and of course Kentucky is coming up quick!  Keep an eye out on the blog for events, and come back soon for pictures from my adventures in Europe!

The end is near… August 27, 2008

So here I am, at my last job of the summer!  I’m at Dara’s staying with all six of her critters.  It’s great to have three little heaters situated around me at night since it’s starting to get colder, and her kitties restore my faith in cats because they are so friendly and loving.  Weasel purrs like a motor boat, and Silo will crawl into my lab and curl up like he’s trying not to be noticed.  I’ve also started working with Maple, boy does she love her food!  Pixie on the other hand hasn’t quite accepted me in mom’s spot, but I think she’ll come around soon enough.

I can’t believe summer is almost over!  Don’t forget though, I’ll be home in four short months and available to take care of your four legged friends when you go away

What a week! August 22, 2008

Bailey fit! He left some hair behind, but thoroughly enjoyed a ride in my car resting his head out the window. Although there are a few extra teeth marks in my sandals, we had a good time. And he learned a new trick!

For those of you with problems getting a collar on your dog, (sometimes they like to try to eat it…) make them sit, take their collar and a treat, hold the treat in the middle of the collar and feed your dog the treat while you slip the collar over his head. Now his collar is on and he’s ready for a walk!

Bailey

Wednesday was a very busy day…Chocolate had an appointment with Dara to get his “Back to School” haircut. I call it that because he lives with my parents and while I’m not around during the school year, my Mom doesn’t like to have to clean dirty feet and brush him out as much. So…

We got up on the table for one last look at his locks...

Look at all that hair! Dara took off some length before he got in the tub for a mud scrub and blueberry facial

And then we were done! He blends right into the floor...haha

Now it’s been two days and it’s starting to grow on me. It will take some getting used to but it’s the best thing for his skin…which has been a bit dry this summer from allergies. Don’t worry though, when I get home he’ll grow out and be fuzzy again!

Later Wednesday I headed out to Brookline to stay with Vader. I stayed there until this evening, and had the best time! He is crazy about tennis balls, almost too crazy…and is very well trained. We went for walks and lounged outside, and he even cuddled with me while we watched the Olymics last night! I really hope I can play with him again sometime

Vader lounging with me on the couch

Lazy Loui August 18, 2008

I think my favorite thing about staying with Loui is that he’ll sleep in as late as me!  If anything, he’ll sleep later, making me feel bad dragging him out of bed to go outside at 11:00am!  It was great staying with him, he has so much energy and really loves his toys, especially his new pig.

I can’t believe there’s only two weeks left of summer.  It’s been a bit dreary for me with Josh being gone and so busy at school with soccer, but exciting at the same time because I’m bouncing around and spending lots of time with new dogs.  For this week I’m with Bailey Alcox, and come Wednesday I’ll be staying with his cousin Vader.

Bailey’s mom mentioned he thoroughly enjoys car rides, so we’ll see what he thinks of my little neon!

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer, live it up!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N…In the summer sun! August 12, 2008

This time rather than staying with someones pets while they were on vacation, I went on vacation myself!

First I was off to Maine with my boyfriend Josh and his family. We left Friday, in the opposite direction for my birthday surprise. We ended up in Peterborough at the EMS headquarters for new hiking boots! I was so excited, this means we’ll be up in the mountains more often! Then we headed back to the other side of the state to enter Maine, about 45minutes from Rochester, right outside Sanford in a little town on a lake called Shapleigh. When we got there Angel was already in the water! The weather wasn’t so pleasant while we were there, but it made for great snuggling in front of a campfire and long games of cribbage, rummy and monopoly (Josh’s favorite). That lasted until wednesday night when I drove Josh and his dad home to Milford.

Angel Doggie

Wednesday night was the last time I saw Josh for who knows how long…He’s out in Pennsylvania now at school for soccer. I was very sad that Chocolate was already gone when I got home, in the morning my family and I were off to New Jersey for Mikey’s wedding in Cape May. First we stopped at Orange County Choppers on the way down to see some bikes that have been made on TLC’s show American Chopper. Boy were they pretty!

The Fireman Bike made for those lost on 9/11 with patches and memorabilia sent from all over the country from firehouses and police stations

We stayed in Wildwood Crest and had wonderful weather! The beach was beautiful and the ceremony was short and sweet. The reception went all afternoon and the drinks flowed through the night! The next day we rented jet skis out on the ocean and headed out to Atlantic City for the night. I was up and then down…my luck didn’t last long on the slots! I had to dress the part and not mention to anyone that my birthday was still a few days away!!

My cousin Mikey and his new wife Cheryl

Tomorrow…Tomorrow…I love ya…. haha!! Yup, finally nothing to hold me back! Not that there’s too much to look forward to, except being able to order those drinks with fancy names at restraunts. Don’t worry, I’m no fish! I’m actually most looking forward to meeting Sue and Vader in the morning, and Chantal and Baily in the afternoon! Hopefully things will work out well and I’ll be housesitting for them later in August. Back to work for me!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Top of the Class August 12, 2008

I can’t believe before I left, I forgot to mention Loui coming to class with me!

In order to graduate in December this year, I had to take 8 credits (2 classes) over the summer. First I was in Anthropology and then for the past five weeks I’ve been in Behavior Modification and Therapy. My last class was the thursday before last because of vacation and we had a very special guest…LOUI!

Jen was a little wary of leaving him home with the housekeeper when she wasn’t there – afraid she would leave the door open or forget to put the gate back and he would run out. I told her I would love to stay with him, but I had class that afternoon. So I spoke with my professor and he joined us for the day. I picked him up around 9:30am, and he came to my house to meet Chocolate and play until I had to leave for class at noon. The two got along really well and Loui was quite impressed with Chocolate’s abundance of toys! The ride went well, and Loui was happy to join us. He rode in an elevator (I’m not sure he noticed!) and played and played the entire class. Everyone was thrilled to have him there, he was great fun with soggy toys. Towards the end he was a little rowdy so I pulled him up on my lap and he fell fast asleep in seconds! I’m trying to be a more picture conscious person – it’s really just a matter of remembering my camera! My battery was dead that day, and I’m still kicking myself for it

This weekend I’ll be spending some more time with him, maybe I’ll get some shots then!

little ladies August 1, 2008

Today I finished up in Amherst with Maddie and Bailey!  After a total of twelve walks and four days of staying with them (still walking them three times a day of course), I felt like they were my own little creatures.  I decided that if you pull Maddie’s ears back, she looks just like a hamster!  She’s about the same size too, and I love it.  I started out thinking she was the stereotypical yappy clingy little dog, but it turns out she was pretty independent and once the initial excitement passed and I made a few aversive sounds (which became fewer as she figured out that if she stopped barking, I’d stop the noises!)  she calmed down and was really pleasant.

And about Bailey, I decided she has sheltie in her.  She tries to herd Maddie, and once she starts barking it’s quite difficult to get her to stop.  She has the look too, pointy ears that have a slight fold…lean with mid-length hair.  The two of them aren’t so good together, Bailey kind of beats up on Maddie.  I recommended they remove the food bowls and create a communal place for toys to avoid possession problems.  I tried to keep their crates closed, but it seems as though Bailey spends a lot of time in hers…but perhaps it could be a long term goal since the scuffles I’ve seen have taken place in or around either crate.  I wish them the best, and hope they can resolve their differences!

Now, I’m off for a week in Maine.  Not to house-sit, but for a real vacation!  I’m so excited, I’ve gone for the past three summers with my boyfriend and his family.  This time it will be cut short, I’m headed to New Jersey for my cousin’s destination wedding at Cape May.  Hopefully it will be worth missing out on the last four days of Maine, let me tell you I’m not thrilled.  Josh will be leaving for school before I get home, and who knows when I’ll see him again   Distance makes the heart grow fonder…so we’ll see what 600 miles does!

A weekend of walking July 20, 2008

This weekend I drove back and forth to Amherst to visit Maddie and Bailey three times a day for walks. It doesn’t matter how many times they’ve seen me, as soon as I touch the leashes they jump and twirl for me.  Maddie is a twelve pound red and white chihuahua x Pomeranian, and Bailey is a small mix, I think she has sheltie in her and she looks just like a fox.  There must be some terrier in her, because she is quite the sniffer, but Maddie just wants to GO! We walk for about 45 minutes, going about a mile and a half around the neighborhood…where there are so many hills! I should be thankful for all the exercise, but in the rain? We got a little wet this afternoon! One more walk this evening after dinner, and I won’t see them again till Tuesday. They really are a lot of fun to spend time with!

The Learning Curve July 17, 2008

Earlier this summer I was commissioned to train Loui, a two-year old Yorkie-Poo with a shaggy look goin on,.  He’s absolutely adorable, and a real joy to work with.  So now that he’s worked solidly into my weekly routine, we’ve made real progress! He has all the smarts, I’m just helping him along with the focusing part. This week we’ve ventured outside with the new Electric Fence. With a strong recall already perfected inside, we put on the collar (he’s not such a fan of the two prongs, but forgets about them shortly) and went into the yard on the flexi-lead. Next week we’ll work on a twenty foot lead that will stay slack (to make him think he’s not on a leash), and then *fingers crossed* we’ll take off the leash all together! I’m so proud of his progress, and so relieved that I still have skills!