I have decided to take a break from the blog for the month of September. My summer break is about to end which is always a challenging transition for me. Luckily the pups have always been unphased by this change, so I would expect that would be the case. However, with a little more resting planned for Wilma’s leg, and adjusting to the new routine, I thought this would be a good idea. We will still be getting our walk on but mostly visiting our local favorites, and slowly building up Wilma’s stamina to ensure her leg is where we expect. I look forward to being back in October and returning to the blog and new adventures. Thank you to those who have followed us! We will be back!
August 29, 2023 – The F and F Sweet Bar – Massachusetts
I am happy to say Wilma is on the mend and seems to be back to herself. We will soon start taking her on walks again and making sure her leg holds up, as we expect it will. Definitely a relief with the pain she faced last weekend!
Yesterday Gus and I Adventured to the Sweet Bar in Lowell, Massachusetts after our local walk (with some take-out for Wilma – of course!) The Sweet Bar is a newer restaurant that carries ice cream and specializes in allergy friendly options, eco-friendly materials, and locally sourced food. Their menu includes ice cream products with options for various diets, and my favorite – pup cups! They also hold events at their location and can travel for ice cream socials.
We had a simple adventure to the Sweet Bar after walking locally. The Sweet Bar was very simple, some seating nearby, but limited decorations, or pizzazz. We found few other guests, and therefore received quick service. I ordered two pup cups, and a coffee ice cream with sprinkles for myself. After ordering I thought I would take Gus over to his own rock table (haha) to enjoy his treat, but he was very nervous, which sometimes happens with this sweet boy. I therefore decided to let him eat his pup cup in the car, where he felt much more comfortable. I choose to take mine with me, which ended up being a drippy mess in the car, but I was able to eat most of it, and it was just delicious. You really cannot go wrong with coffee ice cream, but my drippy mess did remind me why I often get a float or refreshing drink when on an ice cream adventure with the pups. Oh and Wilma loved her pup cup, as always!
I am sad to say that this might have been our last ice cream adventure of the summer, but you never know with us. However, I can just about guarantee that we will not be exploring any new ice cream locations this summer. So glad to check out the F and F Sweet Bar today (this blog will not be rated).
Weekly Video/Photo
If you follow my blog regularly please skip down to paragraph three….
The weekly Video/Photo section highlights an Adventure, while I might also sneak in some that are humorous, adorable, or just other fun dog moments. If you have followed my blog from the beginning you know that I adopted Shadow as a puppy, and about a year later adopted Buster as a puppy. We had many wonderful years together before experiencing the devastating loss of Buster at just seven. It took a long time for our hearts to heal, but almost a year after his passing we welcomed little Wilma into our world. We were devastated to lose Shadow on April 3, 2020.These two precious boys will be furever in our hearts! We were recently thrilled to add another amazing rescue, Gus, to our home on June 28, 2021! This Weekly Video/Photo section will allow me to share photos from all four of my rescues, whether it be a precious memory, or a current moment.
Today’s photo is a photo of Wilma with one of her favorite balls, which has received a lot of love. This is a very cheap ball so every so often I buy her a new one, and she squeaks it as her heart desires. I sometimes have bought two, but she does not want to share (haha!) However, Gus definitely has moments where he enjoys the ball, or steals from her for kicks (haha)! I am happy to say she is feeling much better and wanting to play ball… Here she is:
August 24, 2023 – World’s End Reservation – Massachusetts
I was planning on doing a daytrip today, but due to Wilma needing to rest her leg, I thought I would adventure to a somewhat local location. The Reservation you will read about I had been to once almost four years ago with Shadow and Wilma on a dark winter day. This was Gus’ first adventure to the Reservation. We are thankful that Wilma continues to improve and return to her happy self! We will continue to let her rest and look forward to her returning on our adventures.
Today Gus and I Adventured to the World’s End Reservation in Hingham, Massachusetts. World’s End is a 251 acre park and conservation area preserved by the Trustees of Reservations. It is a 3.8 mile loop (with additional side trails) containing tree-lined carriage paths, views of the Boston skyline, rocky shores, and marshlands. Currently admission is $10, or free if you are a member of the Trustees.
We had a lovely Adventure to World’s End Reservation. I was looking forward to re-visiting this Reservation and going on a long walk on this beautiful day. We arrived just as it opened, and had to stop at a booth to check-in on our way into the Reservation. This made Gus quite uneasy, but soon after this interaction was completed Gus was calm and ready to walk. He loved trotting along, and often would check back on me to make sure I was still there (haha). He enjoyed sniffing all of the new smells, walking through the tall grass, and chasing moths and grasshoppers, one of his favorite past times! He even was extra adventurous and entered in the water, at some points searching for goodies on the bottom. I was shocked at this activity and so happy to see him so comfortable with the water, a great way to cool down on a summer day. Of course, no waves at the “beaches” definitely helped.
We spent a little over three hours walking – there was lots of green color in all directions, fields, coastal views, wildflowers, mushrooms, little “beach” areas, and endless trails. There were even some distant skyline views of Boston. We spent a little over three hours exploring – it was great exercise, and perfect for the soul! It appeared all dogs were on leash, and overall, it was quiet, well until we ran into cross country practice, which put Gus into a brief panic, poor guy! Luckily this did not last long, and we were back on track. So glad we could adventure to World’s End Reservation. We look forward to returning in the future (Rating: 4).
Video of Gus searching the water with some nice surrounding scenery
Video heading down the hill with water views on each side
Video of trail with water views on each side
Video of trail headed down to one of the “beach” areas
August 22, 2023 – Kayaking – Baddacook Pond – Massachusetts
I am happy to say Wilma seemed very happy and pain free yesterday (the day of this adventure). We spent almost nine hours outside on quite a beautiful day, limiting time chasing squirrels (haha)! Although I am still worried about her leg, I am thankful that she was in good spirits and helping me feel hopeful that she may recover soon! I therefore felt comfortable heading out on an evening kayaking adventure.
Yesterday, Gus and I Adventured to Baddacook Pond in Groton, Massachusetts. Baddacook Pond is a 76-acre Great Pond. There are few homes on the Pond, and a public boat ramp. The Pond is well known for fishing.
We had a peaceful evening kayak trip to Baddacook Pond. I arrived realizing I had been there one time to kayak previously, but I do not believe Gus was with me on that evening. There were no other cars or boats in the boating access, although we soon met two young boys who had come to the location for some fishing. Gus actually waded into the water a bit, a quite surprising sight. However, he became spooked when the two boys zoomed down on their bikes, although I would guess he would not have gone in much farther.
After loading on the boat, we headed off, across the lake. The water was so still, and the reflection was just amazing. The sun was setting behind the trees, but as it began to set, it disappeared preventing our view of the entire sunset. I paddled around the Pond and Gus enjoyed the peace of the ride. I spotted a bright red and orange little tree but was disappointed to find my phone had died before capturing this brilliant tree. The Pond was very small, and I also did not want to get stuck in the dark, so not a long paddle tonight, but still just right. So glad we could enjoy an evening paddle at Baddacook Pond (this blog will not be rated).
Weekly Video/Photo
If you follow my blog regularly please skip down to paragraph three….
The weekly Video/Photo section highlights an Adventure, while I might also sneak in some that are humorous, adorable, or just other fun dog moments. If you have followed my blog from the beginning you know that I adopted Shadow as a puppy, and about a year later adopted Buster as a puppy. We had many wonderful years together before experiencing the devastating loss of Buster at just seven. It took a long time for our hearts to heal, but almost a year after his passing we welcomed little Wilma into our world. We were devastated to lose Shadow on April 3, 2020.These two precious boys will be furever in our hearts! We were recently thrilled to add another amazing rescue, Gus, to our home on June 28, 2021! This Weekly Video/Photo section will allow me to share photos from all four of my rescues, whether it be a precious memory, or a current moment.
Today’s photo is an adorable photo of sweet Gus. He is watching his Mom very closely while remaining quite comfortable. He really could not be cuter….don’t you agree?! 🙂 Here he is:
Other Tidbits, Fun, and News
Today I will be sharing some news. I am sad to share that Wilma has hurt her leg. I am hoping it is nothing long term but worry that is not the case. It was a stressful weekend and poor Wilma was so distressed that the veterinarian could not examine it. She is now on pain meds for ten days and resting. Luckily she seems to be much happier that she started the medication. So she will be resting this month and likely into mid September to ensure a full recovery. We are hoping for those results. Thankfully I have two more weeks of vacation so that gives me a little more flexibility for solo adventures with Gus. Plus as you may know Wilma does not like, nor does well in the heat so on some days this has been the routine anyways. Looking forward to Wilma feeling 100%!❤️
August 15, 2023 – Breakers Ice Cream – Massachusetts
Yesterday Wilma, Gus, and I adventured to Breakers Ice Cream in Woburn, Massachusetts. Breakers Ice Cream is open under Mike’s Pizzeria management. Breakers Ice Cream serve Richardson’s Farm Ice Cream. Their products include: ice cream, soft serve, yogurts and slushies.
We had a delicious adventure to Breakers Ice Cream. I was excited for some ice cream as it has been awhile (haha) so after walking locally off we went. We arrived at Breakers Ice Cream to find a simple location with a small seating area, and no other guests. I ordered the dogs some soft serve and a coconut cone with sprinkles for myself. The dogs’ ice cream was quite large and my cone was the perfect size. I loved the coconut ice cream with sprinkles and the pups quickly devoured theirs. So glad to have an ice cream adventure (Rating: 3.5)
Weekly Video/Photo
If you follow my blog regularly please skip down to paragraph three….
The weekly Video/Photo section highlights an Adventure, while I might also sneak in some that are humorous, adorable, or just other fun dog moments. If you have followed my blog from the beginning you know that I adopted Shadow as a puppy, and about a year later adopted Buster as a puppy. We had many wonderful years together before experiencing the devastating loss of Buster at just seven. It took a long time for our hearts to heal, but almost a year after his passing we welcomed little Wilma into our world. We were devastated to lose Shadow on April 3, 2020.These two precious boys will be furever in our hearts! We were recently thrilled to add another amazing rescue, Gus, to our home on June 28, 2021! This Weekly Video/Photo section will allow me to share photos from all four of my rescues, whether it be a precious memory, or a current moment.
Today’s photo is one of Shadow at West Rattlesnake Mountain back in May 2018. We had just climbed this little Mountain and found quite spectacular views. Shadow was posing with the lovely scenery behind him. Great memories of this wonderful day. Here he is:
August 14, 2023 – Kayaking – Whitehall Reservoir – Massachusetts
Today Gus and I adventured to the Whitehall Reservoir for some kayaking. Whitehall Reservoir is a 620 acre great pond located in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. It is the main feature of Whitehall State Park and is popular for boating and fishing. Swimming is not permitted in the Whitehall Reservoir.
We had a relaxing kayaking adventure to Whitehall Reservoir, a place I have wanted to kayak at for some time. We found a parking spot on Pond Street and launched from there. The Reservoir was large in size and very peaceful! We found many lily pads, islands, and one sunbathing turtle! We paddled and paddled, but due to the large size of the Reservoir we did not see every corner. I was pleased and surprised to see very few other visitors. Gus always seems to enjoy this pastime, sometimes even nodding off. He changed positions several times and thankfully has great balance! So glad we chose such a beautiful day for our kayak ride on Whitehall Reservoir (this blog will not be rated).
The Adventures of Shadow and Wilma 