wissahickon valley

Hello from LA! I'm still out of town for a few more days, but thought it'd be fun to share a few photos from last weekend in the meantime. Ryan, Nellie and I went on our first "hike" in the Philadelphia area! We've both been missing the trails and mountains of Virginia a lot this summer, and decided it was time to get back into nature. We landed on the Wissahickon Valley trail after much debate. Though I wouldn't call this a true hike, the walking trail was beautiful, and certainly a nice respite from the cement sidewalks of the city.

We took our time exploring the northern most section of the trail. We would walk down one side, cross a bridge and walk down the other. All the while wading in the water and letting Nellie enjoy a little swim. For a puppy who didn't seem to care much for the ocean, she couldn't get enough of the running creek water! We had to pull her out a couple of times to keep moving.

I enjoy the lazy weekends where we forgo our plans to spend a little time just enjoying one another. It's times like these that make wonder why we'd live any other way? big kiss, bekuh

happiness is in the in-between times

 

I had every intention of editing the photos from the holiday to share today, but somehow I got caught up in the act of living and never got around to it this weekend. I had last Thursday and Friday off, and it was wonderful to just veg a little, and work on special projects I'm cooking up. I also got to spend a lot of time with the cuddle bug you see above, she loves it when we're home. I leave for a work trip tomorrow so Ryan and I soaked in as much couple time as we could before then. We hung out with friends, ate out a lot, went hiking, and worked on artistic pursuits alongside one another. To say it was blissful would be an understatement. 

How was you weekend? big kiss, bekuh

jersey shore trippin

After days of grey clouds, and thunderstorms the skies opened up and the sun shone high on Saturday. We took advantage of this break and headed east to the Jersey Shore for a little family fun. After a long search for a dog friendly beach, we landed on the north end side of Brignatine beach which was amazingly uncrowded and full of dog lovers like us. I always imagined the shore to be wall to wall condos and trashed beach bars, but Brigantine was surprisingly peaceful and the perfect retreat from the city streets.

Brigantine was Nellie's first experience with the ocean and she was hilarious to watch. She wanted so desperately to be in the water but hated the waves, so every time the water went out she jumped in and when the waves came rushing back she ran to shore. We finally got her swimming a little bit, after about two hours of trying. Ryan on the other hand took to the water like a big fish. I think he was really born a stingray, and only recently learned to be human to fall in love with me. ha!

I'll admit it was a bit cold for me to dive in, so I mostly ran along the shore and dug for "perfect" shells to admire. Nellie didn't seem to mind the exercise, and she was pretty good at digging up the shells still connected by ligaments. I think she was hoping for a few oysters on the half shell, I wouldn't have minded some either.After a few hours in the sun, we were all ready for a little ice cold drink (and a nap), but first Ryan and I had a boardwalk to see. Tomorrow we're going to Atlantic City on the blog baby! big kiss, bekuh

Nellie and the Move

I haven't done a Nellie update in awhile, and as we're preparing to completely uproot everything she's ever known it feels fitting to spend a little time on our girl right now. We thought long and hard about our sweet girl when talking about relocating, and her comfort is of upmost importance to us. We're really lucky that I was offered a position in Philadelphia for so many reasons, but one of the biggest is that it's a super dog friendly place! We had no issue finding apartments that allow pets, and there are parks a plenty to let her run around in. The building we finally settled on is run by a super pet friendly firm, and that set me at ease immediately knowing they were animal people too.

It's a funny thing just how much our pup has changed the way we live. It really is like having a child. I think things like, "Will she like this area?" "Will the other dogs in building like her?" "Is there a park near by, for her to play in?" So many things to think about. Of course there will be an adjustment period, and we're preparing ourselves for a little bit of rebellion. 

We've been working hard on some of her bad habits; like jumping, and pulling while out on walks. She now has a nifty harness that pulls up her front legs if she pulls too hard on her leash, and we bought a shorter leash (2ft) for walking on busy city streets. The shorter leash also makes it easier to pull her back down if she jumps (she'll of course have the long leash when we go on more leisurely walks). We even caved and bought one of those little doggy bag dispensers, shaped like a bone, for potty time. Silly perhaps, but we're making an effort to get her as prepared as possible for city living.

I know she'll be fine, and adjust just like we do, but the mommy in me is on high alert. I hope Nellie knows just how much she is loved. big kiss, bekuh

A Sorta Snowday

We had a sort of snow day last Thursday. Work was let out early, and for once Ryan and I got to enjoy a whole evening together. We decided to take full advantage of the massive snowflakes, and trudge our way through barren streets to a park with Nellie in tow. We had the most pitiful winter last year so this was Nellie's first "real" snow. The ground even remained covered on Friday! 

I know some of you probably think it's a little silly to get this excited about snow, but I love it! My favorite part was watching Nellie try to pounce through the drifts and run through the snow as we chased her. My heart is happy with remembering, and I'm crossing my fingers for another wintery day like this soon. big kiss, bekuh

Our Sweet, Wild Girl

I usually relegate pictures of Nellie to posts on general daily life, but not today. Last night Nellie was a very bad girl, an epically bad girl. While I tried to wash away a little stress from a hectic week in a nice hot bath, she took it upon herself to potty in our bed. I was livid, irate, pretty much all things hateful. I wanted to lock her away in her crate for the next three days and just forget about how she'd ruined a perfectly good evening for me. But I didn't. Somehow just an hour after cleaning up the mess, flipping our mattress, and changing the sheets, I wasn't mad any more. Well, I wasn't irate anymore at least. It occurred to me that this must be what it feels like to really be a mother.

Nellie can be the most hyperactive, inattentive, wild, uncontrollable, loud mouthed beast. But, she can also be cuddly, thoughtful, sweet natured, empathetic, and the happiest creature that ever lived. She has brought me such unexpected joy, and I try to remember that when she's driving me crazy. I love our little girl so much, and after only 8 months I can't imagine our life without her. She's our sweet, wild girl and I wouldn't have it any other way. big kiss, bekuh

Camping with a Family of Three

This past weekend Ryan and I took Nellie on her first ever camping trip, and it was a wild and wonderful adventure. We decided to stick kind of close to home for this trip, and kept it to just one night and a full day away. We stayed at the campgrounds in Fairy Stone State Park, where you can dig up cross shaped stones, and hike and swim the day away. You'll see through these images that Nellie had the most amazing time, and in turn Ryan and I did too.

We set up camp in less than an hour and immediately set out on a 3.5 mile hike to a waterfall, which ended up being little more than a trickle on a rock crag, but it was fun anyway. We splashed in creeks, Nellie rolled around in puddles, and we got a chance to do a little family bonding. Good practice for our road trip this September.

Our time at camp was split between rocking in our hammocks, playing with Nellie, and cooking. We made hobo dinners at night, and ate lots of chips, and talked about our childhood camping experiences. Basically it was the corniest, most fun, perfect way to spend the weekend.

I had a hard time relaxing when we first arrived because I felt like I needed to have my eyes on Nellie at every second, but after about 3 hours at camp watching her play and just eat up all the adventure she was having I relaxed a bit and even got some cuddle time in with Ryan.

We woke up with the sun, mostly because Nellie did; met some neighboring campers, made coffee, and bagel sandwiches and hiked a little more. It was really just the most divine experience. We took our time packing up camp, heading out before noon. Our trip was short, but sweet; and we now know that Nellie is a trooper, and loves camping as much as we do. I will say that she's had a harder time recuperating than Ryan and I have, and is just now getting back to her old self. big kiss, bekuh