Ticket to Adventure

Each year I get a state park sticker and while the image on the sticker changes every year, the possibilities residing within it consistently excite and amaze me! My long-time readers might even remember that this blog started with a state park sticker. And while I dedicate most of my hiking time to the Ice Age Trail, the state parks and forests are always a close second.

For a small fee of $25, Wisconsin residents can visit any state park or forest in our state for a calendar year simply by affixing this sticker to your windshield. Imagine all the adventures you can have for TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS!!! The possibilities are endless.

And yet I'm amazed when I look around at cars in parking lots and see that very few, if any, have a state park sticker. I long for the opportunity to share my adventures with these people and get them excited about all the natural beauty at their fingertips, just waiting to be explored.

And so, as you head out next weekend to celebrate the "unofficial" start of summer - Memorial Day Weekend - I hope you'll consider purchasing a state park sticker (wherever you may live) and support these beautiful places set aside for our personal enjoyment.

Get out and explore your world - purchase your ticket to adventure! And don't forget your canine companion!

 

Friday Night Rainbows

It's been a long week. Stressful, irritating days at the "day job" and evenings spent working in the dog treat bakery left Charlie feeling a bit neglected. The only thing keeping me going today was the knowledge that I finally had an evening off and I planned to spend it playing with Charlie at the off-leash dog park.

My city doesn't have an "actual" dog park, but there are three parks that have off-leash hours in the morning and then again in the evening between 6 and 9. One of the three parks is actually an island.

I absolutely love having Charlie off-leash on this island. It's situated below the dam in downtown Wausau on the Wisconsin River just before the river becomes Lake Wausau. It's a seldom-used park, even in the height of summer, which means we typically have the place to ourselves. There's only one bridge leading to the island, making it easy to see when other people arrive and I never have to worry about Charlie running off. There are beautiful big old trees on the edge of the island and a huge grassy space in the middle with a couple benches and picnic tables. Sandy shores are available for swimming and fishing and it's a haven for birds of all species. There also seems to be a huge family of woodchucks here, but they pretty much disappear when people (and dogs) arrive.

It's our own little island paradise!

Today was chilly again so I correctly assumed there would be no one else at the park. Charlie and I leisurely strolled around the perimeter as I tossed her tennis ball over and over. She took a few short breaks to wade into the water, getting a drink or just cooling off.

After about an hour of playing and walking, I put Charlie's ball away so she would just relax and explore on her own. I found a soft grassy spot under a still-bare oak tree and laid down on a bed of blooming violets, using my earmuffs for a pillow (yes, it's still cold enough to need earmuffs!).

I watched white clouds slowly march across a blue sky with the setting sun peeking through with rays of sunshine, illuminating buds waiting to bloom on nearby tree branches. I listened to the roaring water of the dam and the softer waves lapping along the shore. Charlie's paws thundered toward me occasionally as she checked to see if her ball was available yet. The songs of birds drifted around me and echoed off the steep river bank of the mainland.

So many birds! I saw an eagle, hawk, crane, woodpecker, red-winged blackbird, crows, robins and so many other little birds that I had no name for. Their songs lulled me into a peaceful reverie. I stretched my arms up, cupped my head with my hands, and let my entire body relax into the shape of the earthy slope beneath me.

I was so comfortable and at peace, I could have fallen asleep. But I began to notice dark clouds moving in toward the northwest. Dark, wispy tendrils of clouds began to snake across the sunset, almost resembling smoke from a fire. The wind picked up slightly and the already cool air, took on a chilly, damp quality.

Not quite ready to leave, I watched the dark clouds begin to dance with the white clouds as the sky took on an ominous glow that only comes from a storm cloud mingling with a sunset. Tiny drops of rain splashed on my face as the outer edge of the dark cloud arrived so I quickly leashed Charlie and we headed back to the car.

...

Still enjoying my zen mindset when we arrived home, I inhaled the unique fragrance of rain-damp asphalt and smiled. Turning my head toward the sky, letting the tiny raindrops fall on me, I noticed a full rainbow slowly getting more and more vivid as the setting sun made one last appearance for the evening.

All the stress of this week just melted away with an hour appreciating the song of birds, the sound of water, the smell of damp earth and the joy of a Friday night rainbow. What a wonderful way to begin a weekend!

Full Flower Moon + Flower Essences

The Full Flower Moon lands on Wednesday this week, although you wouldn't know it by looking around Northern Wisconsin where we are still quite flower-less. Even though we're lacking in the blooms department, I like the imagery that accompanies this month's moon. Flowers.

Dog artwork by Todd Young (www.ToddYoungArt.com)

When it comes to seasons in Northern Wisconsin, you just kind of get used to having patience. The trees will burst into full foliage and flowers will bloom overnight... one morning in the next couple of days, everything will suddenly be summer. That's how it goes here.

The temperatures are definitely milder and we're experiencing quite a bit of rain, so it's no doubt that the new season will arrive very soon. Charlie and I have been walking a lot more lately and exploring new neighborhoods, the arc of our travels getting wider and farther each day.

Having been cooped up so much this winter, I'm working on resocializing Charlie to the multitude of sights, smells and sounds that grow more numerous by the day since she's been a little skittish with things that never used to be an issue.

I've also been reading Dogs Naturally magazine the past few months and am learning a lot about essential oils and flower essences to help dogs with behavioral issues and <ahem> realign their chakras. I know, I know. I thought this was all a bunch of hocus pocus at first but the more I read, the more I believe this stuff actually works and I want to continue learning about it.

My curiosity about natural remedies prompted me to purchase a bottle of Bach Rescue Remedy from the local natural pet store. Bach Flower Essences come in 38 different formulas with Rescue Remedy being the most well known. The combination of flower essences used in Rescue Remedy were created specifically to address stress in emergency or crisis situations but can also be used to treat chronic conditions when appropriate.

 

It's a pretty small bottle and as you can see from the picture, it's priced at $17.99. There is a little dropper attached to the cap so you can measure the dose very accurately... but don't worry, you can't overdose on this stuff since it's all natural and non-toxic.

I had an opportunity to give this stuff a try the other night after one of our neighborhood walks. As I said, Charlie has been a little skittish with noises lately, so when we walked past a house that was under construction, the automatic nailer (an air tool?) scared the crap out of Charlie. Her ears pinned back against her head and she shot forward as if to bolt to the nearest safe place. I tried calming her down with some treats, but she wasn't having it.

Ten feet later, a motorcycle revved its engine as it drove by and Charlie again shot forward with her ears pinned back. To make matters worse, a car back-fired on the next block. Charlie was in a frantic state by now, whipping her head from left to right looking for the next sign of danger, continually pulling forward on the leash struggling to get home.

Unfortunately home was another four blocks away and she practically dragged me the whole way. I felt terrible for her but there was nothing I could do to soothe her.

As soon as we got home, I ran upstairs and got the Rescue Remedy. I applied four drops to the top of a dog biscuit and offered it to her. Amazingly, within a couple of minutes she was laying down and seemed calm. She was still panting but her ears were relaxed and her eyes no longer had that wild, scared look.

Since the remedy can be given orally with food or mixed into the water dish, I decided to add a couple drops to her water as well. She watched me put the drops in the bowl and came over to check it out, and after sniffing the water decided it was safe to drink.

Bottom line: this stuff works. Results of using Rescue Remedy would probably be difficult to see in use with chronic conditions, but for emergency situations, the proof was plain to see. I'm going to start carrying this little bottle in my poop-bag pouch during our walks from now on. It's so easy to use and the effects were immediate.

Dog Moms are Mothers Too!

I'm a dog mom - and proud of it.

I made a choice a long time ago to not have "human" children, but dogs have been an important, and constant, part of my entire life. Which is why I consider myself a "dog mom" with no apologies. I don't care if people think I'm the "crazy dog lady" or if I spend most of my free time with my dog or that I've basically rearranged my whole life to revolve around my dog. This is my choice.

In many ways being a "dog mom" is very much the same as being the mom to a human child. I make sure she eats nutritious meals, worry when she doesn't feel well, stress about stupid little things (like the time she had a "bulls-eye" spot on her belly that I thought was a deer tick bite which the vet later told me was just a black fly bite and not to worry), spoil her with too many toys, home-school her with trick-training books, take her to the park, give her baths, and pretty much think about her all day long.

This is what moms do. And I'm so lucky and grateful to be Charlie's mom.

Charlie may not be able to create refrigerator art, but she decorates my floors with her muddy paw prints which is just as darling.

Charlie can't vocally tell me that she loves me, but I know she does because her tail wags in her sleep and she pierces my soul with her warm brown eyes after a long day of hiking or playing at the park, so grateful for the fun day she's had.

If you are a dog mom, take a moment today to honor all the things you do for your dog and congratulate yourself on creating a beautiful life for your dog. Unlike human children, we know our "kids" come with an expiration date. Make this a memorable day and bask in the innocent joy that dogs exude and live in the moment, as dogs do. Let them remind you of your own childhood innocence and appreciate the love they give.

You're a dog mom, and you've made a difference in the life of your dog. Happy Mother's Day.

Pee-Mail

The days are getting longer and warmer which is allowing us to take longer and more leisurely walks in the evening. After the long winter, we're really enjoying this!

But tonight, as Charlie stopped every ten feet to sniff a tree or fire hydrant, I got to thinking...

If a dog's sense of smell is 10,000 times better than a human's, why do they have to take so god-damned long to sniff another dog's pee?!!! She's like a wine snob dissecting the various notes of a fine French wine!

Anyway, I know I could take charge of the situation and tug her away from the smells and keep us going at a quick pace, able to walk more miles in a shorter time. But I'd hate to take away her enjoyment of being out and checking her pee-mail. After all, she's patient enough with me being on the computer checking my own e-mail when she'd rather be playing.

Life's made up of a lot of "give and takes"... for both humans and dogs!