AB&TC HAPPY ENDINGS - NELLIE CASHMAN


At last, proof that coonhounds CAN skijor!! Three days in a row we went out as Team Olivia! She's getting the hang of it, learning to pull, slow down, and get going. But she does pull coonhound style - STOP - plunge the nose into the snow and SNIFFFFFF. Brrr.

Angela

27 February 2008




We celebrated my 53rd birthday climbing Moat Mt. in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. 80 degrees, a 8 lb. pack of H20 for Olivia and 2000 vertical feet; a little over 2 hours later we reached the summit, hot but happy. Little by little or in this case - not so little - we are turning our coonhound into a good hiking dog. Olivia found every shade spot and waterhole there was to be found on the trail up Moat Mt.(2,749).

Cheers -

Angela

30 June 2007




Here are some recent photos of our cross country ski outing to Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. We found a pet friendly hotel and Olivia did just fine with the new surroundings and traveled well. Although not surprising since she is a seasoned traveler all the way from Texas.

Olivia is learning to pull us on skis with a skijoring harness. All works well until there is any interesting smell along the trail. Stop and sniff... Stop and sniff.... Not bad until we get up to top speeds and it's: STOP and sniff... And I screech to a halt or face plant.

The picture of Steve and Olivia is hiking up Bald Mountain - it had warmed up to a balmy 20 degrees. The final one - "Sublime" is my favorite. It's the calm look on her face after several days of hard work on the winter trails.

Angela

12 March 2007



We picked her up from Norm around 9:30 this morning. The rain had stopped - there was just a little fog on the bay. She got out of the Van and saw two dogs being walked across the street and woo wooed to them. I read her medical reports, what a roller coaster you all went through with her. Steve and I took her for a walk through the park, wet grass with the Atlantic below. She was ready to GO. But she did very well with the no pull command. We walked for a little over a mile in the park. She did not like the construction near the ferry terminal and she was not happy on the boat. But - she did very well.

Once we got home, we let her off leash so she could explore the yard. She checked out the fence very carefully. She played with Steve, we fed her a little and then took her for walk through the middle of the island. (about 2 miles). She wanted to play with the kids in the ball park, but she ignored the two loose miniature horses that often hang out there. We then walked by the barn and met a friend who thought she was very pretty, which she is. We continued onto another friend's house near the backshore and she met their grandchildren. She clearly likes kids. On the way back through the woods we stopped and let four horses with riders go by. She was not happy about the size of these things. They are bigger than mals and danes!

When we got back to the house - she took quickly to the couch. Shortly after the photo on the left was taken, she closed her eyes and fell asleep for two whole hours. I walked in and out of the house several times and she didn't stir. She had a big day, after a long, long car ride.

She's settled in for the night. We haven't taken her to the beach yet. More fun for tomorrow.

Angela and Steve

14 August 2006