October 16th

No doggie activity this week. I have been working - TO MUCH! This nice profile shot of Rissa was taken by friends who come to play with the girls when I have long days at work. I had to cancel READing at Tremont today as I had been at work for 22 hours.

October 9th

Timber resumed her 1:1 kid reading today at Tremont. We had 3 repeats from last year and 3 new kids reading to her this session. She is so mellow there - very different than when at home... Guess she knows her "job"!!

October 5th

Dog scout walk and meeting. Dogs lined up from biggest (Great Pyr) to smallest (Chi chi) ! 14 dogs and their owners did a walk from Parkman Mt to Brown Mt - then gathered at the Somesville Firehouse for a meeting, lunch and dog games. This was the first anniversary of the organization of Troop #159.

October 4th

Today the dogs and I participated in the Alzheimer's walkathon in Bar Harbor. We walked with Lydia(in picture with the girls) and Ellen(Lydia's mom and fellow co-worker and Gestation walk a thon team member) and friends... We walked for Ellen on "Team Richardson" - at the end they had a raffle drawing - I won a quilted lighthouse wall hanging - plus I got a tee shirt - I was trying to have Rissa display it in the picture! A nice day for a stroll and I'm sure they made quite a bit of $ for the cause. We saw several of the employees at BBV - where we do pet therapy visits at "Safe Harbor", the memory unit.

October 3rd

Rissa always feels right at home on our hospital visits. She lays out in front of the nursing station requesting belly rubs. Amy is obliging her this time. We saw most of the patients and numerous staff today. At the end of her visits - Cheryl always gives her a dog cookie. Rissa knows exactly where that box of Milkbones are! Timber made the visits at the retirement village after the hospital. Interesting today - one of the women in "Safe Harbor" never wants a visit from the dog and always watches and keeps her distance - today she was totally mesmerized with Timber and even touched her. Timber usually makes quite an impression wherever we go- don't know if it her looks or her soft teddy bear like coat... but folks naturally are attracted to her.

October 2nd

Today we started back at Tremont school for READ. Took both dogs for PR and reintroducing the program. First time Kindergartners met the dogs. The doggie bag program will start again. Rissa obliged all with kisses.

October 1st

Went on a fall hike today - climbed Flying Mountain - and then the girls got to swim in beautiful Somes Sound. We were in Valley Cove and you can see down the sound behind them. The colors were nice - overcast day didn't show the vibrance of the leaves here at peak. Rissa turned 10 this week - no signs of her slowing down yet! Got 60 minutes in on my fall walkathon I am participating in through the dog scouts. 6 weeks - walk an average of 30 minutes a day. I am on a team with some girlz at work - team name= "The Gestations"