Thirteen Weeks and Going Strong

Today marks our first month with the girls. It's been alot of work but very rewarding at the same time. Abbie and Ziva are a joy to be around and are quick learners. Walks continue to be a challenge at times due to the girls preoccupation with their new surroundings. We found that a huge incentive for the come command is BB size pieces of balled up cheese. The girls are very responsive to us when we offer this special reward. House training is going very well. The girls are alerting us to the patio door when they want out. They are looking less and less like puppies and are growing rapidly. At first we were easily able to tell them apart but Ziva has been growing and now from a distance we sometimes get confused. Both have their own quirks as Ziva usually barks at her water dish before taking a drink and Abbie barks then turns her food dish over before eating. We usually monitor during mealtime as Abbie continues to try and dominate the food supply. We've been socializing the girls as much as possible and they are doing well with the neighborhood dogs. A few favorites of the babies at thirteen weeks.

The Visit

It's been three weeks since we've had the girls. They are just over three months old now. They have experienced their first two vet visits. Abbie was not bothered at all with her shots but Ziva cried like a baby. The girls are sleeping better at night and house training is getting better. Walks have also become more enjoyable and we have introduced the girls to many dogs in our neighborhood. We had a surprise visit last weekend from Brenda's sister Francine and her puppy Molly. Molly is a sister from the same litter. The girls went wild in the yard for over an hour. Everyone slept well that night.

The Girls First Week

Our first week with the girls was an enjoyable one. Abbie and Ziva were not shy about making the backyard their own. They carefully expanded their search of the yard and wooded areas and seemed to find all the places which they were not supposed to be. They learned their names along with some basic commands. The come and stay command will definitely take some work. Their first walk was not too enjoyable for them or us as they hated their collars and leashes. They continue to try to dominate one another for top dog but are very lovable with us and at the end of the day they still manage to cuddle with one another. Life is good!

Baby Boxers

Please meet the newest additions to our family. Abbie(front) and Ziva(rear), two 9 weeks old female boxer puppies joined our family on 7/11/09. Following a long search we discovered these babies in Newbury Vt. We were very fortunate to find such a loving and caring breeder. We are very pleased with the girls and look forward to a long and rewarding friendship.

Milton Pond

A visit to the Milton Pond in May provided an opportunity to soak up some sun, shoot some pics and exercise on a long hike on trails running along the water and the surrounding mountain. Following a short hike to the pond we were impressed at the beauty and serenity of the area. Living only about 15 minutes from this pond I never knew it existed. We planned on a short visit but ended up spending several hours on a nature hike. Everyone found a reason to turn the cameras on. We spotted moose tracks and fresh droppings on one trail indicating it is currently being used. Some found meditation very relaxing while others just soaked in the sights. A beautiful place which I'm sure we'll return to in the future.

Exploring Vermont

I looked at my blog today and realized it's been over 6 months since I last posted. I guess it's time to dust off the D40 and start again. With Katie off from school last week we decided to go exploring a few spots in our area that we haven't been to before. Katie picked up a trail that we had not been on before and it led us to an old beaver dam. The beaver dam turned out to be a bridge for us to get over to a series of atv trails and walking paths. We will have fun over the summer continuing this exploration and seeing where the roads lead us. Hope you enjoy the pics.

The Beauty of Fall

Since it's been awhile since I posted to the blog I decided to group a series of foliage pics together and include in one posting. Most of these photos were shot on a recent day trip with my friend Ray though Georgia and Milton including shots of lake arrowhead and lake champlain. The first five were taken on a hike with Katie to a trail in Georgia that she recently learned of on a school day hike with her class. We truly enjoyed being able to get out and capture probably the most beautiful season in Vermont. I hope you enjoy viewing these as much as I enjoyed capturing them through the viewfinder.