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Time to Travel – Photo Journal

December 8, 2012

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  Summer 2001 :  Cross-Country Road Trip to California

moab 01

Moab, Utah

           

Grand Canyon, AZ

Mammoth Lakes, CA

Humboldt Redwoods State Park, CA

Land’s End Park
San Francisco, CA

Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco, CA

Summer 2002

California

Boating on Lake Tahoe

Hike to Lake Aloha

Lake Aloha, CA

Mammoth Mt., CA

Cave Exploration
Pinnacles National Monument, CA

Santa Monica, CA

                                                                                                                         

Summer 2003  Upstate NY & New England

Lake Placid, NY

Seaplane Moose Tour
Moosehead Lake, Maine

Water taxi to Mt. Kineo
Moosehead Lake, Maine

Rock Climbing at Otter Cliffs
Acadia National Park, Maine

Summer 2004

California

                                                                                                                

Malibu, CA

Coronado Island
San Diego, CA

Joshua Tree National Park, CA

Sequoia National Park, CA

Yosemite National Park, CA

Mammoth Mt., CA

Emerald Bay
Lake Tahoe, CA

Lake Tahoe, CA

Lake Shasta, CA

Window Shopping
Carmel, CA

Mt. Mitchell, N.C.

Time to Travel

November 7, 2012

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Lake Tahoe Wedding
July 2, 2001

Our adventures with Twinkie expanded in 2001 when we took a road trip across the United States to California, the destination we had chosen for our wedding.  We spent five weeks biking, hiking, and camping throughout the Golden State and experienced the best vacation ever.

California was like a magnet, drawing us back again the following summer.   For this trip we flew, wanting to spend every possible moment of our five week trip on the west coast.  Revisiting favorite places that we had discovered the previous summer, we could not believe that we were back in California!

Airplane to San Francisco
June 2002

Over the next few years we traveled all over the country, vacationing in New England, Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, and our favorite state, California.  Twinkie was always a perfect traveler, enjoying the adventures that came with each new location.  She was very excited when we incorporated boating and fishing expeditions into our trips.

Lake Tahoe, CA
Summer 2001

Lake Tahoe, CA
Summer 2001

Castaic Lake, CA
Summer 2002

Castaic Lake, CA
Summer 2004

Our trips with Twinkie created wonderful memories that will live in my heart forever.  Twinkie running on a beach in Northern California, soaking up the sun at Dog Beach in San Diego, going nose to nose with a bear in Lake Placid, NY (ok, the bear was stuffed),  having an Easter egg hunt on a beach in the Florida Keys,  are just a few of many experiences that I will always cherish.

One of my favorite vacation memories does not involve a specific location, but driving to  new destinations during the predawn hours. I would be at the wheel, with Twinkie on Bob’s lap in the passenger seat.  During those quiet hours on dark, open highways they would sleep while I drove on and the sun slowly rose into the sky.  Thinking back to those times always brings me a sense of peace and happiness.

Adventurous Life

October 11, 2012

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Boulder Field
Hickory Run State Park, PA

If Twinkie had a middle name it would have been Adventure.  She loved the outdoors and was an active participant in all of our camping, hiking, biking, boating and fishing trips.  Twinkie would brim with excitement as she observed us preparing for any of these activities.

High Point State Park, NJ

Boating
Mullica River, NJ

If I had to name a favorite, fresh water fishing was probably at the top of Twinkie’s list.  Driving to the lake with our boat in tow, Twinkie seemed to know exactly where we were going.  As we arrived at the lake and unloaded the boat, she could barely contain herself.   Out on the lake everyone in a one mile radius would know each time a fish was caught because Twinkie’s shrieks would fill the air!

Fishing for sport, we never kept any fish, instead releasing them back into the water.  On several occasions, Twinkie dove into the water after we released a fish, desperately trying to capture it!  She never did get one, but came very close.  Bob and I often joked that Twinkie must have wondered how a tiny minnow on the end of our rod magically turned into a much larger fish.

Bass fishing
Stockton College, NJ

A Dog Named Twinkie

October 2, 2012

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What name should we give our new puppy?  Bob and I batted around various names (including Killer, so glad we vetoed that one!)for about a week before making a decision.  Finally, we settled on Twinkie, basing the name on our puppy’s size, color, and cuteness.  Weighing less than three pounds, our puppy was tiny and would remain small since Min Pins belong to the toy group of dogs.  Although her fur coat was officially stag red, it was actually a golden color and resembled a Twinkie, the Hostess snack cake.  Twinkie was the perfect name for our perfect puppy!

Spring 1993

My new puppy wasted no time in stealing my heart.  Twinkie’s joyful nature was unstoppable as she pranced around our tiny apartment.  Held captive by her silly antics,  I would smile, scoop Twinkie up in my arms, and hold her close.  I had fallen in love with my puppy!

Bob and I took Twinkie almost everywhere we went.  We quickly learned that Min Pins are extremely portable and able to go places that prohibit larger dogs.  Some of the places that I am referring to, such as a grocery store, do not allow any dogs, but small dogs are easily overlooked.

Squirrel Stalker

Twinkie loved going to the park especially in the warm weather when she could lie in the grass soaking up the sun.  Her other favorite park activity was chasing squirrels.  Bob and I would watch knowing that she couldn’t catch any because they were too fast.  Twinkie proved us wrong one day when she caught up to a squirrel and grabbed it as we looked on in astonishment!  The squirrel made a squeaking sound and Twinkie dropped it, appearing to be just as stunned as the squirrel.  Although Twinkie had many more close encounters with squirrels, she never caught another one (as far as I know!)

Tip Seaman Park
Summer 1993

Tip Seaman Park
Summer 1993

Perfect Puppy

September 23, 2012

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Growing up I was not much of an animal person.  As a kid I never had any pets because my parents were allergic, or so they claimed.  Visiting friends’ houses I found their dogs to be smelly, noisy, and downright annoying.  Jumped on, drooled upon, and once even bitten, I was no fan of dogs.  Never would I have imagined that as an adult I would share extraordinary bonds with four very special dogs.

My husband had dogs as a child and began bringing up the idea of getting one shortly after we moved into our first place together.  Whenever the subject came up I listened, but did not say much because I was not crazy about the concept of getting a dog.

In March, 1993 Bob and I were at a shopping mall and he wanted to visit the pet shop (Before you express outrage, remember this was almost twenty years ago before most people had heard of puppy mills).   There were so many cute puppies frolicking in their cages, but Bob knew which one he wanted to see, a Miniature Pinscher.

There was a red female Min Pin on display and we were permitted to take her into one of the small playrooms.  The puppy was playful and energetic, and took great delight in providing us with an entertaining show.  I had to admit that she was a sweet, adorable puppy.

Bob did not ask me about buying the puppy while we were in the store, but on the drive home he said that she would be the perfect dog because she would remain small and being short-haired, would not shed.  He did not talk about the puppy anymore that day and I figured that he was giving me some time to warm up to the idea.

The next day I had a late afternoon college class and returned home around 7.  As I walked in our front door, a tiny fawn like creature ran across the room.  At first, it didn’t click.  I was confused.  What had I just seen? Bob was in the room on the telephone and quickly ended his call.  I walked further into the room and realized that the puppy from the pet shop was standing in our living room.  The pieces fell into place.  We have a puppy!

Our new puppy!

Meet My Crew

September 11, 2012

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King of the Toys with fearless animation and spirited presence is how the American Kennel Club describes the Miniature Pinscher.  The Miniature Pinscher Club of America calls this breed “dynamite in a small package”.  If that is the case, my house could explode at any moment!  Life with Min Pins is both entertaining and exhausting. Min Pins will keep you on your toes and have you laughing at their crazy antics.  While my Min Pins share common breed traits, each of them has their own unique personality.

Aspen

Aspen is my stag red Miniature Pinscher and the most hyperactive of the three.  She is also the loudest, barking at her sisters, the neighbor’s dogs, birds, squirrels, and anything else that grabs her attention.  Aspen is my bravest Min Pin, truly fearless, attempting courageous acts that have her sisters standing on the sidelines watching with wonder.  Extremely affectionate, Aspen loves to snuggle.  She tends to be a loner and independent, marching to her own beat.  Aspen makes me laugh and I cherish my time with her.

Malibu

Highly suspicious of strangers and slow to warm up to people, Malibu is my cautious canine.  She is clever and gets into the most mischief.  One of Malibu’s favorite activities is digging up rocks in the backyard.  These “treasures” are then brought into the house by Malibu via the doggie door. Malibu is also our resident shredder.  Please don’t have the misfortune of dropping a scrap of paper or any small item on the floor.  Malibu will grab it and run in the other direction before you can even blink!  Malibu is my buddy and we share a very special bond.

Quest

Quest is my tiniest Min Pin, weighing just 6 lbs., but don’t let her diminutive stature fool you.  A wolf in sheep’s clothing, Quest does not let her larger sisters push her around and will challenge dogs ten times her size.  Quest loves playing with toys that squeak.  After receiving a new squeaky toy Quest will drag it into her den (crate) and usually  “kills” it within minutes.  Quest’s chief goal in life is to please me as she continuously seeks reassurance and my approval.  I adore Quest and spending quiet moments with her fills my heart with complete joy.

My Min Pins may be small, but they are mighty! With larger than life personalities, my girls have turned my world upside down, but I could not imagine life without them.

Min Pins Rule My World

September 2, 2012

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Min Pins:  You Can’t Just Have One,  an article I once read, encourages readers to take on an entire crew of this hyperactive, clever and impossibly cute toy dog breed. Four years ago, I did just that and my life has not been the same since flying to Oklahoma to pick up my own Min Pin crew, a litter of three females.

You may be wondering what was going through my mind when I decided to acquire a three pack of this extremely rambunctious breed.  I have many moments when I ask myself the very same question.  I mean, really, who does that? The very idea of bringing home and raising three puppies seems like a crazy idea. Those of you who have raised one Min Pin puppy and lived to tell the tale are probably shaking your head in disbelief right now.

Are you admiring my bravery, questioning my sanity, or still in shock at the concept of three Min Pin puppies under one roof?  Over the past four and a half years I have laughed, cried, and celebrated life with my Min Pins.  We have come far, but still have a long journey ahead of us.

I hope you enjoy our story as I share the triumphs, trials and tribulations that I have experienced with my girls.

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