Over the last couple of weeks, the Mitten has really been showing off her Fall finest. I first noticed the show as I traveled for work nearly two weeks ago and, once I saw the beauty, I just couldn't get enough. While I know Fall last 3 months, what we all love about Fall, the warm sunny days and all of the beautiful colors, is really fleeting. So when the colors arrive, I think it's important to get out and fully experience Fall to its fullest. And for the last 10 days, that's what we've been doing.
Fall has always been a favorite time of year for the girls. The scents of Fall and all of the critters out preparing themselves for Winter are both pretty exciting for them. Plus this change in seasons really has seemed to help Maddie. As she has gotten older, she has really become less and less tolerant of heat and humidity, so these cooler days have given her a little extra pep in her step. It doesn't matter if we're close to home in Lansing, or out in the woods, the girls love it all.
We have also been busy enjoying the Halloween season. There are so many fun things to do for Halloween and the girls really enjoy the activities too. The Friday before Halloween is always celebrated with the Howl-o-ween doggie trick or treat event in Lansing's Old Town. We have been attending this annual event every year since it started and it is always a hit. As soon as I get out the costumes, my house erupts in excitement and this year was no different. I had the girls dressed and in the Jeep heading toward Old Town in no time because I wanted to get there early, before the crowds. An event crowded with dogs is not ideal for Peaches, but I didn't want her to miss out on the fun. We arrived just as trick-or-treating started and headed off to see how many of the 28 locations we could visit.
I had determined that if Peaches wasn't handling the crowds well, I would put her back in the Jeep and allow Maddie to finish on her own, but Peaches did surprisingly well. The day was not without challenges, but it was good to practice some good behavior skills with her and she was so excited about all of the people and treats that she ignored the other dogs for most of the time. As we finished the trick-or-treat route, I noticed that the crowds of people and dogs and grown...and I had never seen so many people out for this event...so I needed to find another route back to my Jeep. So off for a little trek down the Riverwalk we went.
We met a newly wed couple out for some pictures and enjoyed a nice walk along the river and finished at the Turner Dodge House where we stopped to get a couple of pictures. Peaches was just happy to be out enjoying the day!
After a nice walk, we headed back to the Jeep for a quick stop at Preuss' pet store. This is a hub of activity for Howl-o-ween and not a good place to stop with Peaches, but I wanted to give Maddie a little one on one time so she could enjoy greeting other dogs and getting a little extra love. This was our first Howl-o-ween without Imke and some mom and Maddie time was important to help me through it. It was such a great time and I was so proud of both of the girls for doing so well.
Ever since getting back from Hawaii, all I have wanted to do was head North for a Fall color tour. While I knew it was unlikely to happen, I kept trying to figure out a way I could make it happen. Then I remembered something I had seen for a Fall color tour that I could do right here in mid-Michigan, and as a bonus, most of the tour followed the general direction of the North Country Trail.
So last Saturday morning, despite the possibility of rain, we headed out to see what we could see. After a nice drive down M99 through Eaton Rapids and Springport, we arrived at stop number one-Albion. It was comfortable and dry as we started our hike down a new section of the trail there. With the threat of rain, there weren't any other hikers out, so I did something I rarely do and gave both of the girls some off-leash time. Peaches was leaping and bounding up and down, through the grass and into the cornfield. She was having the time of her life. Meanwhile, Maddie plodded along at her own pace. a few feet behind me, but enjoying her time out on a nice Fall day. We made it to the cemetery in Albion, did a little geocaching, and then headed back to the Jeep. By the time we got back to the Jeep, we had completed 2.9 miles- a great distance for Maddie.
We then loaded up in the Jeep to head West to Marshall and enjoyed the colors along the way. The colors along the country roads were outstanding and I was enjoying the tour thoroughly.
As we hiked along the Marshall Riverwalk, we enjoyed some Fall colors as well as some spooky Halloween displays which had been set up along the trail.
As we neared the end of our hike here, it began to sprinkle. Luckily the trail here is pretty well covered in a canopy of trees, so we didn't get very wet. After 1.7 miles on the trail in Marshall, it was time to get back in the Jeep and continue our journey.
By the time we reached Kimball Pines in Battle Creek, there was a pretty steady rain coming down, but we weren't going to let that deter us from getting just a little more time on the trail. So off we went. We didn't go far and ended up finishing only a mile here, but at the end of the day , we had knocked out 5.6 miles. Overall it was a very successful day!
As we were leaving Kimball Pines, I notice a Biggby across the street and decided I had earned a hot chocolate and planned to get the girls a puppacino. Boy were they in luck because this Biggby location was dog-friendly, so they got to come inside to enjoy their treat. I think the employees were just as excited as Peaches that the girls came for a visit!
Fall has always been a favorite time of year for the girls. The scents of Fall and all of the critters out preparing themselves for Winter are both pretty exciting for them. Plus this change in seasons really has seemed to help Maddie. As she has gotten older, she has really become less and less tolerant of heat and humidity, so these cooler days have given her a little extra pep in her step. It doesn't matter if we're close to home in Lansing, or out in the woods, the girls love it all.
In addition to getting out on daily walks to enjoy the weather, we also got out for some time with my family to watch my nephew, Mason, play football. While the Indians didn't win, it was nice to get out for a little football on a nice Fall evening.
I had determined that if Peaches wasn't handling the crowds well, I would put her back in the Jeep and allow Maddie to finish on her own, but Peaches did surprisingly well. The day was not without challenges, but it was good to practice some good behavior skills with her and she was so excited about all of the people and treats that she ignored the other dogs for most of the time. As we finished the trick-or-treat route, I noticed that the crowds of people and dogs and grown...and I had never seen so many people out for this event...so I needed to find another route back to my Jeep. So off for a little trek down the Riverwalk we went.
We met a newly wed couple out for some pictures and enjoyed a nice walk along the river and finished at the Turner Dodge House where we stopped to get a couple of pictures. Peaches was just happy to be out enjoying the day!
Ever since getting back from Hawaii, all I have wanted to do was head North for a Fall color tour. While I knew it was unlikely to happen, I kept trying to figure out a way I could make it happen. Then I remembered something I had seen for a Fall color tour that I could do right here in mid-Michigan, and as a bonus, most of the tour followed the general direction of the North Country Trail.
So last Saturday morning, despite the possibility of rain, we headed out to see what we could see. After a nice drive down M99 through Eaton Rapids and Springport, we arrived at stop number one-Albion. It was comfortable and dry as we started our hike down a new section of the trail there. With the threat of rain, there weren't any other hikers out, so I did something I rarely do and gave both of the girls some off-leash time. Peaches was leaping and bounding up and down, through the grass and into the cornfield. She was having the time of her life. Meanwhile, Maddie plodded along at her own pace. a few feet behind me, but enjoying her time out on a nice Fall day. We made it to the cemetery in Albion, did a little geocaching, and then headed back to the Jeep. By the time we got back to the Jeep, we had completed 2.9 miles- a great distance for Maddie.
We then loaded up in the Jeep to head West to Marshall and enjoyed the colors along the way. The colors along the country roads were outstanding and I was enjoying the tour thoroughly.
As we hiked along the Marshall Riverwalk, we enjoyed some Fall colors as well as some spooky Halloween displays which had been set up along the trail.
As we neared the end of our hike here, it began to sprinkle. Luckily the trail here is pretty well covered in a canopy of trees, so we didn't get very wet. After 1.7 miles on the trail in Marshall, it was time to get back in the Jeep and continue our journey.
By the time we reached Kimball Pines in Battle Creek, there was a pretty steady rain coming down, but we weren't going to let that deter us from getting just a little more time on the trail. So off we went. We didn't go far and ended up finishing only a mile here, but at the end of the day , we had knocked out 5.6 miles. Overall it was a very successful day!
We took the scenic route home from Battle Creek and enjoyed the beautiful color along the way. What a great day we had together!
I have more great adventures to share, but not enough time to share them all tonight, so we'll say good night for now, but watch for Part 2 in the next couple of days.
I have more great adventures to share, but not enough time to share them all tonight, so we'll say good night for now, but watch for Part 2 in the next couple of days.
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