Sorry its been so long since I've last posted, I have recently gotten a full time job at Bay Area Family K9 Training (which has been amazing!) but it hasn't left much time for extras. Plus, I'm heading out to Australia November 1st and I'll be out there for a month. So mixing working, packing, getting a room ready for a renter, and being sick for a few days... I haven't had much time to update my blog :( But here are some random things worth mentioning...

This is Cheryl and I adore her. I've known her for a very long time and admire her so much. I also loved the photos from this short shoot at the beach because she is absolutely stunning. 

These are my sisters. I love this photo of them.

Ender bender, this photo soothes me. I'm going to miss him while I'm gone. One whole month without my pooch.

And I just found this gem from January. Pretty accurate description of how I felt at the time.

I just found this photo from September of last year! This was back before I officially adopted Ender, we were still calling him "Brown Dog" and were testing the waters for 2 weeks. He is wearing his lime green collar from the shelter but he and Riley bonded the moment they met.

I hope your month has been great! Tell me about it! What is your favorite thing about Autumn? 

A couple weeks ago my friend Clay and I went on a quick road-trip up to Seattle! It was short and sweet and we watched The Cave Singers in the most intimate setting, it was unreal. This was also Ender and my first road trip together. We've gone on 2-4 hour rides before but a 13 hour trek up the west coast was a big deal for us. Ender had a blast and I'm glad I did the tiniest bit of research before we went.

I made sure to pack the pup essentials as well as few things for myself. Ender's "Must Haves" include:

6 a.m. on Friday and Clay, Ender, & I hopped in the car to Seattle. After 12 1/2 hours on the road, 5 rest stops, and 1 stop for Coffees and Cheetos we arrived at our Air BnB exhausted and ready for a good sleep.

The next morning we decided to spend our day doing the things we love, drinking coffee and hiking. I started to research some dog friendly spots in Seattle and I was pleased to find out that Seattle is the most dog-friendly place I've ever been! There are coffee shops that let the dogs inside, bars with dog menus, restaurants that don't think twice about the little pibble mix resting under my feet, I couldn't have been happier. We went to The Station for some coffee and a couple hours of computer work then headed to Discovery Bay Park for the afternoon. It was a gorgeous day, so much sun for Seattle. After our day hike/walk we went for some beers at Kings Hardware and Ender was greeted with lots of love and hugs. Then after a beer and some grub we went and watched The Cave Singers! It was a great show and totally worth the drive up to see them. I'm so thankful I was able to go and watch them perform.

A long day meant another good sleep for the drive back the next day. We decided to leave a bit later so we could get a bit more rest in. A cold brew and yummy snacks saved us on the way back, neither Clay or I got tired. Ender rested peacefully in the back. It was a perfect trip and I'm so excited to start doing more road trips with my pup. The only thing holding us back now is my car. I need to get a smaller car, my Ford Explorer is just too big for just my dog and I. I'm reluctant to sell it though because it seems to come in handy on many occasions. What cars do you guys road trip in? What are your favorite things to do on the road with your pup? 

Thanks for taking a look! We appreciate the love!

All our love,

Hannah&Ender

This post is long overdue. I'm sorry for the weeks of no updates, I went from Mexico to work and then onto this trip. Then housesitting and more work, I just haven't had the time to jot down another story. But a few weekends I went out to a friends cabin with a couple of pals and our dogs. After a long week of work and feeling a bit sick I wasn't sure if I was ready for a weekend away with multiple humans in Arnold but when Friday morning rolled around I remembered I had promised we could use my car so I couldn't bail. I slunk out of bed, grabbed a few necessities and headed to the first activity of the day. Strawberry Picking! My good friend, Erin, turned 22 and goes berry picking on her birthday ever year. This year Ender and I were invited and we had a blast! The cutest/juiciest little morsels were eaten that day.

An afternoon of packing and napping was followed by a 2 hour drive out to Arnold with Humans; Kristina, Amanda, and Erin and Dogs; Bogie, Pippin, and Ender. I couldn't have been happier with how well all the pups got along, especially since Bogie hadn't met Ender or Pip before. Everything went unbelievably smooth. 

We arrived late Friday night, Kristina turned the water on and we all settled into the cabin. I had decided to not bring my camera this weekend for various reasons but the biggest being that I tend to focus only on my photos and forget to enjoy the moment as is. I needed the weekend to be lived completely, enjoying the company, the trees, and spending quality time with my pup. Of course when I was hiking and jumping from rock to rock in the Stanislaus River I wished I had brought it along. All of these photos are random iPhone photos from Kristina and I so I apologize for the low quality.

Driving down the 4, Sylvan Esso singing me into oblivion,  I couldn't help but get lost in my thoughts. The giant trees zooming by, making thoughts percolate: how old they were? How many people had seen them and brushed passed them? How many actually appreciate their wisdom? Every tree that crossed my path was another question in my head, I was falling deeper and deeper into the black hole of my mind, until a sharp turn shook me out of it. "I should probably focus on the road." I thought to myself driving an SUV filled with other people and our pups. This is why you don't let day-dreamers drive.

The weekend finished with a walk around Murphy's, a small town just 15 minutes from Arnold. We tasted several wines and finished a flight of beer. I, then, tried the most delicious dark chocolate shortbread cookies I had ever tasted, I had to buy two boxes of it. It was the only logical thing to do. After seeing how dog-friendly the town was I was a tad upset I hadn't brought Ender along with us but now I'll know for next time. If you've got a dog, go to Murphys.

 I couldn't have asked for a more relaxed weekend. I'm very pleased I decided to go even though I wasn't feeling 100%. Sometimes you've just got to push yourself. I've also never felt closer with Ender. Our training is really paying off and the bond between us grows stronger each and every day. Have you seen the movie "Tracks"? Its based on the true story of a girl who crossed the Australian desert on foot, from Adelaide to the Indian Ocean, with just her camels and her dog. If you haven't seen it you must watch it. (Its on Netflix so no excuses. Unless you don't have one which is a valid excuse.) Never have I connected with a character more in my life, I feel like I could be her. Plus, every time I watch it I'm inspired to head off on a journey with my pup, which pushes me to start planning trips with him. Check it out this weekend, its definitely worth it. Hope you all have a lovely week! Thanks for checkin' in! 

All our love, 

Hannah & Ender