Week of August 31 - September 6 - Welcome fall you came too soon!

Animal Adventures

Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Service
Come on an urban adventure with us today!

Visit our website for more details about Animal Adventures and the services that we offer http://www.animaladventures.ca/

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Monday 31^st

It's Monday and we're back into the swing of things.

We only had 3 walks today so it was much quieter then last week. It was a beautiful day, not too hot... not too cool it was JUST right.

We started off with our last good morning visit to Pepper's house. Henry said she was loving him up and so happy to see him. He is going to miss seeing her happy face each morning.

The first walk included Riley, Jaida and Casey. We headed down to the Don Valley Brick Works to enjoy the sunshine. Jaida had a great time trying to catch bugs while Casey jumped into the bushes. Riley was happy to tag along and watch the girls play.

The off leash park was hopping with dogs and dog walkers. It was fun to watch Jaida flirt with all the big dogs, there was a particular poodle that liked my group and spent most of his time hanging out with us. The three of them mingled and disappeared into other packs coming back to see me with big smiles on their faces.

Next we picked up Belle and headed down to meet Pepper for our last walk. Again it was a perfect day, we went back down into the ravine and walked around the trail then splashed around in the creek. We're going to miss spending time with her she is a great doggie! Even Belle was acting like puppy like when she interacted with her, it was really sweet. The two of them got along really well, I was SOOO glad it's nice to be able to double up the visits.

Finally, Casey and I went over to visit our new best friend Diva. It took a couple minutes to wake her up -- poor puppy was sleeping like a log. We headed out and started around the block. It was a great stroll, I had to keep Casey from getting too bouncy and knocking her over! As we were strolling along I noticed we were going in a familiar direction... we headed right around the block to Pet Cuisine. We stopped in and chatted with the girls and Jackson the HUGE Great Dane. I finally got her out of the store and we worked our way back home.

It was a great day and it looks like the weather is going to be in our favour for the whole week... even if it's turned into Fall weather already! Can't wait for tomorrow. Talk to you later.

Tuesday 1^st

Today was soooo relaxing! We only had 1 walk so I could take the afternoon and get some rest as we've been really busy the last couple weeks.

Today's walk included Riley and Sake (one of the kids) and of course Casey. We stopped in to pick up Sake and had a quick cuddle session with Sushi and Biggie before heading out. Missy had her pretty spring dress on again and she looked super cute.

We ended up going to Sunnybrook for our outing today. Sake has not been there yet so I figured it would be a good day to go. Henry dropped us off at the Toronto Rehab hospital and we walked down the hill to the park. Before going in we ventured down the trail to the river for a quick swim! Riley jumped right in and swam around while Casey and Sake looked on.

We worked our way to a more flat section of the river where we could all get down on the river bank and Sake and Casey could get in. Casey waded around with Riley while Sake was much more hesitant. Finally I got him to go in because we were walking our way through the water back to the park... so he really didn't have a choice ;-) He did OK though, jumping around and following Casey and Riley along.

Once we got out of the water Riley and Sake started to play so I knew it was time to get to the off leash area because the two of them needed to work off some energy. They are very similar in energy and temperment so they are a good play match. As soon as we got in the park the three of them were running and wrestling and visiting with all the other dogs in the park.

It was packed today there were so many dog walkers the cars were parked up the driveway, Sake was saying hello to all the walkers he was really cute. It was great, lots of dogs to talk to and chase but not good for fetch... kept losing our ball and knot so we had to put them away.

We had a great time and I think Sake liked being out without the herd. I'm heading to the dog park so I'll talk to everyone tomorrow.

Wednesday 2^nd

Today was another great day; we had 4 walks of varying types.

We started out with our group walk which only included Riley and Casey today. We decided to head downtown to a park that we used to frequent at Bloor and Grace called Bickford Park or as we call it Harbord Park (because it backs onto Harbord Street)

It’s a nice wide open park which is great for running and playing fetch, it also has a steady stream of dog walkers that stop in throughout the day. When we got to the park there were only a few dog, notably a 5 month old Rottweiler and a 5 month old beagle. Well Riley started playing with the beagle as soon as we got there, they spent a good amount of time chasing each other around the lawn.

Once I brought out the ball the Rotti got involved and it was quite a game of fetch. The Rotti and the Beagle know each other and it was so funny to watch them play. Riley wasn’t sure about playing with the Rottweiler, he was a bit too big for him.

It was a beautiful day to be hanging out in the park, throw in a nice big tree and it was a perfect afternoon. Once we packed up we worked our way over to pick up Belle before dropping off Riley.

We decided to take Belle on a different adventure for us, we took her to Sunnybrook to try out her off leash legs. Henry dropped us off at the Toronto Rehab Hospital and we worked our way down the hill. We started out walking down the path alongside the river, It was a nice walk we poked around and worked our way back to the off leash park.

I have never taken Belle to an off leash park yet so this was going to be a good test. She passed with flying colours. She ran around the park, visiting with the other dogs and even tried to get a dog to play with her by head butting him in the bum it was so cute.

Once she had her fill of running we packed up and headed home.

Next I met up with my old friend Diva for a nice afternoon stroll. We stopped in the park and visited with Silver for a bit before walking home with Snoopy and his mom.

Lastly today we had our “business” trip with the kids. When we got there I unpacked the stroller and we made our way into the condo. Once we got the kids loaded up we started out. Missy, Biggie and Sushi rode in the stroller while Casey and Sake ran along bouncing around.

Biggie had never been in the stroller before and he LOVED IT! He had a huge smile on his face and just sat back and enjoyed the ride. Once we got to the church lawn we unloaded the pack and got down to business.

When we were working our way back home we had quite an audience loving the cute kids in the stroller it was really funny. I’m so glad I got the stroller, it comes in so handy when we’ve got the entire herd together.

Today was fun and tomorrow is going to be another great day.

Thursday 3^rd

Today was a great day with Animal Adventures! It was a beautiful sun shinny day, there were no clouds in sight! Perfect day to not be in an office ;-)

We only had 2 walks today the group walk consisted of Casey, Riley, Jaida, Sushi, Sake, Missy and Biggie. Thanks to the “stroller” we got the kids downstairs with very little trouble, everyone mingled and said hello then we went to the Winston Churchill off leash park at St. Clair and Spadina.

I grabbed my umbrella and picked a spot to hang out in the middle of the park where they kids could check in while they were running around.

As soon as we got to the park, Jaida was off to say her Hello’s to the other packs of dogs, she is a social butterfly.

Riley and Sake were great playmates today, they were doing circles around the park and Jaida would join in as they swooped past. The three of them were like a train, they spent a lot of time following each other around and RUNNING. I’m sure they will all sleep really well tonight ;-)

Sushi spent some time hanging out with me and also running across the park to sit with Henry on the bench. When she runs she seems to float over the grass it’s so super cute. Casey for some reason was really playful with her she kept jumping on her and chasing her around.

Missy poked around watching tennis and strolling back and forth across the park, she was a bundle of energy today.

Then there’s Mr Big. He was awesome! He sat with me most of the time but when we moved around he waddled along behind me. He talked to a bunch of dogs and also some of the other dog walkers. We spent a lot of time cuddling under the umbrella. He did his fair share of exploring, he would wander off every so often and check out the park then coming running back for some more loving.

We had a lot of laughs watching them play and roll around.

Again, I LOVE the stroller It was so nice to pack Missy, Biggie and Sushi in for the ride back to the car they were all so pooped it would have taken forever to get to the car ;-)

Once we dropped off the kids and Riley, Jaida came to our place to hang out for the afternoon. She played with every single squeaky toy in the apartment.

I had to leave to stroll around the block with the lovely Diva. It was a nice day for a walk and she was her usual adorable self. At one point we came across a lady and her toddler sitting on a lawn. Diva steered over to say hello to them. We were chatting for a bit and when we were getting ready to leave, Diva walked over and gave the kid the biggest kiss on the cheek! OMG I was laughing so hard, the good thing is the mother seemed ok with it. The kid looked shocked ;-) Diva is so sweet.

Once I dropped Diva off I went back to collect the two rug rats and we headed over to the park to wrap up the evening.

It was a great day and they are calling for more sun tomorrow! Thank god for umbrellas ;-)

Friday 4^th

Today was a short day which was great looking ahead at the busy weekend we have waiting for us. It was a beautiful day, the sun was out there were very few clouds.. it’s been the story this week – perfect weather.

On our group walk today we had Jaida, Riley and Casey. We decided to head to Sherwood and let the kids run loose in the woods. When we got to the off leash area they were off to the races. Jaida and Riley were so well behaved... Casey took off a number of times after various little creatures, why can’t she be more like Riley and Jaida ;-)

Those two are really hitting their stride with each other, they were wrestling and chasing each other most of the walk. When Casey would emerge from the bushes, her and Riley would start with their wrestling match.

He has a thing for tails and ears... usually when he’s walking with Casey he’s got her by the ear and is bouncing along holding on for dear life. Then when he gets more crazy he grabs onto their tails. He kept grabbing Jaida’s tail and pulling her around the trails while trying to get her to chase him.

The second walk was with Belle, it was a Belt Line kind of day. When we started out we ended up meeting a woman with a ridge back so we walked with them for the first block. Belle was in love! He was a good looking guy I don’t blame her for having a crush.

While we were walking we were dive bombed but a couple jets doing warm ups for the air show this weekend. Belle was good... I jumped out of my skin.

When we met up with Casey and Henry at Oriole Park we were hanging out for a bit, drinking water etc when the Blue Angels flew over in formation. Very cool! They were so low you’d swear you could scratch their bellies!

It was a great day and the end to a great week. Stay tuned for the weekend adventures.

Have a great long weekend.

Weekend 5^th, 6^th

Saturday was the beginning of a really busy weekend for Animal Adventures.

The day started out with me dropping off Henry at the Kids house because we were doing an overnight visit with them and then I headed to Pumpkin’s house.

Pumpkin is a Quaker Parrot who I am looking after for the long weekend. I had been over to meet Pumpkin before I had to take care of her. Everything went swimmingly when I her mother was there but when it was just me and her, she was a little more reserved.

I was able to get her out of the cage and play some games with her... she had more fun chasing me around the kitchen nipping at my feet! After some persuading I was able to get her back onto my hand and onto the cage. Unfortunately she grabbed onto the side of the cage before I put her through the door so we had another negotiation about going into the cage but she finally cooperated.

It was a good first visit, I can understand why she was a bit nervous with me, we’ll see how the rest of the weekend goes.

Check out some pics of Pumpkin I took over our visits:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/WhoSAGoodBirdie?feat=directlink

When I was finished I headed back to the kids place to lounge around on the bed with all the furry babies. It was a nice way to spend the morning.

In the afternoon we had an appointment with the lovely and talented Belle. I decided that we would bring the kids along and as they say – kill 2 birds with 1 stone (sorry Pumpkin excuse the saying).

The kids were excited to see Belle, she was perplexed about all these tiny doggies in the car it was very cute. Sake wanted desperately to play with Belle and kept barking (in her high pitched sonic bark) at her. Belle kept looking at him like he had 2 heads.

We decided the best place to go with this diverse group was Sunnybrook. Once we got there Henry and Belle took off into the off leash park while I wrangled the kids. Belle had a good time running back and forth between Henry and I (we were sitting on different sides of the crowd) while Sushi and Biggie also went back and forth saying hello.

Sake made friends instantly with another small dog. The two of them ran in circles and wrestled like crazy people. Belle became very motherly towards the kids, when Sake was running around with his new friend Belle would get very nervous and want to join in. She was very sweet. She liked Sake’s energy and enjoyed playing with him.

Sake sat with Henry (as usual she is his girl) and Biggie entertained the crowd with his demonic growl which everyone thought was so super cute.

Once everyone was good and tired we got packed up and took Belle home then headed back to lounge with the kids before our next outing.

Around dinner time I had 2 appointments at my local dog park. We decided to bring up the kids and let them hang out while I did my business. Henry stayed with the kids while I went and got my girl Diva. We walked around the building for a bit and started around the block then we ended up in the park to say hello and check on the kids.

They were having a great time hanging out with Duff and Gaylin. Sake was very excitable, he was barking at every dog that went by (in that high pitched bark of his) and was being quite a little handful.

After a little visit I took Diva home for some Dinner. Next I went and picked up Remi and Hazel and took them out to do their business. We walked around a bit before heading over to the park to say hello and check on the kids.

Remi and Hazel said their hello’s and the kids were happy to see me. It’s great to be admired. Once I dropped off Remi and Hazel I made my way back down to the park to pack up the group and head back to their house.
When we got back we were all really exhausted so we settled in for the night and got ready to start again on Sunday.

In the morning Henry took care of the kid’s morning pee break while I had to leave and go to a couple appointments. First I went and met up with Remi and Hazel for their good morning pee break. We played around in the building’s back yard then went for a stroll around the block. They are such sweet dogs I enjoy spending time with them.

Next it was day 2 of visiting Pumpkin. This visit went smoothly; she came out of the cage easily and was being really friendly. We spent some more time running around the kitchen and playing games. She only nipped at me a couple times. Again, it was a bit of a challenge to get her off the floor and back into the cage but we worked out a deal and made it happen.

She is so much fun and she has a great sense of humour!

I returned to the kids and we spent the afternoon lounging and cuddling until I had to go out and take Belle on a last minute walk. I left the kids to nap while I went out.

Here's some pics from our Sunday morning lounge:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/SundayMorningLoungeSession?feat=directlink

Since I was really pooped from the previous day I took Belle back to Sunnybrook where she could run around at her own pace and I could enjoy her antics. She was a social butterfly. She said hello to all of the dogs that came into the park and tried to get a couple of them to play but there weren’t taking the bait.

After we walked around the park a couple times, we settled in the shade under a tree. She ended up making friends with a couple dogs and they ran in circles around a bush. She had a blast and I was happy to be able to sit and relax while she was having a good time.

Once I got her packed up and dropped off it was time to head back down to the kids.

When I got there we packed up and went for our last outing. We headed to Winston Churchill Park where the kids could run around and make some friends while I took a breather.

Sake was his usual self running around making friends while Missy did the tour along the tennis court fence then back to where we were sitting and around she would go again. Biggie went on the odd walk and Sushi also would tour around visiting people and dogs before coming back to where I was sitting. Casey was exhausted so she mostly sat with me and relaxed.

When I got the kids home it was dinner time for everyone then we were done.

What a great and exhausting weekend.

Week of August 24 - August 30 - Summer is almost over! We'll be out enjoying what's left of it!!!

Animal Adventures

Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Service
Come on an urban adventure with us today!

Visit our website for more details about Animal Adventures and the services that we offer http://www.animaladventures.ca/

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Monday

Today was a busy day with Animal Adventures. I have 3 walks which is great.

First we picked up Riley fresh from vacation. We were very excited to see him! Riley seemed to be suffering from the post vacation blues and Casey was also a little sleepy so we decided that we were going to take it easy for our session today.

We went to a new park, Ramsden Park near Davenport and Avenue Road. It was a nice park, the off leash area was not very busy when we were there. There are lots of trees and benches so you can get out of the sun which I love in an off leash park.

Riley and I played fetch and then Casey and Riley had a great chase and wrestle session but overall they were just as happy to sit and watch the world walk by.

When the session was winding down, I walked with Casey and Riley over to Yonge St. Where Henry picked us up and we headed back to drop him off. It was good to get a short walk in plus the two of them were back to their crazy walking ways – Cats on leashes I tell ya!

Next I picked up Belle and we went to the Belt Line. I absolutely love the Belt Line it is the most peaceful and calm place to walk. It was also starting to get hot at this point so it was nice to get out of the sun. Belle was having a case of “the Mondays’” so she was a little out of sorts, but once we got going she perked up and was her usual wonderful self. I love spending time with Belle she really makes my day!

My last walk of the day is with a new dog Tony! Casey and I picked him up and he was soooo excited!!!! It took a couple minutes to get him into the car but then he relaxed and enjoyed the experience. We set out for Sherwood Park where we could go on a nice walk and get to know each other. He is a very sharp dog, always on point! He was really excited once we actually started walking around, they had a good time smelling everything in site and walking along together.

When we finished at Sherwood I needed to make a quick stop at my local dog park so we headed over to see everyone. When we got there Tony was so excited to get out of the car and see who was in the park. Remi and Hazel came over to say hello to us and introduced themselves to him. Prince was also there and was giving me big sloppy kisses, he’s a great kid. Tony found himself a little girlfriend in a 8 month old Chihuahua. They took a couple minutes to warm up to each other but then were swapping kisses!!! It was very cute.

It was a great day, Casey is totally pooped! We’re going to nestle in for the night and do it all again tomorrow.

Tuesday

I’ve got 2 walks today, the group walk and then the private walk with Tony!

For our group walk we had the pleasure of welcoming Jaida the Sheltie who has joined our pack! She is the most beautiful little girl and I knew that she would hit if off with Riley!

We decided to go to Sunnybrook today to let the kids mingle and get to know each other. Henry dropped us off at the Toronto Rehab Hospital so we can take a short walk down the hill to the park.

Riley was a little shy around Jaida to begin with, he wanted to play with her but you could tell he was a bit hesitant. When we were walking down the hill Casey and Riley were up to their usual shtick... wrestling and walking. Jaida was bouncing along like Tigger enjoying the smells and the sights.

When we got to the bottom and got into the park the fun began. There were 2 other dog walkers at the end of the park and a bunch of dogs. Jaida didn’t even hesitate, she was off to mingle and mix with the big dogs... she likes the BIG dogs!

Riley and Casey also went along into the group to say hello and sniff some butts.

Well Jaida is the most submissive dog you’ve ever met! She would walk into a circle of dogs and keel over onto her back with a big smile on her face as all the dogs inspected who she was and where she had come from.

After hanging out with the bigger pack for a while Riley had made a friend with a really cute puffy dog who apparently usually doesn’t mix with other dogs very well.

Jaida had made a friend with a medium size black and white dog who wanted nothing more then to get her to run... but Jaida kept rolling on her back! It was pure comedy watching the big dog try and push her buttons to get her going – literally – the dog would paw at her but like she was pushing a button on the Price is Right to get her moving. Jaida would not give.
Then she would nip at her and groan, but it still would not work. Every so often she would give in and run but it would only last a minute and she was flat on her back with a smile on her face. Silly girl!

While talking to one of the other dog walkers she kept calling Bessie who was a Boarder Collie after a couple seconds I realized that it is Bessie from our dog park who Jaida and Casey both know. It is such a small world! She was too preoccupied with a stick and a ball to care that we were there. Gotta lover her!

It was hot so we made our way over to a tree where we could get some water and hang out together.

Riley and Jaida played fetch and keep away as well as a few good rounds of tug-o-war. They were very cute.

THEN Casey and Riley spend 20 minutes non stop wrestling... they were totally brother and sister in a past life!

Everyone was nice and quiet on the way home. I think they had a great time.

I took lots of pics of the craziness enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/SunnybrookOnASunnyDay?feat=directlink

Next we picked up Tony for our last walk of the day.

We went to the Belt Line and walked from Spadina to Eglinton to Oriole Park. Tony has the most active nose of any dog I’ve seen!! He was enjoying every step smelling the other dogs, critters, animals and people that had passed through recently.

He was a good boy only giving a couple bikers a piece of his mind and trying to attack their tires ;-) he’s a tough little guy.
When we got close to the park we were walking along the tree line heading towards the group of dogs hanging out and playing. Well everything was going swimmingly until I tripped on one of the tree roots and fell smack down on my face! I dropped the leash and gasped in horror!

Tony the unbelievable doll that he is... stopped... turned around... processed the situation... and came running back and licking my face to make sure I was OK!! What a gentleman! I was never so happy in my life that he didn’t decide to follow that nose of his ;-)

We spent the last part of the session visiting with the dogs in the park and making friends. We were just about to pack up when I saw a dog come over the hill and thought he looked like Sake, on of the kids. Next came a dog that looked like Sushi and then waddling along was BIGGIE! It was the kids we ran over to say hello and ended up hanging out with them for an additional 15minutes playing and making friends. Tony was loving the dogs and enjoyed the extra fresh air.

It was a great day, saw so many friends had some great surprises and yes, I get to do it all again tomorrow ;-)

Check out some pics of Tony in his element:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/TonyTonyTonySaidWithAThickItalianAccent?feat=directlink

Wednesday

Today is a busy day for Animal Adventures. We have 4 walks!

First we went to pick up Riley then we headed down to pick up the kids. Once we got everyone in the car (which is always fun) we headed to the park.

Today we went to check out a new place. We had heard that Winston Churchill Park at St. Clair and Spadina had a great fenced off leash area. We also wanted to test out a new contraption... a baby stroller with a dog car seat attached. This is for Missy & Biggie who can’t walk as much as the bigger kids so they can ride along on walks and still see all the sights.

Biggie couldn’t join us today he was under the weather and at the vet so we had to carry on without him. I can’t wait for him to ride in the stroller he’s going to LOVE it.

We parked and started to get Missy packed up in her new hot wheels – she was dressed for her new ride in a lovely sundress – very pretty. She loved it, she was so happy to just ride along and watch the kids walk ahead. Sushi was poking along so I ended up putting her into the stroller with Missy. She was smiling and enjoying the ride.

When we got to the park, Sake took off running towards a big group of dogs in the middle and started saying hello. Sushi hung back and waited for me to make my way into the middle before she started to mingle, Riley and Casey started running around chasing each other and Missy... well Missy was watching people play tennis in the courts behind us.

It was a great park, lots of space but it needs more trees. Next time I would bring an umbrella to sit under to get out of the sun.

We played with all the other dogs and mixed and mingled enjoying our time there. I got more French kisses then I care to admit, some of the dogs were very frisky ;-)

When we were getting ready to go we got everyone on their leashes and Missy and Sushi into their stroller and away we went. The stroller also came in handy when we got them home. Instead of walking them, I put them all into the stroller. Sake had a huge smile on his face!!!

Success! Check out our adventures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/WinstonChurchillParkFunInTheSun?feat=directlink

For the second walk, I was feeling a bit under the weather so Henry took Belle. After some running around before we could pick her up, they were on their way. They went to Sherwood Park where they could get to know each other and have a nice peaceful walk.

Belle was a great girl, hardly pulling and walking at Henry’s pace. He was happy when he got home that they had such a great walk and she was such a good girl. I was happy as well because I could take a quick rest before my next 2 walks.

My next visit was with the lovely Bonnie. She is a dog from my local park who needed a potty break and some dinner. She was so happy to see me (which is out of character for her) LOL she tends to be more quiet and reserved when we see her out and about.

We had a great time chasing birds and watching people come home from work. Bonnie said hello to a couple guys in her own way – it was more of a howl and a get off my lawn kind of welcome.

After poking around for a bit we made our way inside for some din din. After a little hang out and back scratching it was time to go.

I went home and grabbed Casey and we headed off to pick up Tony my new little buddy!

Tonight I decided that we were going to take it easy after our previous 2 evenings of exercise. We parked at my local dog park and went for a short walk around the building. The nose was working overtime the whole way around.

On the back lawn there were 2 puppies playing together, baby Charlie a Boston and a black lab who’s name I didn’t catch. The two of them were going crazy. Tony got a little too close at one point and they decided to include him in their wrestling!

Well Tony did not like that very much so we decided to leave the kids to their playing and went over to talk to Nina and Penny, two very pretty girls who Tony warmed up to immediately.

Nina and Penny walked with us around the buildings to meet up with the rest of the group.

We had a good mix of puppies for Tony to meet. Chloe and baby April had an interest in Tony and he thought they were pretty cute as well. He played so well with everyone and I think he had a really great time.

We were having so much fun we ended up hanging out longer then our scheduled time, I didn’t want to take him away from the fun.

Here are some pictures of Tony and the gang:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/TonyAtTheDogPark?feat=directlink

It was a great day. Talk to everyone tomorrow!

Thursday

Today was a fantastic day! We have 4 walks... it’s going to be busy!

The group walk included Casey, Riley and Jaida plus a new doggie Tea Cup! She is from my local park and she was a total darling today!

We decided to go to Sherwood Park to let the gang get in touch with nature. Tea Cup was a little hesitant when we started the day. She said hello to Riley and was very interested in getting to know him better.
We worked our way around the loop on route to the woods. The dogs were playing around getting acquainted while we walked along. Once we got to the off leash area they were off!

Tea Cup had a great time exploring the stumps and fallen trees smelling all the other dogs that have been through recently. Everyone was very reserved during the first half of the walk but by the back half of the park they let loose.

Tea Cup led the charge as they worked their way around the park. Riley and her totally hit it off! They spent the last half of the walk chasing each other back and forth down the trails and around again. Jaida would jump in and take over chasing Riley when Tea Cup took a break.

Casey took off after a squirrel which I hate when she does. I’m always afraid she’ll never come back. The rest of the group was so good. They stayed with us and continued to run around chasing each other and stuck with us the whole time.

Once Casey emerged from the bushes we got everyone hooked back up and started heading back to the car. Once we got to our swimming spot we all jumped into the creek for a little cool down. Riley and Jaida were chasing each other in the water while Tea Cup and Casey stayed with me. The water felt SOOOO good. For some reason that water is always cool and very refreshing... doesn’t matter how dirty it is I love it!!

The kids had fun splashing around and being silly then it was time to head home. I can’t wait for the next time the 4 of them are together, it’s so much fun.

Got some pics of Tea Cup and the group playing:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/SherwoodParkGoodTimes?feat=directlink

We picked up Belle next and headed to the Belt Line. Henry is taking more of an active role in walking Belle since the days are getting more hectic and I need a mid day break sometimes. As usual she was happy to see us and was excited for the car ride. Once we got to the path though she got very confused because Henry was with her and not me... she was looking in the car window with this very perplexed look “hey where are you going?”

Casey and I left and went to Oriole park to await their arrival. It was nice to sit under a tree and get caught up on emails. When Henry was getting closer Casey and I went to meet them at the corner. Belle came running over to me and jumped up giving kisses I felt so loved ;-)

I guess she gave Henry quite a hard time... she sat like a stone on the trail for 10 minutes refusing to move because i wasn’t there... oh Belle gotta love ya ;-)

It was a lovely evening tonight so I picked up Tony and we headed to Sunnybrook park. I have never gone through the trails behind the off leash park so who better to explore with then Tony.

We took a short stroll through the off leash area and said hello to the dogs that were there playing. Once we passed through the park we started down the trails. It was beautiful! The creek going through the park is so nice and is just perfect for dog swimming! Tony had a great time following his nose along and we even wadded into the creek to wet our feet.

Here is Tony of the jungle:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/TonyAtSunnybrook?feat=directlink

Lastly this evening I’m stopping by Tony’s house to take him our for a quick bedtime pee break before heading to a new dog’s house – Pepper – to also let her out for her bedtime break.

Friday

Today was a BUSY day for us. We have a good morning pee break with Pepper, the group walk with Riley and Casey, 30 min walk with Belle and Pepper, Cat sitting for ian THEN good night pee break with Pepper again. Phew it’s going to be a long one.

For our group walk today we decided to switch things up and are going on an “Urban Adventure”. We headed down to Yorkville to stroll around and see the sights. Riley and Casey pretended they were mountain goats climbing on the big rock in the middle of the park. It’s a must when you head down to Yorkville. They had a great time climbing and jumping around.

Next we walked through the gardens and smelled the flowers.

We worked our way around the block looking for rich and famous people... of course we are a couple weeks too early with TIFF starting in early September. We will definitely come back down during Film Fest to star watch again.

We stopped and took some pics in front of the Four Seasons, the ROM and the Gardner Museum before we worked our way back to the car and headed home.

Check out our tourist shots of our adventure:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/UrbanAdventuresInYorkville?feat=directlink

I tried to get a picture of Casey attacking the CN Tower but we needed to be a few blocks closer to make it look right. Oh well next time.

We ended up picked up Belle first before dropping Riley off at home rather then doing so much back tracking. He was very interested in the big dog and kept staring at her.

Once we dropped him off, we headed down to see Pepper.

Henry dropped Belle, Casey and I off at the entrance to the park so that he could go get Pepper. She is a bit older and is not necessarily great with other dogs so we wanted to take it easy and see if this would work. We made our way down the path to the bottom of the ravine and waited for the other2 to arrive.

Once they arrived, Belle and Pepper did some sniffing and scoping each other out and decided that it was ok to be on the walk together. It was a nice walk, we went in a loop down one side of the river and back on the other.

Once we were done we dropped off Pepper and finally got Belle back home. She had an extra long outing today but was very happy when we dropped her off.

Here are some pics of Belle and Pepper hanging out:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/FunInTheRavineWithPepperAndBelle?feat=directlink

To close off the day I’m going to visit a couple kitties to give them some dinner and some cuddles while their parents are away then heading back to see Pepper for her good night pee break.

It was a good day today and it’s going to be another busy one tomorrow.

Weekend

Well it’s the end of the summer so it’s a busy weekend for Animal Adventures.

We started with a good morning pee break with Pepper then for the afternoon walks we decided to divide and conquer.

Henry went down to walk Pepper in the ravine as they have totally hit it off. He also spent a little time with the kitty cat which Pepper did not like so much... she got a little jealous ;-)

While Henry was with Pepper, I walked Belle up here in the neighbourhood. Casey’s boyfriend Oscar and his mommy are home from their summer vacation so we decided to meet up with them for a stroll. It was a great day the kids all got along and we had a wonderful catch up session. I’m sure Belle will sleep well tonight; we had a really LONG walk ;-)

The only thing left is to pop over to see Pepper for her good night pee break then we get to settle in for the evening.

Sunday was a great day as well. We started out the day visiting Pepper for her good morning pee break then returned later in the afternoon for her activity session.

We picked up Jaida to come along for our play date and away we went. Pepper and Jaida hit it off immediately (how can you not Jaida is so calm, cool and collected).

We went down into the ravine and had a fantastic walk. The 3 dogs ran, played, chased and swam they were a great pack. I think Pepper had a motherly feeling towards Jaida and Casey she was very concerned with us doing certain things and would bark until she got us to move along and go where she wanted. She is very persuasive.

I got some pictures, check out the fun that we had:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/FunInTheRavineDirtyMessyFun?feat=directlink

My next walk was with a lovely old lady named Diva. She is 16 years young and has a very good sense of humour. We started out on our walk and she immediately led me down the street towards the pet store at the corner to do some shopping. What a girl.

At this point in the day it was really windy, the poor girl almost blew away a couple times so we decided to head home and have some din din. I had a great time with her and can’t wait to head out with her again.

Next I met up with a goofy little dude named Gizmo. He is a total card! Casey came with me and we spent most of our time playing in the school yard. The two of them chased each other around and played fetch. He was really funny. It was a short visit but we’ll hang out with him again soon.

I grabbed a couple shots of Casey and Gizmo playing. I’ll get more next time:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/GoofingAroundWithGizmo?feat=directlink

We’ve got the good night visit with Pepper tonight then we’re done for the day. It’s been a busy week and a fun week. Enjoy this week’s blog and we’ll start again tomorrow with a new week.

Week of August 17 - August 23 - Oye!

Animal Adventures

Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Service
Come on an urban adventure with us today!

Visit our website for more details about Animal Adventures and the services that we offer http://www.animaladventures.ca/

***************************************************

Monday

Today was another hot day in T.O.

We decided to take it easy on our two walks today. It was a Belt Line kinda day!

We picked up Riley and him, Casey and I walked from the usual starting place over to Oriole Park where we spent the last 1/2 hour of our session sitting under a tree, drinking water and playing fetch. It was good to get a bit of exercise but it was just TOOOOO hot.

For the second walk we picked up Belle and again went to the Belt Line. Today was actually really nice there. There was a breeze actually coming through the trail so it was kind of comfortable. Belle had a good time and was her usual wonderful self.

We ended at the same park, got a drink of water and headed home.

Quick update today, I'm too tired to type ;-)

Tuesday

Today was a quiet day with Animal Adventures.

Riley is now on vacation and I don't walk Belle until tomorrow so I've been able to enjoy my air conditioner instead of being outside in the hot, humid, smoggy air.

Early this evening I got the honour of walking a new member of the Animal Adventure pack! His name is Gizmo and he is a complete doll! First we started out at the school playing "Fetch". Well the it was actually reverse fetch... I throw the ball... Gizmo catches the ball then I have to go fetch the ball from him while he plays keep away. It was a very fun game while it lasted.

We then walked around the block and did a quick visit with the dogs at the dog park before heading home.

I'm glad that today was so relaxing, it was nice to have a break from the heat.

Wednesday

Today we had 2 walks planned.

The first walk was with the kids, I picked them up and we headed to Oriole Park. Mr Big looked very dashing with his brand new hair cut!!

I had wanted to do a short walk of the Belt Line before settling in to play for a bit, but our plans got changed. We got settled under a nice big tree when a very nice man and his dog Bijoux came by to say hello.

Well Sake had found a playmate! The two of them chased each other and wrestled for the entire session. Sushi ran around a bit but watched them from the sidelines. She actually spent most of the time over sitting on his lap (what a flirt) giving kisses and getting cuddled.

Missy was hanging out watching the birds, squirrels and kids run around. Casey was on leash arrest because she went out of bounds while chasing a squirrel so she was locked up for the rest of the session.

Mr Big cuddled with me most of the session and barked at the dogs as they would run by. He even went over to the guy and climbed up on his lap for some cuddles and pets. He was so precious!

When i dropped them off Sake was falling asleep on his feet, he had a great day and I'm sure he'll sleep well tonight.

My second walk was with Belle, we went to Sherwood park to walk around the loop. It was a nice day, there were lots of kids around and Belle was her usual self. We walked half way around then got into the river to splash around for a bit. The water was great, very chilly it was refreshing. Belle was actually splashing around playing today, he was in a great mood!

After we got out of the water we finished the loop and it was time to go home.

The end of a great day.

Thursday

No walks today, it's my day off!!! ahh relaxing. See everyone tomorrow.


Friday

Post storms it was still really humid out but sunny and summery. We only had one walk today with the lovely and talented Belle.

Casey, Belle and I went to the Don Valley Brick Works to walk around for our session.

We had a great walk, the girls walked really well together except for when Casey was in the way of something Belle wanted to smell then she was just a speed bump.

At the end of our walk we went over one of the bridges to look for the turtles. There was a lady with her toddler and baby sitting down watching as well.

Belle was very interested in the thing that was floating around and Casey was also determined to catch it this time. The lady was saying that there were 4 that she had seen. There were 2 that we floating on the top of the water getting some sun then she mentioned the BIG ONE.

She pointed down in the water below where I was standing and slowly moving was the BIGGEST TURTLE I'VE EVER SEEN! It had to be 10 to 15 lbs.

It was the most creepy thing I've ever seen! too bad I had my hands full with the dogs, I couldn't get a picture.

We're definitely going to go back and try and get a picture

Weekend

Today I have 2 walks. One with the lovely and talented Belle and the other is a "business trip" with two lovable Shar Peis Remi and Hazel.

For my walk with Belle, Casey and I took her to Mount Pleasant Cemetery and the other side of the Belt Line that we have not walked before. It is such a peaceful walk through the cemetery. Unfortunately the very nice security guard drove by and informed me that dogs are not allowed in the cemetery and we would have remember for next time but that we could keep on walking today.

We hurried along to the gate that leads onto the Belt Line then walked towards Mount Pleasant and back to the car. It was a nice walk but still very humid... I'm really starting to hate humidity.

Next I picked up two very sweet doggies to go outside and do their "business". Remi and Hazel had a good time running around and playing in the back field before we worked our way around to meet up with the other doggies in the dog park.

We had a great visit and Remi and Hazel had a good time sniffing and catching up with the group. Bessy played fetch with Hazel's soccer ball that she decided to bring out with her (which I ended up carrying around for her the entire outing because she didn't want to carry it -- of course).

The weather here is still so unsettled. It was incredibly windy and looked like it was going to start raining but thank goodness nothing materialized.

Today was a good day, tomorrow I get to hang out with Remi and Hazel again in the morning then that's it for this week. Next week we'll start all over again. Talk to you then!

Week of August 10 - August 16 - Now I know what steamed rice must feel like

Animal Adventures

Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Service
Come on an urban adventure with us today!

Visit our website for more details about Animal Adventures and the services that we offer http://www.animaladventures.ca/

***************************************************

Monday

Well today was all about the shade!

We hit Sherwood for our first walk of the day. Casey and Riley were both really hot and weren't running too quickly. We worked our way around the woods visiting with the other dogs in the park, chasing squirrels, goofing around. All in all having a great time.

On the way back out we decided to let them jump into the creek because they were both over heated. Well Riley jumped around like a bucking bronco and Casey ran back and forth in a more delicate way. They both cooled down and I'm sure felt so much better. I just wish I had jumped in as well because I was melting.

We picked up Belle and walked the Belt Line again from Spadina to Yonge. It was still humid but it felt great to be out of the sunshine. There were a number of other dogs and bikers on the trail today so Belle had fun saying hello to everyone as they went by. The Belt Line is one of my new favourite places to be in the city. If you have not checked it out, it is a definite must!!!!

Going to sit in front of my A/C and just soak in the cool air. Where will we go tomorrow.... let's see what the weather man has to say ;-)

Additionally, I have been cat sitting a shy little girl named Pixel. Sunday night we had a quick visit due to the impending lightning storm that attached Toronto that night. I wanted to hang out with her longer but didn't want to get electricuted. We came back on Monday morning to spend more time with her and keep her company while her mommy and doggie where out of town cottaging.

Tuesday

Today we put the Adventure into Animal Adventures!

I started off the day with my last visit to Pixel, today she sat with me on the couch and cuddled for a bit while I reassured her that her mommy and doggie would be back on Wednesday. She is a very sweet kitty and i've had a great time spending my mornings with her.

We only had one group walk today which included Casey & Riley as usual but also included 2 of "the kids" Sushi and Sake.

Today Jennifer my neighbour tagged along for our walk. She spends a lot of time at the park hanging out and playing with the dogs, and she asked me if she could come along sometime to see what dog walking is all about. Today was the perfect day since we had 4 dogs on our walk and only 1 walk.

After we picked everyone up, we worked our way down to the Don Valley Brick Works for our session. Henry waited with the car while Jennifer and I walked the group through the park.

Everyone got along so well. Casey walked with Sake and Riley walked with Sushi. They were perfect matches and had fun sniffing, playing and exploring. I snapped a bunch of pictures but (a sign of things to come) my camera died half way through the walk so I didn't get all of the pictures that I wanted to get of the group.

It was another humid day so we took it easy on our walk and worked our way over to the off leash park to try and get some shade. A couple groups of dogs came into the park while we were there, Sake and Riley played welcome committee to the dogs as they arrived, it was very sweet.

We walked around the park and got eaten alive by the mosquitoes!!! they were all hiding in the shade of the trees. If we wanted to get away from them we had to be in the sun... very counter productive. The dogs chased each other around, jumped on logs and in the trees. Everyone had a great time.

Little Sushi ran out of steam towards the end of the session so I got to carry her around which is not a big deal because she is so tiny and adorable!

We were getting ready to go and getting everyone loaded in the car when we realized that the car would not start. OMG what do we do now!!

Jennifer and the dogs sat over in the shade eating treats, drinking water and watched as we had another park visitor try and boost the car.... didn't work.... I think it would be a lot like watching a movie for the dogs. They were very interested in what what happening and kept cheering us on as only a doggie can do.

Since we were no further ahead we decided to divide and conquer. While I was speaking with CAA, Henry spoke with one of the other dog walkers who was just packing her dogs up to head out. This angel from above agreed to drive Henry and the 3 dogs home while Jennifer, Casey and I waited for CAA to arrive.

God bless that woman!!!

Well as we were waiting, the rain came rolling in... of course ;-) It was a welcome change though. It was SOOOO hot I just stood outside the car trying to cool off. Our lovely tow truck arrived on time right in the middle of the storm. Jennifer grabbed Casey and jumped in the truck to hang out while we talked business and got the car hooked up.

Jennifer was so excited she had never been in a tow truck before... actually neither had I. So we had a good chuckle that it was all 3 of our first time in a tow truck. Once we got the garage we had to then call a cab to take us home... she had also never been in a cab in Toronto so we chuckled about another first for her and Casey!

Then we finally got home. I was never so happy to be home and see my bed and A/C!

Thank you Jennifer for your understanding and enjoyment of this truly annoying situation. I'm glad that humidity, mosquitoes, tow trucks and cabs can be so exciting that it ended up being a really great day.

I've told Jennifer that we will attempt another outing before she heads back to school and I promise that it will be much less exciting ;-)

Here are an assortment of pictures from today... I'll have to grab some more shots next time the group is together.

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/TheGroupAtTheBrickWorks?feat=directlink

Wednesday

Today we were back to two walks.

Both Riley and Casey were a little tired after yesterday's excitement. I could tell Riley was tired when I walked in the house to get him he was passed out on the couch and had to call his name 3 times before he woke up. Very cute ;-)

I decided we were going to go to the Belt Line trail. It was the perfect day for it, incredibly hot and humid and the trail is pretty much all shade. Perfect!

We started out at the Yonge St. bridge where we spent a little time watching the trains come in. Riley took offense to those pesky trains and barked his head off every time one went by. It was really funny.

We started to walk along the path for a short distance until we got to Oriole park. There we found a tree and set up camp. We played fetch until another dog Clifford set up camp on a near by hill. Well then the games began.

I would throw the toy and both Clifford and Riley would run for it to see who could get it first. If Clifford caught it he would take it back to his camp. Riley would come back empty handed. Every so often Casey and Riley would storm their camp and come back with the missing toys.

This went on for a while and both Clifford's parents and us were having a good laugh at them.

After we said our goodbyes and got our toys back we walked back down the trail to the bridge where we wanted for trains again... and Riley tried to catch them again. It was a lot of fun.

For the walk with Belle I decided that we were going to go to Sherwood again to try and keep to the shade. At this point it looked as though there was a storm rolling in. The sky to the west was very dark and threatening. Belle didn't like it at all. She was certain that a storm was coming and she didn't really want to go too far.

What we decided to do was stick to the loop and we ended up wading in the creek for about 15 minutes walking back and forth down the creek splashing around. IT WAS FANTASTIC. The water was soooo cool I swear my feet must have had steam coming off them I was so hot. I didn't want get out but I knew we needed to go for more of a walk then just back and forth in the creek.

Once we finished up the loop the black sky was getting closer and our time was wrapping up. I dropped off Belle and came home to sit in front of my A/C.

Another beautiful summer day with Animal Adventures!

I took some great pictures today be sure to check them out:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/HotHazyAndHumidDayOnTheBeltLineAndAtSherwoodPark?feat=directlink

Thursday

Today we had a fun day planned..... hitting the BEACH. It has been soooo hot and humid I thought it would be a good day to go cool down. We were supposed to just have Riley and Casey today but to my excitement, we got a call that the kids needed to get out so they came along!!!

After we got everyone picked up we headed down to the Beaches. Once we got unloaded and set up we sat and enjoyed the water, the dogs playing, the sand. It was very relaxing.

Missy spent most of the time sitting in the shade of our umbrella... a very good place to be. She had the best seat in the house to see what her siblings were up to as well as the other dogs playing on the beach.

Riley started running back and forth along the water like a Baywatch lifeguard. It was so funny he just ran and ran and ran.... he was making me tired just watching him. He kept jumping in the water and splashing around, he was so cute.

Sake took a little while to investigate the surroundings then he went into the water all by himself and swam around for a minute! He then sat on the beach and watched Riley and the other dogs run around and cry to go play with them. I finally let his leash go so he could do some visiting. He chased Riley for a bit then went to visit the family that was set up just down the beach. He said hello to a couple other dogs then worked his way back over to where we were sitting.

Sushi spent a lot of time watching the goings on and hanging out with Missy. She was more of a spectator then a participant for most of the day but you could tell she was having a good time.

Last but not least Mr Big was just tooting around barking at the other kids and Riley and having a good time. He met new dogs and was a little grouchy but then he came around. He came over and sat on my knee when I was sitting in the water so I decided that we should go in and splash around a bit.

It was fun, I took each dog out by themselves into the water, we splashed around and I let them swim for a very short time just to see who could do it. They all did great and I'm sure the dip was very refreshing. They all splish splashed around and then went back in to sit in the sand.

I could tell that everyone was getting tired and was cold from being damp so we wrapped them in towels and hung out for a little bit longer.

Mr Big and Riley shared a chair for a long time just hanging out watching and napping. They were very cute together.

Sushi sat with Missy and Casey watching the goings on up on the beach.

Sake went running up to the blanket and did a bunch of digging and rolling around, Casey joined him because that is her favourite thing to do!

Once we got all packed up everyone slept in the car, they were all pooped... well except for Riley who got his second wind -- what a kid.

We had a great day! Can't wait to do it again!!

Check out our pics we got some great shots of the group:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/ABeautifulDayAtTheBeach?feat=directlink

Friday

IT'S FRIDAY!!!!

Well today was another scorcher in T.O. It has been a long hot and humid week. We had 2 walks today PLUS we are being joined by Mia who will be staying with us for the weekend. She is a lovely little fireball that can go toe to toe with the big kids.

While we were waiting on the lawn for Mia to arrive, Pheobe and her mommy came walking by. We chatted for a bit until Mia came. I told them we were going to Sunnybrook and they decided to tag along!!!!!!

We went and picked up Riley then headed to the park. It was great! Pheobe was SOOO excited - car ride, new dogs, Mia was just so happy to be here and was enjoying all the new sites and smells. Riley thought he was pretty hot stuff hanging out with all the ladies ;-) Casey... well she was just hanging out wondering if we were going to pick up anyone else along the way.

We got to Sunnybrook and Pheobe was off running and playing with the dogs that were already there. Riley, Casey and Mia stuck together and played so well!! they are all just about the same size and love to chase so they were a match made in heaven.

Pheobe met a young lab mix who she spent most of the time running and wrestling with and Mia would tear after them barking and causing a ruckus... as I said she is a tough little girl! She was having such a good time.

Riley was playing fetch with his knot and all of them took turns chasing each other and other dogs around.

We had LOTS of water because it was just so humid out today. The only thing I hate about Sunnybrook is that they don't have a water source which is stupid considering it used to be one of the horse fields.

Oh well, the moral of the story is that the kids had a great time and were all tired on the way home. We were sad to say goodbye to Riley... he is going to be on vacation next week so we will not see him for a whole week!!!! How will we survive ;-(

We then went and picked up Belle and she mingled with Mia and Casey while we were driving to the Belt Line. Henry, Mia and Casey drove to Oreole Park where they were sitting under a tree awaiting our arrival.

It was a beautiful walk as usual. All of the shade makes it really comfortable on a hot day like this. Once we met up with the others we sat under a tree for a bit and talked to some other dogs who came by.

Mia started chasing the one puppy and they were having a blast, Belle wanted to get into the fun and almost pulled my arm off a couple of times trying to catch them as they ran by.

I'm currently trying to introduce Mia to Momma and Baby and it's interesting... Mia likes to bark and chase them out of the room so we need to have a little bit of quiet bonding time or else it's going to be a LONG weekend ;-) I'm sure they will be fast friends by Sunday. That is how she plays with the other cats she knows so it's just a matter of education.

Tonight I get to visit the kids again for a "business" trip which will be fun, I love spending time with them, they are the greatest ;-). Plus Mia will be tagging along so it will be good for them to meet another new face and sniff some bum!

I'm going to be adding on a weekend update from now on as we are having so many guests and weekend walks I need to keep the parents updated on our comings and goings.

These are some of the pics from today with Pheobe at Sunnybrook and Belle hanging out at the park:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/GreatFriendsAndGoodTimes?feat=directlink

The Weekend

Well this weekend had a theme... hot hot heat!!!

Miss Mia, Casey and I tried our best to stay cool in this incredibly hot weather.

On Saturday, we went for our normal morning walk and visited with the group at our local dog park before heading back home to sit in front of the A/C.

I had a walk scheduled with the lovely Belle, so Henry and I packed up the 2 dogs and Belle and headed down to Cherry Beach in hopes of finding some shade and a cool down in the lake. I have not been to this park since late winter / early spring so I was not really sure what to expect on a hot summer day. It was hopping! there were so many dogs and people trying to do the same thing as us.

Belle was a little overwhelmed by the other dogs, the water, the kids, she didn't know what she wanted to do first she just knew she wanted to do it right now!

We started out at the water, Belle went right in and cooled off her feet. Casey wadded in to stand with me while Mia stayed safely on the shore with her toes in the water. Not the best beach in town, it's very rocky but it was wet and there are lots of trees so the shade is just steps away.

After a short walk with Belle we met up with Casey, Mia and Henry to do a little bit of relaxing. Before we left we grabbed a hotdog from the vendor YUMMM then packed up the troops and headed home to again, sit in front of the A/C.

We ended the day sitting under a tree at the dog park socializing with the other dogs and visiting with the other humans. It was actually perfect, shade and a nice breeze, it was so much better then A/C.

On Sunday we really took it easy. After dripping on our 7:30 AM pee walk it was decided that we were not going to go too crazy today. Casey and Mia hung out and played with each other and played fetch to keep busy.

Later in the afternoon we did venture out for a walk. We walked on the trail in the Blythwood Ravine for a short time then made our way into Sherwood Park to take a dip in the creek.

It was a great way to wrap up the weekend. We were sad to see Mia go home but hopefully we will get to spend more time with her in the future.

Week of August 3 - August 7 - Summer lovin having a blast!

Animal Adventures

Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Service
Come on an urban adventure with us today!

Visit our website for more details about Animal Adventures and the services that we offer http://www.animaladventures.ca/

***************************************************

Well the weather this week seems to be on the up and up! Other then Tuesday, it looks like it's going to be a beautiful summer week.
We've got lots of fun stuff planned and it's going to be another great week with Animal Adventures!

Monday

I ended up taking the lovely and talented Belle on a quick walk Monday. We decided to stay in the neighbourhood instead of making it a big road trip. We walked up through the park and then back down Yonge Street. Casey came along for the walk and the two of them got along really well. It was a nice sunny hot day... very summer-ie.

Tuesday

Today for our first walk, we only had Casey & Riley today so we decided to visit Sherwood Park to try and escape some of the sun and humidity. It was a beautiful day at Sherwood. Lots of kids in the park and the splash pad. Casey & Riley have really hit their groove, they did tones of chasing and running back and forth through the trails. We decided to got down the stairs in the back corner of the park, I had never been down there so why not check it out. Well we were walking along and Riley goes and dives into the lovely Sherwood creek and starts splashing around. He was having a blast but I kept trying to get him out.

He proceeded to run around the paths and was a complete and utter mess... but in a really happy way ;-). We worked our way out of the park and did our best to wash down both Casey & Riley before heading home so that he didn't leave too much of a dirt trail through his house.

The sky was growing dark as we headed over to pick up Belle. She was so happy to get going!!! We started down towards the Cedarvale Ravine (Bathurst and Heath Street). Casey & Henry dropped us off then travelled to the Phil White Arena to await our arrival.

It was a beautiful walk at the start then it started to spit... then it started to rain... then it started to pour BUT it was sooooo refreshing I loved it. Belle did great, there was some distant Thunder but she kept on a trucking. I was really happy to see the car though and get out of the elements. Of course shortly after we got in the car it stopped raining ;-) isn't that always the way.

It was a very relaxing and fun day.

Wednesday

We took it slow today, Casey was a little tired from all the exercise lately so we decided to head to Sunnybrook. Again today we only had Casey & Riley, we hung out in the off leash park for a bit and watched the other dog walkers coming and going.

The kids mingled with some of the pooches but overall they stayed to the side lines rather then getting into the middle of the action. A Labradoodle was getting a little too frisky with Riley (he was not returning her affections) and at the same time a havanese was telling Casey where to go, so we worked our way away from the two trouble makers and walked around the park.

For the last half of the session we decided to get some exercise walking along the drive towards Leslie. It was not the most peaceful of walks. Since the kids didn't burn off enough energy in the off leash area, they decided to play and wrestle while we walked. I believe I understand what it would be like to walk a herd of cats. We could not go more then 2 feet without them being tangled and knotted up or plopped down in the grass wrestling with each other.

They had a blast, I was not so appreciative ;-)

For the second walk of the day Belle and I went to Sherwood. It was crawling with kids and family's again out enjoying the summer sun. Half way to the Forrest area Belle decided that she didn't want to go any further. After some discussion she realized that it was going to be fun and we kept trucking.

Once we got to the trails, there was a very young German Sheppard who was visiting Sherwood for the first time. After Belle and the baby did some sniffing, we continued on through the park. It was so peaceful today, there weren't too many dogs so it was nice and quiet. We met up with the baby again half way around and did some more visiting. Belle was a good girl, and we had a great walk.

That's the end of another great day in the outdoors, will do it all again tomorrow.

Thursday

Today was another beautiful day in the city!

For our first walk with Casey & Riley we went down to the Don Valley Brick Works. It is my new favourite place in the city. So beautiful. We walked around the gardens exploring the vegetation and wildlife. We saw a nice big turtle swimming off the side of one the bridges. Casey was losing her mind. She wanted to get in the water and go after it. There was also a nice school of fish hanging out eating from the plants. Very cool.

For the second half of the session, we went into the off leash park which is located out by the parking lot. It's a really nice area, lots of trees and really good secure fence so you don't have to worry about the dogs getting loose. It was built / sponsored by the Toronto Humane Society. There were tones of dog walkers coming through and Casey & Riley had fun welcoming the new packs as they arrived. We wandered around checking the place out and Casey & Riley had fun jumping around and climbing stumps and chasing bugs. Everything a dog loves to do.

On the second walk with Belle we walked the Belt Line trail again from Spadina to Yonge. What a great walk. I snapped some pictures today. It is so peaceful and beautiful. It was also nice and shaded so it was cool and not too humid. Again, Belle had fun sniffing everything as we went along and watching the subway rumble by when we were on the bridge.

It was a perfect day to be out and about, can't get much better then that.

Here are some pictures from today's adventures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/SunnyDayAtTheBrickWorksAndWalkingTheBeltLine?feat=directlink

Friday

IT'S FRIDAY and it's been a great week.

Today we had to switch some things up a bit as Riley was going for a hair cut so Belle and I went out first.

We decided to walk the ravine starting south of St. Clair and Mount Pleasant. It is a great walk. The one side of the creek / river has a defined walkway that works it way up under the railroad bridge. I got a bit turned around and though that the train bridge was the bridge on St. Clair.

There are a couple foot bridges that cross over the river so we took the best one over and started to work our way back along the trail. It was great lots of 4x4ing over stumps and roots and fallen trees. Belle had a great time but again was stuck with me tagging along ever so slowly.

After we got almost back to where we started I saw a set of stairs going up out of the ravine. We headed up and found ourselves in the middle of a subdivision not the reservoir at Yonge & St. Clair.

Once I figured out where we were, Belle and I hung out at the Summerhill LCBO fountain to wait for Henry and Casey to come pick us up.

I took some great pictures check them out:

http://picasaweb.google.com/contactme.animaladventures/StClairRavine?feat=directlink

Next we went and picked up Riley at the groomers... he looked so handsome!!! almost didn't recognize him!!! We decided to go somewhere he would not get dirty so his family could enjoy the new dog smell for at least 24 hours.

We went to the Toronto Rehab Hospital on the south side of Sunnybrook. Casey, Riley and I went for a short hike down the hill towards the off leash park. They proceeded to wrestle and play the whole way down. Again... it's like herding cats!!! very cute though.

When we got to the park they did a bunch of chasing each other and some of the other dogs who were there then we played tones and tones of fetch until everyone was good and tired.

It was a great way to end of the week. We'll see everyone again on Monday!

Have a safe and happy weekend.

Vanessa, Henry & Casey