Hi Everyone!!!  I hope you all have had a great start to your Fall season.  I know it's a very, very busy time for many of you as kids go back to school and Fall sports begin.  It's also such a great time to get together with friends and family for harvest and Halloween-related activities.  This is my first Fall season and so far, I've been really, really enjoying it.  My Mom and Dad have always been huge fans of the Fall season as they so very much enjoy the local fall harvests of apples and squash.  They also love getting out for great hikes because the weather, especially with regards to temperatures, is so great for getting some good long hikes, runs and bike rides in.  One downside of outdoor activitives during the Fall season though are ticks as some species, including deer ticks, can remain active in their adult stage from Fall to Spring as long as the temperature is above freezing. The dangers of ticks are something everyone focuses on a little more in the summer, but please remember to protect yourselves from ticks during this time of year as well!!! 

Hi Everyone!!!!  I hope you've really been enjoying these last weeks of summer!!!  I certainly have had some very great adventures recently.  My parents took me to visit Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains in New York for the very first time ever.  My Dad has made a visit to Raquette Lake almost every year of his life; he won't let me say how many years that would be exactly, but we're talking about several decades of trips, and I'll leave it at that ;)  Immediately upon arriving at Raquette Lake, I could see why my parents have returned year after year.  As you know, we all love Sussex County for its trees and other natural wonders.  Raquette Lake is just full of natural beauty and great outdoor excitement.  As an avid swimmer, I marveled at how huge the lake is; it's the largest of the lakes in the Adirondacks with 99 miles of shoreline!!!

Hello Everyone!!!!  Hope you all have been staying cool these last couple of weeks!  It sure has been hot out there lately.  My Mom and Dad have been taking me out on some evenings to swim.  I have some cool new floating toys that I'll retrieve from the water but I'll just as soon swim out to get a scrappy old stick too.  I just love to swim!

Hi Everyone!!!!  I can't believe it's August already!!!  Where has this summer gone?!?!  They say time flies when you're having fun and I'm finding that there's really something to that expression!  The summer has been such a fun time for me as I have been running, jumping, playing and doing lots of other fun activities.  I especially love to be outside and my absolute favorite is when I can run, jump and play outside all at the same time and let me tell you, I make that perfect trifecta happen for myself as often as I can!  Here's some video Mom got of me accomplishing playtime perfection!

Hey Sussex County, ever wonder how to beat the heat without breaking the bank? Well here’s some great news, there's a fun way to do that! There are a handful of great outdoor places that allow you to rent kayaks, canoes, rafts, and more. Rather than having to buy all of the gear, for a small fee you can rent it without worrying about lugging everything around.

Hi Everyone!  I'm back again to tell you about some of the exciting things I've been up to the last couple of weeks. I've been enjoying my first summer very much. I've been going for lots more hikes on the local trails. Either my Mom or Dad (and on really great mornings both of them!) take me for a walk at Kittatinny Valley State Park every weekday before we all head off to work.  The only thing I don't like about my walks is that I always get sprayed with stuff to keep the ticks away from me.  My Mom and Dad go on and on a lot about how bad the ticks are this year and I can't go outside for one second without getting sprayed.  We all have been using the Wondercide Natural Flea & Tick Spray with cedar oil that Dad got at Amy's Animals in the Wantage Plaza and I have to admit that even though it's annoying to be sprayed all of the time, the spray does work really well in keeping the ticks away.

On the weekends we've been out and about for more hikes and also to buy strawberries and flowers at the Sussex County Strawberry Farm in Andover. The strawberries were absolutely fantastic this year! We're now looking forward to more bounty from our favorite farms as the fruits and veggies ripen through the summer months.  We have also gotten a lot of great flowers at Andersen Farms in Wantage.  My Mom really likes to plant flowers and this has been a really great year for her flowery fun.  I really like to sniff the flowers and occassionally I'll pluck a bloom or two off when Mom isn't looking.

Hi Everyone!!! I'm back to tell you about the big couple of weeks I've been having.

When many people think of walking sticks they think geriatrics and say to themselves “I’m not old, I don’t need help walking”. While walking/hiking sticks and canes are a great tool for the elderly to help them steady themselves they are also a great tool to help those who are on or off trail hiking.  If you do not hike you may not need one but if you are a hiker or survivalist you definitely should consider adding a walking/hiking stick to your list of tools/equipment. There are many reasons to carry a walking/hiking stick and here are eight good ones to consider:

Looking to take a long-distance, sight-seeing trip on your motorcycle? There's no denying the fact that motorcycles allow riders to experience the world in a more personal manner. This has led to a newfound revival of “touring,” in which riders “tour” one or more areas. Before embarking on a tour, however, there are a few things you should know.

Looking around the interweb for bags, shoes, T Shirts etc, there seems to be a theme that you just cannot escape from wherever you go. Clothes, furniture, bikes  (and hells bells, there is some mind blowing gear out there), it seems that Vintage is the new "new"! The new look is old, genuinely old, or newly made to look old. However it is presented, old is in!