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!!!
Our favorite place for enjoying the harvest season is Windy Brow Farms right nearby in Fredon. They have apples (which you can pick yourself if you want), squash and other great treats (Mom and Dad seem especially fond of their apple cider donuts). The apples have been absolutely fantastic this year. I'm a pretty strict carnivore myself but Mom and Dad have given me bits of apple that I must admit are rather tasty. An apple is a great source of soluble fiber and immune-boosting vitamin C so they're a super healthy and light snack! All of the squashes are also very healthy; they are great sources of vitmins A, C, and E as well as minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron! Mom makes some really great soups with the squash. One of her favorites for using up butternut squash is this soup recipe which is one of my Dad's absolute favorties for lunch on a chilly Fall day. I'm not sure I can expound upon any health benefits for apple cider donuts but we all know that some treats in moderation are just fine and good for our spirits!!!
This summer I started running on our local rail trails with my Mom and we have been doing even more running now that it's not so hot that Mom has to worry too much about me overheating. We use the Iron Doggy Runner's Choice Hands Free Dog Leash when we go out so that Mom can manage me much better, although in my humble opinion, I'm fairly well behaved on my running excursions. I'm a mutt but my parents do know that I'm part Australian Cattle Dog (aka Heeler); this breed was originally developed in (yep, you guessed it) Australia to herd cattle over long distances and rough terrain so as Bruce Springstein said it best, I was born to run. I get a little frustrated sometimes as Mom's really rather slow back there behind me. Many dogs can run as fast as 20 mph (a Greyhound can run as fast as 45 mph!) and I'm certainly one of the faster runners out there myself. I try to keep in mind that Mom's doing the best she can to keep up with me and really, I can see the sights a little bit better moving at her slower pace. The herding aspect of my personality also sometimes makes things a little interesting for Mom on my runs (and for Dad on my walks) because when I see other walkers, runners, and bikers, my instinct is to see them as rogues from the herd and I can get pretty excitable. All in all though, I'm pretty well behaved on my runs and very happy to get out to see as much of the great parks and trails in our neighborhood as I can. Getting outside for some fresh air and doing some walking, running and just checking out the sights is such a great thing for the body, mind and spirit!!!
Well that's all I have to report for now! I hope you all are having a great Fall season so far and may the season for all be filled with so many awesome and fun times with family and friends!!!! xo
Much love and puppy kisses,
Piper, The Rescue Mutt
