Mattie on the BC Rescue Tree!!

Check me out on the Midwest Border Collie Christmas Tree! I look FABULOUS! Click onto the link at the right.... http://mwbcr.org/

PUPPIES!! AARGH!!!

Okay, so I will admit, sometimes Puppies are cute. But truly, must everyone fawn over them like they are some new phenominon? C'mon now.

My country cottage and the people Mom calls, "LARRYTRINA" decided to destroy the solace of my retreat and attain a few of these. DO NOT BE ALARMED! When I first saw them, I did mistake them for rodents, or perhaps alien beings. I had to seek refuge behind the big man (they call him Larry). But I soon came to realize that they are the "little ones."

First of all, they have no manners. Clearly it was MY JOB to herd the tennis ball in the house...but these children continued to steal my ball away from me! And to top it all off, they could barely keep in their mouth, AND they just put it down randomly and DID NOT take good care of it. Ugh. More work for me.

I suppose they are cute, and SOMEBODY had to take care of them. My favorite boy, (mom calls him Dave-you can see him in this photo attempting to save the ball from the little creatures) and Mom seemed to really like them. I guess someone must show them the ropes, and if I must, I must.

The Little Park in Alameda

Okay, Mattie here. So I've decided that mom isn't really capturing the importance of my work, and what I do here in California... so I'm taking over this blog. (I have to do everything!!) One place I'd like to tell you about is the little park in Alameda (where we live). At this park, I have the VERY important job of Frisbee patrol. This is a rare opportunity and generally doesn't always happen in Dog Parks, due to the rude nature of many other canines....who try to steal my very important herding tool. But here, there is very little theft going on.

Also, at this park, my mom keeps talking about the view. Apparently you can see the San Franciso, and both bridges from this park. It also right next to the docks and ferry building. You can get to the water over here, but according to Mom, I'm not allowed.

This is one of my fave places because it's never too crowded, the dogs are always friendly, and it's big enough for me to run around and do my job. I LOVE IT!

Redwood Regional Park: Morning Hike

Mattie and I love the Redwood Regional Park. There a tons of fabulous trails that the doggies are allowed to RUN FREE! Which is very important when it's your job to catch the tennis ball. It's a great quick trip for both her and I to get some fresh air and good excercise.

This is our morning hike. When we go in the morning, we generaly don't have as much time as the afternoon...so the East Ridge Trail is perfect. This overlooks the valley with veiws of Pines, Eucalyptus, and many other trees I don't know. It's a wide trail used by many doggies, hikers, and cyclists. Mattie only cares about one thing on these trails, and if you know Mattie...there is no reason to elaborate.

The best way to do this hike, is to take the East Ridge Trail to the Phillips Loop. Neither are very steep so you can go either way. It's a nice brisk hike, without being too stressful. It generally takes me about 45 minutes to do the entire hike. This is not including "social dog time." Or perhaps a mishap with the tennis ball falling into the gulch. This time of year, the berries are in boom... and the red looks amazing against the green leaves.

The Redwoods is one of our favorite places. Hikes of all levels with beautiful scenery. Good for Border Collies!

The Adventure Begins!

This is my first post! I started this blog about a year ago, with the intention of posting when I discovered fabulous places to take my pooch here in the bay area... but unfortunately time flew away and here we are....a year later and no postings. But it's never too late to start!

I also hope to keep Mattie's friends around the country informed of her (and my) travels and "happenings." (When in Rome!)

So here is my first post, much of the info will be retro-active, but better late than never! I hope for folks to post their own doggie friendly discoveries as well...