𝑻𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒚 𝑫’𝒔 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐 “𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰”; March 14, 2011 – November 2, 2023

Posted on November 2, 2023 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Tommy D’s Limoncello “Cello”

March 14, 2011 – November 2, 2023

“𝘐𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭.

𝘐𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭.”

Dear Cello,

You blessed us with 12.5 wonderful years of having the privilege to call you family. How we got so lucky to be the ones you picked as your people, I’ll never know – – but I will forever be thankful…the memories you created, the gifts you bestowed upon us, and the lessons that you taught us are things we will hold dear for eternity.

Little did we know the grand escapades you had planned for us when you joined our family! Camping…hiking…dock diving…rescue…social media…all things we knew NOTHING about until you came along. The interests and activities you introduced us to paved the way to countless memorable experiences, enabled us to help many humans & pups, and connected us to the most wonderful, supportive, kind-hearted people anyone could ever hope for in their lives. Our proudest moments were brought about by you. You ushered friendship, love, and adventure into our lives. You made us better as individuals – and as a couple – and guided us to find our purpose. We are forever grateful for your direction and enlightenment.

We are beyond fortunate to have an enormous network of extended family members -both near and far- all because of YOU. Our involvement in dock diving, Cello’s Corner social media and rescue has enabled us to be members of communities filled with support that is truly inconceivable to others. At times the wonderment of it all is even unbelievable to us. Thank you for renewing our faith in humanity and surrounding us with such an immense and astounding group of people.

Every pastime, hobby and passion we have began because of YOU. You have taught us so much about the remarkably strong bond between humans and dogs and showed us how it goes above and beyond what we ever imagined. It’s going to be excruciating to continue these ventures without you. We thank you for continuously introducing us to new activities and promise to proceed to 𝙎𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙯𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙮 in your honor.

Over the course of your lifetime, you benevolently accepted 8 new dogs into your pack. You took leadership with each one and showed them the way (aka YOUR way)! I loved watching the admiration in the other pack members as they followed your every move. They adored you. You heightened our pack expectations as you managed proper pack order and behavior with confidence and grace. The transition will be a difficult one for your pack, but we know in our hearts you will still be watching over us all, and guiding us.

You eagerly did 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 we asked of you with trust and love in your eyes. You let us 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 WE were teaching you – but the reality was: It was YOU who was schooling 𝒖𝒔. Thank you for tolerating our faults and humbly making us look like we knew what we were doing.

You are THE definition of 𝙎𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙯𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙮. You let nothing obstruct your path. A miraculous full recovery from Dilated Cardiomyopathy was just one of the many examples of your strong will, strength and determination. You loved to surprise your medical team! Intent on ending your journey YOUR way, you shocked everyone, and competed in the DockDogs World Championships for the 9th year in a row…letting cancer know full well that “𝑖𝑡” did 𝒏𝒐𝒕 have you … 𝐘𝐎𝐔 had “𝑖𝑡.” YOU called the shots. We will forever admire your fortitude, willpower and tenacity and pray that we have even a fraction of your strength as we try our best to continue to carry out the purpose you paved for us despite any roadblocks we encounter.

Your medical team was taken aback with the dramatic results of your CAT scan – yet you stood before them asymptomatic and unfazed. For two full months after your diagnosis you continued to silently fight a battle most humans could not endure- saving us the heartache of displaying how you may have truly felt. For those 9 weeks after your diagnosis you pressed on – hiding any signs of discomfort from us- and ambitiously continuing to do things that most healthy dogs don’t ever get the chance to do. You are a true inspiration and the mightiest of warriors.

On November 2, 2023 you let us know that you could no longer quietly fight. We had been nervous wondering 𝘩𝘰𝘸 we would know when “the time” had arrived. Thank you for clearly alerting us that you were ready to cross the rainbow bridge. It was one of the most difficult days of our lives but our grief is just a small price to pay for the abundance of joy, love, and companionship you unconditionally gave to us. It is worth all the tears and pain in the world to make sure you are not in agony. We are heartbroken and devastated that you are not here with us, but we are comforted knowing you are no longer suffering.

You hold a place in our hearts that no other being could ever fill. We are grateful beyond measure that you chose us to be your family. Thank you for for loving us and for completely changing our lives for the better. We will miss you each and every day – every single second – for the rest of our lives. As God embraces you in His arms, we will hold you closely in our hearts and pray that you continue to guide us until we can meet again.

We love you, Limoncello.

Fly high, Limoncello. Your time on Earth may have ended but the impact you had will live on forever in the countless hearts you touched.

2 Months Post-Diagnosis: Taking It One Day At A Time

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Cello's Corner | 8 Comments

When you know a loved one is living on borrowed time, the clock seems to tick much faster…Although I am doing my best to incorporate the advice of “take one day at a time,” lately it seems that several days gang up and attack me at once. Some days I find myself caught in between having hope… and knowing there isn’t any….between trying to stop myself from grieving as if Cello is no longer here…while trying to be grateful that she still is. Daily laughter provided by the antics of our pack, support for each other between Brian and I as a couple, as well as the continued encouragement and love from family and friends both near and far keeps me sane and reminds me each and every day to reset and refocus on faith, gratitude, and positivity. Limoncello has taught me many things, but one of the most important lessons of all is to live in the moment and 𝙎𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙯𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙮…and as difficult as it may be, I intend to do just that for her.

Update

Nine weeks go, on Wednesday, August 30th 2023, Limoncello was given a terminal diagnosis. Her estimated prognosis was 3 weeks to 3 months…with the realistic approximation weighing heavily at the three-week end. For the last two months, Limoncello has certainly 𝙎𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 heck out of each and every 𝘿𝙖𝙮. Aside from the initial observation of what we first thought was an irritated right eye which led to her diagnosis, in the last 9 weeks, not only she has she shown zero additional symptoms, but her right eye also seemed to miraculously transform back to its normal state.

Cello’s right eye this week (left) in comparison to 9 weeks ago after her diagnosis (right)

She traveled out to Iowa, and enthusiastically competed in the DockDogs World Championships.

Cello enthusiastically waiting in line for her turn to jump at the World Championships

Limoncello’s competition jump at the World Championships (vid cred: Kevin Johnson)

We are extremely grateful for these last 9 weeks!

A couple of days after our return from Iowa, Limoncello developed a dry cough. It did not sound like kennel cough and none of our other pack members were displaying any symptoms. When the cough persisted, we took Cello to her primary veterinarian. Although Cello was not exhibiting the typical kennel cough symptoms, Dr. Campbell put Limoncello on an antibiotic to be sure any type of infection would be avoided. Cello’s overall exam was unremarkable. Her heart sounded to be at its “normal” function with her murmur sounding no worse. Her lungs sounded clear. However, over the the course of her antibiotic, our other pack members still remained asymptomatic, while Limoncello’s cough did not diminish.

October 29, 2023: First observation of nasal discharge. Limoncello’s right nostril had a discharge of mucus that also contained some blood. Although alarming, we were prepared that this was one of the symptoms we would see. We contacted Dr. Campbell right away to update her.

October 26, 2023: Cello has never been a picky eater… In fact, she is the type of dog that will eat an”unhidden” pill right out of your hand and not question it. She eats every meal and licks the bowl clean. On October 26th, Limoncello hesitated to eat her breakfast. She eventually did eat the meal, but began to grow increasingly hesitant to eat. After several experiments of food consistency toleration, and height elevations of her bowl, I began to notice that it appeared to be the bowl she was hesitant of (meanwhile her food bowl has not changed). I began to offer her the meals from my hand, and she began to eat her meals in their entirety again.

October 31, 2023: I touched base with Dr. Campbell again to inform her of the change in eating habit, as well as to let her know that Cello’s cough has not resolved. Dr. Campbell said the cough may mean that Cello either has mucus or blood dripping into her throat or that the cancer has spread to her lungs. It is uncertain why all of the sudden Limoncello will not eat from her bowl, but Dr. Campbell speculated that the height and/or angle of eating from the bowl may create a pressure or discomfort of some sort which is deterring Cello. The important detail is that she still is eager to eat – and if that means I need to hand-feed her for the rest of the time we have with her, so be it. Later that evening, evening we once again noticed a minimal amount of discharge from Cello’s right nostril that contained a small amount of blood.

Until now, I have been shocked that Hooch has not been acting any different. In the past, ANY time there has been something wrong with Cello (including her DCM), Hooch knew it before we did and would display odd behaviors that led us to take Cello to the vet. This time however, “Dr. Hooch” has been unfazed…unti… Limoncello was laying next to me on the couch. Hooch walked up and began to sniff her right nostril and her right eye. This was an additional confirmation to me that there are obvious changes and/or developments occurring with Cello’s cancer. Hooch then “stood guard” of Cello the rest of the night.

November 1, 2023: The good news is, as of today, Cello has not had any additional discharge from her nostril and is eating as long as her meals are delivered from my hands and not her bowl. Close observation, documentation, and communication with Dr. Campbell are all extremely important at this point. Continued prayers for Limoncello are very much appreciated as she continues to 𝑺𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒛𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒚 and live her life to the fullest despite her cancer diagnosis.

Anticipatory Grief

As Limoncello begins to show signs decline, we are remaining vigilant in observing when more bad days than good are apparent. We are beyond grateful that we have Dr. Campbell to be Cello’s advocate and to help us determine when Cello becomes too tired. We still are remaining positive and grateful for every day we have with Cello, focussing on the “little” moments that are creating memories, and letting Cello call the shots. I’m not going to lie – the anticipation is not easy. In fact, some days it feels like I am sitting on train tracks waiting for the locomotive to hit. Preparing for the blow that I know is coming is both sad and terrifying. Brian and I are doing our absolute best to follow Cello’s lead to 𝙎𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙯𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙮 every day and not let our feelings of grief take over before the loss even happens. Above all, we are trying to take things one day at a time. We understand that at this point, Limoncello will have good days and bad days and that as her caretakers and family, we will have good days and bad days also.

The Struggle Is Real, But So Are The Blessings

Some days are truly a struggle. However, we truly have so many blessings in our lives … Here are just some from the past few weeks:

Support at the 2023 DockDogs World Championships

“Thank you” doesn’t even come close to expressing the gratitude we have. There is nothing – and I mean NOTHING like the DockDogs community….

Our trip was filled with support, love, friendship and reunions within our dockdogs family. I’m not sure where to even begin, as it is impossible to find the proper words to convey all that I feel. I don’t think that I am even capable of being a good enough person to figure out a way to thank everyone involved in helping our special girl 𝑺𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒛𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒚 and make the most of the present 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡. To everyone who took the time to come up to us to tell us how happy you were that Cello was there … you ALL turned an already-very-special-week into one-big-spectacular-𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 that will forever be cherished and 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 be forgotten.

We had less than 24 hours from the time we had Limoncello’s exam to the time we had to leave for Iowa, not knowing if we’d be able to make the trip or not. Understanding there was a good possibility we we’d have to cancel the trip, I chose to only purchase the necessities- food for ourselves and the dogs – skipping the usual team shirts, banners, and trading cards…But our DockDogs family would not have that … As a surprise, a friend had shirts made not only for us – but for anyone else who wanted to support Cello. It was so heartwarming to see all the Cello-yellow both at the competition and in posts from afar!!!

… but that wasn’t all…

…We arrived to the competition to find a sign and banner, and trading cards were made …

…Yellow bracelets were purchased, and lemon string-lights decorated our crate area…

…Yellow Super Fly suits were made for our team as well as others who chose to wear one in support of Cello…

…We were also gifted a custom handmade metal team sign…

…a friend and fellow Pointer Rescue, Org volunteer traveled many hours to come visit with Cello…

The kind and generous gestures overwhelmed our hearts and made this trip filled with moments that we will remember forever.

Grand Marshall of the 2023 DockDogs World Championships

Leader of the 2023 DockDogs World Championships Hero Parade

Visits from Family and Friends

Watching MLB Championship Series

Snuggles on the Couch

Halloween

Lemons and Yellow in My Social Media Feed Or sent to me from a Friend

I will continue to do periodic updates on Limoncello and appreciate all of the love and support you all continue to send for our special girl!

NEVER GIVE UP: 3 Weeks Post-Diagnosis

Posted on September 20, 2023 by Cello's Corner | 6 Comments

A part of never giving up means making the most of every single moment – – and in typical Limoncello fashion, she is schooling us on how to do exactly that….

Weekly PUPdate

We as humans have so much to learn from dogs…Dogs live each and every day with a sense of excitement…with a 🍋 zest for life. They are resilient and move forward despite the challenges they face. Today marks three weeks-post diagnosis (8/30/23), and yet Limoncello continues to show pretty much zero symptoms outside of her right eye looking slightly larger than the left. Although that makes me happy, if I’m going to be honest… I need to share that the past three weeks have been stressful to say the least. Upon diagnosis, Limoncello was given only a-few-weeks to a-few-months to live. I feel like this cancer has left us feeling much like we did when Porter and Jägermeister’s seizures were not under control – it’s like living with a ticking time bomb … never knowing when it’s going to “explode” … never knowing when that seizure or nosebleed is going to dreadfully emerge…Waking up each morning wondering if that day will be her last. Despite efforts to remain positive and have faith, the worries still find a way to slither their way into my mind, especially leading up to her 3-week check-up. However, I am (cautiously) relieved to share this week’s report!

September 19, 2023: Three Week Check Up With Primary Veterinarian

Limoncello saw our primary veterinarian, Dr. Campbell, on September 19th.

Observations I Shared:

Cello’s activity level, eating/drinking habits and behavior have not changed at all
- Dr. Campbell was happy to hear this.
Cello has begun to sneeze periodically, which is new for her – but we were told to expect this, and luckily there has been no bleeding that has accompanied the sneezing
I thought I was crazy to think her right eye looked better than it did three weeks ago…
- Dr. Campbell agreed that she thought Cello’s eye looked better as well!

Evaluations During Exam:

The following have had no decline/changes:

signs of discomfort
left nostril airflow (right nostril is blocked by tumor)
heart murmur
facial bones and skull
mouth, throat, and swallowing
right eye

My Questions:

When should see Cello be seen next?
- suggested time frame was 2-3 weeks
Can we review what we are we watching out for?
- seizures
- discharge from nostrils
- nosebleeds
- swallowing with effort
- snuffling
- squinting
- teeth chattering
Can we get a letter to submit to DockDogs so that we could request a reimbursement for Cello’s World Championship entry fees due to her medical condition?
- When I heard the words come out of Dr. Campbell’s mouth, it took my breath away and immediately the tears began to flow: “I think you should go. She deserves one last jump.” (Insert ugly crying here)! Dr. Cambell said that because Cello surprisingly did not show the decline that was expected in the last 3 weeks, it is highly likely there will not be a drastic decline in the upcoming next few weeks – although we have to understand that anything is possible of course. BUT, if she’s doing well and feeling good, why not let her do what she loves … revel in what she created for our family… and jump at the World Championship one more time?! Since Cello has had no decline and her exam went well, her previous restriction of not jumping off the dock has been lifted at the moment and for as long as it is deemed safe for her to do so.

If we go to the World Championships in Iowa, we take the chance of an emergency happening on the road, and although because of past experience, it has become one of our biggest fears, that emergency could (or could NOT!) happen anytime, anywhere. The last thing we want to do is just “sit around and wait” when we could be making the most of Limoncello’s enjoyable moments.

I will have to plan and pack as if we are going to the World Championship with the mindset of knowing we could have to cancel at any given moment – including less than 24 hours before we’d have to leave. Limoncello will have to remain asymptomatic and she will also have an exam again with Dr. Campbell on October 6th. If all goes well again at that exam, we will leave early on the morning of October 7th to what very well may be the most memorable and meaningful trip our team as a whole has taken.

I have done zero planning for the World Championships, considering we had already resigned to the fact that we couldn’t go…So we won’t have new fancy team shirts, or cool trading cards for our pack, but what we will have is 2 of the greatest gifts of all: Limoncello making most likely her last jump while battling cancer, and Lager competing as a survivor. We have had some pretty amazing moments, awards, and accomplishments at the World Championships over the years, but THIS, my friends, will truly rival them all. No award…no nomination…no victory can or will ever fill our hearts with a greater sense of pride and gratitude than seeing Cello flipping cancer the paw and doing what she loves most…rockin’ the dock one last time! Fingers and paws crossed that we are able to make the trip.

The Best Thing About Memories is Making Them

A devastating diagnosis is a jolting wake-up call that reminds us that time is precious and not meant to be wasted. Live every day making every moment count. Even though cancer can eventually take loved ones away from us, the one thing it can never steal from us is our memories…so make LOTS of them. Here are some I made with Limoncello this week:

Bike Ride Around Town

Betty White’s First Off Road Adventure

Chillin’ on the Couch with Brother Hooch

National Cheeseburger Day

Visiting with Friends and Family

PUPpuccino

National String Cheese Day

With Gratitude

I am a true believer in the power of positivity – and it is extremely apparent that Limoncello is feeling the prayers and good vibes you all have been sending. Brian and I appreciate each and every one of you.

Here are a few gifts from this week:

Box of Sunshine

Care Box for the Whole Pack

Cello-Yellow Flowers and Cookies

No News is Good News

If Limoncello continues to do well, my plan is to post an update after her October 6th exam instead of a weekly update next week. Until then, please continue to send those positive thoughts Cello’s way, and don’t forget to keep making those memories with your loved ones!

2 Weeks Post-Diagnosis (8/30/23)

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Weekly PUPdate

Another week to be thankful for – – Limoncello continues to reveal no symptoms other than her right eye looking slightly irregular. Her eye does not look any worse, her activity level is normal, and she is eating and drinking as usual. Tuesday she will have a check-up with her primary veterinarian.

“We Don’t Remember Days, We Remember Moments“

~Cesare Pavese

I never really thought about it…but you never know when you are making memories, do you? Limoncello’s diagnosis made me realize that without even being aware of it – everything we do in our daily schedule is a live recording of memories-in-the-making. It’s easy to get wrapped up into social media and focusing on “post-worthy” events/photos/videos that often overpower other important moments in life. Sometimes life is just to busy to realize that everyday activities that appear to mean nothing at the time, actually turn out to mean EVERYTHING when a devastating diagnosis is delivered. If there is even a positive that can come out of a situation like this, it’s that it sure does make you slow down and focus on being grateful for the routine things that tend to go unnoticed because they become ordinary, unremarkable activities…it makes you appreciate each and every moment in your day – because all those little things…all those non-post-worthy moments…are about to become the most important and significant memories you’ll have with those you love…

Memorable Moments Made This Week

Lake Time

We were given the “go-ahead” to let Limoncello swim in the lake if she enters at her own will. Although we will miss tossing a toy for her, we are grateful that she can still enjoy one of her most-loved activities.

Family Visits

Limoncello is enjoying being the center of attention when visitors come to see her.

Breakfast at Evergreen Dairy Bar

Any M. Night Shyamalan fans out there? One of his latest movies, “Knock at the Cabin” was filmed extremely close to us here in the Pine Barrens. One of the scenes towards the end of the movie was shot at one of our favorite breakfast and ice cream spots: Evergreen Dairy Bar. For the movie, Evergreen’s name was changed to “Angie’s Roadside Diner.”

Limoncello enjoyed a scrambled egg with bacon.

Pointer Piles on the Couch

Shopping at Tractor Supply

Walks Around the Neighborhood

Dollar Tree Find

I stopped into a dollar store for something totally unrelated, and my eye caught something yellow! Brian and I always enjoy a glass of wine at the end of each night. These lemon themed wine glasses will help us remember to toast to Cello each night

Cheering on the Philadelphia Phillies

Porch Sittin’

Car Ride Around Town

Thank You For Accompanying Cello On Her Journey

Good company on a difficult journey … it lessens our fear and fills our minds and hearts with the hope, faith, and courage needed to uphold the strength needed to support Limoncello with a positive tone and light spirit . We deeply appreciate the kindness, support, and love that our friends, family, and community continues to offer during this difficult and uncertain time. Your post comments, private messages, and phone calls help to ease our stress and brighten’s Limoncello’s days. Your support is a majority of the fuel that keeps us going strong on this difficult path. Thank you all…for everything.

Limoncello Profile Pictures

Friends changed their Facebook profile pictures in support of Cello.

Surprise Chewy Box!

Another Surprise Chewy Box!

Dock Diving Friends Jumping for Cello at Their Dock Diving Competitions

Collection for Chase Away Canine Cancer

Chase Away Canine Cancer is an organization that is near and dear to our hearts. This organization was created in memory of a canine dock diving competitor named Chase. Chase Away Canine Cancer’s passion and commitment is to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of this terrible disease.

Care Package from Amazon

Jack’s Firehouse, Philadelphia, PA

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Located in the Fairmount Neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA, and set in a 19th century firehouse, Jack’s Firehouse is definitely worth a visit! Jack’s Firehouse is located directly across from Eastern State Penitentiary on Fairmount Avenue.

Even though we sat at the dog-friendly outdoor seating area, Brian and I each took a moment to explore the inside of this unique establishment. Most of the original mahogany interior, wooden plank flooring, and yes, even the brass fire pole are still intact! There is also a racing shell suspended over top the bar.

What great history this place has! The fire company that originally occupied Jack’s was Truck A, now referred to as Ladder Company 1 and located on Parish Street in Philadelphia. Truck A was the first paid Philadelphia Fire Department in 1871.

We enjoyed a glass of wine and ordered the Calamari with Hot Pepper Chips, Carrots, and Hot Lava – and it was absolutely amazing! We enjoyed being able to take in the historic, yet sometimes eerie views of Eastern State Penitentiary.

Cello visited here on April 27, 2014.

Margarita visited here on August 19, 2019.

Urban Saloon, Philadelphia, PA

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Located in the Fairmount Neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA on Fairmount Avenue, Urban Saloon has outdoor seating, is dog-friendly (they even bring our a bowl of water for your pup!) and is situated directly across from Eastern State Penitentiary.

Margarita visited here in 2019

Cello was here on April 27, 2014!

“Not a worry in the world, a PBR on the way – Life is good today. Life is good today.” ~ Zac Brown Band

It was exciting, yet eerie to enjoy a glass of wine at their outdoor seating area while gazing at the historic Eastern State Penitentiary.

8 Years Old

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Cello’s 8th Birthday

March 14, 2019

Birthday breakfast: Homemade mini quiche, sausage links, and watermelon

Birthday dinner: Spinach-and-cheese stuffed braciole, steamed broccoli, and tangerine

Birthday dessert: Mini carrot cakes

Birthday fun: Swimming at Green Leaf Pet Resort!

If Life Gives You Lemons, Make Limoncello: Cello’s Early Retirement

Posted on March 23, 2018 by Cello's Corner | 4 Comments

If life gives you lemons, make Limoncello!

As the start of our 2018 Dock Diving season quickly approaches, we wanted to share the following with our family, friends and followers:

After some recent testing, Limoncello was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (a heart disease that causes dilation and poor contractility of the heart muscle). It was also discovered that Cello also has two leaky heart valves. After a long and difficult discussion with our veterinarian, it was determined that the best choice for Cello at this time is to retire her from dock diving.

Although we are disappointed that Cello’s dock diving career has come to an end, we are focusing our energy on celebrating her dock diving journey and how it has positively impacted our lives: her many notable accomplishments, the abundance of joy it has brought us, the amazing people we have met, the incredible dogs we have seen, the spectacular places we have visited, and the unforgettable memories we will continue to cherish. …We have SO MUCH to be grateful for because of Cello!

Without Cello on the dock this year, it will be an emotional dock diving season for sure. However, we are so thankful that because of the knowledge, expertise, and advice of Cello’s veterinarian and cardiologist, we were made aware of her condition before the season began. We are also looking at this unfortunate news as a positive opportunity to explore less intense bonding activities with Cello such as Barn Hunt, Nose Work, and Rally. We fondly anticipate learning new things, setting new goals, overcoming new challenges, traveling to new places, meeting more wonderful people, and building additional priceless memories. But above of all – we look forward to the many years of love and companionship we will treasure with Cello.

Even if we don’t understand why at this point, we are firm believers in “change is good” and “all things happen for a reason.” We are hopeful and eager to discover what new adventures will be had as Cello once again broadens our path. However, if Cello decides that in her early retirement she’d rather just relax, we welcome that change-of-pace as well.

Hooch and Lager will still be on the dock this year. We look forward to seeing our dock diving family this season.

The Dock Diving Diva’s Personal Bests:

•Big Air (on camera): 25’0”
•Extreme Vertical: 5’6”
•Speed Retrieve: 7.371 seconds
•Iron Dog: 2869.62 points
*2016 DockDogs #1 Warrior Iron Dog in the World

Photo credit: Precise Video Productions

Somewhere Over The Rainbow(s)

Posted on July 1, 2017 by Cello's Corner | 6 Comments

“Count your rainbows, not your thunderstorms.” ~ Alyssa Knight

We were lucky enough to see a DOUBLE rainbow from our porch this summer!

Limoncello

National Limerick Day

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Cello's Corner | 1 Comment

National Limerick Day is celebrated annually on May 12, and celebrates the birthday of English artist, illustrator, author and poet Edward Lear, known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and limericks.

National Limerick Day also celebrates the limerick poem. Limerick poems were popularized by Edward Lear’s book “Book of Nonsense.”

A limerick is a very short, humorous, nonsense poem. A limerick has five lines. The first two lines rhyme with the fifth line and the third and fourth line rhyme together.

Here is an example:

THERE WAS A YOUNG LADY
By Edward Lear

There was a Young Lady whose chin
Resembled the point of a pin;
So she had it made sharp, and purchased a harp,
And played several tunes with her chin.

Here at Cello’s Corner we thought it would be fun to try and create a Limerick about Limoncello. So on May 12, I did my best on writing my first Limerick:

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Barn Hunt Trial: Pawsable K-9 Events, Millstone Township, NJ

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Our second Barn Hunt Association trial was held at Pawsable K-9 Events.

Both Limoncello and Margarita did very well this weekend! Both gals ran 2 Novice runs, and both secured one qualifying Novice score toward their Novice title. The Novice level requires the dogs to find the tube containing the rat, complete a tunnel, and have all-fours up on a hay bale (in no particular order) within two minutes. Cello and Rita will need two more qualifying scores to earn their Novice title.

Margarita

Instinct Run: Qualified! 13.53 seconds (new Personal Best!)

*For those of you wondering why we participated at the Instinct level when Rita is already titled at this level, you are allowed to still do an Instinct run to get your pup warmed up as long as the dog has not titled in Novice.

Novice Run 1: Qualified! 1:44.71 seconds

Novice Run 2: Rita completed the tunnel, and before she could attempt the hay bale climb, Jenny jumped-the-gun and called the wrong

location of the rat.

Rita’s First Qualifying Novice Score Ribbon!

Limoncello

Instinct Run: Brian called the wrong location of the rat.

*For those of you wondering why we participated at the Instinct level when Cello is already titled at this level, you are allowed to still do an Instinct run to get your pup warmed up as long as the dog has not titled in Novice.

Novice Run 1: Qualified! 1:50.82 seconds

Novice Run 2: Cello executed the tunnel and the hay bale climb, but Brian called the wrong location of the rat.

Brian and Cello in Novice Run 2:

Cello’s First Qualifying Novice Score Ribbon!

Overall, we had a fun day, and enjoyed Barn Hunt with our two little gals!

5 Yrs

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Happy 5th Birthday to Limoncello!

Over this past year, Cello has:

qualified and competed in the DockDogs World Championship
welcomed a new brother (Lager) AND and a new sister (Margarita) in to the house!

The Liver Killers: Dock Diving 2015 Season in Review

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

THE LIVER KILLERS 2015 DOCK DIVING SEASON IN REVIEW!

The dock diving season technically ends in mid-October, with the World Championships being held in November. We have officially completed our season, and what a season we had!

Cello had and absolutely incredible season, earning an invite to the World Championships in every discipline possible!
We thought Hooch would never jump – not only did he jump – he entertained everyone with the “Hoochie Hop” – -but only for a short time as he soared to over 24 feet in just 6 months of diving at a mere 1 year old! Hooch also ranked #1 German Shorthaired Pointer for Big Air in the United States, and 2nd GSP in the WORLD – by less than an inch!
Lager came in to our lives unexpectedly, and without any training, and jumped like a boss, earning an invitation to the World Championships after participating in just 2 national events!
Limoncello was offered a sponsorship from TurboPUP.
Cello and Hooch made the front page of the top local newspapers
News teams came to our house to do features on Cello, Hooch, and Lager – and they all made the top TV news channels with their stories.
Cello and Hooch had a story published in a world-wide published magazine.
Lager had a story published in a local magazine.

TOMMY D’s LIMONCELLO

Brian’s main goal this season was to earn an invitation to the World Championship with Cello in Warrior Division Iron Dog (a combined averaged score of Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve). Not only did Brian and Cello achieve this goal, they did so very early in the season at the Wild Card event at Cabela’s in West Virginia during the month of May!

Little did we know that was just the beginning of Cello’s road to Worlds! Brian and Cello went on to earn an invite in Speed Retrieve (also earned at the Wild Card event at Cabela’s in West Virginia)

But that’s not where Cello’s invites ended! She earned an invite for Dueling Dogs, after participating in that discipline for the first time ever at the Mid Atlantic Regionals, held at Shipps Corner Pet Spa in Virginia Beach.

At the end of the season, we found out her rankings from sanctioned facility events also earned her an invite in Extreme Vertical, as well as Big Air!

OVERALL WORLD RANKINGS:

BIG AIR:
- 5th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Master Titled
- 23′ 3″ average

SPEED RETRIEVE:
- 2nd ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Express Titled
- 7.964 average

EXTREME VERTICAL:
- 4th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Cadet Titled
- 5′ 2″ average

IRON DOG:
- 2nd ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Warrior Titled
- 2754.67 average

UNITED STATES OVERALL RANKINGS:

BIG AIR:
- 4th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Master Titled
- 22’3″ average

SPEED RETRIEVE:
- 2nd ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Express Titled
- 7.964 average

EXTREME VERTICAL:
- 4th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Cadet Titled
- 5’2″ average

IRON DOG:
- #1 ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Warrior Titled
- 2754.67 average

Cello ended the season with an injury. While competing at the indoor event at the Pittsburgh Pet Expo in Pittsburgh, PA, Cello slipped on the wet floor, and strained muscles in her neck and front leg. Unfortunately this meant pain meds and lots of rest during the 2 weeks leading up to Worlds. We are hopeful that she will be be back to 100% for the World Championship competition.

Windy Spot’s Homemade Hooch

As a puppy, Hooch wanted NOTHING to do with water of any sort. He slowly began to realize water wasn’t so bad, and cautiously went into our lake and into a baby pool. The weather quickly became what was to be the coldest, snowiest winter we’ve ever had, and access to water became difficult. We took Hooch to some indoor pools, were he felt comfortable jumping in at the water’s edge. However, when he found himself up on a regulation dock, which sits 2 feet above the water, Hooch gave dock diving a second thought. Hooch kicked off his dock diving career in January being very hesitant on the dock. He would run down the dock, get to the edge and “teeter” for a long while – sometimes not jumping and timing-out, and other times projecting himself off the edge of the dock as if he had springs in his back legs, only landing a few feet into the water! He quickly became a crowd favorite with his “Hoochie Hop,” as the crowd waited in anticipation to see if he would POP off the dock…or not! By about April, he was “hopping” out to about 7-8 feet, still hesitating, and still choosing not to jump at times. By May we discovered that with Jenny running down the dock with him, Hooch would hesitate less. This technique got Hooch leaping up to 17 – 18 feet by the beginning of June. By mid June we had switched to the “Place and Send” method, bringing Hooch to the very back of the dock (Thank you Frank Moraff for forcing me to do this!!) With that change came great results. Hooch jumped 21 feet in mid-June, and by the end of June soared 23’8″ and earned his invitation to Worlds at 13 months old ! By July, Hooch jumped his current personal best, 24’2″, and also earned a second invitation to the World Championship for Cadet Division Extreme Vertical. In September, Hooch was nominated for “Most Improved” for the Golden Paw Awards, held at the Gala during The World Championship celebration, and was voted to be one of the finalists for the award.

Here is my absolute favorite video from this season: It captures Hooch’s progression from being fearful of water, to his 23+ ft jump that earned him his Big Air Invite to the World Championship!

OVERALL WORLD RANKINGS:

BIG AIR:
- 2nd ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Elite Titled
- 23′ 7.4 ” average

EXTREME VERTICAL:
- 2nd ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Cadet Titled
- 5′ 10.7″ average

UNITED STATES OVERALL RANKINGS:

BIG AIR:
- #1 ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Elite Titled
- 23′ 7.4 ” average

EXTREME VERTICAL:
- 4th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Cadet Titled
- 5’2″ average

Brogan’s American Lager

Lager came home with us on August 23, apparently born to be a dock diver, not an Explosives Detection Canine! When the training company who had Lager (known then as Nayt) saw how much he loved the water, they contacted DockDogs in hopes to find a family who were familiar with the breed, had access to water for him to swim, and would promise to get him dock diving. Read the full story on how Lager became a part of our pack by clicking HERE! The first day Lager came home, he was exposed to water, and had no fear of the lake, or jumping off the dock. He had a perfect sit-stay, and seemed like he came to us with the Big Air discipline of dock diving mastered! In less than a week’s time, Lager also picked up on Extreme Vertical, easily grabbing the bumper on our home rig. Lager competed in just 2 national level events, and earned himself an invitation to the World Championships in Big Air!

OVERALL WORLD RANKINGS:

BIG AIR:
- 9th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Senior Titled
- 19′ 10.4″ average

UNITED STATES OVERALL RANKINGS:

BIG AIR:
- 7th ranked German Shorthaired Pointer
- Senior Titled
- 19′ 10.4″ average

GIVING BACK:

The Liver Killers are also happy to report that through their 2015 winnings, an abundance of food, toys, and supplies were donated to the Animal Orphanage of Voorhees, NJ, and over $1,100 was donated to the GSP Rescue of NJ!

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS THIS SEASON:

Newspaper articles:
- Courier Post: Front page!
  - http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2015/08/21/south-jersey-dogs-leap-national-dock-diving-ranks/32139705/
- Central Record: Front page of the Sports section!
  - http://www.southjerseylocalnews.com/articles/2015/09/03/sports/doc55e86619126ee409517699.txt?viewmode=fullstory
- Medford Sun: Front page!
  - http://medfordsun.com/2015/06/17/medford-pooch-cello-competes-in-dock-diving-competitions-around-the-country/

TV News:
- Channel 6 ABC:
  - Full story and news clip video: http://6abc.com/pets/2-south-jersey-dogs-are-national-dock-diving-champs/965961/
- Fox 29:
  - Full story and news clip video: http://www.fox29.com/news/29140110-story

Magazines:
- Bark Magazine: http://celloscorner.com/2015/08/15/limoncello-and-hooch-in-the-bark-magazine/
- South Jersey Magazine: http://www.southjerseymagazine.com/articles/?articleid=1650

WORLDS BLING:

In preparation for The Liver Killers World Championship competition in Dubuque, Iowa in November, we ordered some cool team gear:

Team Shirts and and Hoodies from CustomInk

When Custom Ink found out that The Liver Killers donate all their cash prizes to the GSP Rescue of NJ , they made a donation to the rescue in honor of Cello’s Corner and The Liver Killers! How cool is that?!

Window decals for our vehicles from Vistaprint

Car magnets from Vistaprint

Team banner from Half Price Banners

And of course, “pawtograph” cards – made by our friend, Mandy!

After the season our team has had, it won’t matter to us what happens at Worlds – we are beyond proud of all three of our pups- and overjoyed that we have the opportunity to share this experience as a family!

As we begin to pack for our big adventure, we continue to reflect back on the amazing season these pups had. We will cherish every memory – the highs and lows – the laughter and the tears – the (very) early mornings – the late nights watching EV under the lights – and the comradery shared with friends at events. We are truly blessed to be part of such a great community (humans and animals alike). Never have we met such a large group of the nicest people who not only strive to improve within their own team, but will at the same time stop and help other fellow competitors to enhance their game, and applaud fellow opponents just as enthusiastically as they cheer on their own dog. The patience, advice, support, and guidance we have received from friends, family, fellow competitors, and social media followers is overwhelming, and greatly appreciated. Thank you all for being part of this thrilling escapade with us. We look forward to writing the next chapter of this adventure together!

Ocean County Decoy and Gunning Show, Hosted by Delmarva DockDogs, Tuckerton, NJ

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

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The Ocean County Decoy and Gunning Show is one of our favorite competitions to attend. This event was the first DockDogs event in which Brian and Cello competed in 2013, when we met Annie, Matt, and Bailey from The Little GSP! Not only is it very close to our home, but the GSP Rescue of NJ also sets up a table here – and they are one of just many REALLY cool vendors at this large festival. We especially love that we can compete, and still volunteer the pups as donation dogs in between their jumps! This was also an especially thrilling event, because Lager won First Place in Senior Division Big Air finals! Another exciting part of this event, is that a friend and fellow GSP Rescue of NJ volunteer, Jen C. , as well as Jenny’s sister Dana, both jumped Cello… AND got medals!

: Lager and Jenny with Lager’s 1st Place winnings

: GSP Rescue Volunteer, Jen

: Jenny’s sister, Dana and Cello with their 2nd Place medal

LIMONCELLO:

Big Air:

21’9″ 22’3″

Finals: 22’5 22’2″ 4th Place Elite

: Jen C and Cello

: Dana and Cello

Extreme Vertical:

5’2″ 3rd Place Cadet

Speed Retrieve:

7.972 seconds 5th Place Turbo

**FIRST PLACE WARRIOR IRON DOG!

HOOCH:

Big Air:

23’3″ 20’11” 2nd Place Elite

22’0″ 21’9″

22’2″ 22’5″

Finals: 22′ 7″ 23’4″ Third Place Elite

LAGER:

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Big Air:

16′ 19’0″ 2nd Place Senior

18’6″ 18’11” 2nd Place Senior

18’2″ 18’6″ 1st Place Senior

Finals: 19’8″ 19’5″ 1st Place Senior

Extreme Vertical:

5’10” 1st Place Cadet

We were extremely proud of all 3 of our pups! They earned several awesome ribbons and medals!

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The Liver Killers were pretty exhausted after performing so well, and slept in a Pointer Pile the whole way home!

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Hebron Harvest Fair, Hebron, CT: Wild Card Event

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 1 Comment

We chose to add this event to our list in order to try and secure a DockDogs World Championship invite for Lager.

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LIMONCELLO:

Big Air:

22’2″ 21’5″ 1st Place Master

20’6″ 21’4″ 2nd Place Master

20’9″ 20’11” 3rd Place Master

20’0″ 20’4″ 1st Place Master

Finals: 18’11’ 21’7″ 2nd Place Pro

Extreme Vertical:

Cello did not do Extreme Vertical at this event.

Speed Retrieve

8.190 First Place Express

HOOCH:

Big Air:

20’11” 21’5″

22’5″ 22’11”

20’9″ 20’5″

Finals: 20’10” 20’11” 4th Place Pro

Extreme Vertical:

6’2″ 4th Place Top Gun

LAGER:

Big Air:

21’3″ 20’0″

19’2″ 18’9″ Third Place Senior

17’11” 19’0″ First Place Senior

16’0″ 18’9″

13’3″ 18’0″ First Place Senior

Finals: 19’4″ 5th Place Semi Pro

Extreme Vertical:

6’4″ 3rd Place Top Gun !! Amazing!

Lager JUST missed getting an invite to the World Championships at this event – but we were so SO proud of him and his performance!

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Coo-Coo for Coconut Cookies!

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Cello and Hooch are coo-coo for coconut, so I decided to try a new recipe that includes both coconut oil and coconut flour. These treats are organic and grain-free.

Coo-Coo for Coconut Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup broth (I make my own from boiling Bison meat from Whole Foods). If you do not make your own, be sure that the broth has no traces of onion or onion powder in it.
¼ cup organic coconut oil
¼ cup canned organic pumpkin (100% pumpkin – NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1⅓ cups organic tapioca flour
⅓ cup organic coconut flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons organic ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon organic fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use parchment paper to line a baking sheet.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth and coconut oil to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the pumpkin.
In a large bowl, stir together the tapioca flour, coconut flour, sea salt, yeast, flaxseed and parsley. Pour the broth mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until no traces of dry ingredients remain (the dough will become stiff).
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, to about ¼-inch thickness, and cut into desired shapes. I cut mine into 1-2 inch squares.
Transfer parchment paper with cut treats to the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, leave the treats in the oven and crack the oven door until they are cooled completely (this will help them dry out a bit, and make them crunchy). Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month, or in the freezer to keep longer.

Original recipe from Primally Inspired

Brimstone Hill Vineyard: Pine Bush, NY

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Our last stop on the Shawangunk Wine Trail – – Brimstone Hill Vineyard, located in Pine Bush, NY.

Brimstone Hill has been in operation for 30 years, and has a great list of wines to choose from. We did a wine tasting here.

The vineyard is 13 acres, and the small winery building houses a cozy dog-friendly 2nd-floor tasting room overlooking the vines.

Overall, we had wonderful experiences at each of the wineries we visited on the Shawangunk Wine Trail!

Whitecliff Vineyard: Gardiner, NY

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Our next-to-last visit at White Cliff Vineyard on the Shawangunk Wine Trail was yet another great experience.

Whitecliff is an artisanal, family run winery fashioned by the current owners and founders from the ground up, in what was an empty field thirty years ago.

The view of the White Cliffs from the tasting room patio was magnificent!

Arriving at the winery, there was a driveway lined with artistically painted doors – really cool! This driveway leads you right through the heart of the vineyard.

They had a great list of wines to choose from here! The dogs were allowed in the tasting room – but with this view, who wants to sit INside?!

Check out the storm drain!

Currently, White Cliff Vineyard is one of the largest vineyards in the Hudson Valley, with over 20 varieties of grapes planted in their vineyard.

We enjoyed the wine, the dog-friendly atmosphere, and the view at this vineyard!

Adair Vineyards: New Paltz, NY

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

The wineries along the Shawangunk Wine Trail just keep getting cooler!

Adair Vineyards, located in New Paltz, New York, is housed in a 200+ year old barn, once occupied by cows and horses.

The winery has a stream running by with the Shawangunk Mountains in the background.

The winery also supports several animal related charities including:

Pets Alive Animal Sanctuary: a no-kill animal rescue, located in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, This organization’s mission is to improve the lives of companion animals everywhere by any means possible, including rescue, adoption, advocacy, collaboration, intervention and education.
The Sato Project: dedicated to rescuing abandoned & abused dogs from Puerto Rico. They have rescued and rehabilitated over 1,200 dogs, and are working towards systemic change through education and partnerships on the Island.

The tasting room and gift shop are located in the loft of the barn and the wine making area is below – and dogs are allowed inside!

We decided to do a wine tasting here, as this winery had many interesting wines to choose from!

The loft of the barn – the tasting room – was really neat!

This winery was truly a unique experience!

Stoutridge Vineyard: Marlboro, NY

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Continuing along the Shawangunk Wine Trail, we came across Stoutridge Vineyard. This winery is located in Marlboro, New York, which is about 70 miles north of Manhattan, and located in the Hudson Valley.

Stoutridge Vineyards is built on the historical foundations of vineyards planted in the late 1700’s. The old winery’s foundation wall is all that remains of the historic structure. You can see it in the above picture, as it is now the beautiful front wall for the Stoutridge tasting room patio.

This is a very unique winery!

Many of the wines and spirits at Stoutridge are locally grown, and all are from New York State sourced fruits and grains. The winery is built into a hillside, and the wine cellars are underground. This establishment uses entirely solar generated electricity, and utilizes the heat off of their stills to heat the building in the winter through a radiant system built into the floor. How cool is that?!

Stoutridge is also what’s known as a “gravity winery,” meaning the never use pumps or filters in their wine making. In addition, they do minimal chemical processing to their wines. Stoutridge does not not “fine” their wines with gelatins, tannins or clays, doesn’t add water or sugar, or chemically adjust the acidity of their wines. They also do not add sulfites or sorbates to the wines after they are made. All of this means that the wines are pretty much unprocessed, and in a very natural state. All Stoutridge wines are sold exclusively at the winery, so that they can make their wines using less processing, and retain higher levels of naturally occurring antioxidants in the wines.

We enjoyed a glass of wine on the great tasting room patio with the pups, although the dogs were allowed inside the tasting room at Stoutridge.

Benmarl Winery: Marlboro, NY

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

After our awesome beer sampling at Rushing Duck Brewery, we continued along the Shawangunk Wine Trail to Benmarl Winery in Marlboro, NY.

The setting is a 37 acre estate that overlooks the historic Hudson River Valley. The grounds were stunning!

This winery had delicious wines, also was very dog friendly. The allowed Cello and Hooch to come inside to the tasting room – this was Hooch’s very first time INside of a winery’s tasting room!

The inside of the winery was really unique as well!

This winery was SO neat! So far, we are very much enjoying the Shawangunk Wine Trail!

Palaia Vineyards and Winery: Highland Mills, NY

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

We visited some great wineries on our Anniversary Camping Trip. The first winery we stopped at was Palaia Vineyards.

This winery is located along the Shawangunk Wine Trail in Highlandland Mills, NY. The setting is a 200 year old former dairy farm.

The winery and tasting room are located inside the 200 year old barn, which is really cool!

We enjoyed a tasting of their Traminette during our visit.

What a great sign:

This winery offers a menu of light bites and live music every weekend. Definitely worth the stop if you are ever in the Hudson Valley area!

Orange County Choppers: Newburgh, NY

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Our first stop during our Anniversary Camping Trip was Orange County Choppers.

Orange County Choppers (better known as “OCC”) is a world-famous custom motorcycle manufacturer located in Newburgh, NY, that has been the center of the hit TV reality series “American Chopper” aired on the Discovery Channel. Founder, Paul Teutul Sr., and his team custom-design and manufacture choppers. OCC bikes are customized, and often built around a theme. Check out some of their cool bikes by clicking HERE.

Bark in the Park at Bay Creek, Cape Charles, VA

Posted on July 19, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Cello and Hooch competed in a Wild Card event, called “Bark in the Park,” held at Bay Creek, in Cape Charles, VA. What a gorgeous and dog friendly community!!

We bought a new canopy – LOVE it!

CELLO:

Cello had an awesome weekend. What started out as an event to continue practicing, ended up with Cello taking first place in the Semi-Pro finals, and also setting a new Personal Best in Speed Retrieve!

BIG AIR:

17′ 11″ 21′ 00″

20′ 08″ 20′ 03″

21′ 06″ 21″ 06″

21′ 05″ 22′ 05″ FIRST PLACE SEMI-PRO FINALS!

SPEED RETRIEVE:

8.325 7.650 NEW PERSONAL BEST!

HOOCH

We entered Hooch in this competition specifically to see if we could get him an additional invitation to the World Championships in Extreme Vertical. Not only did he win First Place in Cadet EV and achieve an added invitation in Extreme Vertical, he jumped a new Personal Best (and on camera!!) of 24′ 2″ and made the PRO Finals (first time ever!)!!

BIG AIR:

24′ 2″ 22′ 5″

23′ 3″ 23′ 4″

23′ 0″ 22′ 11″

22′ 10″ 22’2″

23′ 6″ 23′ 9″ Fourth Place in Pro Finals – not bad considering it’s his first time!

EXTREME VERTICAL:

Starting Height: 5′ 4″

Ending Height: 5′ 10″ First Place Cadet (and an invitation to compete in the World Championships in Extreme Vertical!)

Limoncello and Hooch Featured on AKC’s WOOFipedia!

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Limoncello is featured on the American Kennel Club’s online publication, WOOFipedia!

Taken from: http://www.woofipedia.com/articles/meet-the-dog-who-can-fly

MEET THE DOG WHO CAN FLY

Posted By: Liz

Jenny and Brian Beadling had no idea they were raising a prodigy.

Their German Shorthaired Pointer, Limoncello, never took to the sport her breed is known for—hunting—because she had a fear of guns. But she still had that GSP high drive, which she’d exert by jumping off the dock of the family’s lake house to retrieve toys they’d thrown in the water. “We began to notice at a very young age, she would jump off the dock just for fun—even with no toy being thrown for her,” Jenny Beadling says. So when the family saw a “dock diving” event for dogs at a local festival, they thought, “why not?”

And so, a star was born.

Limoncello (or Cello for short) came in second place in that first event and in the year and a half that followed, she’s become one of the highest-ranked dock-diving GSPs in the world.

Cello competes as an “Iron Dog,” meaning that she participates in all three dock-diving events, including Big Air (long jump), Extreme Vertical (high jump), and Speed Retrieve (timed retrieving). And this November, she’ll be one of the dogs representing the USA at the DockDogs World Championship in Dubuque, Iowa. She’s also inspired her little brother, Hooch, to try out the sport.

And like any pro athlete, Cello has earned endorsement deals. TurboPup selected Cello to be the ambassador for their human-grade meal-replacement bars for active dogs on the go. Her social media accounts have attracted tens of thousands of followers, and she’s been featured in multiple publications.

“With her vibrant personality, extreme speed, and stunning build, she is a crowd favorite,” says Beadling.

But she’s not in it for the fame and fortune. The Beadlings donate all the cash awards won by Cello and Hooch to the German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue of NJ, and all of their food and toy prizes go to a local animal-welfare organization.

———————————————————————————————

You can see the original story by clicking HERE !

Mid-Atlantic Regionals at Shipps Corner, Virginia Beach, VA

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

This event was more of a practice for Cello since she had already earned her invitation to the DockDogs World Championships. Cello did get to try a new DockDogs event, called Dueling Dogs – it was lots of fun!

For Hooch, this was a chance to shine, and earn an invitation. Hooch not only earned himself an invite, he scored several new personal bests, and jumped right out of his division with one of the longest jumps of the weekend!

We camped at Holiday Trav-L-Park during this event.

CELLO:

BIG AIR:

19’5″ 18’7″

20’6″ 19’10”

SPEED RETRIEVE:

8.822 seconds 8.701 seconds

DUELING DOGS:

HOOCH:

BIG AIR:

22’0″ 23’2″ NEW PERSONAL BESTS (and on camera!!)

23’8″ 20’3″ NEW PERSONAL BESTS (and on camera!!)

22’6″ 23’2″ FIRST PLACE SENIOR FINALS, AND AN INVITATION TO THE DOCKDOGS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS !!!!!!!!!!

Cello Earned a SECOND Invitation to the Dock Dogs World Championships!

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Cello’s first invitation was for the Iron Dog Division. This invite is for Speed Retrieve! Go Cello!!!!!

Codorus Blast, Codorus State Park, Hanover, PA

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

This venue was new for Hooch, but this was our second year competing in Codorus Blast with Cello. For this event, we camped at Merry Meadows Recreation Farm.

In this event, the dogs jump in to a lake instead of a pool.

Brian did some announcing this weekend:

CELLO:

Brian felt as though Cello was getting a bit burned out, so he decided to rest her this weekend, with the exception of Speed Retrieve.

SPEED RETRIEVE:

8.344 seconds

HOOCH:

Hooch earned new personal bests again this weekend! He also earned himself a spot in the Masters Finals for the very first time!

BIG AIR:

17’1″ 15’8″

17’0″ 18’6″

20’1″ 19’9″ NEW PERSONAL BEST

21’0″ 19’10” NEW PERSONAL BEST

16’9″ 16’6″ 6th Place Masters Finals (First time in Masters Finals!!)

Hooch also got his very first Super Fly Suit!

EXTREME VERTICAL:

It was pouring rain during Extreme Vertical…but Hooch managed to grab the bumper at 6’0″ , earning himself a new personal best!

Starting height: 5’4″

End Height: 6’0″ NEW PERSONAL BEST!

Even though there were storms off-and-on throughout the weekend, it was great fun! We look forward to attending this venue next year!

Merry Meadows Recreation Farm, Freeland, MD

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

While Cello and Hooch were competing in their dock diving event at Codours State Park, we camped at Merry Meadows Recreation Farm.

Our campsite (site A1) was very private and wooded.

Here are some pictures from around the campground:

: Tractors

: Tractors

: Tractors

: Log Cabin

: Caboose

: Driving Range

This campground was very unique. The list of amenities goes on forever!

Pool
Driving Range
Remote Control Car Track
Miniature Golf
3 Horseshoe Pits
Volleyball Court
Basketball Court
Softball Field
Playground
Jump Pad
Mining
Frisbee Golf
Fun Center
Pet Park
Wi Fi (free)
Dump Station
Entertainment Center
Pavilion
Two Laundry Rooms
Tourist information
Nature Trails

Canton/East Sparta KOA, East Sparta, OH

Posted on June 14, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

For Cello and Hooch’s dock diving event in Zoar, OH, we camped at the Canton/East Sparta KOA in East Sparta, Ohio.

We could not have been happier with our site (Site 77)

Our site had a level, concrete pad, and nice landscaping. The site also had a fire pit, and two wooden benches at the fire pit.

We even had our own “nest” style chair, , patio set, and grill!

The concrete slab had imprints of different plants – pretty cool!

This campground had lots to offer:

5 acre fishing lake
horse back riding
grocery store
paddle boat rentals
game room
hay rides
laundry facilities
18 hole miniature golf

We very much enjoyed our stay here!

Cabela’s Presents DockDogs Wildcard Event, Triadelphia, WV

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

On the weekend of Hooch’s first birthday, The Liver Killers competed in a dock diving competition in Triadelphia, WV. This competition was held at Cabela’s. This was a very special event that we will never forget, because Limoncello won First Place in Warrior Iron Dog, and earned her invitation to the DockDogs World Championship!

We camped out in Cabela’s parking lot for this event, which was very convenient for our times in between jumps.

Limoncello competed as an Iron Dog. Here are her results:

BIG AIR

21’3″ 22’3″

22’3″ 21’10’

21’10” 21’3″

EXTREME VERTICAL

5’0

SPEED RETRIEVE

8.206 8.728

IRON DOG

Total Points: 2739.11

HOOCH

Hooch did very well this weekend, but wound up with a limp after his last jump. We noticed this as we were lining up for Speed Retrieve. Thank goodness Dr. Yurko of K.E.Y. Animal Hospital was there to evaluate Hooch.

It seemed Hooch had a strained muscle, so we scratched him from the rest of the competition. Here are his results from his Big Air waves:

BIG AIR

14’7″ 15’9″

15’0 13’0

9’6″ 15’9″

14’6″ 15’3″

Overall, this was a SUPER fun (and apparently an exhausting) event!

Cello Earned Her Invitation to the DockDog World Championships!

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

While competing at the Cabela’s Presents Wildcard event in Triadelphia, WV, Limoncello won first place in Warrior Iron Dog, and earned her invitation to the DockDogs World Championships! The World Championship event will be held in November, 2015, in Dubuque, Iowa.

Our good friends surprised us with the wonderful news!

We were SO excited!

So proud of this pup!

Brian could not be happier!

Cello and Brian’s invitation:

Congratulations, Team Cello !

Share the Light

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 4 Comments

Cello won a contest, and we are proud to announce that she is now helping to “share the light” with Charity Wick Candles!

Cello’s 16 oz Candle, “Red Hot Cello,” has the aroma of fresh-cut granny smith apples, smothered in butter and topped with cinnamon… YUM!

The candle is made with all natural, kosher 100% soy wax with a lead and zinc-free self trimming cotton wick. The burn time for this candle is approximately 150 hours.

…The best part of this candle? $6 of the purchase price benefits the German Shorthair Pointer Rescue of NJ !

All Charity Wick’s candles are produced from vegan friendly, kosher certified, soy beans grown in the USA. All candles are free of any dyes or coloring, and feature lead free, self trimming cotton wicks, as well as environmentally conscious fragrance oils.

Even more reasons to buy a Cello candle:

Lasts up to 50% longer
Burns slower and cooler which helps to better distribute the fragrance of the candle
Melted soy wax will not cause severe burns
Non-toxic
Less likely to trigger allergies
Clean up off of fabric and carpet with soap and water
Produces very little soot compared to paraffin wax based candles.
Made from American-grown soybeans, so it supports the U.S. economy instead of foreign oil conglomerates
Biodegradable
Manufactured here in the USA!

The positive attributes of Charity Wicks soy candles, combined with the fact that your purchase benefits the GSP Rescue of NJ, makes any

Shorthair Candle the best choice for any candle friendly household!

Help “Share the Light,”for the GSP Rescue of NJ, and order your Shorthair Candle Company candle today by visiting Charity Wicks website!

Charity Wicks is sharing the light on Facebook too! Visit their page by clicking HERE.

Cello and Brian – Filmed By Drone!

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

At our last dock diving event, Family Fun Day, this past weekend in Elkton, MD, there was a drone flying around filming the weekend happenings.

Cello and Brian were filmed during one of their jumps – how cool is THAT?!?!

We were very excited with this first-time ever view of Cello in action!

Finding Nemo

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Cello’s best friend is Nemo, a 4 year old male Boykin Spaniel. Cello and Nemo have been buds since the first week they both came home with their humans! “Finding Nemo” was one of the best things that happened to Cello – as Nemo is the only dog Cello truly ever fully “accepted.” If you have ever seen these two together, you can really see just how alike they are – and just how much they truly enjoy each other. They have played, swam, had sleep-overs, camped, and of course dock-dived together!

Cello and Nemo lounging on the couch together:

Cello and Nemo “holding hands” while sleeping during their first sleep-over:

Nemo, like Cello, has been dock diving for about 1.5 years. In fact, they attended their first-ever dock diving event together!

Nemo’s mom, Cindy, wrote a beautiful article on Nemo, which was published in the Boykin Spaniel Society Magazine, and included a mention of Cello.

The two pictures that were chosen for the magazine happen to be two pictures I took of Nemo and Cello at Nemo’s house.

The article is a wonderful read!

Although Nemo lives in our town, his mom, Cindy, has recently started a job in Michigan. Nemo and his parents travel back and forth from Michigan to NJ, and we are often away at dock diving events, so Cello and Nemo don’t get to see each other as often as they used to.

We wish we could gather more often, so we do try to get together whenever both families are home in NJ and have a free weekend!

Nolde Forest State Park, Reading, PA

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

While camping at Eagles Peak Campground, we decided to do a local hike.

We ended up at Nolde Forest State Park – a gorgeous sate park with more than 665 acres of beautiful woodlands.

What a beautiful place to hike! This area was acquired by Jacob Nolde in the early 1900s. As the story goes, a single white pine grew in a meadow. Inspired by this tree, Jacob Nolde hired an Austrian forester to create a coniferous forest. As the trees grew, they formed a this magnificent forest!

There was a pretty stream running through most of our hike.

Cello and Hooch were excited to be on this adventure!

Throughout the hike, there were many unique stone bridges and lined walkways.

This was Hooch’s first Pennsylvania hike – and first hike in the warmer weather. He was getting tired quickly, and began to stop in the shady areas for a breather!

At one point, in usual Hooch fashion, he decided he was “DONE!”

Belly rubs, anyone?

At the end of the hike, we were rewarded with the beauty of an early 1920’s mansion. In 1926, Hans Nolde, a son of Jacob, began work on the Tudor-style mansion that sits on the property. Today, visitors can tour the grounds as well as the inside of this mansion.

The garden area of the mansion was incredible!

Pennsylvania purchased the property in the late 1960s , and in 1970, Nolde Forest was established as the first environmental education center operated by the Bureau of State Parks. Now operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Bureau of State Parks, the park provides a wide variety of programs for students, teachers, and adult groups. Teaching stations offer places for students to work, and benches for those who wish to sit and enjoy nature.

Cello is Featured on Your German Pointer’s Health Website

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Check out the cutie-patootie featured as the picture for “Skin Care!”

Yup – that’s puppy Cello !

Easter 2015 – Frontier Town Campground: Berlin, MD

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

This Easter we camped with friends at one of our favorite campgrounds – Frontier Town Campground, in Berlin, MD.

We LOVED our campsite here!

We first discovered Frontier Town Campground when we attended a dock diving competition held right in the campground! We camped here for the dock diving competition as well.

Here is the view from our site:

The water views around the campground are gorgeous!

This was Hooch’s first-ever Easter! It was exciting to make his basket for the first time!

Cello’s Easter basket:

Easter morning – the Easter Bunny has arrived to the 5th Wheel with toys and treats!

Cello and Hooch had a great time opening their Easter baskets with the help of their Pop!

After Cello and Hooch opened their Easter baskets, they had an Easter egg hunt in the 5th Wheel! …see if you can find all the “hidden” eggs!

Yay! Hooch found his first bacon-filled Easter egg!

After each egg is found, the pup who found the egg gets the bacon inside of the egg – Hooch thought this was LOTS of fun, and waited patiently for his bacon reward!

Hooch enjoyed all his Easter treats and toys – and, of course, stole Cello’s bunny toy!

Overall, we had a great trip, and Hooch enjoyed his first-ever Easter!

Nutty Squirrels!

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

This cute squirrel treat recipe was taken from Dog Treat Kitchen – I modified it a bit from the original recipe. I loved the look of the cookie, but wanted to make the treat grain free, and as organic as possible.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic buckwheat flour (I used Arrowhead Mills brand)
1 cup organic almond flour
2 Tbsp organic ground flax
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 very ripe medium organic banana
2 Tbsp organic beef broth (I make my own – but be sure if you purchase to check that there is no form of onion listed in the ingredients!!)
1 Tbsp organic safflower or sunflower oil

Topping Ingredients:

1 Tbsp water
1 tsp organic honey
2 Tbsp finely chopped organic raw sunflower seeds

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° F
In a large bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, almond flour, flax and cinnamon.
In a small bowl, thoroughly mash the banana, then stir in the beef broth and oil until combined.
Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture.
Stir together until you reach a coarse crumby texture.
Knead the dough with your hand, in the bowl, until it forms a dough ball.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, or dust it with buckwheat flour so the dough will not stick.
Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness, between two sheets of parchment paper (or dust top of dough with flour).
Transfer cut outs to baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Turn off the oven, and leave the treats inside while the oven cools.
Once completely cooled, apply the glaze and sunflower seed topping.

Topping Instructions:

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the water and honey.
Microwave on high for 5 to 10 seconds.
Stir together until the honey is completely dissolved.
Using a pastry brush, brush the honey glaze on the tail of the squirrel.
Press the tail into the finely chopped nuts.
Set aside, and let the glaze dry before serving to your dog.

These treats will stay fresh in the fridge for up to one month, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Yield – Depending on the cookie cutter(s) you use, you’ll be able to get about 9, 1/2 inch thick squirrels. Using the squirrel cookie cutter I had, I got 9 squirrels, and used an acorn cookie cutter for the smaller, left over dough pieces. The yield will vary, depending on the size of dog treat cookie cutter(s) you use and how thick you roll the dough.

TIPS:

Rolling dog treat dough is so easy with parchment paper. If you don’t have it, you can to dust your work surface and rolling pin with buckwheat flour to keep it from sticking. You can line your baking sheets with parchment paper – or spray your baking sheet with non-stick spray before placing the cut outs onto it.
For some dough mixtures such as this one that may be a bit stickier, try filling a shallow dish or bowl with flour and dip the cutter into it before each cut. Then very gently wiggle the cutter back and forth to separate it from the rest of the dough.

I hope your pooch enjoys this treat as much as Cello has!

4 Yrs

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 1 Comment

Happy 4th birthday to Limoncello!

On March 14, 2015, Cello turned 4!

Over the past year, Cello has:

continued to achieve in dock diving
adapted to multiple fosters in the house
welcomed her new brother (she even occasionally pretends like she likes her brother, Hooch!)
added new adventures to her “been there” list
grown a white goatee
became an ambassador for TurboPup

Cello continues to be happy and energetic – and we love her so much! Happy Birthday, pretty girl!

Staybridge Suites

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Cello and Hooch stayed at Staybridge Suites in Harrisburg, PA for their indoor dock diving event, Winter Meltdown.

This hotel was very conveniently located right outside of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, where Winter Meltdown was being held.

This hotel offers several favorable amenities, including:

free wireless internet
fitness center
laundry facilities
indoor heated pool
complementary breakfast buffet
24-hour pantry with snacks, drinks, and other items

The room was clean, and the people were friendly. Our room had a king size bed, sitting area, and a full kitchen. Cello and Hooch made themselves right at home!

It’s hard to believe that it was last year (for this same dock diving event) that Cello stayed in a hotel for the very first time!

Next year we will definitely book a room in this hotel for the 2016 Winter Meltdown!

Winter Meltdown, hosted by Keystone DockDogs in Harrisburg, PA

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Cello and Hooch’s third dock diving event of the 2015 season was hosted by Keystone DockDogs.

This event, “Winter Meltdown,” was held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA.

Cello

Cello had been going through a little bit of a slump, but during this event, she really seemed to be starting to get back on track! We were very proud of her!

Big Air Results:

22’6″ 22′

22’3″ 21’10”

23’3″ 21’9″ 2nd Place Elite Division

21’3″ 21’5″

Extreme Vertical Results:

5’2″ 3rd Place Cadet Divsion

Speed Retrieve Results:

17.128 10.968

Big Air Finals:

22’2″ 17’5″ 3rd Place Elite Division

Iron Dog Points: 2511.83 3rd Place Warrior Division

Hooch

Hooch is still a bit nervous to run and jump off the dock, but he loves to get the crowd going with his “Hoochie Hop” off the end of the dock!

Big Air Results:

8’7″ 8’1″ 3rd Place Novice Division

7’9″ 8’6″ 2nd Place Novice Division

7’10” 7’3″ 2nd Place Novice Division

8’1″ 8’2″

7’8″ 7’4″ 3rd Place Novice Division

Big Air FInals:

8’4″ 8’1″ 3rd Place Novice Division

Hooch had a BLAST!

GSP Rescue of NJ Cover Photo

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Cello and Hooch made the cover photo for the GSP Rescue of NJ!

Cello and Hooch are also featured on several videos of the rescue’s YouTube page! Check it out HERE !

Virginia World of Pets Expo, Hampton, VA

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 6 Comments

What a fun and exciting Valentines Day weekend we had!

We took a 5.5 hour drive down to Hampton, Virginia, for Cello and Hooch to participate in the World of Pets Expo dock diving competition,”Lover’s Leap,” hosted by Tidewater DockDogs.

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, there was a Pawentine’s Box decorating contest.

Before we left, I built our Pawentine’s Box. Here are the pictures after I built the box with foam board and a hot glue gun:

Here is the final product:

There were many other great Pawentine’s Boxes in the contest as well:

We made Pawentine cards to place in the other boxes:

Hooch and Cello received lots of really cute Pawentines in our box!

The dog treats above were homemade by our friend, Mandy. Check out her Face Book page – her cookies are AMAZING!

We won the contest!

Although Cello has not been performing up to her last season’s standards, she had a great weekend! Cello competed as an Iron Dog, and participated in all three events: Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve.

In Big Air, Cello’s longest jump of the weekend was 21’11.” She made the Elite Finals, and placed Third.

In Extreme Vertical, She reached a height of 5’4,” and placed Third overall in the Cadet Division.

Cello set a new Personal Best in Speed Retrieve at 8.788 seconds:

…AND Cello placed FIRST in Iron Dog in the Warrior Division! Way to go, Cello!

Hooch also had a BIG weekend! He placed in every Big Air wave he jumped in, and earned his first First Place ribbon!

In just his second event ever, Hooch even made Novice Finals – and placed Second!

Hooch was once again, a crowd-pleaser, with his last-minute “pop” off the dock:

Hooch’s best jump of the weekend was 8’10”

While we were there, someone recognized Cello from our Instagram account — our friends, Cyndee and Lola – – How cool is THAT?!?!

This was a SUPER-fun event, and the best Valentine’s Day weekend ever!

Cello and Hooch hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day!

Residence Inn Baltimore Hunt Valley, Maryland

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 3 Comments

Cello and Hooch stayed at the Residence Inn Baltimore Hunt Valley, Maryland for their first dock diving event of 2015.

This has been the third hotel we’ve stayed in since we’ve started practicing indoors for Hooch’s sake, and this is the third time we have gotten assigned to room 125 (which is also Brian’s extension at work – crazy, huh?!?!

It was such a great experience, as we had never stayed in a hotel that had a full kitchen, and provided kitchen necessities like plates, glasses, wine bottle opener, pots/pans, and had an eating area. Since it was freezing, and were weren’t going to be doing any sight-seeing, we very much enjoyed having these “extras.”

The hotel room was cleaner than clean!

The hotel offered grocery shopping free of charge, had all local take out menus on hand, and offered an included breakfast that was just as good as home-cookin’!

The staff could not have been more helpful during our stay.

We met several other people, all with four-legged children.

The sink area was separate from the main bathroom area, which made it nice while trying to get ready.

Cello and Hooch were very comfortable!

Overall, this was one of the best hotel experiences we have had, and would highly recommend staying here!

World of Pets Expo, Timonium, MD, hosted by Chesapeake DockDogs (Hooch’s Dock Diving Debut!)

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

World of Pets Expo, hosted by Chesapeake DockDogs, was Hooch’s dock diving debut!

As you know from previous posts, Hooch has practiced his dock diving at both Canine Spa and Mountain Trail Training Center. However, both facilities have docks that are only a few inches off of the water. Hooch had never jumped in from a height of an official DockDogs dock (2 feet). To make sure he was comfortable with this, as soon as we arrived to the Maryland State Fairgrounds, we took Hooch up on the dock for a practice run. As soon as I unleashed Hooch, he ran down the dock stairs into the crowd, and all around the pool (TWICE!!) The third time, he ran and dove in with no problem – so I thought I had this down pat, no problem. I was highly mistaken!

Hooch’s first official recorded dive was amazing! Although we had practiced nothing but the “chase method” (where the dog is placed in a stay or wait position at the starting point on the dock. The handler proceeds to the end of the dock, then releases the dog. The chase object is thrown at just the right moment to keep the toy in front of the dog’s nose all the way into the water. Thus, the dog is chasing the object! The advantage of this method is that the handler can control and optimize the launch angle to increase distance – it avoids the flat jump that is likely with the place and send method). After Hooch had run off the dock during practice, I let it get the best of me, and decided to last-minute change to the “Place and Send” method (the dog walks with the handler to the end of the dock and is held back while the handler tosses the toy. The dog is then returned to the start point and released or sent to retrieve the toy. Dogs that use the place and send method are generally just not trained to wait or stay on the dock themselves). Even with this last-minute change, Hooch jumped big!

Hooch’s first official jump was a whopping 16 feet! I was SO excited! Luckily we had some friends at the event that took a video to capture Hooch’s Debut!

Here’s another video of the same jump, in slow motion that another friend shot for us:

For Hooch’s second jump, I also used the Place and Send method, and he jumped 13 feet, 1 inch – again – a distance I was thrilled with! Hooch wound up earning 2nd Place in the Senior Division!!

After Hooch’s first wave, he decided he was not going to run and jump – but rather run, stop at the edge of the dock, then “POP” into the water. Although this frustrated ME, the crowd LOVED him!

Hooch (AKA “Big POP-pa”) continued to be a crowd pleaser, but jumped in the Junior and Novice Divisions.

Overall, Team Homemade Hooch placed in every wave we were registered in, and won FOUR ribbons in their dock diving debut! WOOT WOOT!

Getting ribbons was fun!

Cello also did very well in her first 2015 event – she won 2nd Place Iron Dog in the Warrior Division!

This was also Cello’s first time trying Speed Retrieve – having never practiced this competition before this event! Her time was 9.85 seconds…not too bad for her first time!

Here’s Cello doing Extreme Vertical:

And here is Cello doing Big Air – although she was still a crowd favorite, she was leaving the dock SUPER early, and did not perform to her usual standards.

Brian also volunteered to announce at this event:

It was an awesome weekend filled with great friends, good conversation, and lots and LOTS of laughs! We want to thank EVERYone for their advice and support during this event. I also want to personally thank everyone who took video and photographs of both Team Cello and Team Homemade Hooch. I was so preoccupied with being a nervous wreck, that I took not ONE picture or video with my own camera or phone!

Team Homemade Hooch also wants to thank Team Cello for celebrating Team Homemade Hooch’s dock diving debut by buying us a Chesapeake DockDogs shirt in our team color!

Our 2015 shirts were a big hit as well!

We had a super-fun weekend, and are very proud of our two dock divers. We are excited to compete in part two of the World of Pets Expo in Virginia in a couple of weeks!

Bark For Bacon-n-Bison Biscotti !! (Gluten Free, Organic,Wheat Free!)

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

As posted earlier, Cello is on a month-long wheat and chicken free diet to see if we can get her recurring ear infections under control. I recently found out that buckwheat flour is NOT considered a grain and is wheat and gluten free! It was quite interesting to find out that buckwheat is actually closely related to rhubarb! Cello enjoyed the pumpkin biscotti I had made her, so I decided to try another variety biscotti…

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground bison (buffalo) (I used Whole Foods Market ground buffalo – their bison meet comes from buffalo who are free range, have no added antibiotics or growth hormones given to them, and have no animal byproducts in their feed)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used 365 Brand – found at Whole Foods Market – produced with no added hormones and made with milk from cows not treated with rBGH)
1 cup organic milk (I used Organic Valley-from cows not treated with rBGH)
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups organic buckwheat flour
3 slices of bacon

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cook ground buffalo completely, set side.
Cook bacon until very well done, crush to bacon-bit size, set aside.
Combine baking powder and buckwheat flour, and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Add buffalo, cheese, and milk to the dry mixture, and knead with hands until all well combined.
Split dough in half, place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and form 2 meat-loaf shaped loaves, about 1 inch high.
Press bacon pieces into the tops of the two loaves (be sure to firmly press them in or they will fall off while you are slicing the loaves).
Bake for 20 minutes…remove loaves from oven and allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes
Cut both loaves into slices.
Place slices cut-side up onto parchment paper lined baking sheet, and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the slices are dry and crunchy. Flip slices over, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the slices feel dry and crunchy (SEE NOTE BELOW).
Remove from oven and let slices cool on wire rack.

**NOTE: If your dog prefers softer treats, keep the second baking time around 10 minutes per side. If your dog prefers crunchier biscuits, increase the second baking time to 20-25 minutes per side, depending on how hard you would like the biscotti. You can also let the boscotti cool in the oven once you turn it off for an even harder treat.

YIELD: about 1-2 dozen, depending on how thick you cut your slices.

Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Dough formed into loaves with bacon pressed into top ready for first round of baking:

Loves cut into slices and ready for second bake time

Farewell 2014, Hello 2015! 2014 Year in Review

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 4 Comments

“One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.”

~William Feather

…and many Adventures were had! This post is Cello and Hooch’s 2014 Year-In-Review. The bold print links you to the original post for that particular event.

2014 was all about growth. Our friends multiplied, as we met new people while competing with Cello in dock diving. Cello’s titles increased as she continued to achieve and amaze us with her dock diving ability. Our family ballooned as we added our son, Hooch, who also blossomed himself, from a rowdy little pup, into our “Big-Man.” Most of all, our passion for each other and our “unique” and sometimes crazy family increased greatly. Thank you for joining Cello and Hooch on their 2014 adventures!

CELLO’S CORNER BLOG

In it’s first year, Cello’s Corner blog has over 300 posts, and attracted over 11,000 visitors from 96 countries! The most popular post was MEET BOB on March 25th.

CELLO’S CORNER INSTAGRAM

In it’s first year, Cello’s Corner Instagram account skyrocketed to over 1,700 followers.

CELLO’S CORNER FACEBOOK

In it’s first year, Cello’s Corner Face Book page achieved 246 Likes.

CELLO’S CORNER TWITTER

In it’s first year, Cello’s Corner on Twitter gained 71 followers.

CELLO’S CORNER PINTEREST

During the first year on Pinterest, Cello’s Corner acquried 50 followers.

Through the months of the year…

JANUARY

January was extremely rough in the weather department. Cello did not participate in any dock diving events, and we had snow-covered ground for pretty much the entire month. Temperatures the entire month were either freezing, or below freezing, and the lake we live on remained frozen. There were only 2 days in January that were above freezing AND there was no snow on the ground – so we made sure to get Cello to the dog park on those two days, as we had MAJOR cabin fever!

Cello was featured as the GSP of the Day on Instagram
Cello had her first sleep-over

FEBRUARY

February continued to bring more snow! Cello did not participate in any dock diving events, but we still had some noteworthy happenings to share.

Cello was featured as the Bird Dog of the Day on Instagram
Cello got to play with Max, the English Pointer we transported for Pointer Rescue, Org

MARCH

The winter had been brutal (and that’s putting it lightly). We had “HAD IT” at this point! South Jersey had over 18 days of snow, with snowfall totaling over 75 inches by March 9th. If it wasn’t snowing here, or there wasn’t snow and/or ice on the ground, it was uncomfortably cold (got down to -4 degrees one day!). The lake we live on was frozen most of the winter, and the streets were full of BIG potholes and cracks. These types of conditions do NOT make a GSP happy! Cello did not go to the park – or walk – or run WAY too many days this winter. We had to get creative with indoor physical activities like hide-and-seek, our version of the doggie stair-master (throwing a ball up-and-over our balcony so Cello has to run up-the-stairs/down-the-stairs to retrieve her ball)…as well as mentally stimulating indoor activities like practicing basic commands and “tricks.” On a positive note, Cello participated in her first dock diving event of 2014.

Cello stayed in a hotel for the first time
Cello visited the Pennsylvania Capitol
Cello shopped in Bass Pro Shops
Cello celebrated her 3rd birthday!
Dock Diving
- Cello earned her Masters Title in Big Air at the Club level
- Cello won 2nd Place in the Masters Division Finals at Keystone DockDogs Winter Meltdown

APRIL

Possibly our most adventurous month yet…we took our annual Easter camping trip, and finally we could spend some time outside!

Cello spent a week with foster pup, Clara
Windy Spot Cabin’s flagstone patio got a make-over
Easter camping in Staunton, VA
Cello’s first spelunking adventure
Natural Bridge
Virginia wineries!
- Barren Ridge
- Ox-Eye
- Rockbridge
- Veritas
Favorite hike of the year
PhiladelphiaDog-Friendly-Bar-hopping

MAY

May is when dock diving really got under-way for us. We had a great time at dock diving events, and, of course, were sure to fit in many other adventures.

LocalDog-Friendly-Bar-Hopping
- PJ Whelehans
- Pic-A-Lilli Inn
GSP REscue of NJ Event at Working Dog Winery
Winery and Brewery in Delaware
- Pizzadili Winery
- Dogfish Head Brewery
Bellview Winery
Dock Diving
- 2nd Place Masters Finalist at Puppy Palooza
- 2nd Place Masters Finalist at Dover Days Dip
Cape May Wineries

JUNE

A HUGE dock diving month for Cello! She made her first Elite Division finals, obtained her Masters Title at the National level, and earned her personal best Big Air distance of the year.

Dock Diving
- 6th Place Finalist in the Pro Division at the Celebrate Fairfax Festival
- Cello earned her Masters Title at the National level
- Cello made Elite Division Finals for the first time, and came in 4th place at Codorus Blast
- Cello earned a new personal best Big Air distance of 23’7″ at Codorus Blast
Capitol City Brewing Company

JULY

Of course, the biggest highlight of this month was bringing home Hooch!

Welcome home, Hooch!
Detour Winery
Cello was featured as PackDog.com’s “Best of Pack” on Instagram
Cello was featured in the German Shorthaired Pointer Pack Newsletter
Hooch was featured as Gundogs_hunting forever’s puppy of the day on Instagram
Cello was featured as Gundogs_hunting forever’s dog of the day on Instagram
Cello was featured as Pointing Dog’s dog of the day on Instagram
Cello was featured as Gundogs_hunting forever’s dog of the day on Instagram for a sceond time

AUGUST

August was a busy month – a lot of traveling and dock diving. We were happy to still be able to fit in some time to volunteer for the GSP Rescue of NJ.

Dock Diving
- Cello participated in the North Eastern Regional Event
- First Place Masters Division Finalist at Cabela’s End of Summer Splash
- Cello earned her Elite Title at the Club level
- Cello participated in the Dutchess County Fair dock diving event
Hooch’s first hotel stay
Hooch’s first bar/restaurant
Cello was featured on Zuke’s Performance Pet Nutrition’s Instagram account
Cello was Pack Dog’s Editor’s Pick
Hooch was featured on Puppy.Photos on Instagram
Bar-hopping in Boston
- Charlie’s Kitchen
- Tommy Doyle’s Irish Pup
Hooch was featured as Bird Dog of the Day on Instagram
GSP Rescue of NJ
- Doggie Appreciation Day
- Cello and Hooch were featured in the GSP Rescue of NJ’s newsletter

SEPTEMBER

This month was yet another busy one, as Hooch was beginning to grow into a energetic puppy. We enjoyed traveling with him, as he watched his big sis compete.

Hooch jumped into the lake for the first time
Hooch graduated from Puppy Head-Start class
GSP Rescue of NJ
- Valenzano Winery
- Ocean County Gunning and Decoy Festival
Dock Diving
- Cello tried Extreme Vertical for the first time, and came in 5th place in the finals at the Ocean County Gunning and Decoy Festival
- Cello was the 3rd place Elite Division Big Air Finalist at the Ocean County Gunning and Decoy Festival

OCTOBER

October brought on many dock diving events, and Hooch’s first Halloween trick-or-treating adventure! Hooch made his first plunge into a DockDogs pool (just from the exit ramp, of course!) We got a chance at some of these events to solidify friendships with people we had met during the 2014 dock diving season.

Hooch’s first visit to the beach at Assateague National Seashore
Macky’s Bar and Grill
Dock Diving
- Cello was the 3rd Place Finalist in the Cadet Division Extreme Vertical finals at Pooch Palooza
- Cello was the 1st Place Elite Division Big Air finalist at Pooch Palooza
- Cello made the newspapers
- Cello was the 2nd Place Finalist in the Elite Division Big Air finals at Monster Splash
- Cello was the 1st Place Masters Division Big Air Finalist Chesapeake DockDogs Halloween Fun Jump
- Jenny jumped Cello for the first time, and Cello was the 3rd Place Masters Division Big Air Finalist Chesapeake DockDogs Halloween Fun Jump
GSP Rescue of NJ
- Foster pup, Bella
Hooch was Editor’s Pick on Pack Dog
Hooch was reunited with his brother and litter-mate, Ruger
Cello was Editor’s Pick on Pack Dog
Jenny and Cello made the cover photo for Super Fly Suits Facebook Page
Hooch’s first Halloween

NOVEMBER

This month we went on our annual Thanksgiving camping trip (Hooch’s first Thanksgiving holiday), as dock diving began to wrap up for the year. Although we were disappointed that Cello did not qualify for the World Championships, also held in Nonmember, that did not stop us from having yet another fun, adventure-filled month!

Annapolis trip and Ram’s Head Tavern
Nourse Farm
St. Michaels Crab House
Dock Diving
- Cello was the First Place Finalist in the Elite Division Big Air Finals at the Easton Waterfowl Festival
- Cello was the 3rd Place Finalist in the Cadet Division Extreme Vertical finals at the Easton Waterfowl Festival
Cello was featured on Barking From the Bayou
Brewery and Wineries in Maryland during our Thanksgiving camping trip

DECEMBER

Hooch celebrated his first Christmas and New Year’s Eve this month. December flew by, as we not only hosted the Christmas Holiday, practice began for the 2015 dock diving season, and Hooch started to come into his own as a dock diver.

Cello was featured in the Dog Show Journal
Cream Ridge Winery
Hooch’s first Santa Photo
First time Hooch saw snow
Cello was featured on Barking From the Bayou for the second time
Hooch graduated from Terrible Teens class
Cello’s Corner Instagram was featured as Instagram Account of the Day on a new German Shorthaired Pointer blog
Dock Diving
- Practice at Green Leaf Pet Resort
- Practice at Canine Spa
- Practice at Mountain Trail Training Center
Hooch’s first Christmas
Hooch’s first visit to a dog park
Play date with former foster pup, Bella, now Pepper
Hooch’s first hike
Hooch’s first New Year’s Eve

CAMPING

We stayed in many different and wonderful campgrounds this year!

Click HERE to see the 12 campgrounds Cello and Hooch visited!

CELLO’S CUCINA

Cello’s Cucina tried some new recipes this year!

Nutty Squirrels
Valentine’s Day Peanut Butter Honey-Hearts
Banana Biscotti
Mutt Meatballs
Puppy Pizza
Cheesy Sandwiches
Mock-Choc Peanut Butter Treats

Click HERE to see all of Cello’s Cucina’s treat recipes!

These are just some of Cello and Hooch’s 2014 Adventures and achievements…we’d love to hear your 2014 re-cap!

…Here’s to many more adventures in 2015…

I am also excited to join Thoughtless Thursday Blog Hop hosted by Ruckus the Eskie, Barking From the Bayou, and Love is Being Owned by a Husky !

You’re next! Join the Blog Hop!

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Double Trouble State Park, Bayville, NJ: First Hike of 2015

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Cello's Corner | 4 Comments

“Double Trouble,”…What an appropriately named destination for our two Hooligans’ first hike of 2015 !

There are conflicting stories about how this area got its name. The most common legend focuses on the dam at Cedar Creek. Sawmill operator, Thomas Potter, may have “coined” the words “Double Trouble” after heavy Spring rains washed out the dam twice in the 1770’s.

Another myth says that muskrats in the area were relentless at chewing on the dam. When a hole was discovered from the muskrats’ constant gnawing, workmen in the village would say, “Here’s trouble,” and rush to repair the leak. One day, two holes were discovered at once, and a village worker overheard the owner say, “Here’s Double Trouble.”

Welcome to Double Trouble State Park!

Located on the eastern edge of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, and encompassing over 200 acres, Double Trouble State Park provides a fine example of a typical Pine Barrens community centered around the logging industry and cranberry agriculture. Isolated Pine Barrens communities such as this one (and Batsto) were built to be entirely self-sufficient, and their survival depended 100% on the success of the particular industry the community was built around. This area has a natural cedar forest, and stream, which provided both raw materials and water power for a substantial lumber industry from the 1700’s to the 1900’s. As workers cut down the timber, the cleared cedar swamps created a bog environment – perfect for growing cranberries. Cranberry culture began at Double Trouble Village in the 1860’s. By the 20th century, the Double Trouble Company was one of the largest cranberry operations in the state.

Did you know that today, with approximately 3,600 acres of cranberry farms, New Jersey is currently the third largest cranberry producing state in the United States? Cranberries in our parts are known as the “Jewel of the Pine Barrens!!” Interestingly, New Jersey’s leading cranberry farmer, William S. Haines, is located in Cello and Hooch’s birth-town of Chatsworth, NJ! Haines has over 700 acres of cranberries on his Chatsworth Pine Island Company Cranberry Farm, and his family’s history of cranberry cultivation dates back to 1895. Cello and Hooch’s birth-town also is also home to both an Ocean Spray juice company plant (one of the leading cranberry juice companies), and one of New Jersey’s largest festivals… The Cranberry Festival, a celebration of New Jersey’s cranberry harvest, offering a tribute to the Pine Barrens and its local culture. There is a huge, diverse presentation of local artists, craftsmen, and wineries – some offering demonstrations, and all providing items for sale. And of course… there’s “everything cranberry,” including cranberry jam, jelly, chutney, ice cream, cranberry wine!

Ever wonder how Cranberries are harvested? It’s really pretty cool…First, Cranberries grow in the bed of a bog. Cranberries have pockets of air inside them. Because of this, cranberries float in water. When the cranberries are ready for harvesting, the bogs are flooded to dislodge the fruit from the vines. Water reels, nicknamed “egg-beaters” are used to “stir-up” the water in the bogs. When the water is stirred, the cranberries disconnect from the vine, and float to the surface of the water! Wooden or plastic “booms” are used to round-up the berries, which are then lifted by conveyor, or pumped into a truck to be taken to a receiving station to be cleaned and processed. Pretty neat, huh?!

Cranberry cultivation still continues today in several bogs at Double Trouble State Park. Some of the bogs in the park are maintained and harvested sporadically by farmers who lease the bogs, since the purchase of the park by the state in 1964. Here are pictures of cranberries being harvested at Double Trouble State Park

Double Trouble State Park is also listed on Weird NJ for an unusual and explainable event that occurred here! The pictures below captured this “weird” event.

Click HERE to read the full story!

The water in Double Trouble State Park is “tea” colored, and known as “cedar water” – just like the lake Cello and Hooch live on – and most lakes in the Pine Barren area. This coloring is caused by the tannic acids found in the Atlantic White Cedar trees (which is what our log home is made of) — as well as the naturally occurring iron in the water.

Here is a picture of Hooch swimming in our lake this past summer. You can see the color of the “cedar water” in our lake.

Double Trouble Village has a restored sawmill and cranberry sorting / packing house, both containing working operational equipment. These two buildings were the focus of the village, which also includes a late 19th century one room schoolhouse, general store, bunk house, cook house, shower house, maintenance shop, pickers’ cottages and the foreman’s house. Most buildings are not restored, and look to be left “as is” on the inside (peek inside windows of the buildings while you are here!!) and only the sawmill and cranberry packing house are restored, and open to the public, exclusively during guided tours.

Double Trouble Village was purchased by the State of New Jersey in 1964 to help protect the Cedar Creek watershed. Double Trouble was placed on the State Register of Historic Places in 1977, and on the National Register in 1978.

Cranberry Bogs

Double Trouble School
Operated from approximately 1893-1915, this one-room school is the oldest remaining structure in the village.

If you peek in the windows, you can see the old school desks inside.

Burke House
This was the home of the Burke family from 1938 until 1957.

Mr. David Burke was foreman of the cranberry processing operations until 1967.

Cranberry Sorting and Packing House
Built in 1909, This building was filled with workers who hand-scooped cranberries, sorted them according to size and quality,

and then packed the berries to be transported to a market.

General Store
(circa 1920) The general store provided the early villagers with staples such as oatmeal, flour, and
sugar. From the 1930’s until it closed, convenience items like candy, cigarettes and gloves were sold here also.

Most buildings also had an outhouse out back:

Bunk House
(circa 1900) Also called the “communal house”, this is where single workers lived during the seasonal
cranberry harvest.

Sawmill
(circa 1906-1909) The sawmill produced lumber, shingles and other products for sale and for use in the village and cranberry operations.

Harvest Foreman’s House
(circa 1900) This was the seasonal home of the migrant workers’ foreman.

There are several different trails you can take in Double Trouble State Park.

Trail Guides are available at the trail heads, so that you have a printed map and description of the trail to carry with you.

After exploring the village, we chose the Nature Trail.

This was not the longest of trails, but considering the weather was pretty chilly, we were content with our choice.

The Nature Trail passes along a couple of cranberry bogs, crosses over Cedar Creek, and passes through a cedar forest, as well as a peat bog.

This is a part of the trail that runs in between two bogs:

Parts of the park are open for hunting, so be sure to check with the park office, and/or NJ’s Division of Fish and Wildlife to educate yourself on any hunting activity before you begin your adventure. In addition to hiking, visitors can canoe or kayak their way through the park, using several access points on Cedar Creek. There are also public bathrooms and an Information Center conveniently located in the Pickers’ Cottage (circa 1940), just beyond the parking lot. Pickers’ cottages in the village housed seasonal workers – including family groups. Every year 30-40 migrant workers arrived on Labor Day weekend, and lived in the cottages until Thanksgiving. These village employees worked solely in the bogs, hand-picking the cranberries.

As you can see, we all very much enjoyed the abundant history and unique sights of Cello and Hooch’s first hike of 2015.

What will be YOUR first hike of the year? Cello and Hooch would love to know…go on, now… TAKE A HIKE!

It’s the Friday Pet Parade! Don’t hesitate to join in the Pet Parade, and share your favorite post with others. Visit one (or all!) of the hosts below, and link up to the parade!

Rascal and Rocco, Basil the Bionic Cat Blog, Love is being owned by a Husky, Barking From the Bayou, and Jan’s Funny Farm.

Hooch’s Frist New Year’s Eve

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Hooch celebrated his first New Years Eve! Since we did not have Hooch in our family until after July 4, we were unsure of how he would handle fireworks. Well, he takes after his big sister Cello – and doesn’t like them ONE bit! We were very glad we were home to be with our two fur-kids, so we could make them feel safe during all the “booms!”

Pawty Animal, Hooch, on his first New Years Eve:

Cello helped ring in the New Year too:

Happy New Year’s Eve 2014, Everyone!