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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!
Cello and Hooch’s first outdoor dock diving event of 2015 was held in Elkton, MD, at an event called Family Fun Day.
Our spot in “Dog Town:”
Cello:
Cello did not jump her best this weekend, but still put on a good show for the crowd!
Despite the fact that she was leaving early from the dock, which really affected her scores, Cello still won several medals this weekend!!
Big Air:
19′ 11″
18′ 11″
18′ 2″
18′ 2″
19′ 4″
18′ 11″
18′ 11″
19′ 6″
Extreme Vertical:
5′ 0″ Second Place (Cadet Division)
Speed Retrieve:
7.523 seconds – (a new Personal Best!!!!) 4th Place (Turbo Division)
Iron Dog:
2691.44 points First Place Iron Dog (Warrior Division)
Hooch:
Hooch had been holding a sit/stay, and jumping in our lake at home with no hesitation for about the past month. However, this did not transfer to the DockDogs dock and pool! Hooch still will not sit/stay for me up on the dock, and still hesitated at the edge of the dock, ending with a “pop” when we least expected it. He was quite the crowd-pleaser with his “Hoochie Hop!”
Big Air:
8′ 2″ First Place (Novice Division)
7′ 6″
8′ 3″
9′ 0″ First Place (Novice Division)
9′ 2″ Second Place (Novice Division)
8′ 0″
8’10” Second Place (Novice Division)
8′ 8″
Overall, we had a great weekend with many good friends and lots of cool pups!
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!
Our little (or NOT so little!) Hooch turned 11 months old on April 24!
He weighs 57 pounds now!
Hooch has been absolutely loving the water this Spring! He has been diving off of our dock at home!
Hooch has also been doing very well at his dock diving competitions!
In fact, on his 11 month birthday, Hooch competed in the Family Fun Day dock diving event, and earned 2 First Place medals, and 2 Second Place medals! Way to go, Hooch!
Happy 11 months, Hooch!
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.
Check out the cutie-patootie featured as the picture for “Skin Care!”
Yup – that’s puppy Cello !
On March 24, Hooch turned 10 months old… how did he get so big so fast?!?!
Hooch is now taller than his sister, Cello, and weighs 50 pounds. He continues to love the water and dock diving, although he still will not jump off our dock at home, and still hesitates to jump at competitions. Hooch has picked up a stronger toy-drive, and enjoys chasing a tennis or soccer ball, and chewing on sticks. He is the happiest, puppy we know, and he makes us laugh every day, as he is such a goof-ball! Happy 10 months, buddy – we love you!
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:
Topping Ingredients:
Instructions:
Topping Instructions:
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:
I hope your pooch enjoys this treat as much as Cello has!
Happy 4th birthday to Limoncello!
On March 14, 2015, Cello turned 4!
Over the past year, Cello has:
Cello continues to be happy and energetic – and we love her so much! Happy Birthday, pretty girl!
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!
Hooch turned 9 months old on February 24th. He’s getting so big! He is now officially taller than his sister, Cello!
Over the past month, Hooch has earned his first 1st Place ribbon in dock diving, qualified for Finals for the first time – AND came in 2nd Place in the Novice Finals! Way to go, Hooch!
Hooch LOVES playing in the snow! And thank goodness, because we’ve had LOTS of it over the past month! 
One of Hooch’s favorite things is playing ball in the snow!
Happy 9 Months, Hoochie!
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 !
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!
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!
On January 24, Hooch turned 8 months old! I can’t believe how much he’s changed in just 6 months! He’s 49 pounds now, and slightly taller than his sister, Cello. To see just how much he’s changed, click HERE and scroll through the pictures!
Over the past month, Hooch has traveled to Pennsylvania several times to practice his diving, went on a hike, won a contest where his painted picture will be on a greeting card, and has participated in his first official DockDogs dock diving event! Click HERE to see him in action and read the details of his first dock diving adventure!
Our little man is sure getting big!
Happy 8 month birthday, Hooch!
Hooch was the winner of Wagging Tail Portraits’ Facebook That’s Your Pet contest!
His cutie-patootie face will be inspiration for one of Wagging Tail Portraits’ future Wet Nose Greetings Cards! Hooch will also be featured on Wagging Tail Portraits blog, Wagging Tales.” We will also receive 50 complimentary cards and an 11×14 print of the painted illustration.
We are so proud of you, Hooch!
“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 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!
Hooch spent the 2014 season too young to participate in DockDogs competitions. However, as he tagged along to all the events, and cheered his big sis on, he won over the hearts of many!
Everyone wanted a turn to hold Hooch at events!
Being a cheerleader is tiresome work:
Hooch even volunteered his time as a donation dog for the GSP Rescue of NJ while intently watching his big sis dive off the dock:
People would get a kick out of how intensely Hooch studied the moves of Limoncello while she was on the dock:
In October, one month shy of being old enough to participate in an official DockDogs event, we introduced Hooch to the dock diving pool by letting him go down the ramp.
At the 2014 End-of-Season Keystone DockDogs Banquet, Hooch received a trophy for being the dog everyone wanted to dognap!
We took Cello and Hooch to historic Batsto Village for a hike!
Although this is both Cello and Hooch’s first visit to Batsto Village, this historic site holds a very special place in our hearts. If you’ve been following this blog, you know the story of how we discovered the German Shorthaired Pointer, and why we knew we would eventually forever have GSPs as family members. If you don’t know the story, click HERE . Six months after we bought our dream home, Brian and I went to the Country Living Fair, an event held annually on the third Sunday in October at Batsto Village, in hopes to find some historic items related to our area to decorate our home. While walking through the Village, we saw (for the very first time) a couple with a German Shorthaired Pointer. We approached the couple to pet the dog, and to ask some questions about the breed, since at the time we knew nothing about GSPs, other than what we had researched online. When Brian asked what the man thought of the breed, the man’s exact words were, “These dogs are the biggest pain in the A_ _.”
I often think of this, with three things that come to mind:
1) I can only feel sorry for that man who didn’t understand just how wonderful GSPs are
2) I pray that the man was joking, and that the beautiful dog we saw that day is leading a family-life full of love and care
3) I thank God we didn’t let the man’s opinionated statement divert us from our desire to have GSPs in our family.
At this exact spot, approximately 5 years ago, we saw and petted a German Shorthaired Pointer for the very first time! Today, Brian and Cello stood in that same spot:
Batsto Village dates back to 1776, and is located in Southern New Jersey in the Wharton State Forrest, New Jersey’s largest state forest, located in the heart of the Pinelands (home of New Jersey’s cultural icon, The Jersey Devil!) Archeologists have found evidence of Prehistoric life in the Batsto area as well…the history dates back several thousand years!
Batsto Iron Works was built along the Batsto River in 1766. Batsto had all the natural resources necessary for making iron: bog ore from the banks of the streams and rivers, wood for fuel, and water for power. The Batsto Iron Works produced household items such as cooking pots and kettles. During the Revolutionary War, Batsto also manufactured supplies for the Continental Army. By the mid 1800’s, iron production was down, and Batsto re-invented itself as a glass-making community, specializing in window glass.
Today Batsto Village is a New Jersey Historic site, and is also listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.
The Batsto area also has numerous hiking trails, some of which connect with the 50-mile long Batona Trail (whose name derives from the words BAck TO NAture).
We decided on the orange-blazed Tom’s Pond Trail.
To get to this trail, park in the Visitor Center parking lot. Walk past the Visitor Center, toward the Village and turn right to go past the Mansion, a 32-room home that served as the former residence of generations of ironmasters. Fourteen rooms, (including the parlors, dining room, library and bedrooms), are open to view for people visiting Batsto.
Just beyond the Mansion are many original structures still standing in the Village, including a General Store, Post Office, Gristmill, Sawmill, Blacksmith, Glassworks, Ice House, and the Batsto Church. Other cool things not to pass by are the remains of an ore boat, extracted from the bottom of Batsto Lake, an ore pile, iron furnace, and Farm.
The Gristmill below was powered by Batsto Lake and processed the wheat, corn, other grains sold in the Village’s General Store:
The picture below is the Piggery. This structure was used to slaughter hogs to provide food for the Village. The tall stone and brick tower on the left provided water from a large tank, which flowed into a large processing tub where the animal parts were further processed. The cast iron tub is thought to have been manufactured by the iron workers in the village.
Other Farm structures to check out before continuing on the hike are:
Wood House: where wood for the Mansion’s cook stoves was stored here
Carriage House: used to house various horse drawn vehicles
Horse Stable: ten stalls, where riding horses and carriage horses were kept
Threshing Barn: contained a threshing machine which separated the grain from the straw and chaff
Range Barn: where the cattle were kept
Mule Barn: constructed of Jersey ironstone, it served as a team stable, hay storeroom, and an 8-stall mule barn
Continue across Batsto Lake on a plank bridge, where you will also see (and hear!) the dam. Just across the dam is the Sawmill, which was powered by Batsto Lake. The mill cut lumber and shingles that were transported by train all over the east coast, providing additional profit for Batsto.
Just over the bridge is a great place to sit and take in the views of Batsto Lake. Batsto Lake and River were the major reasons for the location of the Village and its Iron Furnace. The river provided bog ore, and the lake was produced by the dam which allowed boats to move the bog ore from the river to the Iron Furnace.
The lake also provided water power for both the Sawmill and the Gristmill.
The sandy trail then leads through a row of homes once inhabited by the employees of Batsto.
The state of New Jersey purchased the Batsto area in the mid 1950’s. At this time, there were still a few people living in the Village houses, and they were told that they were allowed to remain living there for as long as they wanted. It wasn’t until 1989 that the last house was vacated!
People emplyed at Batsto lived in cottages consisting of 2- 3 rooms downstairs, and 2-3 rooms upstairs. Each house had an attic, fireplace, and an outhouse.
Several homes are open for visitors to walk through.
Once past the cottage-style homes, a path leading to the orange-blazed Tom’s Pond Trail and the yellow-blazed Mullica River Trail is set diagonally off to the right.
You can pick up the yellow-blazed Mullica River Trail along the way, but we decided to stick with just the orange-blazed Tom’s Pond Trail.
Although there were many Pine and Oak trees, we also went through a White Cedar bog, located along the Mullica River. Here is a picture of Hooch and Jenny just before we went through the bog:
There were several foot bridges we crossed along the way.
Hooch did a great job keeping up!
The orange-blazed trail is very well marked. The path follows along the Sleeper Branch of the Mullica River, then loops around for your return trip to the starting point. 
Not bad for Hooch’s first hike!
In addition to the historic buildings and hiking paths, Batsto hosts many events and tours. Camping and Canoeing are also popular at this historic site. Other amenities include a park office, restrooms, telephone, water, and picnic area.
Remember “Bella,” the adorable 16 week old GSP puppy we fostered?
Click HERE to read the original post about this adorable puppy!
Well, Pepper (Bella’s new name) is doing GREAT and is as happy as can be in her new home with her 4-legged sister, Mocha, a Vizsla/Weimaraner mix, and her two human sisters who give her lots of exercise!
We were lucky enough to get invited over for a play date, and boy, did we have a BLAST!!
All 4 dogs had an absolute blast running in Pepper and Mocha’s huge yard!
Here they are in action!
We very much enjoyed seeing how happy Pepper is with her forever family! We plan to get all the dogs together for play dates often in the future!
Hooch had never been to a dog park yet, so we took Cello and Hooch to John Connolly Memorial Park, in Voorhees, NJ.
Hooch was having a blast chasing Cello and the Chuck-It ball – UNTIL a huge male Great Dane puppy decided Hooch looked like a cool dude to play with. The Great Dane wanted nothing but to run with and chase Hooch – but the size of this immense pup scared poor Hooch to death! He ran away barking like mad, and ended up running to his mommy for safety! The poor Great Dane had no idea why Hooch did not want to play with him! Hooch was pretty spooked at that point, so we left the dog park.
Hopefully visit #2 will go a bit smoother for the Hoochie Coochie Man!
Hooch and Cello in action:
Of course Cello wanted nothing but to chase her ball, so nothing or no one phased our ball-crazy gal!
Hooch celebrated his first-ever Christmas!
He was a good sport as we dressed him up with Christmas props!
Cello wasn’t left out of the Christmas madness:
“Christmas, Christmas time is near
Time for toys, and time for cheer
We’ve been good, but we can’t last
Hurry Christmas, Hurry Fast…
…We can hardly stand the wait
Please Christmas don’t be late!”
~Alvin and the Chipmunks
Christmas morning proved that Santa Paws had Cello and Hooch on his “Nice List!”
This year we ordered German Shorthaired Pointer stockings from Pawsome Donations – each purchase helps out dogs in need, as 25% of all profits will go to rescue organizations, including the GSP Rescue of NJ. Check out the Pawsome Donations Facebook page HERE.
Merry Christmas, cabin style, from Cello and Hooch!
On December 24th, Hooch turned 7 months!
Weight: 47 pounds
Back lenngth: 21 inches
Chest width: 8 inches
Chest girth: 26 inches
Neck girth: 14.5 inches
Cello and Hooch stayed at the Harrisburg/Hershey Holiday Inn in Grantville, PA for their dock diving practice at Mountain Trail Training Center.
The hotel upgraded us to a bi-level suite at no charge!!
This suite had a king bed, three entrance/exit doors (one of which opened out immediately to the outside, which was great for letting the dogs out!) two floors, 1.5 baths, a wet bar, and two sitting areas!
Bottom floor:
Cello and Hooch liked that they could keep an eye on their Pop when he went outside to smoke. 
Spiral staircase leading up to the second floor:
2nd floor:
Cello and Hooch took turns sitting on the ottoman:
The hotel was clean, and the staff could not have been nicer!
Cello and Hooch attended dock diving practice at Mountain Trail Training Center in Grantville, PA.
Cello getting some big air during practice:
Hooch in action:
Cello and Hooch have been chosen to be featured on a new blog started by the parent of an adorable GSP named Soda.
This blog is dedicated to German Shorthaired Pointers! Click HERE to check it this new blog!
Click HERE to see Cello and Hooch’s feature!
Also check out Soda’s Instagram account by clicking HERE !
Hooch graduated from his “Terrible Teens” class at WonderDogs! This class revolved around basic obedience, with a primary focus on how to apply these exercises to produce a well-mannered pup. Discussions on dogs’ behaviors, and solutions to common puppy problems at this stage of the dogs’ lives took place at the beginning of each class.
What’s next for Hoochie?? …Hooch will be enrolling in “Finishing School” at Wonderdogs to continue his obedience training! This next-level class will work on fine-tuning Hooch’s understanding of basic obedience exercises, and help increase his focus during distractions. “Finishing School” is also a preparatory course for passing the AKC’s Canine Good Citizenship certification test.
Congratulations, Hooch! We are very proud of you!
Both Cello and Hooch graduated from WonderDogs Puppy Head Start Class. Check out their Graduation pictures:
CLICK HERE for Cello’s Puppy Head Start Graduation
CLICK HERE for Hooch’s Puppy Head Start Graduation
Cello was featured again on M.K. Clinton’s Barking From the Bayou! (Thank you Bentley and Pierre!!)
To read the entire post, CLICK HERE!
If you haven’t already, check out The Returns book series! Both books (“Showstoppers”, as well as “The Returns”) have just been selected finalists in the AUTHORSdb (data bank) 2014 Book Cover Contest ! Please CLICK HERE to vote for both books!
Yesterday we took Cello and Hooch up to Canine Spa in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania for Hooch’s first-ever dock diving practice with Keystone DockDogs members.
We were not sure if he would jump in or not – we were pleasantly surprised!
First, we just tried the “Place and Send Method” from the edge of the dock to see if he would jump in for his toy. Read more about the Place and Send technique HERE.
Once we knew Hooch would jump in, I tried the “Chase Method” next. Read more about the Chase technique HERE.
We were so proud of Hooch, and Jenny was so happy she didn’t fall in !
Luckily, we have not had a significant snow fall as of yet. However, we did have a day where the snow “stuck” just a little.
Hooch was not too sure what to do with it! He kept lifting up his paws!
I can’t wait to see Hooch’s reaction if/when we have a BIG snowfall this winter!
Cello likes the snow, but had no reaction to the little bit that had fallen.
And of course, snow did not get in the way of playing soccer!
Last winter was one cold snowy day after another… I wonder what this winter has in store for us!?
We tried very hard to get Santa Photos that would benefit a local shelter. We have always done this with Cello in the past. However, this year, we just couldn’t find any that would work with our schedule. I began to search online – and found that the Moorestown Mall in Moorestown, NJ, allows dogs in the mall for Santa photos on Monday nights!
When we got to the entrance of the mall, there was a red carpet leading all the way to Santa in his chair! Boy was it crowded!
Cello waiting patiently:
Cello and Hooch waited in line on the red carpet waiting to see Santa and made friends along the way!
This Santa was GREAT! He was patient, and extremely good with the all of the dogs! He even stayed past 9pm (closing time) in order for all dogs to be seen!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!
After our wonderful experience at The Green Leaf Pet Resort and Hotel, we decided to enjoy a glass of wine at Cream Ridge Winery, which was only 10 minutes down the road.
Dogs are allowed inside the tasting room!
Cello and Hooch did well on their “Place” mats, and we enjoyed a tasty glass of Sauvignon Blanc !
The wine was great, and the staff couldn’t have been more friendly to both us – and the dogs.
Each person working stopped what they were doing to come over to say hello to Cello and Hooch!
Margarita visited here on July 24, 2016
In searching for an indoor swimming facility for Cello and Hooch to use during the cold months, I found The Green Leaf Pet Resort and Hotel through a Google Search. It is about a 40 minute drive from our house. We decided to give it a try in hopes that we can bring Cello and Hooch here throughout the winter to keep up on their swimming, and to practice for dock diving. We are very glad we took the drive – we have never seen anything like this place…
The Green Leaf Pet Resort is AMAZING!
The entry way was so inviting, and very festive!
When I walked inside to the front desk, I was thinking how much it looked like an upscale hotel!
They even have a boutique for your pooch:
The Green Leaf does grooming, boarding, training, swim lessons, fitness training, specialized training, and day care!
Check out their boarding rooms – – can I stay here please?! Haha!
The pool room is just awesome. The pool area can be rented by the 1/2 hour or the hour. It costs $35 per half-hour, and they have package rates available. When you rent the pool area, you and your dog(s) are the only ones in the room – no others are allowed in, unless they are a part of your group.
There is a ramp into/out of the pool so dogs can easily enter and exit without having to jump in or climb out.
The facility provides pool toys, towels, life vests, and water-resistant leashes for use during your dog’s swim.
Hooch was a little hesitant at first, and just stood at the ramp, and watched Cello for a while!
Don’t mess with THIS guard!
Cello had an absolute blast!
Hooch started diving in and having a ball also!
Here they are in action!
The facility is spotless, the staff is friendly, and the amenities are endless here for your pup!
Cello was chosen to have her picture featured in the December issue of The Dog Show Journal! The Dog Show Journal is an online publication.
Cello is on page 53 (right hand side) for an ad and story on the Inaugural NADD / AKC Diving Dog Championship, hosted by AKC and Eukanuba on December 13 and 14 in Orlando, FL. Unfortunately we will not be in FL for this event!
Click HERE to view the entire December issue!
During our Thanksgiving camping stay at Island Resort Campground, we visited the town of Berlin, MD. While leaving The Maryland Wine Bar, and heading back to our car, we stumbled across Sisters. We did not find Sisters listed on DogFriendly.com or BringFido.com (two of our biggest resources for dog friendly places), but we decided it couldn’t hurt to ask. Brian went inside while I held Cello and Hooch outside. He came out giving me the “thumbs-up,” so in we went!
This was THE coolest place! It was a gift shop, and a wine bar all in one! They had comfy couches where we enjoyed a glass of wine.
We very much enjoyed our time at Sisters!
While visiting the town of Berlin during our Thanksgiving camping stay at Island Resort Campground, we visited The Maryland Wine Bar in Berlin, MD.
This cozy place allows dogs to come inside!
The wine was tasty, staff was so friendly, and the atmosphere so festive and cozy – – we could have spend the whole day here!
Named America’s Coolest Small Town in 2014, the town of Berlin, MD surely lived up to it’s name.
This town has many, many cool features, one being that the movie Runaway Bride was filmed here!
Berlin is also home to the historic 1895 Atlantic Hotel:
This town has unique shops, antique stores, wonderful architectural, and some great eateries and wine bars.
Cello and Hooch enjoyed walking among the shoppers her in town. Be sure to visit Berlin, America’s Coolest Small Town!
During our Thanksgiving camping stay at Island Resort Campground, we visited Costa Ventosa Winery and Vineyard.
Why? You guessed it – they are dog friendly, and the pups are allowed inside the tasting room!
Cello is a regular wino and was not shy about heading to the bar with her Pop!
We very much enjoyed the wine here!
Hooch was so well-behaved at his first winery tasting room visit!
During our Thanksgiving Day camping stay at Island Resort Campground, we visited Burley Oak Brewery in Berlin, MD.
Dogs are allowed inside this brewery!
This was Hooch’s first visit to a Brewery, and he was very well behaved!
We very much enjoyed our beer and the atmosphere here! Brian tried the Rude Boy, and I tried the Sorry Chicky!
The staff was friendly, and the beer was good…and best of all, the brewery is dog friendly! A must-visit if you are ever in this area!
This Thanksgiving, we camped at Island Resort Campground in Newark, Maryland.
We didn’t deep fry a turkey like we did last year, but we had just as good of a time, if not better!
Our campsite #82
View from our campsite:
view the campground map HERE
Cello and Hooch were VERY interested in all the ducks and geese on the lake!
We had an awesome sunset each night as well!
This campground was super-clean, and the campground staff couldn’t have been nicer!
Today Hooch turned 6-months old, which means he is officially old enough to compete in a DockDogs event! We are hopeful that he will want to jump in the 2015 season!
Currently, Hooch continues to visit new places, travel to new states, and camp, (he’s been spent more weekends camping or staying in a hotel room, than he has spent at his house since we brought him home at 7 weeks of age!) Hooch is enrolled in WonderDogs obedience class to learn his basic commands and manners. He continues to be a good-hearted gentle soul, and especially loves squeaky tennis balls, and Frisbees.
Hooch was not a big fan of the water as a young pup, but gradually has ventured into the water in his own way, and in his own time! Here are some photos and videos of Team Homemade Hooch in the making:
As a wee little pup, Hooch thought being a DockDog meant just hanging out on our dock!
We tried coaxing Hooch into Cello’s baby pool…but he was NOT interested.
Then one day, his love of tennis balls tempted him enough to go in the baby pool.
Hooch watched Cello dive off of our dock into the lake every day – but he would not venture in.
One day, he fell in to our lake by accident – and we found out Hooch was not the most graceful of swimmers.
Hooch also started to go into the baby pool on his own for some summertime fun in the water!
One day, Hooch decided it was “his time” to dive into the lake like his big sis… and in he went after his ball!
While we were at Cello’s Dock Diving event in Berlin, MD, we let Hooch check out the DockDogs dock (just at the exit ramp since he was not of age to attempt to jump off the dock), and test out the pool water.
Hooch went in with no hesitation from the exit ramp:
He was very proud of himself for retrieving the bumper!
We hope Hooch will not be fearful of the dock, and love the sport as much as his Dock Diving Diva sister, Cello.
The 2015 Dock Diving season should be an interesting one!
Stay tuned to see if Hooch jumps!
Go Team Homemade Hooch!!!!
M.K. Clinton publishes a daily blog, called Barking From the Bayou, with some great stories, awesome giveaways, product reviews, cool blog hops (which I still need to figure out how to join!), valuable information, and of course, adorable Bentley photos! She is also the author of The Returns Book Series, and has earned many awards and honors!
She has been a great supporter of Cello on both Cello’s Corner and Instagram, and I cannot thank her enough! Somehow, even as busy as she is, she always finds time to compliment Cello’s Instagram photos, and comment on the posts on Cello’s Corner.
Check out the the feature Cello had:
It was such an honor to be featured on this blog. We are very appreciative for the inclusion of Cello’s Instagram link as well!
Click HERE to see M.K. Cinton’s Barking From the Bayou’s BFTB Channel 7 News post in its entirety.
We really appreciate the feature on the blog, and also want to thank M.K. Clinton for her continued support, and “shout-outs!”
While visiting the town of St. Michaels for Cello’s Easton Waterfowl Dock Diving event, we visited Flying Fred’s!
Flying Fred’s is named after the owner’s Jack Russel Terrier, Fred, who began to accompany them to work at Five Gables Inn and Spa. The owners decided to open Flying Fred’s to display their love of animals through this pet boutique so that other animal lovers like themselves could enjoy the unique gifts and accessories.
The boutique is named after their Jack Russel Terrier, Fred, and his amazing jumping ability!
This was Hooch’s first shopping experience:
Cello and Hooch were both very excited about the toys and treats being purchased!
Cello was making sure the toys were handed over to HER:
We were very excited about the GSP ornament we found here!
In addition to a variety of pet treats, toys, accessories, gifts, and supplies, Flying Fred’s also hosts various events such as “Yappy Hour” on the 1st Friday of each month, the Jack Russell races, pooch porch parties, and more. Dogs are allowed inside, but must be under their owner’s control, leashed, and cleaned up after all times.
If you are every visiting St. Michaels with your pooch, a stop at Flying Fred’s is a must!
Right outside the store, in the sidewalk cement, we saw this (our initials!):
(But not before Cello PEED on it!) hahaha!
For the second year in a row, Cello competed in the Easton Waterfowl Festival Dock Diving Contest, hosted by Delmarva Dock Dogs.
Unfortunately, I cannot access the event results due to construction on the DockDogs website. However, I can report, for the second year in a row, Cello won first place in the finals at this event! THIS time, she won first place in the Elite Division, which is one whole division higher than the first place Masters Division spot she earned last year!
Cello in action:
Cello in Slo-Mo:
Cello also competed in the Extreme Vertical competition at this event, earning 3rd place in the Cadet Division!
Cello in action doing Extreme Vertical:
One of Cello and Hooch’s pals, Sky, was celebrating her 3rd birthday at this event, and had provided party hats and birthday cake for the pups!
Here are PAWty animals, Cello and Hooch sporting their party hats!
Birthday Girl, Sky:
Birthday cake for all!
It was a chilly weekend, but we had a ton of fun, and were very proud of Cello’s performance!
This was Cello’s last dock diving event of 2014.
This year Cello earned both a Club and National Masters Title in Big Air, as well as a Club Elite title in Big Air. She also earned a new personal best jump in Big Air of 23′ 7″ (her first dock diving jump ever in September 2013 was 12’8″)!! Cello tried Extreme Vertical for the first time, and placed 2nd and 3rd in finals for the Cadet division. Her personal best EV jump right now is 5’6″.
We are very proud of all her accomplishments this year, and very much look forward to the 2015 Season!
No visit to Annapolis, MD, is complete without seeing the United States Naval Academy!
While visiting Annapolis, we took at ride to Historic London Town and Gardens.
This 23-acre museum and park boasts incredible archaeology, and horticulture of the “lost town” of London. You can walk the Historic Area, which includes the William Brown House (circa 1760). This house is a National Historic Landmark!
There are also several reconstructed colonial buildings.
We chose not to wander the eight-acre Woodland Garden, and the seasonal Ornamental Gardens that overlook the South River. However, there are many different plants and flowers throughout the entire year. Click HERE to see what’s in bloom year-round.
While visiting Annapolis, we decided to check out Thomas Point Park.
We were sure glad we visited – the sunset was spectacular, and you could see the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse in the distance.
While visiting the town of Annapolis, we decided to follow a friend’s recommendation and stopped at the Rams Head Tavern for a bite to eat and some cocktails. Rams Head has a pretty extensive history dating back to 1703.
This tavern is very dog friendly, and even has a doggie menu!
Happy Halloween! Hooch’s first Halloween began with a visit from the Great Pumpkin!
Cello and Hooch enjoyed their Halloween toys!
Hooch is loving that new toys arrive on his kitchen bed on all holidays 🙂
Jenny’s nephew James was dressing up as the Lion from the Wizard of Oz, so we stuck with the theme. The Lion, Dorothy and the Tin Man were off we were to see the Wizard!
Cello as Dorothy:
“There’s no place like home”
Hooch as the Tin Man:
Has anyone see my oil can?
James as the Cowardly Lion:
Cello wound up having some “wardrobe malfunctions,” so we had to fall back on Wonder Woman and Superman for the rest of trick-or-treating:
Happy Halloween!
We hope everyone had as much fun as we did on Halloween!
