Thanksgiving in Hell...

...Hell's Half Acre that is.  And actually it was the day after Tofurkey Day.

(magpie on the fence)

(Look familiar anyone?  Can you say Starship Troopers...)

My brother showing off his dirty rear after a slip and fall.

Vacation wouldn't be complete without some Eeyore photos!

Beautiful colors in the rocks (and yes, I cheated and used the color enhancing setting on my camera).

(oops, photo evidence we were on the "wrong" side of the fence)

Elmo's Busy Weekend

Elmo cheered for back to back races, one in MD on Saturday and the other in PA on Sunday.  That was a first for him.  And he made some friends along the way.

Beautiful setting along the C&O Canal waiting for my friend who was running her first 50 miler - the JFK 50.

And here she is, still looking happy at mile 38!

Elmo's new friends:

The next day was a very early morning to head up to Philly...but Elmo was wide awake and ready to go!

Managed to catch my brother in a few places during the marathon.

And rounded off the day with brunch at the Marathon Cafe (fitting enough).  Elmo was on the street banners in downtown Philly :-)

Photo Journal of My PACK Buddies!

About one year ago, I joined PACK for my first run with the adoptable shelter dogs from the Washington Humane Society, and ever since I cannot stop talking about it!  This is a photo journal of all the pups I've run with so far, as I come up on my one year anniversary.  At the time of this posting, all but two of the pups have been adopted, went to foster, or were transferred to a rescue group!

PACK stands for the People and Animal Cardio Klub.  It's a group of dedicated volunteers who take the shelter dogs out for early Saturday morning runs in Rock Creek Park (or sometimes The National Mall or the Arboretum).  It gets the dogs exercise, socialization, exposure, and best of all, love and attention!  And I get my doggie fix:-)  It's my favorite way to start off the weekend, and I plan my schedule around it if I can.  ("Um, can we meet at 11:00 for brunch instead...")

October 26, 2013 was my first run, but it would have been earlier in the month if the Federal government hadn't been shut down.  Not only was I not allowed to go to work and was not getting a paycheck, but my beloved Rock Creek Park was also closed and therefore the PACK runs were cancelled.  So I had to wait a few weeks.

At first, I just showed up and ran with them.  But before long, I was handed a leash and asked if I wanted to run with long-time PACK veteran, Flo.  Yes please!  She had packed on a few pounds during her long stay at the shelter, but she impressed me by running the whole 3+ miles!  I ran with Flo on several more occasions.

Flo - finally adopted after over 6 months (I think) at the shelter

My 2nd running buddy was Chuck.  He was a long-time PACK veteran as well.
He was adopted by a neighbor of a fellow PACKster, so we get updates occasionally.

With an adoption event at GA Ave one weekend, I decided to join the NY Ave folks at The National Mall.  I walked with Berlin.

Then after shadowing another PACK volunteer for two weekends, I was transporting a dog from the GA Ave shelter location.  I didn't transport my buddy Flo because she had been adopted by then!  Instead, Tesoro had the pleasure of being my first PACK transportee!  See how happy he was :-)

My 2nd transportee was Adonis, but then I ran with Josie (below) that day.  That sometimes happens where we switch around dogs depending on who wants to run and who wants to walk.  Although I did get to run with Adonis the following week.

I only run with some dogs one time, because they get adopted quickly, like Lady Bug.

And then there are dogs like CeeLo, who I ran with only twice, but he was a long time PACK veteran.  (So happy to see him at Pet-A-Palooza with his new parents!)

Only ran once with Macaroni (inbetween the times with CeeLo).

This picture says it all about Winnie. We ran together ALOT, 7 times actually, the most of any pup so far, but I must admit she was one of my favorites.

 She rode in my car many, many times...

...and destroyed many, many toys.

To give me a break from Winnie (she could sometimes be a handful...), I ran with Peony one week.

And then a walk with Soren the next.  He was so malnurished and underweight when Animal Control picked him up, that he only walked at the first few PACK outings.  It was so great to see him come out of his shell, put on some weight, and eventually run with the rest of them!

A new program was started late spring called iPAW.  Veteran PACKsters could take the dogs out for individual outings besides our Saturday morning runs.  I of course signed up right away, and by mid-May was taking Dibee out for my first iPAW outing...a hike in Rock Creek Park (of course I would have taken Winnie, but she was at an adoption event).  Nervous the entire time, I just kept thinking about Alison's last words at our training "Don't Lose A Dog!".  But I didn't.

And Dibee was around for two more PACK runs with me, and another iPAW outing.

Since the Poplar Springs Run for the Animals was my first expsoure to PACK in May the year before, I joined a few PACKsters to take some pups to the walk again this year.  I took Lex, who was joined by Soren and Elizabeth.

Dibee went to foster (which ended up being a foster forever), so I was back reunited with Winnie on the PACK runs, before she was adopted.

And I took her on my 2nd iPAW outing.

Ran once with Berry.  Look at those ears!

And I think just one run with Butch, but also an iPAW outing another time.

Hard to believe my first run with Spike was the end of July!

We had many fast runs together. 6 total, just one shy of Winnie.

One with an extra friend who joined us to check PACK out.

This was also my first outing to the National Arboretum.

But I think Spike liked the sticks better at Rock Creek Park...

Again, to give me a break from Spike (who could sometimes be a handful...I'm seeing a trend here), I ran one time with sweetie pie Aisha.

Took Bella out for an iPAW outing, and then she went to foster shortly after that.  If she hadn't, I think she would have fit in nicely with my brother's black dog collection ;-)

When my Mom visits, we now try to squeeze in an iPAW outing.  Taz sure did like her!  And he liked sticking his head out the car window too.

On Labor Day, Aisha sure enjoyed her iPAW excursion to Petco!  (and yes, I bought her the Death Star toy)  She just went to her furever home at a big event this past weekend!

Only ran once with Big Country, because he went to his furever home later that day!

Can't resist more pics of my boy Spike on yet another PACK run.  He just went to his furever home from the big adoption event this past weekend too!

Took Bosco for a hike with iPAW, but we ended up running most of the way.

 Ran with Baxter at an iPAW outing as well, ran from the GA Ave shelter into Rock Creek Park.  He was on high alert any time he saw squirrels!

Bosco again, at PACK this time.  Just love this photo which caught him blinking.  He went to his furever home on Monday after being adopted at the big event this past weekend as well!

 

Baxter joined me for a pre-hike of the Water For People hike course.  And then had a fun play-fest afterwards!

 My most recent PACK run was with Dixie.  It was raining some, but she thoroughly enjoyed running through every puddle and mud patch!

 

Then an iPAW outing with Leigh the next day.  We had so many PACKsters that weekend that she was the only one who didn't get out for a run on Saturday, so she got her own special run on Sunday.

Since I missed PACK last weekend, I did an iPAW run Sunday morning with Dixie.  She's such a sweetheart, and is still waiting to find her furever home!

Lastly, yet another iPAW outing on my Monday off with Ratatouille.  Check out those eyes.  He's currently still waiting for his furever home too.

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Now I know what many of you are probably thinking...when am I going to get my own dog?  Well, that's still a ways off, if ever maybe, for a variety of reasons.  One reason being that I don't think my 3 kitties would appreciate it right now, especially living in a one room condo.  So for now, my Facebook and Twitter friends will just have to endure seeing all the cute photos of adoptable dogs :-)  And I eagerly await the Friday afternoon emails to learn who I will run with that weekend.

Note - Photo credits for those pictures not taken by me go to PACK leaders Dolores and Heather!  They take great photos every week of our PACK excursions and the pup's adoption profiles.