Hiking at Pineland Reserve with Mike & Albi!

Yesterday Mike, Albi and I went hiking at Pineland Reserve.  I think the town it is in is New Gloucester, Maine.  Not entirely sure about that.  It was our first hike in Maine of the spring/summer and it was glorious!

We couldn't wait to take Albi hiking since the weather finally got more warmer and things started to get green up here.  Mike and I love to hike, and we would do it regardless of whether we had a dog or not, but it's so much fun to see Albi running and leaping around the woods like he owns the place.  We always say that he is SO in his element out in the woods.

The trail that we took was the North Loop which is 1.7 miles.  It only took us about 25 minutes or so yesterday, which seemed really fast, especially because we like to stop at certain spots along the way and admire the beauty of the wilderness (haha).  Are we in better shape than last summer?  I'm just going to go ahead and think that.  =)  What we probably love the most about Pineland is the lack of people there.  We've been there a ton of times and only saw someone else on the trail twice.  There is another place to hike in Yarmouth that SO many people go to.  This is a bit of a further drive for us, but we love the seclusion. 

Since we go down to Long Island and over to New Hampshire quite a bit, we've been teased by the greenery and blossoms that were very late to arrive in Maine.  It really is true that winter starts sooner, and spring comes later up here.  Maine is kind of a pain in the winter time, but our summers are amazing.  And, they aren't too too hot for Albi!  

Rock walls are all over New England and I love them.  Especially when they're covered in moss. You don't see them anywhere else.

 I got a couple decent shots of Albi in action.  I'd say they are decent considering that my camera was my iPhone. 

Have you ever had one of those moments where you stop and think,  "I'm having such a good time" or  "I'm really happy in this moment"?  I had one of these yesterday on our hike.   Mike and I aren't married yet and yes, Albi is a dog, but we feel like a little family and I so enjoy doing stuff outdoors with them.  Know what I mean?  I feel like whenever I find anything that makes me truly happy I have to really stop and appreciate it and be in the moment as much as I can.

This was just kind of a fun post today, but documenting great memories seems so worth it.

Thanks for reading and have a good weekend!

All About Albi - our Japanese Akita!

Hey there!

I will definitely admit that I am one of those people that are obsessed with their dog.  I can’t help it.  He is just way too cute.

Albi is a two-year-old full breed Akita Inu.  We have had him since he was three months old, and we got him when we were living in Springfield, Mass.  At the time, we didn’t know about the whole puppy mill thing, so we got him from a puppy store.  

Puppy =)

 Japanese Akitas are a separate breed from the bigger American Akitas with the black masks.  They were considered sacred in Japan.  Centuries ago, they were bred to hunt bears.  Albi’s favorite thing is the snow…he’s such a winter dog.  He’s got a double coat and webbed paws which help with out in the winter.  We realized after we got him that we would never be able to move somewhere with a warm climate because Albi would miss the snow too much.

Albi is an amazingly lovable dog, and Mike and I consider him a part of our new little family.  We make sure that he gets all the exercise and attention he needs (we’ve seen what happens if he doesn’t).  We take him on 2 or 3 walks a day, but sometimes we will go for a hike or go to the dog park instead.  We have an awesome dog park near us that Albi loves, and it’s a great chance to socialize him with other dogs.  Socialization continues to be a really important thing for Albi because he can tends to forget to play nicely.

Albi comes with us when we go anywhere and he’s great in the car.  Boarding is something that’s not cheap, so it’s nice that he doesn’t mind going places with us.  Both mine and Mike’s family love Albi, and he loves them too!  Mike’s mom makes him a stocking at Christmas and this year he even got an Easter basket.  My four-year-old nephew and Albi are best buddies.  Albi is about as tall as Ronin, which makes their games of tug-of-war really funny to watch.  Ronin calls Albi his “dog brother” which is the cutest thing ever.

Ronin and his dog brother

 What else can I tell you about my little baby?  We love him so much, and he makes us really happy.  He also helps with my depression because even when I’m depressed I’m forced to get outside and go for a walk with him.  I can’t imagine what our lives would be like without him.  He’s so important to us, and we love being dog owners!  He’s such a unique, cool dog. 

Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to check out my YouTube channel and follow me on Instagram and Twitter for adorable pics of Albi!

Later! =)