Running with Jimmy

Gina and I have a new member of the family - Jimmy (pending name change). We picked him up at the Windham Humane Society in Bratt, Vt. He was born in Kuwait. Apparently, there are a lot of strays there running around the desert. He is 1 and half and kind of looks like a border collie. The shelter said he is a retriever mix, but who really knows what he has in him. He's basically a good old mutt. Weighing in around 55 pounds, he's the perfect size for a running companion.

I immediately took him on a 5 mile run/walk in Pisgah. I ran with him on a leash for about 8 minutes down Old Chesterfield Rd trail. He stuck right to my hip. I could tell he looked like the kind of dog that just sticks, so I let him off the leash. My guess was right. We ran together stride for stride down to the Chestnut Hill trailhead. The stream is just about dry there, but he was able to drink from a stagnant puddle. We turned and headed back via the Hidden Hemlock Habitat Hook-up (4H) trail. You won't find that trail on a map. Greg and Elijah named it that several years ago. I think Elijah and Griffin were the first ones to give it a run. We then detoured to the beaver pond near Wildlife/Habitat trail. Jimmy took a little swim and then we sat on the rock and enjoyed the quiet and scenery. He snuggled up beside me just as if we'd done this 100 times...

I'm home now and he's growling at a flock of geese that just flew noisily overhead. He looks a little restless but happy. I can't wait to run with him tomorrow!