After a busy week doing her “job” as a certified Bright Spot therapy dog, Violet had a fun afternoon hiking with some of her pals from Berkshire Hills Australian Labradoodles. We met up at the beginning of the trail head – 5 people and 8 dogs – to hike on acres and acres of privately owned land in the hills of Williamsburg, Massachusetts. The owner of this property kindly offers people the opportunity to hike on the trails he has personally carved – several well-maintained trails that lead to a breathtaking view of the Pioneer Valley below.
It was one of those wonderful autumn days – crisp air, sunny blue skies, temps in the 40’s. Perfect for a vigorous hike in the hills. We encountered moderate inclines, for the most part, but some areas posed steeper terrain. Once given the OK, the herd of dogs headed out. It’s a lot of fun to watch a bunch of Labradoodles bouncing around, running and playing together. They were a happy sight.
Violet needed this fabulous hike – both for exercise and for socializing. With stormy weather at the beginning of the week, our dogs hadn’t been outside much. No morning walks or romps in the back hayfield. And, Violet had had a busy “work week” doing her job as a Bright Spot Reading Buddy and visiting therapy dog to the folks at a nearby nursing home. She was so excited when she spotted all her Labradoodles friends gathered and ready for take-off. Violet wore her orange hunting vest because it’s bow season for deer. Best to be on the safe side. We hiked for almost three hours. Great enjoyment for the humans (all of us Berkshire Hills Puppy Buddies) and for the canines. We plan to have more of these meet-ups. Hooray!