Mount Si Hike

It is sad that I grew up in the Snoqualmie Valley and have never done this hike before (it is also pretty sad about how long it has been since I posted, but we don't need to get into that and other than Katelyn, I doubt anyone is too worried about it). Given my crazy dog and her need to be the only dog in the area, we elected to take the road less traveled and took the less used route (Don't forget your Discover Pass).

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mount-si-via-mount-teneriffe-road-trail

We (Me, Dan, Matt (Dan's friend from college who has been visiting us for a bit) and Gabby) ended up hiking higher and more distance than this, our route ended up being about 12 miles round trip per my fitbit  and we didn't even get to an "end" and could have kept going.  If you want an easier hike in the same area try Little Si.

Recommendations for this trip:
- Pack more snacks than some trail mix and shotbloks, this is probably a given for the experienced hiker, but I always tend to try to pack light because I hate carrying a lot of stuff.
- Layer up if you are going to go any time soon, I saw people in coats and bundled up pretty good and the at the top there was a guy in shorts and that was about it. I was pretty cold to start, warmed up pretty good through the hike and then started to get a lil chilly as we made our way back down.

All and all, we were hurting a bit the next couple days and maybe that wasn't a great get back into hiking trip, but we made it and are all ready to go on another hike or perhaps some snow shoeing with my lil sister after Super Bowl weekend.

GO SEAHAWKS!!!

Here are some pictures from the hike sorry for some Instagram duplicates.

You can kind of see Rainier if you look closely. My sister was snow shoeing over there the same day...I am pretty sure if you look closely you can see her. :)

Hopefully there will be many more hikes and posts. I am excited that Katelyn is moving back to Washington so we can go on a bunch of hikes this summer.

Day Six: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer thequestion, 'what do you do'?

What don't I do? 

I try to do everything and then sometimes turn on the breaks and do nothing. I am active and I am a pet parent, a daughter, a sister, a problem solver, a friend, a best friend, a bestie, a room mate,  hard working, driven. I travel, run, walk, workout, play indoor soccer, play outdoor soccer, am on facebook too much, should be working but am blogging. I love, I rarely fight, I shop, I spend, I return after I have buyer's remorse. I am impulsive and don't always think things all the way through.

I love to spend time with all parts of my family and my perfect day is chilling at home with family/friends on a nice day.

Day Two: Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at.

I am good at SO many things...this could be difficult (read sarcastic font).  I am going to go with being a good pet parent on road trips or knowing what Gabs needs, primarily because I just recently did it. 

So, Gabby and I are probably over packers, but we like to be prepared. Recently her and I did a road trip over to Idaho to see my Auntie Jams (aka Jan). She is my mom's best friend from college and like another mom to me. She means the world to me. Gabs and I decided that since Panda was out of town for work, that we should skip on over to visit her. Although not really a skip, more like a ridiculously boring 5+ hr drive, but she is totally worth it.

So...what does her highness need while traveling or just in her day to day life? We have this down pretty well, because we are always heading over to Panda's for the night or something.

1) This may or may not be a legit LV. I will let you decide. This is a great size bag to keep all of her stuff in.

2) Her remote collar, as mentioned in earlier posts, this is a must and it is great for on the farm because there is so much space she can run and run without me worrying.

3) Door Bells - these are great. My mom gave me a set of these when I moved into my apartment. Gabby picked it up pretty quick that if she rang them, we would go outside. They are also nice on doors because if someone does open them, it is a bit of a warning. Many people have thought I had them on my door as a type of alarm.

4) Harness - This is a gentle lead harness, you can hook the leash to the front or the back. If you hook it to the front, then kind of stops the dog from pulling so much. I use this for running and with #8.

5) Puppy pads, given that Gabs is a city dog and I used to work long hours, she is trained (mostly) to use these. I keep a few in my bag so that if I am leaving her at someone's place, she knows where she can go.

6) A water bowl and a ziplock bowl with food in it. I love these ziplock bowls because the lock down tight, great for soups/chili and why not dog food. There is always a full one in her bag in case we are staying out one night.

7) Chuck-it/balls - Saying that Gabs loves to play ball would be an understatement. I keep the short chuck-it and a few balls with us at all times. I like the shorter version because it fits in her bag easier. I also like the orange and blue rubber balls because they tend to hold up a bit longer and are easier to locate.

8) This is a great little invention - it is a short leash. I hook it to her harness and then the handle of the leash goes through the seat belt of the car. Usually gabby travels in the back in her crate (not pictured, but also a must for us), however, for long road trips with just the two of us, I set her up in the seat next to me with this and a blanket. It is nice because she is secure, so we can drive around with all the windows down and I don't have to worry about her jumping out.

9) Thunder shirt - I was surprised that this actually worked. It is supposed to calm your dog down and it actually works, now is gabby a mellow (insert name of mellow dog here) with it? No, but definitely a bit calmer and it also keeps her from getting quite so much hair everywhere. It is great for when we are visiting friends or have just vacuumed my car.

10) Long leash - I got hooked on these with Gab's training for her remote collar. It is nice to have for rest stops or what not. I don't like the retractable leashes because I think they encourage dogs to pull on the leash since with those, there is always a bit of tension. 

11) Chicken Strips or Lamb Strips - Any treat of choice will do.

12) Water bottle and travel attachment for pups - my friend Bart got this attachment for me for my birthday a few years back. It is nice because it attaches to any water bottle. It is nice for when we are on the move or hiking.

13) This is a new item and in all honesty we haven't tried it yet. It is a natural flea/tick repellent. We got this for our trip to Idaho because we were concerned about ticks, but didn't have any issues and haven't used it yet. The ladies at Mud Bay (http://www.mudbay.us/) were recommending it as they don't carry the chemical stuff. I liked the idea, but can't...at this moment comment on how well it works. A later post I am sure.

14) Bully bone or similar - just a nice bone for her to chew on or what she seems to be doing recently is just hiding them, I will have to start an album of funny places she hides her bones.

15) Hedgehog - Gabs actually has a couple of these. It is a nice durable go to toy. It still squeaks and honks.

16) Of course, a leash and bags on board - We just have a basic leash and I found that ordering replacement bags on amazon is the cheap way to go about it.

17)  Gabby recommends that there be an additional ball or two in the mix.

....wow...gabby has a lot of crap.

Some other things to consider carrying along that aren't pictured

- Proof of vaccinations

- ID tags with local names/phone numbers of where you are staying. For example, Gabby has a tag that says she is Jan's dog and has Jan's phone number. You can actually get ID tags really cheap online. It is nice because then if something happens, they know where she is from or a local contact. It is also nice for Idaho because my cell doesn't work well over there. I also have one for when my mom is watching her and I am out of the country or don't have access to my cell.

Hope this little pack helps you to plan for your pup's trips....

A new fish?

So...for some reason for the last few years, I have wanted a fish tank at work. Maybe it is because my dad has one in his office and I always thought it was cool or because I can't keep a plant alive to save my life, who knows...but I got a small Beta last year, named him Sushi (morbid, I know) and he was my buddy at work. Last September, Sushi left us...I think he just worked too much (he was always at the office) or maybe he was worried I wasn't coming back, since he made his final jump while I was out of town or perhaps it was just because as I learned after some research...Betas like to jump and he did just that. We will never know since he can't tell us after his passing and the fact that he was a fish. My coworker wrote this fabulous eulogy for him.

After a little under a year I decided to get a new fish, I decided an upgraded tank was necessary because I wanted him to have a bit more room to move around. I went to the pet store and picked up Martini...a fabulous blue beta, a new 2 tank with pump, a rock, and some plants for him to play around. Got him all set up in the new tank on Sunday and was excited to have my new office mate (Title: Director of Aquatic Resources).

Monday I came in and decided that I wanted to do some additional research to make sure that this fish had the best life. I didn't know if I was responsible for Sushi's death, but I didn't want it to happen again. I consulted the web and an expert (Katelyn...she should really blog about her happy fish family) and the interwebs.

I found out that I was a horrible fish owner...did you know that a Beta shouldn't be kept in a tank smaller than 5 gallons? that you need to be considerate of the type of plants (alive or fake) that are in the tank because of their fins? that they don't like currents? that they need warm water? Oh and that you need all of this bacteria in the tank for happy fish/water/plants? I felt so guilty for the life that I put Sushi through and any fish prior to him for that matter.

So this little addition to the office because a larger project. Amazon - beta hammock, beta log, testing kit. Pet shop - larger tank...8 gallons, new rocks, new plants (live ones).  This is a picture of the upgrade from the 2 gallon to the 8. Lucky fish...

So, I let the water settle over night and then transferred Martini over on Friday. Unfortunately...I came in on Monday and he had passed away (no need to give me a hard time...I feel horrible enough about it all on my own). Katelyn researched it for me and he died of new tank syndrome...if I remember correctly. Basically he wasn't strong enough to handle all of the changes that a new tank goes through.

So it has now been 2+ weeks and probably $150 later and I am still without fish. I am working to get the right bacteria levels (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate). I have a heater, the right power of pump (that was a whole other story, but all I can say is that the customer service at Aqueon is amazing), live plants (I don't have to water them...so they should survive).

Life Lesson: Research fish before you get them, you are taking a life into your hands...take care of it. As crazy as this sounds, Betas were not meant to live in little cups/vases/etc...they need space. Same goes for any animal. Once I get this all set up...the fish or fish (plural) that live in there will be very well taken care of.

Cool random fish at the aquarium...he would pretty much take up my whole 2 gallon tank.