Re-Call Practice With Distractions

Hey Tribe,

In case you missed the three video clips I shared the other day in my story on Instagram (are you not following me there?), I decided to put them together for your viewing pleasure here on the blog.

Fly and I stepped out the back door so she could do her morning routine (go potty) and she was immediately on the alert – sniffing and running to the back fence, barking fearsome barks and letting me know her spidy senses were tingling.  Groggily, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes (it had been a late night) and blinked about for the danger Fly adamantly foretold was about to murder me.  Sure enough, in the woods behind our house, a cow moose and her not-so-small calf were sharing a twiggy breakfast and trying to not look irritated at the yapping black and white angry fur who was disrupting their morning serenity.

“Excellent!” I thought, as I shuffled my slippered feet back into the house to retrieve a collar and long leash for Fly: she could get some moose exposure and we could practice re-call.  The leash would ensure that she didn’t chase the two ungulates, as well as bring her to me if she became selectively deaf to my “come” commands.

Impatiently, she waited for me to open the back gate and invite her to step out into the back lane, but her training in this area held firm (yay) and she waited for me to check that the moose hadn’t moved from their woody buffet before I gave the “OK” for her to leave the yard.  The barking resumed then, and I let her genetically ingrained hunting drive work for a bit, since both moose seemed unfazed by all the racket and merely paused between bites to roll their large brown eyes in our direction before continuing their ruminations.

Then, the magic happened.  I said, “Come” and she came: simple, easy, and e-collar free.  It was a thing of beauty.  She was then allowed to range out again for a few minutes before I called her again, mostly to prove to myself that the first re-call wasn’t a fluke, and she listened.  Sweet, sweet success!

Here is the video I took of those two re-calls.  The footage is with my cell phone, so not terrific quality, but I wasn’t planning to share them with anyone – it was just another training practice session for us: one of many (remember I said practice, practice, practice, in my previous blog post?).

Anyway, I hope you enjoy our small success with us, and experience re-call success with your pup as well.  It is a wonderful feeling, isn’t it?

Revolution Race

Hey Tribe,

Out of the blue, my email inbox had a message from a company I did not know.  The friendly, yet professionally worded note asked if I would like to collaborate with their company, which was expanding to the USA.  The requirements were simple: review their website for ease of use and ‘purchase’ two pairs of pants with a voucher to assess their shipping procedures and return process. 

I researched the company, Revolution Race, and found it to be right up my adventurous alley (as well as legit).  If you haven’t become aware yet, I adore outdoor gear and clothing!  So, naturally, I eagerly agreed to help them.

Selecting two pairs of pants proved more difficult than I’d imagined, because these folks make some pretty awesome clothing products.  I was so torn – they all sounded too good to be true and I wanted to try them all!  They have short videos of real humans demonstrating the pants and Instagram photos from users to help shoppers.  Finally, I settled on the GPx Pro in Dark Olive and the Illusion pants - black edition, used the voucher code I was sent, and easily placed my order through their simple to understand online website.

The deal was that I could keep one of the pairs of pants and return the other pair to test out the return process.  Let’s be honest here, I totally planned to return the less expensive Illusion pants.  I needed a new pair of hiking pants anyway, so the arrangement was perfect.

RVRC’s website advertises 4-6 days shipping.  However, the company is based in Sweden, so, pessimist that I am, I silently chuckled to myself and said, “Yeah, 6 days isn’t going to happen.”  Shipping to Alaska always takes at least two days longer than advertised, so I decided I’d give the company credit if my package was even slightly close to Alaska in 8 days.

Four days went by and I forgot about my pants winging their way to me from across the ocean, until I checked my email, noticed the “track shipping” email I hadn’t bothered to look at, and decided to stalk my package.  To my great surprise, those pants were practically on my doorstep already; sure enough, 5 speedy days after placing my order, my RVRC pants arrived on my doormat.

Tribe, even the packaging made me smile.  It had a cute little carrying handle and links to all their social places.

After a fashion show in front of my mirror and parading around the house for family’s inspection, the consensus was that these pants are perfect for my mountain hiking, dog walking, generally crazy every day life.  The sizing was spot on and the legs were amply long enough to meet my size 34-inch inseam needs.  Tall girls, you’re going to love this brand.

Checking out a Bald Eagle while on a road trip.

The greatest surprise, however, were the Illusion pants.  To call them cozy is an oversimplification and do not do the pants justice.  If you wonder what it’s like to wear a cloud, these come close.  They feel like a puppy, they feel like blankets that have just been taken out of the dryer, they feel like you never want to take them off your body.  At that, I can attest, because I have worn them practically everywhere.  Yes, I returned the hiking pants and kept the Illusions, they are that remarkably wonderful.  I’ve worn them shopping, out to coffee with friends, hiking, walking Fly, on road trips, and even to Africa when I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro.

Second night on Kilimanjaro - Shira Cave Camp 12,303ft

TheMother is planning to order herself a pair of RVRC’s hiking pants and I have my eye on these babies as well as this fleece jacket.  I wonder how they'd hold up after a month and a half in Spain...

Oh, before you leave my blog to check out their website, I would be negligent if I didn’t tell you to look for their Deal Of The Week tab.  If you have your eye on something in particular, check the tab weekly and snag your fave on sale!

(No, Revolution Race did not pay me for my words, nor did they ask me to write this review.  I do what I want, yo!)

Plans for Spain!

Hey Tribe,

Exciting news to share with you, if you haven’t heard already: I’m headed to Spain to hike the Camino de Santiago this coming summer!  It’s been in the works for awhile now, but preparations have begun in earnest and I felt it was time to share my anticipation with you.

This is Fly's excited face

You might be asking, “Hiking the what?” so allow me to give you a little info about the trail.  It is considered a pilgrimage, started in 812 A.D. by determined/desperate/or just plain crazy folks who would walk from their front door all the way to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Santiago, Spain, in order to earn an Indulgence from the Church.  Since everyone was starting from wherever they lived, naturally there are a lot of different paths to get there, but now there are well established and recognized routes.  Some are very long, spanning multiple countries, some are much shorter and begin in Spain; the minimum distance a pilgrim must walk in order to say they have walked the Camino is 62 miles.

All roads lead to Rome Santiago

The route I have chosen is del Norte (the Northern route) that begins on the Eastern border of Spain and travels along the coast before heading inland to Santiago.  It is roughly 512 miles, or so I’ve read.  Yep, you read that correctly, over 5 hundred miles.  I know, it’s crazy.  My plan is to start at the Eastern border of Spain and hike allllllll the way across to the Western side, which used to be the end of the known world back in the olden days.   It will make the journey a few days longer, but I think it will be worth it, and after walking for 35 days, what’s a few more?  Piece of cake, right?  Maybe not, but it’s my current plan and I’m pretty determined.

Map of Camino del Norte from The Road to Santiago

After not as much convincing as I had anticipated, TheMother agreed to join me, as did TheAunt (sister to TheMother).  Neither are big hikers, but we will make a merry band of pilgrims and we’ve braved the wilds of Alaska together, so I think we will be just fine.  My only deep regret is not being able to bring Fly with us.  Dogs are not allowed in all the places to stay and I don’t think I could convince my companions to camp out each night, plus the ginormous logistical hurdle of transporting a dog to a foreign country would cause my trip to not be nearly as enjoyable, as I would be worried sick about Fly’s wellbeing all the time.  Can I part with my baby for a month and a half?  I’ll have to.  TheFather will take good care of her I have no doubt.

TheAunt and TheMother sunbathe in Alaska

  

So, there is my news!  I’ll keep you updated with more information about the trip, our plans, and what we are packing as time goes by.  Buen Camino, as they say!