On Sunday, November 13, John and I were invited to join Dames and Dogs for their monthly hike. Usually a women-only group, they allowed John to join us that day on account of his lovely, flowing head of hair (and wife chaperone.)
Founded in 2011 by Leigh Pridemore and Stephanie Pearson, this group of ladies and their dogs get together once a month to enjoy our area’s parks and the great outdoors with their dogs. Hikes are anywhere from three to five miles long and include time to take in the scenery, eat a snack, and sip some water. This week, we took a four-mile hike in Jefferson Memorial Forest just south of Louisville. The pace was relaxed, making the experience laid back and fun. It was something that all four of us really needed.
John and I have been training a lot recently and our walks have had a sense of purpose, even urgency, at times. Interestingly, we hadn’t noticed until we joined this group for an afternoon and took a hike just for fun. It was refreshing and Max and Grace took advantage of being able to travel, run, and roughhouse with a group of dogs. They had a ball.
MAX LIKE STICK
checking all the places
We also got the opportunity to thank the Dames in person for their help. We met Leigh and Stephanie at the Million Mutt March in October and they decided to set up a Chip-In page to help raise money for our walk. The support from a group with such a great and simple purpose means a lot to us.
We also want to thank Leigh and Stephanie for their interest in pet therapy and wish them luck on their Therapy Dogs International exam this coming December 3rd! Their dogs Frost and Mara, already Canine Good Citizens, are (hopefully) soon to be Therapy Dogs!
Grace and Mara
If you are a dame in the Louisville area and enjoy hiking with your dog, check out the Dames and Dogs website or find them on Facebook for more information about their group and upcoming events. They had an awesome first year and I am sure there are even greater things to come.
Dame and Dogs hike, Nov. 13, 2011
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