Triple Falls... and Bubba!

One of the bigger reasons for getting a dog was as a hiking companion for the kids and I. Although I have been taking the kids out, I have been advised by many locals that I really shouldn't go out unless Jared is with us. I've also been advised to carry a gun. Since those two options are pretty much out, we decided it was time to get a can of pepper spray and a dog. That's about the same, right? ;)

So, for the last month or so we've been visiting pet stores and checking listings online for a dog to adopt. Several times, I thought we had found the perfect puppy, but it didn't end up working out. Then, after visiting our friends, the Danfords, who have a 3-4 month old cockapoo we decided that we weren't quite ready for a puppy! A few days later, I saw a listing for Bubba on craigslist. He's a five year old Boxer from a family with three preschoolers. He's great with kids and doesn't bark. And he's house trained! Sounded like a perfect fit and so far it has been pretty great.

Our first hike with Bubba was to Triple Falls in DuPont State Park. It's not a long hike (maybe 1.5 mi round trip), but it's steep! The kids were real champs, but I still felt that I was getting pulled in half by the slowest member of our group on one hand (Max) and the fastest/strongest in my other hand (Bubba). Ruby was a trooper and just powered up that slope like a real pro! The pay-off was worth it for this beautiful view!

We did stop for a quick snack before continuing down to the bottom of the falls. Bubba enjoyed meeting all of the people and pups who passed us while we hung out.

Thankfully, they have a beautiful long staircase leading to the bottom with several benches along the way so the trip down wasn't TOO tough. For scale, look at the people walking around on the rock slab between the two falls!

One last view of Bubba. (Isn't that tail LOOONG? I was thinking Boxer tails were usually docked, but not Bubba, he just wags that thing hard and fast 24-7... it's a bit of nuisance really!)

By the way, we did make it back to the parking area okay, though Bubba was moving like a snail this time (wanting to sniff all the dogs and the scents they'd left along the way). Meanwhile, Ruby was running down the trail with me screaming, "RUBY, SLOW DOWN!" the whole way and Max was fussing that he really needed to be carried. We made it though and had a great time doing it!

Check back soon for pics from our next hike with Bubba!