Hiking up the Swift River

We started our weekend by attending the wedding of an old family friend up in the White Mountains. The wedding was held in the Swift River Covered bridge. An absolutely beautiful wedding. Congradulations Charity and Tommy!!!!
After the wedding festivities we drove up to the area height of the land and watched a stunning sunset.

After a near perfect sleep in the van, we enjoyed breakfast on a rock in the Swift river. Then.....you know us, "Team Moxie"...... off on another adventure. We set off and hiked, by foot and by paw, up the middle of the river. It was a perfect late summer day, even the river water was bathtub warm.

I have become quite a rock hopper and was able to navigate alot of the river on my own.

We stopped several times to take a swim, I like to ride around on Dad's head in the water. It is so much fun.

The mountains and cliffs surrounding the river were spectacular.

Now how many lucky dogs do you know that get to adventure the way I do....I love my life!!!

Willowbrook Farm Museum

This weekend we went to Willowbrook Farm Museum in Newfield Maine. It was their Old Home Days celebration and my dad was the blacksmith for the event. The museum is an old village set up to tour through. Each building is as it was years ago, now filled with antiques from the era, a history lesson in itself.

A shoeing anvil in the blacksmith's shop.

...and this contraption held the horses still while they got shod.

A blacksmith made many other tools ect, as well as horseshoes. Most villages had a blacksmith shop................and a mill.....

.....and a carriage house & printing shop.

We visited the old bandstand, where the Newfield band used to play.

A weekend full of history when, everyday must have been an adventure. If you ever have a free weekend stop by Willowbrook for a walk through time.

Aziscohos Lake for Moxie's Birthday

Grab the canoe and paddles. For my birthday I chose a relaxing weekend full of canoeing (my favorite, because I'm just along for the ride), good food and lots of red squirrel chasing. For all this we picked a campsite, on an island, in the middle of Aziscohos Lake, on the northwest border of New Hampshire and Maine. Last time we camped here it was Mom's birthday a couple of years ago

There was an incredible headwind, blowin' a stink right at us. But the folks dug in deep and finally got us the couple of miles out to the island. Our campsite was tucked nicely into a sheltered cove littered with rocks large and small.

We set up camp and went on an exploring/wood gathering hike to the height if the land on the island.

Back at camp we all had a relaxing afternoon, basking in the sun and a little nap time in the tent....WE NEVER DO THAT....how nice!!!!!

Later I chased a couple of red squirrels back and fourth and up into the trees while Mom and Dad shucked up some oysters they had brought from the coast.

We had a great steak dinner around the campfire. More oysters on the grill and even jiffy pop popcorn.

Sunday morning we all woke to "lake smoke" (fog over the water) it was an awesome sight.

We spent the morning paddling back across the lake, you guessed it, into headwinds AGAIN. But this time we took our time and stopped to play on alot of big rocks and ledges.

After getting safe back to the van we took the long,scenic drive home. Up and over Evans Notch, stopping to photograph our favorite suspension bridge and a quick hike across it. A PERFECT relaxing birthday weekend. Ahhhhhh!

My Birthday

Today is my birthday. I am now 5 years old, and adventureing more than ever!

Pemigewasset River hike.

This weekend we left the canoe at home. Mom and Dad loaded their hiking packs and off we set on another adventure. We headed up the Pemigewasset river via the less traveled East Side trail. We hiked all day, with many side trails to the river to play on the rocks and in the water.

Dad cooked us lunch on a big rock in the middle of the river...Ramen noodles with canned chicken.YUM. There used to be a suspension bridge where we ate but they are returning the wilderness in NH back to wilderness and took the bridge down. The cables where still there waiting for a pickup.

We crossed the river and several brooks on stepping stones and on this one, very crooked, but really cool, log bridge.

Alot of the trail followed old railroad grade, and there were signs of days gone by. An old rusted wash bucket hanging on a tree, old railroad ties and Mom even found this old coal shovel buried in the dirt.

Some of the river rocks were red with iron ore. Such a variety of rocks in this river. Dad played for awhile, setting up rock carins up and down the the river. "Rock Art"

We set up camp fairly early and walked our stove and food back to the river to have dinner. Signs and the ranger warned us of local bears, so we were wise enough not to eat where we sleep. Dad hung our food bag , back at camp, up in a tree just like the sign says. He's an old pro at hanging bear bags,and managed to find the perfect tree and hang the bag in no time flat. Must have worked, no company during the night.

Sunday morning we broke camp early and headed down the trail until we found another perfect watering hole to wash up and have breakfast. Even I went for a doggy paddle. The hike out was stunning and this little dog has added another 18 miles of trail hiking under her collar.