Hey everyone! I know Mondays are usually reserved for the Weekly Photo Recaps but today we’ll be posting something a little bit different. Keep reading to check out what Ellie has been up to this summer!

Lindsay here. I have a confession to make. I failed to take photos every day last week for the first time since starting the recaps. I could feel like a failure but honestly, it’s okay! I made an effort to try out some tutorials with my camera but what I did shoot didn’t produce any interesting results. Then, a few other photo exercises I had planned on doing just fell through. I really love doing the recaps. Even when I have a boring week, I like having photos to look back on as a part of a larger catalog. It’s something I used to do all of the time and it just feels good getting back into the groove. BUT since I don’t have anything fabulous to show for last week, I thought I’d let Ellie take over today’s dose of photos with something a bit different.

It’s been one adventure after another for Ellie this summer. I can’t believe we’re already at the end of August. Here’s a love letter to the months passed and a toast to Fall 2016.

MAY

I think having such an eventful May helped to kick off the positivity this summer. The nice early summer weather meant that every other day was spent on long walks or bike rides and when it rained there were plenty of cuddles. Our Memorial Day Weekend camping trip to Michaux State Forest went off without a hitch and remains one of the highlights of the season. Ellie got to explore new water ways and even hike some of the Appalachian Trail! Swimming in steams, hiking up mountains and chowing down by the campfire made May a month to remember.

JUNE

The weather started to heat up in June which meant it was time for Ellie’s all time favorite activity (well, next to eating that is) SWIMMING! She didn’t miss a beat when it came to the water. We learned some new tricks in June and also did a lot more running and bike riding while the weather was still nice. But the best part of the month was our canoe trip to Hart Miller Island. In the span of one day, Ellie took on all of her favorite activities: Swimming, hiking, and even a long bike ride! She met a few other cool pooches on the beach and didn’t jump out of the canoe once! A definite mark in the win column.

JULY

What can I say about July? July was HOT! Despite the heat, we made it outside almost every day of the month. We spent a lot of time in the woods, trying to hide from the sun and when we couldn’t handle the heat any longer, it was straight to the pool. It’s a toss up as to what Ellie prefers but it’s usually a safe bet to just plan on doing both 🙂

At the end of the month, Ellie and her best buddy Cosmo spent all day hiking around Harper’s Ferry. The are excellent hiking partners.

AUGUST

The heat did not let up the next month. Every other day Ellie was hanging with Cosmo, swimming and racing in the river. Cosmo is still a little weary about jumping in from the pier but it’s now Ellie’s absolute favorite way to get in the water. Speaking of water, even though we did a lot more hiking this August, the best part of the month was actually back at Harper’s Ferry. A friend invited us along for a day of tubing on the river and I knew Ellie would be down for the adventure.

During the tubing excursion, we hit a little snag. Most of the float down the river is a very relaxing, lazy experience. Everyone chatted and had a beer or two while Eliie took turns playing fetch and peacefully sitting in someone’s lap. But somewhere along the way, we floated into very rocky, rapid-like waters (although admittedly tame by most rapids standards.) In a moment of confusion, a few people in the group “abandoned ship” aka jumped out of the giant 6 person tube that most of us were in. The tube made it over the drop but the group was split up and some of the bags and other items we had with us were now scattered along the rushing river waters. It wasn’t as dire as it sounds but there was definitely a bit of distress among the group. Why am I telling you this? Because throughout the whole ordeal, Ellie was fantastic. She calmed down quickly. Listened to Jason and I extremely well, and managed to make it out of the situation with vigor and even excitement. I was so proud of how great she was all day and it made me appreciate how awesome she it. She can take on any expedition, planned or otherwise.

My adorable little adventure dog.