PAWS for reading
For the past several months I have been helping children read at the England Run Library. It is my job to listen to the children as they read books to me, and in a very subtle way encourage them to sound out words and not be afraid or shy of their reading ability. My mom and I really enjoy this activity together, it's our small way of giving back to the community.

Water Buddies
Here we are the best of buddies, out in the Rappahannock River. My dad is the best guy in the whole world to swim with!

A day on the Potomac
This week I spent a whole day with my pack out on the Potomac River. The two parks we visited were Westmoreland and the Caledon Natural Area. At Caledon I got to see a bald eagle scoop up a huge fish from the bay and fly it back to it's nest. At Westmoreland my parents for 5 sharks teeth. We also saw ospreys, and as usual I had a great time in the water.

White Oak Canyon
It's been a long cold winter this past year, and we haven't gotten out as much as we would have liked. But this weekend we officially started spring with a 7 mile hike in White Oak Canyon. My mom stopped to climb some of the boulders along the trail, and I met her on the top when she finished the climb.

Old Rag
It's hard to tell from this photo, but here I am with my dad on top of Old Rag. Today was a training day for me, and the rock scramble was easy - the Bernese Mountains dogs got nothing on me!

Spruce Knob, West Virginia
For Labor Day weekend this year we went on a two day road trip out into nature. The first day we visited the highest point in the state of West Virginia, Spruce Knob, boy was it windy up there! We also hiked up Seneca Rocks, it was a tricky scramble for me at the top, but I did it! Saturday night we slept under a blanket of stars then got up and hiked 7 miles in Shenandoah National Park. It was a beautiful weekend!

"Take me to the river...everyday!"
With the temperatures already in the mid 90s there's only one place I want t to play, the river!! This year I have met 2 other Australian shepherds who share my love of this great little escape. My mom got a new camera this year so keep checking back for more summertime shots!

Sharing the Load
Since I am by nature a working dog, it will now be my job to carry part of our gear on climbing and camping trips. The deal is, I will carry the pack in, and while my mom climbs I can take the pack off to run and play, when the climb is finished we suit up and head back out. This weekend I carried the first aid kit and water, at Coopers Rock in West Virginia.

Washington, DC
Today, March 27, 2010, I turned 3! I got to play with all my neighborhood friends this morning, then we loaded up in the car, and traveled north. We spent the afternoon walking around the National Mall, there was a kite festival going on, and it was overwhelming! So many people and new smells was just so much to take in!

Moorman's Boulders, Charlottesville, VA
Today marked the start of the 2010 spring climbing season. This means camping trips, and lots time in the great outdoors with my Mom and Dad. Dad threw sticks in the river for me, and my mom finished a new climb. It was a beautiful day, and I'm happy that winter is finally over!

Lake Anna
There was a nice break in the weather today so we took a trip down to Lake Anna. The hike was pretty easy, and I got to go for a swim. Although the water was cold, it didn't stop me from fetching them sticks!

a BIG SNOW day in Virginia
Today I got to play in over 16 inches of snow in my neighborhood! It's a pretty remarkable amount of snow for this area and today I had a blast romping in it!

NADAC Tunnelers Run

Herding instinct test
This past weekend the Working Aussies of Virginia (WAV) club hosted a weekend of activities to promote the versatility of dogs like me. I took a class titled Herding 101, and I got an A! Herding the sheep came naturally... as long as they kept moving! I also took an agility class to brush up on my skills to get ready for my big trial next weekend. Lastly, I took and passed my AKC Canine Good Citizen Test, I am now a good citizen that can herd!

Drool in the Pool 2009
As you can see from our picture, this years Drool in the Pool it was once again a blast. This year jumping in from the deck was not a problem, matter of fact I couldn't get enough of it! I even won a door prize, and walked away with a nice bag of prizes! Thanks again to Curtis Park!

Mural Dog
In the Giant Plaza off of Rt. 1 in Fredericksburg, you can see me representing for UMW. I visit the campus quite often, it's a nice place to walk and they usually let dogs visit during the outside fairs.

Westmoreland State Park, VA
This weekend I got to visit a cool new park on the Potomac River. While my mom and dad spent a few hours sifting for shark teeth, I got to wander the beach and play in the water. The park rangers were very cool, they didn't mind that I was off leash and even encouraged me to dig up the beach to help find fossils!

Agility Practice
We've been practicing all summer, and we have made a lot of progress since last year. I'm fast and confident on all the obstacles so we have decided that we are going to enter our first real trial this October.

Water Dog
Oh how I love the river, and now that I have this cool new life vest I can swim behind the canoe for miles without getting tired! I love hoping out of the boat when I can see that the water is shallow. My mom didn't like it very much when I tipped the boat once to get out, I better work on my exits.

Good with kids
I got to spend several days with my cousins from New York this summer. Sara, Sabrina, and Matthew, you guys were a lot of fun!

Niagara Falls, New York

This summer I got to see one of the wonders of the world with my mom. Niagara Falls is also where she grew up. Goat Island is dog friendly, and a leash is a requirement for any pooch like myself that likes the water.

Coopers Rock 2009

These climbing trips just exhaust me!

Alum Springs

A small sandstone cliff hidden in Fredericksburg is a favorite little spot of mine and my mom's. She gets to climb, and I get to swim in the stream. The park is dog friendly, and a great place to cool off on a hot day.

Agility Class Feb. 09

King of Prince William Forest
This is one of my favorite parks in the area because the main trail of parking lot A follows a stream with plenty of safe entry and exit points where I can go for a quick dip, then catch up with the pack. We spent two hours hiking here on my mom's birthday, it was 55 degrees and sunny, a perfect day.

A snow day in Virginia!
Unlike my trips to New York were there are several feet of snow, today a few inches fell! For the first time in two years, I was finally able to chase snowballs, and catch snow flakes on my tongue; all in my own backyard. It was a very good day!

Dashing through the snow
Here I am again at my last Coopers Rock trip for the 2008 climbing season. While the climbers were not at all happy to see this beautiful white blanket, I sure was!!

Hot Dog!
That's right I was one big hot dog for Halloween this year! And even though my mom would never sell me for a dollar, she was the vendor! I got to go to work with her that day, and we took second place in the costume contest!

3,500 ft in the Shenandoah National Park
The trail named Little Stony Man Trail leads to this awesome overlook, and a beautiful fall day on the Skyline. Here I am standing on one of the highest points in the park with my dad. He's much braver than me, that was as close to the edge as I was going to get! On previous trips I have also been to the highest point in the park at an elevation of 3,837 called Wayward on the Appalachian Trail.

Outer Banks, N.C. (OBX)
This weekend we traveled south to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Almost all the beaches are dog friendly, and there was an abundance of campgrounds that were welcoming to dogs. We stayed at Camp Hatters, it was very clean, and very dog friendly! I got to roam beautiful unspoiled beaches, swim in the Pamlico Sound, run through the biggest sand dune on the east coast, and visit 2 historic lighthouses. Pictured with dad is Bodie Island Lighthouse, and pictures with mom is Cape Hatters Lighhouse, the tallest light house in North America. Since our entire trip was very windy, I wanted to help hold them up!

The Shawangunks, New York
This weekend I got to go on a climbing/camping trip up to the Shawangunk Mountains (aka the gunks). It's located about 90 miles north of New York City. We visited 2 different parks, Peter's Kill, and the Mohonk Preserve. Us four-leggers are allowed in the parks as long as we are leashed. The areas include cliffs, forests, fields, ponds, streams – and a ton of climbing! I scampered up some cool D-problems and explored the Peter's Kill forest. Pictuered left is me and my mom, on a boulder called "The Diving Board". My dad laughed when it spit my mom off her first attempt, but she sent it, then we posed at the top. At right is proof of my visit along the carriage road in the Mohonk Preserve.

Making a splash, and Monday's paper
Curtis Park in Fredericksburg, VA held their first ever "Drool in the Pool" event, to benefit local shelters. I finally overcame my fear of jumping of the deck and into the pool! What a lot of fun, the local paper was even on hand to catch some footage. You can check it out at http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/092008/09082008/408884/0908dogs2.jpg/photo_view

Shenandoah National Park
In Luray Virginia, there is a lifetime of hiking here, dogs are allowed on most trails, and in most of the camping areas. I have been here about a dozen times. A word to the wise, watch out for bears, and check your furry friend for ticks after visiting this park in the summer. The fall is the best time to visit, the fall foliage over the valley is amazing. The spring is nice also when the waterfalls run from melting snow.

Agility Training
I just finished 6 weeks of agility training, the tunnel and the A-frame are my favorites. At 6 weeks of training I can do all the obstacles, (well the weave poles aern't perfect, but I'm getting better!) Hopefully we can find another class soon, to keep practicing!

The life of a climber dog...
all tied up! I have been to Coopers Rock in West Virginia a total of five times now. A nice shot from my last trip in June of 2008.

The Rappahannock River
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Can you spot me I'm camo!
Fredericksburg is my home town, and my favorite place to swim, roam, and climb over rocks. This picture was taken in the summer of 2007 when the water level was extremely low.

I am a model...
My first official photoshoot.

Virginia Beach
My first time in the ocean was a little scary, when a wave sent me head over nub, but for the most part it was a good trip. I got to sleep at the Sheraton with my owners in a king sized bed four stories up...oh yea living large! And Abbey Road Restaurant let me chill out on the patio while my owners had a good meal, they even brought me a chicken breast! Two paws up for this trip.

Luray Caverns
This place is pooch heaven, dogs are allowed in the Garden Maze, pictured here, and small dogs are allowed in the caverns; the only catch is your owner has to be able to carry you the entire 1.25 miles underground. A word to the wise, the ground is a bit wet and slippery down there so be careful. Since I'm 54 lbs. I had to wait in the car, but the maze was a blast!

Climbing is hard work at
Coopers Rock West Virginia
This place is filled with great hiking and climbing. Dogs are allowed, and there's some nice camping all around that's dog friendly. The wooded park and most of the trails are usually fairly empty, so roaming off leash is normally cool. Here I've set a D2 boulder problem right next to the human V3 climb called "Moby's dick", I call it "Big J" leave a comment and I'll send you the beta.

Hi I'm Riley!
I'm an Aussie, I got my named because my parents seem to think I'm easily "riled" up...but hey it's who I am - excitable, curious, and social!

I have two pretty cool owners, and they take me on all their adventures. We all live in Virginia, but I've traveled with them to West Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Canada, I've swam in the Atlantic Ocean, climbed up boulders, and even modeled in a photo-shoot. Swimming, running through the woods, catching my retriever, and learning new tricks are a few of my favorite things. Oh yea and playing with my buddies...paws up to my girl Fudgie, and my boy Timmy!

We eat out at restaurants, shop at outdoor malls, and try to push the envelope when it comes to getting me into public places. This blog is a document of my travels and adventures, dedicated to all my buddies who want to have a life like Riley's!