One particular day this past fall, we decided to head to Northern Maine and hike a mountain to get some exercise for the three of us. The mountain we climbed is very rocky, and one of the largest in the State of Maine. It didn’t sound too difficult at the time when we were looking it up and reading the reviews…but phew, were we wrong.
This mountain was extremely steep. As we looked ahead of us at what our next steps would look like, we had to look up. It was a challenge for us, but nothing for Addie.
The amount of stamina this dog has is absolutely incredible. She climbed up and down the mountain stretch in front of us, probably 5 or 6 times before we made it up one time. Once we got to the top, we cracked open a beer (thanks for carrying that backpack, Addie 🙂 ) and looked around the beautiful scenery.
The wind was so strong, that the rims of our drinks made a high pitch humming sound. It took us a few minutes to figure out if it was from our drinks, or from the wind whipping through the trees.
Addie was so worried that something was coming after us, that she went on a barking rampage. She had a fierce bark, as if she had just seen a bear in the woods. She was running through the woods, looking for the source of the noise, growling and making her presence known (if you look to the left, you can see Addie patrolling the area).
At this point, we were a little hesitant. Is it the humming she hears or is their really something out there? She was frantically running around, looking for anything that could’ve caused us harm. We decided to pack up and start heading back down the mountain, just to ensure we didn’t meet any unfriendly faces or paws.
We were unsure of what may or may not have been out there, but knew that whatever it was, Addie would protect us. After all, she is Ariadne…she will bring us home safe.
On the climb back down the mountain, she lapped us again. She’d run up, and then down…up and then down. I’m not sure I’ve ever met a dog with the energy level she has. We safely made it to the truck and headed back to the hotel. It was time to rest for the next day’s adventure with Miss Addie.
Today’s Lesson: you can dig deeper than you think for the courage you need when it comes to your family. There could’ve been a bear in the woods, or something much larger than my little Addie girl, but she didn’t care. She would’ve done anything to keep her family safe or die trying. Her love and faithfulness with forever be some of her best qualities.
#blog-03
