Wordless Wednesday

Explain to me what all this BlogPaws is about?

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, the weekend before last you were subjected to entertained by my numerous tweets about BlogPaws.  In response to these tweets, a friend posted on my Facebook page, "Explain to me what all this BlogPaws is about?"

Okay, I will try.

BlogPaws is a conference for pet bloggers and people in the pet industry interested in using social media.  But it's really so much more.  Imagine 500 pet-crazy people and about 100 dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, flat pets, stuffed pets, and balloon pets at a Sheraton in Tysons Corner for a weekend of educational seminars, fun activities, and social events.  Sound crazy?  Oh, it was.  But we loved every minute of it.

I can't even begin to describe how wonderful it was to be around so many awesome people and pets, so I'll just hit on some of the highlights.  

One of the best parts of BlogPaws was that we got to meet some of our blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pals in the furs.  Mom and dad really enjoyed getting a chance to talk to them, and I enjoyed all the petting and belly rubs.

So what did I do at BlogPaws?

Met some very impressive doggies

Attended seminars

Sniffed other doggies

Played with other doggies

Got belly rubs

Tried my paw at being a videographer

Found a greenway and walked each morning

Took a walk on the greenway with Rocco the Havanese

Accumulated swag

Hung out with beautiful girls 

Had fun . . . 

perhaps a little too much fun

Overall, we had a fabulous time.  I was very sad when it was over.

We Have a Mission!

BlogPaws inspired and energized us in so many ways (more about that in future posts), and we returned home with the desire to improve our blog and think about what we want to accomplish with The World According to Garth Riley.    

We started this blog almost two years ago with one simple goal: to make people smile.  That's still one of our primary goals, but there's so much more that we want to do.  So we have developed a statement of our mission, to articulate our purpose and inform our readers and sponsors about what we do and what we stand for. 

(We realize that our mission statement doesn't follow the generally accepted format for mission statements.  It's too long and includes our vision as well as our mission.  But bellyrubs and fetch are way more fun than strategic planning.)

Making people smile is still a core mission

FitDog Friday: Take a Hike!


 

If you've been following my blog, you know that mom and I like to hike.  A LOT.  We haven't been posting as much about our hikes lately, but we've actually been hiking more than ever.  

Posing for a photo during a hike of the flood wall

We enjoy hiking because we both love being outside and moving.  I get to really be a dog when I'm hiking, and mom gets a break from stuff, and we both get great exercise.

But we don't just hike with each other.  We lead hikes with other people and dogs because we love getting other dogs out and showing them a great time, and showing people the awesome trails we have right in our own city.  Mom and I have been leading our Dog Scout troop hikes for a while now, and we recently started leading hikes for a Meetup group called Canine Adventure's Human Adventure.  If you live in or near Richmond, Virginia (or if you happen to be passing through), you could come join us!

Can you believe this is in the city?

Hiking with others is a GREAT way to exercise for both dogs and humans because it's FUN.  It's also a wonderful way for dogs to socialize.  A lot of dogs who aren't comfortable with other dogs in a dog park-type setting are very happy hiking with other dogs.

Hiking is also pretty easy to do.  You don't need any special equipment to go hiking other than a good pair of shoes (or hiking boots if you plan to hike on steep trails with uneven footing).  Mom always carries a daypack with a dog first aid kit and a human first aid kit, water for both of us, and a water bowl.  

If you don't know the trails, start by hiking with a group such as a local Dog Scout troop or Meetup group.  Exchange numbers or emails with people you meet on the hikes and arrange your own hikes once you know the trails. 

Do you know your dog needs to lose weight, but you don't know how?  My friends at SlimDoggy have created an app that can help.  It's available in the Apple app store.  You can also try out the new SlimDoggy widget on my sidebar.

Wordless Wednesday

FitDog Friday: Hiking Tyson's Corner

We're in Tyson's Corner for BlogPaws, and it's amazing.  But mom and I still need to have our walking time, and we made the most unexpected discovery -- green space in Tyson's Corner!!!

Yesterday we discovered a greenway, and this morning we explored it some more.

I wonder where this path leads

Not quite the James River

but there are some yummy smells

We followed the greenway as far as we could, and came out to a grassy clearing near some office buildings.

The pointy building in the

distance is our hotel

If we can find a trail in
Tyson's Corner, we can find
one anywhere! 

It's important to get out for walkies, even when traveling.  If you don't know where to walk, look at a satellite view of the area on Google Maps.  We saw what looked like a residential neighborhood, so we headed there for our walk, and that's how we found the greenway.  Take the time to explore -- you might be surprised what you find.

Wordless Tim Day (aka Wednesday)