dog sports performance & bday weekend with the parents

My birthday was on Friday and since I really don't know many people here in Massachusetts it was not very exciting. I took Indigo to her first chiropractor visit with Dr. Bud Allen. It was surprisingly short, but I did learn that she has a very tight pelvis and that she needs to gain some muscle weight in her legs. It will be important for me to make sure I deal with these issues to prevent future injury. My plan is to continue taking her to the chiropractor on a regular schedule for adjustments, feed more protein and work on strengthening. How will I work on strengthening? Ben read my mind and sent me a video called "Strengthening the Performance Dog" for my birthday. I watched half of it so far and can not wait to try some of the exercises with Indigo. I also plan to get her an exercise ball from Clean Run.

That was pretty much the highlight of my birthday. Even though I spent my birthday doing nothing, Ben did his best for me to have a good birthday by sending me some amazing gifts. The highlight was a new Canon video camera! I am so excited about this new camera. My flip video camera is nice, but very limited. Watch out for some better videos very soon!

For my birthday weekend my parents came to visit. We started out Sunday morning going out to breakfast, where I would like to report I had my first eggs benedict ever. It was served with smoked salmon, it was rich and it was good. I look forward to eating this lovely dish again. When Ben came to visit I took him to Willamstown, MA to the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. At the time I did not realize that this is one of my grandmothers favorite museums. Her and my grandfather used to visit this museum when my uncle went to camp in Upstate NY.

When I suggested that we go to this museum, my mom remembered it and was excited to check it out. To get there we took a giant loop through the Berkshires. Our first stop was the Old Creamery Grocery and Deli.
Its a little old-fashioned grocery store that was packed with locals eating breakfast. It was adorable and something that is valued in New England and no where else in this country. I will miss these little markets when I leave.





We also stopped at the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail for a short walk with Indy. Our walk was cut short due to ice on the trail. The abundance of rail trails in New England will be another thing I miss when I leave.







After our walk we drove a few more miles to the museum. We thoroughly enjoyed the special exhibit, by Toulouse-Lautrec with his "vibrant and racy Parisian nightlife" lithographs. We also loved their permanent collection. I highly recommend this museum. It is worth the scenic drive to see this inspiring place. I wrote down my favorite paintings and lost the piece of paper.





On the way back we stopped at the Montague Book Mill. This place is like nothing I have ever seen before. The setting was shockingly beautiful. The GPS took us on a route that I was sure would lead no where and suddenly we end up in a parking lot overlooking a raging Sawmill river far below. It is a bookstore that took over an 1838 gristmill. Grain was brought in on the railroad to this building to be ground into flour and was a pick up point to supply local families with flour. In 1987 it was bought and transformed into a book store, and cafe. My favorite thing about this magical place was the relaxed feeling and the welcoming of dogs. Indy loved running around with the other dogs that were allowed to run free on the grounds.
















For dinner later that night we went to Carmelina's in Hadley, an upscale Italian restaurant with high quality food and presentation. They have the option to order small plates, which is always very much appreciated.