Paws & Reflect

JD & Logan

2010-09-21T22:40:00.000-04:00

Carolyn and Rob, who visited Paws & Reflect this past weekend with their dalmatians, JD and Logan, sent me some great photos, and a nice note:

"Just wanted to drop you a note thanking you for the beautiful cabin. My husbnd and I along with our two dalmatians enjoyed the cabin and surrounding area very much this past weekend.

We went to Storybook Trail, Wildflower Trail, and Arrowhead Lake. My Logan really enjoyed the doggie door, and figured it out all by himself the first day. Both dogs took advantage of the human couches and beds more than the doggie beds (of course, they're dals - and that is what they do!)"

This photo shows JD & Logan drinking from the water bowls that are part of the Dog Irondack Chair

Logan is one of the many Paws & Reflect canine guests that figured out the dog door right away, despite not having dog door experience

The dog door works by a little collar tag, which is nothing more than a magnet. The door opens any time a dog wearing the collar tag walks by, whether he wants to go through it or not. There are 3 collar tags at the cabin.

Logan almost blends in with the throw hanging over the back of the Critter Couch

Logan's job here is to make sure that no wildlife or other intruders snatch the goods on the charcoal grill

JD & Logan are looking pretty comfy on the sofa

Great pictures, huh?

Molly

2010-08-28T23:32:00.020-04:00

Here I have only a few of the many pictures taken of the much loved Molly during her stay at Paws & Reflect . . .

You're here!

Molly is sitting with a friend (a bulldog footstool) on the futon in the spare bedroom. Can you believe I found a paw print futon cover?

Molly having fun at a watering hole

I wonder if Molly figured out the dog door while she was at Paws & Reflect

Molly looks like she has her day planned pretty well

Denver, Ember & Gunner

2010-07-24T23:20:00.030-04:00

From Erin & Adam, after their stay: "We wanted to write and tell you about the wonderful time we had. You have a lovely cabin and the boys absolutely loved it. All the amenities you had for the dogs were amazing. It is a wonderful getaway. I can truly say the boys were devastated when we had to leave. I’ve included several pictures from our stay. Thank you for the amazing trip!"

The dog toy box by the front door - an unmistakable clue to Gunner and Ember that they were ultra welcome on this vacation!

Is there no alpha dog among these three? Everyone gets the DogIrondack Chair?

Ember and the snake, enjoying the Slumber Bed. Paws & Reflect dogs have ended up with these beds for Christmas after their stays at the cabin!

Gunner stepping out of the dog door. Denver, figuring out his next move.

Come back any time, boys!

Bo, Kane & Mac

2010-06-21T23:03:00.009-04:00

This past weekend, three gorgeous shepherds graced Paws & Reflect with their presence -- Mac, Kane and Bo! Sarah and Will shared these and more pictures. Am I right when I say gorgeous, or am I right?

Did you ever wonder if three big dogs would take up too much space in the cabin? I don't think so . . .

The boys would get their breakfast on the screened porch, where the hot tub is, during their stay

There's no telling what Mac saw outside the screened porch

Macado on the Critter Couch

Shylah & Lana - First Pics of the Season

2010-04-19T23:24:00.001-04:00

After a particularly cold winter -- during which I had to actually refuse potential guests who wanted to come in the snow -- I've had my first guests for the 2010 season. Well, they were the first guests that sent pictures, anyway!

Shylah & Lana on the "dogirondack chair" on the front deck

Shylah & Lana relax on the sofa. That's the kitchenette, a few feet behind the sofa.

That's a little doggie water bed that Lana is resting on, at the door leading to the back deck, which has a hot tub.

Shylah shows off the Critter Couch. Shylah is 6, a shepherd/husky mix who loves her sister Lana!

Lana resting on one of numerous dog beds in the cabin. Lana is an 11yo rottweiler/husky mix that was adopted in December from a family that, because of an impending divorce, were going to just put her down.

And I got a nice note from Shylah & Lana's mom. Would love to have you back in the future!

Nancy,
I just wanted to email you with some pictures of our stay and let you know how it went. Everything was perfect. We had no trouble finding the place or on the roads with my car. The cabin is so cute and I'm sure I'll be emailing you in the future for a return visit. The area is so gorgeous and the cabin was so well decorated and stocked for the dogs. It was much appreciated by both human and canine guests. Thanks again! We had a great time and can't wait to come back again!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-20T09:03:00.001-05:00

This is the card that went out to my guests for whom I have a home address:

Haylee & Tater, and Griffon

2009-10-29T21:40:00.000-04:00

Recent guests Haley and Tater are happy to have their photos taken. Can you guess which is Haylee and which is Tater???

Then I also have some adorable pictures of Griffon, taken last month. She's obviously sleeping, and sleeping dogs make me happy -- especially when I imagine how much fun they had to exhaust themselves enough to sleep so soundly while their pictures are being taken. (I can't imagine my own dog doing that, as light a sleeper as he is.)

For those that have seen that the availability calendar hasn't been reliable -- it's now working for reserved dates. It's not back to working order for tentatively reserved dates (the yellow, in this figure). When in doubt, email me for availability!

Sadie has her weekend, in August

2009-09-08T21:09:00.000-04:00

Presenting Sadie!

Sadie had her Paws & Reflect weekend in early-mid August, which some might think it just too hot a time to take a dog on vacation. But at Paws & Reflect, it's actually a really, really pleasant time to be there.

Here's Sadie lounging on this huge rock -- not quite a boulder but a big flat rock. I love pictures of canine guests on or in front of this rock

Sadie is on the "DogIrondack Chair" on the front deck. It's real cute, and a clever design with the water bowls on the arms. (You can only see one here.) The only annoyance for me is that there is actually a dog flat bed that should go between Sadie and the chair, but it can't sit outside on the chair between guests, and there's no place to store it where guests always know just what it's for. So, the dogs never have it as comfy there on the dogirondack chair as they should.

Ah, the Critter Chouch. By far the most common setting for pictures of Paws & Reflect guests! Understandable, doggies love their little sofa!

Kobey and Kelby

2009-08-11T23:12:00.000-04:00

It's very rare for me to recieve photos of guests dogs that I'm not excited to get, and today when I opened my email to these wonderful pictures was no exception to that rule.

Last week, shelties Kobey and Kelby graced Paws & Reflect with their presence. I actually don't know which is which but they are both so beautiful.

Their dad tells me that they weren't terribly interested in the electronic doggie door, which is sometimes the case, sometimes not. Some dogs go nuts over the doggie door. And the predictions are often wrong too. Sometimes a guest will tell me that there's no way their dog will do the doggie door, and I know that they just might take to it immediately.

Dog door usage or none, I'm happy to have given these beautiful canine companions a place to vacation with their family.

Jose Ole & Rosalinda

2009-07-28T22:35:00.000-04:00

Well, again I've let a lot of time slip between blog entries -- been on a couple of vacations of my own. But I'm back now, and am happy to share the cute photos I got from recent guests Denise and Steve -- of Jose Ole and Rosalinda. Yep, you guessed it, they are chihuahuas.

Here's a couple of pictures of them both -- the first is on the Critter Couch . . .

and this one has each of them claiming their spot on either the sofa or the loveseat:

I didn't find out which one this is but since I think sugar and spice and everything nice when I see this cutie pie's picture, I'm thinking this might be Rosie!

Denise wrote this to me -

Nancy: I just wanted to send you a few pictures, and let you know how much our two kids enjoyed the cabin! These are some shots of the chis relaxing, especially on the ultrasuede pillows; now I will need to look around to find a few for them. They also tried out the dog couch in the great room. Especially liked was the fact we could open both sets of French doors, and they could wander in and out feeling like they were outdoors. We tried the videos and music, and I liked the set-up. So many nice things for the doggies instead of be careful, don't go there. Thank You for thinking of our whole family in your rental.

It's my pleasure, Denise! Check Bed, Bath & Beyond for those pillows. Took me forever to find loveseat pillows I like, and that's where they finally turned up.

July 4th Weekend - Now Available

2009-06-18T22:06:00.000-04:00

This is unusual -- I've had a cancellation. The July 4th weekend has been reserved for quite a while, but now I've heard from the guests, and they can't go after all. You know I hate to see the cabin be wasted on a three day weekend -- especially that one. I always try to go away for that holiday to a secluded place where there won't be fireworks to scare my own dog who's really terrified of them. But I've got something else going on, so it won't be me. Are you interested???

May Guests Tsavo & Akela

2009-06-04T23:22:00.000-04:00

I've got more pictures to share - from recent guests Tsavo and Akela

These girls don't look like they have kind of sibling rivalry going on!

Tsavo and Akela enjoyed an action packed weekend that included back to back hikes -- with a nice photo to prove it. I think they're pretty serious hikers.

But the poor girls did suffer from a common problem with hiking -- ticks! There's a tick remover at the cabin, but their ticks lasted beyond their stay. Here's something cute that the girls' mom told me in an email after their stay: "Funniest thing.. our older dog keeps finding them on our younger dog. (she is a year old today) Twice I’ve notice Akela sniffing and biting on a particular spot on Tsavo and when I investigate sure enough it was a tick each time. What a good big sister she is!!"

Great Danes Apollo & Phoebe

2009-05-17T22:23:00.000-04:00

So I spent a little time at the cabin this weekend, doing some owner TLC. Would love to occaisionally relax while there like my guests do, but it's not in the cards. Gotta be happy living vicariously through my guests. I'll take it!

I love to read guest book entries like one from a couple and their 9 year old lab, Mason, that stayed at the cabin since my last OTLC weekend. It said that although Mason is up there in years, he kind of came to life at Paws & Reflect, and was excited to check the whole place out. It warms my heart to think about dogs happy at my cabin!

From another of my recent guests, I received a bunch of photos of their great danes, Apollo and Phoebe. Check 'em out -- there are some photos of the scenery too.

The original caption said Phoebe was a bad dog. I just see a BIG dog.

Want to guage if the dog door is big enough for your dog? This is Phoebe, standing outside the dog door.

What a nut Apollo is - determined to hang on the Critter Couch even though it's way too small!

Presenting Bella, Future Paws Guest

2009-05-07T21:08:00.000-04:00

Hopefully some day before it's all over, I hope to have had dogs of every breed as guests of Paws & Reflect. (Pictures of them all would be even better, by the way.) So whenever I talk to someone that will be bringing a new breed of dog to the cabin, I get so tickled! I was telling that to Bob today when he wrote to ask a few questions. As I mentioned to him, I went to look up on the internet what a Tibetan Terrier looks like, and he was nice enough to send me photos of her. She looks just like the photos I saw on the 'net!

What do you think? She's a cutie, huh? Her name is Bella. I was so happy to learn that both Bella's mom and her dad are photographers, which should increase my chances of getting some cute photos of her with Paws & Reflect in the background after their stay!

Tsavo & Akela

2009-05-01T00:38:00.000-04:00

My post-Memorial Day guests have graciously sent me photos of their two gorgeous Siberian Huskies that round out their family of five.

This one looks like it would be a puppy picture of Tsavo, who is now 11 months old. Well, I guess she's still a puppy even now. Pretty cute, no?

Then this would be 4 year old Akela on the left, and a more recent photo of Tsavo.

They are certainly dogs that like the cool weather, what with their big coats, but I know they'll enjoy Paws & Reflect even though their stay will occur in very late May. There are plenty of shade trees around, and it helps keep the cabin a nice temperature.

I hope to see more photos of these beauties with some Paws & Reflect in the background later this month!

Nancy Despeaux

Kira & Sascha Enjoy Their Week at the Cabin

2009-04-09T23:08:00.000-04:00

My guests really know how to put a smile on my face -- by sending me photos of their beautiful dogs at Paws & Reflect. Check out these gorgeous girls, who are obviously used to having their photos taken!

Sascha & Kira model in front of the Paws & Reflect sign at the road (at the end of the driveway)

That's Sascha on the Critter Couch, and Kira on the bean bag bed. I always laugh when big dogs squeeze themselves onto the critter couch like Sascha is doing here.

Kira & Sascha looking in from the front deck

The girls' mom, Emily, of course dropped me a nice email when she sent the photos:

Nancy - Our stay was amazing!!! Thank you so much for having such a wonderful place, it really is the most beautiful cabin up in those woods. Thanks again, we will definitely be going back sometime when it's warmer! Emily

I spoke with Emily while they were at the cabin, and apparently they got a tiny bit of snow while they were there!

An Exhausting Weekend at the Cabin

2009-04-05T22:27:00.000-04:00

Well, I am exhausted!!! I got back from the cabin a little while ago, having gone yesterday till today to do some spring cleaning. Becky does a good job after guests leave, but I found plenty to do in order to feel useful. There sure was a lot of dog hair, between the vacuum cleaner, in the drier after laundering all the slipcovers, sweeping under the furniture. And I took most of it outside and scattered around in the woods so the birds can use it for their nests.

When I go to the cabin, it's almost never to relax. But I love it anyway. Oh I did take a soak in the hot tub. I got to listen to a lot of the pet music CDs while I worked inside, and the weather was beautiful while I was outside. My neighbor Mike, ever the gentleman, brought his rake over when he saw me, and we raked together and got caught up. He told me all about when he and Phyllis took down the tree that was due to fall on the house any time. We also took a look at the base of the driveway, by the road, and he's going to do some work there to smoothe it out. One of the things I remember best from our chats this weekend was when he told me that there's never been a guest that caused a bit of trouble.

I finally hung this CD display that I've had for a while, but I was waiting till I had enough pet music CDs (and dog DVDs) to fill it. It's pretty cool -- it's a wall hanging that displays six rows of five CDs each. Well, it holds mostly CDs but a few DVDs are among them. It's pretty interesting. Hopefully I'll eventually get a good photo of it, but all I had with my was my phone and that photo didn't turn out. Anyhoo, I find it interesting to look at, with all the pet music CDs. Bet you didn't know there are enough pet music CDs (and dog DVDs) to fill up a 30-CD/DVD display, didja? There is, and I'll miss not buying every one that I see anymore! There are lullabies, classical music, and all kinds of other great CDs with beautiful music that I'm sure lots of guest dogs love as much as I do.

Well, I have one more weekend at the cabin next weekend, then I won't be able to get back for a little while. I'm already looking forward to it. But tomorrow, Shannon and his family come in to enjoy the cabin until Thursday. I hope they relax much more than I did!! I'm sure they will!

Buddy & Harley - From January

2009-04-01T23:45:00.001-04:00

How I love to see photos of my guest dogs. This evening I was delighted to open my email to pictures from Buddy & Harley, who gave Linda an excuse to enjoy a late January weekend at Paws & Reflect. Here are a few of them -- on the Critter Couch, on the front deck, and then one of the dogs in the great room, apparently enjoying the fire. Linda had this to say in her email:

Hi Nancy,
Sorry it's taken me so long to send these to you. Buddy, Harley and I had a wonderful, relaxing weekend at your lovely cabin, and a return visit is definitely in our future! Thanks for making such a wonderful getaway available for pet owners and the dogs who love them! ;-)
Best,
Linda

Buddy and Harley on the Critter Couch, and then on the front deck

Handsome Harley enjoying the fire

A short visit to the cabin today

2009-03-30T00:24:00.000-04:00

The drive to the cabin is a couple of hours or less from my Northern Virginia home, and I don’t get there anywhere near as often as I wish I could – and really should. Thankfully, I have assorted people that can take care of most things most of the time, but it’s best if I could go myself once a month or whenever there’s something specific to check out. Between the reservations and my busy schedule, sometimes it takes a while for me to get there.

Today I had an opportunity to go for several hours, which I did so I could assess what I need to do the next couple of weekends, as I have the next couple of weekends free and plan to spend both of them at the cabin.

As happens almost every time I go, I walked in and experienced delight at just how sweet and cozy the cabin is! I suppose if I lived there, I’d get used to it, but as it is, I always go through this whenever I get there. I just love how the cabin turned out. My builder, Bryan, has to be happy with it and the job he did. Of course it’s not perfect, and I could make a list of ways I’d love to be able to improve it. But darn, it’s cute.

So while there, I didn’t find anything really cosmic that needed doing, though even without going to check it out, I know there’s enough that I won’t be able to get it all done in the next couple of weekends. I have a few people there that can help me out when needed, and I figure I’ll have to call on them for some of the stuff that needs doing.

My neighbor Mike dropped by while I was there, and we chatted awhile. He’s going to take down a dead tree that he’s been worried about falling on my cabin for years. I’ve hesitated for probably three years now, but since the other one that he was worried about fell on the cabin a few weeks ago, his concerns have become more real to me. Plus, as Mike points out, this dead tree will also take out the power line when it falls – this is easy to see. Mike is on lay-off status now, so I’m happy that this will give him something to do at a time when he needs it.

Since the last time I was there, Mike has added a feature to the setup for his boxer, Ginger, that gives her a nice amount of freedom of movement. Now, Mike and his wife are not like most of the people that get away to Paws & Reflect, or me, although they are like a lot of the folks in the area – they keep an outside dog. It’s very sad to us, yes, but I have to say that considering she lives outside and in an unfenced area, she has pretty decent digs. He built her a huge pen that has plenty of shade and shelter but also chain link fencing, and it’s very secure. He keeps a heater out there for her in the cold weather, he told me today, and I believe it. Anyway, what he’s added is this cable that runs a good long distance of the yard, a few feet higher than my head, and she’s tethered to it in such a way that she can run around quite a ways in all directions before she reaches the end of her leeway. So, she certainly doesn’t have it as good as my guests and my own dogs have it, but for an outside dog, she could do way worse. You can see Ginger as a puppy in this picture, in the fenced dog area at Paws & Reflect.

While I was at the cabin, I got to do something I love to do – I read the guest book entries. Guests say lots of nice things, and are very helpful to future guests in making recommendations and relaying what they saw and did that others might enjoy. Here’s part of one entry that I particularly enjoyed reading:

Every year we enjoy a long weekend getaway of hiking & comfort! Last year we rescued a Jack Russell to complete our family. (Juliet, our Huskey rescue, wanted a playmate.) We were thinking of placing the two in a kennel (god forbid) when I came across this place! We all enjoyed ourselves in comfort! Spoiled, in fact. Wish we could stay longer to enjoy daily hikes on Skyline Drive. The girls (Juliet & KC) enjoyed all the toys & we enjoyed the hot tub & view! Thank you for opening your cabin to us dog lovers who can’t seem to part with them!!

I love that I’m able to give folks a vacation spot where their canine family members are as welcome as they are.

Katie at the Cabin

2009-03-23T21:17:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, Katie brought her mom and dad to Paws & Reflect for a little last minute getaway. As Russ and Roberta figured out, there's a LOT to do in the area where Paws & Reflect is located, but they chose to take it slow and easy -- also a great choice for a getaway at the cabin. One of the great things they found about being at the cabin at this time of year, before the leaves return to the trees, is that you get a better sunset than you would in the late spring, summer, or early fall.

In this photo, pretty Katie poses on the DogIrondack Chair

Katie's mom has joined the club of Paws & Reflect guests that want an electronic doggie door after seeing it in use. I guess Katie took to it, which some dogs do and some don't. You just never know till you try it.

5 dogs at Paws & Reflect

2009-02-23T22:49:00.001-05:00

It sounds like a good time was had by all at Paws & Reflect this past long weekend. Northern Virginians David and Mara, with their 3 pups, met up with their South Carolina friends Bryan and Brenda , and their 2 pups. This was the first time that the dogs have been able to get in on their vacations together, and they did fine. After returning home, Bryan included a nice note with some adorable photos of all of the dogs:

We had a great time! We actually never left the property accept for a few walks. We hung out by the fire, cooked food and played with our dogs and some video games that we brought. All dogs played great together. Once we got the 2 year olds accustomed to each other it was silly play wrestling the whole time (once in a while we would have to take charge when things got out of hand).

I love the mix of dogs, and the photos are great:

Pally (1) and Francine (14)

Cyprus and Gunny (both 2) and Boogie (9)

Oh, wow, I'm just now taking in that there were as many as five dogs at the cabin this weekend -- including both a rottweiler and a leonberger -- and it was apparently not too crowded. Cool. While there have been a number of times when guests have brough four dogs to Paws & Reflect, the only time there were at once before this weekend was when there were five chihuahuas that had already been housemates.

Valentine's/Presidents Day Weekend

2009-02-17T23:57:00.000-05:00

So I've done it again, I've let my blogging go, which I shouldn't do. True, there's less going on in the off season, but as before when I got away from blogging, my guests weren't sending photos. That's when I usually remember to blog.

And my guests from this past weekend -- which was both Valentine's weekend and President's Day weekend -- had a heck of a picture to send me. Well, the picture itself isn't much, but what it represents is big -- a tree fell on the cabin last Thursday, which was the day that the guests arrived. They weren't able to tell at the time, but it did puncture a couple of holes in the roof. My next door, Mike, neighbor came and pulled the tree away and cut it up, and now my builder, Bryan, is fixing the roof. I have guests coming this weekend so he sure better not have any unexpected problems come up with that. Here's what my guests caught on camera before Mike hauled the tree away:

And then here's a picture I like much better -- of Kelsey and Tanner sharing the doggie sofa. It doesn't look like they mind having pictures taken of them, do you think?

Casey, Cody & Elias

2009-01-02T22:47:00.001-05:00

When Paws & Reflect first opened its doors in 2005, I would close it in the winter because I worried about what would happen if guests got stuck in the snow. But we've had such mild winters, I stopped closing it. Over this holiday season, Paws & Reflect hasn't been available since before Christmas.

Here's an oh-so-photogenic Elias, smiling for the camera:

And here are Casey and Cody. All of these dogs are rescues that now know a MUCH better life with Lesa and jim than they knew in their past lives.

Back from the Cabin

2008-12-15T23:28:00.000-05:00

So for once, I got to the cabin myself! It wasn't being rented this past weekend, and I was in a "use it or lose it" situation with my vacation at work, so I took a day to have extra time there. It's as cozy as ever!

I needed SO much more time than I had, but I did do lots of "owner TLC" as I always call it. I did a TON of shopping; broke the bank, actually! The toybox was looking sparce, and to tell you the truth, it still is even though I spent a mint on brand new toys.

I have a few more things I'd like to do at the cabin, so I'm hoping to go back next Saturday, till Sunday when the pre-Christmas guests arrive. It's awful close to Christmas so I may not get there, but I'm shooting for it if I can.

Oh! I found a restaurant recommendation in the guestbook -- Francescos' in Broadway -- and I tried it, and I'm so glad I did! I keep a binder at the cabin of all the menus from all the restaurants in New Market, and I don't try to provide the info beyond New Market. But I made an exception with Francescos. The menu is there at the cabin now in the restaurant binder.

Happy Holidays 2008

2008-12-12T23:34:00.001-05:00

Thought I'd share this year's holiday card with you. This version is small, so click on it to get a better look.

Bambi, Robin & Tillie at Thanksgiving

2008-12-11T21:21:00.000-05:00

In case you wondered if there's a limit to the number of dogs allowed at Paws & Reflect, there's not. Or, no one has yet named a number that I turned down.

While Paws & Reflect is really a destination more than a lodging place, Charlotte had a pretty long drive to see her mom for Thanksgiving, and she passed Paws right at the half way mark. With no one having reserved the cabin for that night anyway, Charlotte and her FIVE canine companions did use it as lodging. I hope for a future trip, they are able to stay a little longer.

Here are three photos of those dogs - Tillie, Robin and Bambi

Tillie blends in pretty well with the throw . . . Robin looks through the toybox. . .

Bambi resting on the sofa

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

I & my New Jersey 4 dachsunds & Chihuahua thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. It tryly was a time to Paws & Reflect for us. All the dogs loved the toy box. I’ll send a photo or 2.

Thanks, Charlotte

Ember & Daisy - from March

2008-12-10T00:02:00.000-05:00

I put a call out looking for guest photos that I know some of my guests have, and haven't sent my way. These are some of the photos of Daisy (the fox hound mix) and Ember (the border collie mix). They enjoyed a stay at the cabin last March.

I wonder if they are always as well behaved as they look like they are in these photos. I sure hope they got treats for this.

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

We were very happy to find a pet friendly place to vaca where we could easily access the Shen. Park for day hikes and come back & crash

The hiking binder was very helpful. A few tips – ask ranger for trail maps when you arrive (they are not at the trail head) – also, gian hemlocks are dead L (See trails ~ mile 43.) We hiked Big Devil Stairs @ mile 17.6 the first day (beward for those scared of heights) and Rose River @ mile 49.4 – beautiful! Lost of streams & falls –

Looking forward to coming again

Matt, Anna, Ember & Daisy

Milfy Enjoys The Cabin - from August

2008-11-24T21:58:00.001-05:00

So I put out a call to everyone that hadn't sent me their photos, and did I ever get some cute photos of Milfy from his stay in August! He's a black & white cocker spaniel, and his folks took lots of photos of him. These are a few, and I just love them all. Thanks, Angela!

Anne in April

2008-11-23T21:55:00.000-05:00

Here's yet another photo I forgot to share. This is Annie, and her mom called this picture: heaven. I can see why . . . but was it heaven for just Annie, or for the rest of the family too?

And I love this one -- Annie thanking dad for including her in the getaway to Paws & Reflect!

Manny, from August

2008-11-23T20:16:00.000-05:00

Here we have Manny, who enjoyed a stay at Paws & Reflect in early August. Manny's mom sent me a whole CD of photos from their stay. This one is of him on the Critter Couch. I could wallpaper the cabin with photos of guest dogs on the Critter Couch, and I love it!

Molly Photos from July

2008-11-23T16:31:00.000-05:00

While I'm adding photos that I neglected to upload when I got them, here's Molly, a neopolitan mastiff that visited Paws & Reflect in July. Her folks took a TON of photos and these are just a few.

Isn't she beautiful? She's just hanging out in the great room.

This one shows Molly on the outside looking in.

Oh look, Molly is . . . pausing and reflecting!

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

This was our 1st vacation with Molly, an 8 month old Neo Mastiff. She surprised us by being a good girl while she was here. We took her on 2 hikes in the Shenandoah National Park. On her 1st hike we saw a deer not far off the trail. Then on her 2nd hike we crossed paths with a bear! Our last night here we also saw deer walking around the caibn. It was so nice to see wildlife up close. We had a great time @ hope to come back again soon!

Becki, Dan & Molly

November Guests Rose & Utley

2008-11-23T11:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been an awful blogger, and am feeling very guilty about it. I let a LOT of time pass since my last post. I kind of got into a habit of blogging mostly when a guest sent me photos, and for months now, I haven't been getting any photos from my guests!!! But finally, I got these from Eileen and Jack, who were at the cabin earlier this month. Meet Rose, the mostly white English Bulldog, and her pal, Utley. They must have played hard with those toys!!!

Well, it's high time I picked out photos from this year's guests for my holiday cards, so I think I'm going to have to email those I didn't hear from to see if they took any photos they didn't get around to sending me. That happens. But as you see when you are a guest at Paws & Reflect, I do use the photos I get, so you don't want to not take them when you are there!

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

We had a great time with our 4 year old bulldog Rosie and our 1 year old bulldog Utley. They loved exploring inside & out. They loved the toys & beds.

The weather was perfect. We ate at Dan’s Steak House again. We went to the Luray Caverns & did the Maze. The Maze is very hard to get out of. We had fun. The caverns were nice too and the car show.

Thanks for everything. We’ll be back. It was an adventure getting here.

Jack, Eileen, Rose & Utley
Burlington NJ

Thanks to Guests for Spreading the Word About Paws & Reflect

2008-08-03T23:38:00.000-04:00

Got a nice email from Angie, a guest from earlier this season that took LOTS of wonderful photos of her and her friend's dogs - Stretch who is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Sam who is a cairn terrier, and Cysco who looks like a golden mix. You can see their photos, and all guest photos that I can get my hands on, in the Paws & Reflect photo albums.

"Nancy, I hope you are doing well. I recently got back from a Mediterranean cruise which was wonderful. I just wanted you to know that Stretch's breeder put a picture that I sent her from your resort on her website. She also listed your website at the bottom if anyone is interested in a getaway with their dogs. The website is www.raelewshepherds.com. Stretch's mom and brother are champion showdogs. I don't know how long it will be listed but thought you would be interested in knowing that its there. Angie"

I found the photo and link she's referring to on the Sugars Creek Corgis page of the breeder's website. I so appreciate my guests spreading the word about Paws & Reflect! Think of it as helping to ensure that Paws & Reflect stays around for your future mountain getaways!

Great News - Brand New Mattress Coming Soon!

2008-07-20T09:12:00.000-04:00

Well, I ordered a brand new mattress for the master bed - a good one! Wish I could give you the brand name but I forgot to bring the receipt in from the car and now my husband has it all day. But I dropped a ton to get it, and it is SOOOO comfortable. We're going to deliver it to the cabin next weekend. The first canine guests that will get to use it will be Colton and Anna. Their mom, Tanya, was going to surprise their dad with a birthday getaway last spring, but then at the last minute, they were unable to go. So now they are coming the first weekend in August instead, and this ought to help make up for that earlier disappointment!

Up to this point, the mattress on the bed was ours, bought back in 1993. When it was time to purchase a bed to furnish the cabin in 2005, naturally we wanted the new bed for ourselves! Since the mattress, and box springs, were then and are even today still in good shape, it was easy to justify putting our old bed in the cabin.

But, as my husband and I have found at the cabin and just about every place we ever vacation, that mattress is just too firm for both of us. Other than the master bed in our beach house at Nags Head, we haven't slept on a comfortable bed when traveling or vacationing in as long as we can remember. (Well, there's a cottage in Amish Country that I've stayed at that has a Tempurpedic bed - sweet!!) Now, when we talked about going to the cabin ourselves next weekend, and my husband remembered how uncomfortable the bed is, he began his predictable whining. So, initially, getting a new bed for the cabin was intended to save me from having to listen to that particular whine of his. It cost a bundle to do that, but the idea of giving my guests a comfortable bed to sleep on started growing on me pretty quick. I would now say I'm very very happy about this purchase, and I think my guests will be too!!!

Although everyone's taste in mattresses is different, I believe it's safe to say that it's one more thing that sets Paws & Reflect apart from so many other vacation homes. Stop and think about when and where you've vacationed or traveled in recent years. Do you remember sleeping comfortably, or could you have used more comfortable mattresses? When you look forward to a vacation, and then you get there, you shouldn't have to be disappointed by a bed that feels like a concrete sidewalk.

This is also one of the few acquisitions made more with the human guests in mind than the canine guests! (My apologies to past guests that don't really prefer the really firm mattress!)

Emma's First Vacation

2008-07-02T22:26:00.001-04:00

What a cool email I got from Stephanie, who was just Maggie's mom until she recently gave a chance to Emma, who was in need of another chance. She wants to be able to take Emma on the upcoming family vacation to Paws & Reflect, but wanted to okay it with me since Emma is still a bit of an unknown. As I told Stephanie, I'll be honored to have this fine old gal as a Paws & Reflect guest! See the photo of Emma in the foreground, with Maggie in the background, and read Stephanie's email:

"We're looking forward to next week. I wanted to touch base with you about possibly bringing another dog. We adopted a stray girl two weeks ago who was in pretty bad shape (skinny, scarred, covered with ticks, UTI, arthritis). She was on the side of the road on my way home from work. Our vet thinks she's about 12 years old. We're working on potty training her since it's obvious she's never been inside or housetrained. She's very dear and doesn't need anything other than alot of hugs and pats on the head. I won't bring her if it appears the potty training isn't where it should be (so far, she's picking up on it pretty quickly). Our vet can watch her, but I'm hoping we're on track since we love having her with us and she'll be happier that way. She's had a complete geriatric checkup and tested negative for heartworm. Would you let me know your thoughts . . . if you have any concerns at all? "

UPDATE Well, turns out Emma was not able to go on the weekend with Stephanie and Jerry, but Maggie certainly was a happy girl during her weekend. Stephanie sent me a bunch of photos, and here are a couple. What a beautiful smile Maggie has!

Milfy in Mid-August

2008-06-22T23:54:00.000-04:00

Awwww - check out Milfy! According to his mom Angela, he's a real sweetie (and why would I doubt this???) -- really snuggly after initial shyness when he first meets you. Angela found Paws & Reflect, and she and her husband will be bringing Milfy for a stay in mid-August. I'll be looking forward to seeing this photogenic boy in cabin pictures. I'll bet he'll look awesome lounging on one of the dog beds or on the sofa. What a cutie pie!

Labor Day Canine Guests

2008-06-13T08:07:00.000-04:00

I love it when I get to see photos of my upcoming guests. Ryan figured that out, either that or he's just a proud papa. These four beauties will be enjoying Paws & Reflect for the coveted Labor Day weekend. I know the dog beds will all get some use as they will be probably be doing some hiking at the nearby Shenandoah National Park or the George Washington National Forest. Lucky pups!

June 6-8 Weekend - Kya, Colby, Taylor & Bear

2008-06-07T12:05:00.000-04:00

As I'm writing this, Kya and her folks, Katie and Mike, are this weekend's guests at Paws & Reflect. Katie wasted no time sending me a photo, probably taken using her phone, of Kya making herself at home. Here she is in the great room, on the loveseat, with a pet throw on it. Kya looks like she's had lots of photos taken before and she knows just how to pose.

Update: Well, it wasn't just Kya that enjoyed a stay at Paws & Reflect, but also siblings Bear, Colby and Taylor. In case you were wondering how many big dogs can fit at the cabin at one time, here are picures that show that Katie & Mike were able to take all four of their big dogs withthem, and it wasn't too many. Here you see Taylor, then Colby, then Bear.

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

The dogs would like to thank you for building such a wonderful getaway. All the smells, toys, beds it was a great experience. Taylor said he is a mountain dog, Kya enjoyed modeling for the camera (as always), Bear & Colby had a peeing on the trees competition when they weren’t sniffing our the new smells, while Mike & I were just happy to be relaxing in such a dog friendly place!

Mike & Katie with Kya, Colby, Bear & Taylor “21”

May 28th - June 2nd - Rocket & siblings

2008-05-30T21:33:00.000-04:00

This will be Rocket's first stay at Paws & Reflect, but siblings Jasper, Mica and Missy have been there at least a couple of times. Rocket is Josie and Dave's newest rescue, having arrived at the household after the family's last stay at the cabin. Lucky Rocket to have found a home where family vacations are taken at Paws & Reflect! I'll be interested to see who went on all of the hikes this vacation. Probably not Mica, who is twelve years old this year!

In these photos from past Paws & Reflect vacations, we have Mica on the Critter Couch and Missy on the front deck, and then Jasper, occupying what is obviously a favorite lounging area (at least in her world) - the front hallway:

Update: Rocket had a great first stay at Paws & Reflect, and here's one of many photos to prove it!

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

This is our 3rd stay at this lovely cabin! Now, we have 4 dogs! Rocket, a 1 year old black German shepherd adopted from HART (@ Chantilly VA Petco each Saturday!) is our newest addition! And this was his 1st vacation with us! He loved all the big doggie beds, tried the doggie door eacdh morning and enjoyed playing ball in the yard! Rocket is ah, extremely ball-obsessed! Rocket loved the ball w/ the squeaky ball inside.

We hiked in Shenandoah Nat Park, as usual, but not too many long hikes this time! Dave has torn ligaments in his ankle. We (Jasper & I) hiked to Mary’s Rock ~ MP #34 via AT @ Big Meadow Springs parking area (actually across street from this parking area). Steep up, but Jasper dragged me up! Very beautiful scenery!!

Dave, Missy & I took Rocket on 1st SNP hike down to Lewis Falls ~ MP 51 just south of Big Meadows. Tomorrow, Jasper & I will hike Sugarloaf Trail to get to top of Hogbeck Park! Mica mosty relaxed and went out for frozen Packs Custard – yum! Southern Kitchen also has great peanut soup! Recycled glass jewelry at Casual Fridays – neat! Hate to leave such dog-friendly serenity!

Dave & Josie (Mica, Missy, Jasper & Rocket)

PS Sonny’s Place is very good! We ordered takeout lunch – reuben grill (on real rye bread!) and grilled chicken & fries (very good!) the also have BBQ chicken etc – nice inside bar w/ granite tables. “Sonny” is a great pyrenes dog! He came by the restaurant. Lots of photos of him inside. The restaurant is close by, turn right on 211 (east).

Also – there was a male black lab (no tags) who visited us this morning. Pee’d etc then ran down the hill in the back yard. Have not seen him since.

Critter Couch Pet of the Month

2008-05-29T18:17:00.001-04:00

I got awesome news this afternoon!!! As you've possibly seen by now in guest photos, the Paws & Reflect cabin is equipped with a Critter Couch. Well, the Critter Couch website has a Pet Of The Month page, so I always encourage guests to submit their photos for it. I'm pretty sure there isn't a pet of the month selected regularly, or surely there would have already been photos from Paws & Reflect guests selected for it. But FINALLY!!! Angie and Gwen, who took lots and lots of fantastic photos of their three oh-so-photogenic pups Stretch, Cysco & Sam during their stay, sent Critter Couch a photo that they just couldn't refuse! Check out the Critter Couch website to see it (hyperlinks in this paragraph), and I think this one is the selected photo:

Memorial Weekend - Bella

2008-05-25T18:26:00.001-04:00

Bella, a sheltie from Columbia MD, is this weekend's canine guest at Paws & Reflect. Here's a photo of Bella at one year, after her first haircut at the groomers:

What fun for me that Bella and her folks were this weekend's guests! Her dad, Mark, planned the weekend as a surprise to Amy for their first anniversary. Well, unbeknown to Mark (and Amy), his mom called me and asked me if I could arrange to have flowers and champagne waiting for them when they arrived at the cabin. (I guess he gave her the website when he told her about the plans he'd made, and it was easy for her to take it from there without him being the wiser.) I was happy to oblige! The flowers were beautiful, by the way! Fay's Flowers, right in New Market, was a perfect place to have the arrangement done.

Sometimes it can be a challenge to do that (decorate the cabin for a guests celebrating something like an anniversary or a birthday), but ultimately, I can always make it work with the help of folks I know in the area. (I live 2 hours away from the cabin.) In this case, it was time for me to visit the cabin for some owner TLC, as I call it, so I made sure my timing was such that I could do the job myself. My timing was so perfect, I guess, that I got to meet Mark and Amy and Bella when they arrived at the cabin, as I was only just then finishing up everything I wanted to get done before returning home. It's rare that I am able to meet my guests in person, so I considered it a wonderful treat. I loved being able to give them a tour of the cabin.

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

Came here to celebrate our 1st anniversary . . had a great time! Bella loved running around, and even tried the doggie door. It was refreshing to stay somewhere so pet friendly. Thanks!

Mark, Amy & Bella

May 17th Weekend - Stretch, Sam & Cysco

2008-05-16T15:24:00.000-04:00

This weekend, Stretch (a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, no surprise) along with buds Sam and Cysco are finally getting their humans, Angie and Gwen, to Paws & Reflect. I know the ladies are bummed because the weather predictions aren't what they want. Hopefully it will be like so many other weekends when the weather turned out much better than we thought it would!

Update: Wow, did I ever get some CUTE photos from both Angie and Gwen after their weekend (nice weather after all)! She captured all of the dogs and all of the beds, and you can see how comfortable the pups all were at the cabin. Here's all three of them -- first on the Critter Couch in the great room, then all of them on the futon in the front bedroom.

And here you see Stretch and Sam on the new "Dogirondack Chair" on the front porch. Cute, huh???

Photos from Last Fall - Better Late Than Never

2008-05-14T22:50:00.000-04:00

This week, when Mike sent a check to secure his & Kara's third stay at Paws & Reflect, for their October wedding anniversary, he included hard copy photos taken last fall that he hadn't sent me. Most guests do send me their photos digitally, but I'm happy to get hard copies if that's all you have. I'll have them scanned for you, as I always want guest dogs' photos in my photo albums. I just can't get enough pictures of guest dogs!

This picture of Max shows him on the ottoman in the great room, and that's a dog toy box you see in the background.The dogs all love that!

The ottoman is interesting too -- lift up the top and flip it over, and it makes the ottoman a coffee table. Dog throws, blankets and an extra set of sheets and pillow cases is stored there. If you like this storage ottoman / coffee table combination, check out the website I got it from: www.bananagump.com

May 12th Week - Bruno & Cheska

2008-05-12T17:36:00.000-04:00

Bruno & Cheska are back at Paws & Reflect. I think this is their fourth stay, with Karen. Hopefully they will get in some hiking and have a good time even though it's POURING, or as they say, raining cats and dogs! This is a photo taken of them at their first stay, in front of the old Paws & Reflect sign that let guests know they had arrived at the cabin. Aren't they beauts?

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

Thanks Nancy for the lovely cabin. We spent a nice combination of hiking and resting – 4 hr hikes in SNP and then back to the cabin for an afternoon nap! Weather on the warm side but beautiful!

Looking forward to the next stay.

Karen & Bruno & Cheska (GSDs)

How Secluded is the Cabin?

2008-05-10T00:53:00.000-04:00

I get asked this question not infrequently. Thomas wrote me today to ask me that, and as his email came in, I was leaving to go to the cabin to do a little owner TLC, as I call it. So I took a picture from my cell phone -- from the window in the dining area, of the next cabin up the road. It's the only house I can see well enough to capture a picture of, or at least the only one worth capturing a picture of. The cabin on the other side is a weekend cabin for a couple that never comes, and we can't see each other very well anyway. Accross the road is the GW National Forest, so no homes there. Looking back, there is a cabin down the mountain but it's not visible. It's just the next cabin up the road that can be seen a bit -- more in the winter when there are no leaves on the trees. This picture (lower left) shows what you can see of that cabin when the leaves are on the trees, like now. That's not too bad, is it?

Here's something else I did at the cabin -- I delivered the DogIrondack Chair that I bought recently. I found a picture of it in a catalog (lower right), but the one I got is red with a black cushion. I'm annoyed that where I got it, they only offered that color combination. I like this color scheme much better! But your dog won't care, and that's who it's for. I can't seem to bring in enough dog beds there at the cabin to satisfy my desire for them. The dog beds are so important for helping the dogs to feel at home.

On the Spot Communications

2008-04-14T13:32:00.000-04:00

Paws & Reflect doesn't have any connectivity, much to the chagrine of some of us, but I expect the majority of weekend guests really don't care. (Sadly, it really is cost prohibitive... but maybe prices will come down enough some day.) So it's not often that I get to hear from guests while they are there at the cabin. But every now and again, a guest will use their phone to email me from the cabin. I'm so glad Annie's mom did that!

Annie's human brother is in a phase during which he loves to camp -- so much that he sleeps in a tent and a sleeping bag in his room at home! Their mom had told me that, and it happens that I had borrowed a folding doggie crate from a neighbor which actually is very much like a tent. So I took it to the cabin for him to use.

What fun, then, for me to get this email from mom Kelly the day after they arrived for their long weekend stay earlier this month:

Nancy - wow! We are here and having such a good time - you really thought of eveything. Annie and my son are having a blast - he spent all night running around saying how "cool" this place was and watched a cartoon from inside the tent! Annie plopped herself on the dog bed in front of the fire and has been learning to use a doggie door for the first time! We'll take pics - thank you again for everything, this is really perfect!

March 17th Week - Casey & Cookie

2008-03-14T04:41:00.000-04:00

Cocker spaniels Casey & Cookie, from Centreville VA, joined numerous other pups over the last several years in serving as the deciding factor for their folks in picking an anniversary getaway venue. Phillip and Donna wanted to arrive on the weekend, but the cabin was already spoken for till Sunday. So they almost missed their chance for a Paws & Reflect getaway, but they were able to delay the arrival (and departure) of their trip by a day. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing photos of Casey and Cookie, but here are som other cocker spaniels that have enjoyed their own time at Paws & Reflect:

Nipper, on the front deck . . . Max, on his first vacation ever (at ~ 4 mos)

Rest in peace, Frosty. When Kooper & Kamden (right, at home, but you can see that) visit the cabin for the first time, they will no doubt recognize your scent as the same one they can pick up at home.

Owner TLC for the Cabin People often ask me if I get to the cabin much, and are surprised that I don't. I usually have too much going on here to just run down the road to relax, and even when I do have time (other than in the off season), it's usually rented on the weekends so I can't. But I just came back from 3 days there -- the longest consecutive time I've been able to spend there in quite a while. I took time to do lots of owner TLC, and am looking forward to my next trip to do some more within the next month. I wonder if I could ever go there without thinking of more I'd like to do and buy for and add to the cabin to make it better. I did go on an enormous shopping spree for the cabin while I was there, which included both the PetSmart and Petco in Harrisonburg. That was fun!

March 15th Weekend

2008-03-10T00:58:00.000-04:00

Starting the weekend that includes March 15th, business at the cabin is taking off. The first in a series of bak to back guest reservations is Lisa & her husband, who are celebrating their first anniversary, and of course including their three dogs. Their brood of mixed breed dogs ranges from small to giant, incuding a Boston terrier, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, and a Bernese Mountain Dog. The more the merrier for the hiking they'll be doing!

I'm always interested in getting new dog breeds at Paws & Reflect that I haven't had as guests before, and this time I pick up two - the Boston and the Ridgeback. Never had either one, so far. Now, Tugboat was my first Bernese Mountain puppy, and after his first stay at Paws, his folks picked up a bed for him for Christmas of the same type that he enjoyed at the cabin. Let's see if a trend was started with Tugboat where Christmas gift ideas come to moms & dads during their stays at Paws & Reflect for all Bernese Mountain Dogs!

Fall 2007 Honeymooners Finally Send Photos!

2008-02-20T23:18:00.000-05:00

Last spring, Allison was a top fund raiser for the Montgomery County (MD) Humane Society's Paws in the Park event, and for that, her & Matt's honeymoon was paid for! They stayed at Paws & Reflect as the stay was donated as a top fundraising prize. Allison wrote:

"I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to write you!! Thank you for everything!! We really enjoyed our stay at your cabin!! And Abby LOVED every second of it!! We loved the drive up from the main road! Very different from home. It really felt like we were all alone!! I've attached a few pictures of Abby during our stay. I must admit, we ended up getting her a "sofa" bed like the one at the cabin for Christmas!! She loved it there, and she loves her's at home!! It was her first time with a doggie door... after she figured out the idea.... she loved it!! She also loved seeing the deer in the woods during the evening!!!"

They snapped a few nice photos of sweet Abby, here. She's a beaut, don't you think?

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

Thank you, Nancy, for such a wonderful getaway! It was perfect for our honeymoon! Abby immediately made herself at home! We were very proud that she learned to use the doggie door! She’s not great with the ramp – but she’s learning.

We made a couple trips to the caverns – but mostly spent some well needed relaxation time!

We look forward to returning – if Abby remembers her stay, she will not let us forget she wants another vacation!!

Thanks!
Allison & Matt

Video Tour of the Cabin - 5

2008-02-04T21:35:00.000-05:00

This is the last of five posts, each containing 3 short videos that provide a tour of the cabin. Please excuse the low quality; one day I will get a decent video tour of the cabin!

This video goes from the front hall to the futon room:

This is the last video, taking you down the driveway and to the road

Video Tour of the Cabin - 4

2008-02-04T21:23:00.000-05:00

This is the fourth of five posts, each containing 3 short videos that provide a tour of the cabin. Please excuse the low quality; one day I will get a decent video tour of the cabin!

In this video, we walk inside from the screened porch where the hot tub is:

This video pans the dining area and great room and kitchenette:

This video moves down the back hallway to the master bedroom:

Video Tour of the Cabin - 3

2008-02-04T21:07:00.000-05:00

This is the third of five posts, each containing 3 short videos that provide a tour of the cabin. Please excuse the low quality of the videos; one day I will get a decent video tour of the cabin!

This video spans the back yard around to show the woods behind the cabin:

Here Tester shows us the ramp outside the screened porch:

Here we enter the screened porch (there's some kind of box to the left that is of course not there now):

Video Tour of the Cabin - 2

2008-02-04T20:52:00.000-05:00

This is the second of five posts, each containing 3 short videos that provide a tour of the cabin. Please excuse the low quality; one day I will get a decent video tour of the cabin!

In this video, we round the side of the house and come upon the small fenced area outside the doggie door:

In this video, Tester demonstrates the doggie door and the ramp:

Here Tester shows the dog door again when he goes inside:

Video Tour of the Cabin - 1

2008-02-04T20:26:00.000-05:00

I just remembered that my husband captured the cabin on video using his phone when construction was just about complete, in 2005. I guess I hesitate a little to publish these videos because the quality is so low. But until I can get a professionally produced tour video, I'll bet that potential guests would probably prefer to see this quality of video over none at all . . . right? Each one is just a few seconds long! It's narrated by my husband, and the dog in some of the videos is our miniature poodle, Tester.

This one is just the driveway over to the front deck:

This one just spans the front deck:

This one is a few steps accross the front yard:

Christmas Guest Photos

2008-01-27T22:27:00.000-05:00

I just received a collection of wonderful pictures taken by Christmas guests Melinda and Robert, of their beautiful pups Alley and Trixie. Here are just a few of them, and you can tell they love Paws & Reflect!

Alley looks like she is actually watching one of the silly videos at the cabin -- there are several that were actually produced as entertainment for dogs!

Trixie's waterbed didn't need to be packed for her Paws & Reflect vacation because there is one already at the cabin.

You can see many other photos taken by Paws & Reflect guests in the photo albums. Have a look!

It's Never Too Late to Send Photos

2008-01-04T23:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I recieved photos of guests dogs from 2 guests - one that had forgotten to send them to me after her November stay, and another that just got them scanned although she had the hard copies since her summer 2006 stay! I'm always happy to receive photos of Paws & Reflect guest dogs, so if you are a past guest that never sent yours to me, by all means send them now!

Here's Mason, looking out the window during his stay in the summer of 2006; and then there's Otto lounging on the Critter Couch and Ouzo in the dog area, in November:

Dec 21 - 25 - Trixie & Alley

2007-12-18T16:10:00.000-05:00

Christmas at Paws & Reflect

This will be the first year that Paws & Reflect has remained open as long as the holidays, so Trixie & Alley and their folks will be the first ever Christmas guests. I know that Melinda is hoping for snow, but if you have ever been to Paws & Reflect, you probably know why I'm not! I'll make sure they know to stock up on food so they don't have to venture down that steep road in the snow if they do have a white Christmas!

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

Trixie (13) and Alley (3) had the best Christmas ever at Paws & Reflect. It was a weekend of relaxing and alternating with running and running and running in the woods. Alley especially enjoyed the flashing ball and has requested a big bed of her own. The bed was a great resting spot after exhausting herself running.

Trixie is too blind to realize she was anywhere but home, but she did notice the crackling leaves under her feet and loved it. Robert & Melinda (people) and the American Eskimos are sure to return. Can’t wait.

New - Paws & Reflect Slide Show

2007-12-16T22:40:00.000-05:00

Check out the new Paws & Reflect slide show, created from photos taken in August 2007 by Robin Burkett with Paw Prints Photography. While guests have provided many, many other great shots of the cabin that you can still browse through in the photo albums, the slide show provides one representative of all areas of the cabin. Think of it as kind of a tour of Paws & Reflect, beginning at the road and winding around and into and through the cabin. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-29T23:35:00.000-05:00

Rachel and Ryan were this year's Thanksgiving guests at Paws & Reflect, and here's what Rachel had to say: "The first day there our dog was like a little kid at Christmas, usually she takes naps during the day, but not there. She was just so excited about all the toys that she stayed up all day running around and chewing on things. We got a kick out of how much she was enjoying it! Ryan took some pictures that we will send along later."

Nov 12th week - Abbey

2007-11-29T23:08:00.000-05:00

Abbey the bassett hound from Frederick MD enjoyed this week at Paws & Reflect with mom & dad, Michelle & Ed. I believe she did get tired of posing for the camera, but other than that, it was a good time! She's a cutie, don't you think?

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

We had a great time, what a great retreat for all of us!! Abbey couldn’t get enough of wandering all over the yard, so many; smells for that hound nose!! Spent Monday evening settling in, Tuesday it was overcast & drizzly on/off but we wandered around the battlefield and caverns. Wednesday was the best day weather-wise, we headed for Shenandoah & Skyline Drive w/ Abbey & hiked Hawksbill Mtn. Thank god we had a choice of trails of varying lengths, Abbey was pretty well done after the 2 miles up & back. What a gorgeous view!

Relaxing tonight then off to home tomorrow. We’ll definitely be back and will recommend Paws & Reflect to friends!

Nov 5th Week - Hemi

2007-11-05T20:04:00.000-05:00

Lucky Hemi, a chocolate lab from Virginia Beach, gets Paws & Reflect this week with Susan and her BF (Hemi's dad). I know that I will be watching the trees during their stay, trying to figure out if they still have color to look at. Where I am in Northern Virginia, the colors haven't been very vibrant, probably because of how little rain there's been. I'm hoping for the best for this week's guests.

Update: Here are a couple of the pictures of Hemi that Susan sent me. He looks pooped out in the first picture, and he looks like he's having fun in the second one.

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

This was our 1st time here and had a wonderful and relaxing getaway. Hemi had an awesome time playing with the toys and laying and lounging around on the doggie beds. We drove around Skyline Drive and was in awe with all the amazing views. We even went hiking on Jones River to the waterfall, but when we got to the waterfall it was pretty much dried up due to the lock of rain. But still enjoyed the hike (3.6 miles round trip). We took lots of pics and videos and can’t wait to come back next year. We had a relaxing time in the hot tub after our hike. Loved the cabin and can’t wait till next year!!
Jason, Susan & Hemi

Nov 3rd long weekend

2007-11-02T00:07:00.000-04:00

Tricia & Walt return for their second 2007 Paws & Reflect stay. This time they celebrate their anniversary, sharing the time of course with the pooches. Their earlier weekend stay was not planned in advance like this one, but one they decided at the last minute that they needed as they had just said goodbye to their prescious Teddi. That was a difficult time for the family. Although there is really no happy place to be in the immediate days following that type of loss of an old friend, Paws & Reflect was about as good as it was going to get. Here's to a happier weekend at the cabin.

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

Love this place! Second visit! 10th anniversary! Very romantic! But the best was hiking with our dogs, Tater Tot & Trina. Both rescues; Trina from N.O. hurricane Katrina. Tater, our pointer, actually got tired! Slept all afternoon! Fall colors! Peak season. What luck for us. Thank you, Nancy, for understanding a vacation is for the whole family (including those with 4 legs)

Walter, Tricia, Tater Tot & Trina

An Upgrade to the Ramp In the Dog Area

2007-10-28T22:34:00.000-04:00

Here's a recent photo of Sammy & Isabelle on the ramp outside the doggie door, in the small fenced dog area. You might not be able to tell, but at least one of the dogs is a little nervous because the ramp is a little slippery. So their mom suggested doing something to add traction, to make it easier for dogs to use the ramp in inclement weather.

It was a great suggestion, actually made by another guest earlier this year, too. Due to a miscommunication with the contractor, the enhancement wasn't made before, but now it has been. I snapped a photo of it with my camera today, and this is what it looks like. That's my dog, Tester, modeling the new indoor-outdoor carpet on the ramp:

Oct 22-28 Week - Newman & Seven

2007-10-21T12:22:00.000-04:00

Jack russell terriers Seven and Newman are accompanying Michelle and Mike on their week long vacation at Paws & Reflect. While there is a lot to do in the Shenandoah Valley, it's most common that vacationers spend a weekend or a long weekend there in one of the many vacation rental cabins. So when people come for a full week like Newman & Seven's family, I usually guess that they are a family of hikers, coming to take advantage of the Shenandoah National Park.

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

Thanks for a place where the four legged kids are welcome! Seven and Newman quickly figured out the doggy door, but were later denied access because Seven dug her way under the back porch (Jack Russell Terrier on a mouse hunting mission!)

Leaves were beautiful – think we timed it just right J

It rained for most of our visit, so we opted for indoor activities – Endless Caverns, Luray Caverns, Shenandoah Market & a foggy trip down part of Skyline Drive.

The “Terrier Terrorists” had a great time! Maybe they will bring us back again

Oct 20th Weekend - Max

2007-10-19T08:22:00.000-04:00

Mike & Kara are back with 2 year old Max, their buff colored cocker spaniel, just like they said they would be when they stayed at Paws & Reflect at this time last year. That trip was Max's first time away from home, and it sounds from their guest book entry like he enjoyed it as much as they did. They shared a lot of their experiences in the guest book. Here's to another nice long weekend getaway at Paws & Reflect for Mike, Kara and Max.

Oh here's a photo of sweet little Max taken during last year's stay at the cabin:

Follow-up: It sounds like Max remembered the cabin from his visit last year. Kara wrote that when they were on the driveway approaching the house, Max began to squeal with excitement!

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

We enjoyed our second stay here. When we arrived here Thursday our cockapoo Max cried when we pulled up at the cabin. I think he remember being here last year. It was a very relaxing time for us. We went to Staunton on Friday and toured the Woodrow Wilson Library. It was excellent! There is a pamphlet on it in the basket on the stand by the door. We enjoyed walking through downtown Staunton and especially enjoyed the glass blowing place – Sunspot.

Saturday we spent the day at Luray Caverns and in the town of Luray. We ate at Dan’s Steakhouse on the way back. If you leave there hunger, it’s your fault. Everything was delicious. Go early though or you have to wait. We saw some deer on Saturday coming back to the cabin. Max is anxiously anticipating coming back again next year!

Thanks for another nice stay!

Mike, Kara & Max

Oct 15th Week - Available For You

2007-10-10T18:44:00.000-04:00

Awwww, the guests that had Paws & Reflect the week of October 15th just had to cancel! If you were wishing you could have the cabin at such a good time of the season, contact me and I'll hook you up. The nights of Monday Oct 15th through Wednesday Oct 17th (departing Thursday) are now up for grabs!

I'm looking forward to meeting many new dog lovers on Saturday, October 20th at the Fidos For Freedom annual Stroll 'n' Roll event. If you are convenient to Columbia MD, please come out to enjoy the event, and support this wonderful organiztion!

Oct 13th Weekend - Cody & Sophie

2007-10-10T18:41:00.000-04:00

Cody turns eleven in early November, encouraging his mom, Sheila, to plan a getaway for them and Cody's "sister" Sophie. Sheila had to hold off planning their Paws & Reflect getaway when she first learned about the cabin lat year because she wasn't driving a 4WD vehicle then. She replaced that car with one that is does have 4WD, as she told me: "literally last week, and it didn't take long for the light bulb to go on!" I'm so glad she remembered Paws & Reflect in time to plan a mid-October getway, and celebrate Cody's birthday in the process.

Oct 8th Week - Isabelle & Samuel

2007-10-07T23:42:00.000-04:00

An upcoming anniversary provides Margaret and Ron with a specific reason for their Paws & Reflect vacation this week. Isabelle and Samuel are the lucky pooches being included in this getaway; she's a jack russell/dachsund mix, he's a beagle/hound mix. If you want to see what those mixes look like, Margaret has photos of them on her business website, handsculptedfurniture.com.

Follow-up: I just got some awesome photos of Isabelle and Sammy, one of which shows them both on the Critter Couch looking out the windows, in the great room.

These photos show just how pooped they got from all the hiking they did during their stay.

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

Thanks for a nice stay. Sam & Isabelle loved watching the deer. We all enjoyed some beautiful hikes together and will take some wonderful memories home.

Ron, Margaret, Samuel & Isabelle

I also want to say how much I enjoyed meeting many dog lovers that came out to the 2nd annual HART Dog Walk on October 7th. It was a hot, hot afternoon, but it was worth it because I love to tell people all about Paws & Reflect!

Oct 6th Weekend - Buffy

2007-10-06T22:17:00.000-04:00

Buffy, from Alexandria VA, will be the first border terrier at Paws & Reflect, so I hope I get pictures! Buffy is catching a ride with Ted and Gloria, who have planned this family getaway for months. The cabin is all theirs this weekend, and it sounds like they plan on some relaxation.

Follow-Up: Ted and Gloria shared a photo of Buffy out on the front deck, along with a statue of a hound dog.

Oct 1st Week - Bruno & Cheska

2007-09-30T09:27:00.000-04:00

Beautiful shepherds Cheska and Bruno are returning for their third stay at Paws & Reflect, as always bringing Karen. They are pictured HERE in one of the photos taken during a 2006 stay, outside in front of the old Paws & Reflect roadsign. I hope they have another good time at the cabin. October is the most popular month for vacationing in the area, and I could double and triple book many weekends if I were dumb enough to do that!

Follow-Up: I spoke with Karen the day they left. At a place they stopped on their way back, they were just feet away from a bear!!!!

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

Karen & Bruno & Cheska (GSDs)

Thanks Nancy for the lovely cabin. We spend a nice combination of hiking and resting – 4 hr hikes in SNP and then back to the cabin for an afternoon nap! Weather on the warm side but beautiful!

Looking forward to the next stay.

Barktoberfest

2007-09-29T20:25:00.000-04:00

Today was a beautiful day for the sixth annual Barktoberfest, presented by Friends of Homeless Animals and Melodee Music. I was proud to be a small part of this great event for the first time. I met lots of wonderful dogs, and of course their humans, some of whom will hopefully be guests at Paws & Reflect some day.

I was especially pleased to have the very first Paws & Reflect guests, Shannon and Brian, come up to my table and introduce themselves! They took a chance on me in July 2005, when I first opened the cabin, and I will always be grateful. You can see many great photos of their beloved flat coated retriever, Kayla, who is has since gone to wait for them at Rainbow Bridge, in the Paws & Reflect memorial photo album.

I hope to meet more future guests at the second annual HART Dog Walk & Homecoming next Sunday, 10/07/07 at Bull Run Regional Park, and at the ninth annual Fidos for Freedom Stroll n Roll in Columbia MD on Saturday, 10/20/07.

Sept 24th Week - Abby

2007-09-22T22:14:00.000-04:00

I'm pleased to host Abby, a siberian husky, along with her folks for Alison's & Matt's honeymoon. Their wedding was today, Sat Sept 22nd in Rehoboth Beach DE. For these guests, their lodging at Paws is free! Well, it was paid for in advance by Alison's commitment to fundraising for the Montgomery County (MD) Humane Society - specifically for their Paws In The Park event last April. She was a top fundraiser for this event, and for that she was awarded a mid-week stay at the cabin. I was happy to donate Alison & Matt's Paws & Reflect honeymoon for such a worthy cause!

From the guestbook at Paws & Reflect:

Allison, Matt & Abby (red/white Siberian husky – 8 yrs)

Thank you, Nancy, for such a wonderful getaway! It was perfect for our honeymoon! Abby immediately made herself at home! We were very proud that she learned to use the doggie door! She’s not great with the ramp – but she’s learning.

We made a couple trips to the caverns – but mostly spent some well needed relaxation time!

We look forward to returning – if Abby remembers her stay, she will not let us forget she wants another vacation!!

Thanks!
Allison & Matt

Sept 17th Week - Jolly, Bella & Indy

2007-09-16T20:54:00.000-04:00

Jolly, Bella and Indy return to Paws & Reflect this week, for their second 2007 stay. They bring John and Lisa again, of course. This family has been lucky enough twice now to be availalbe to make plans on the spur of the moment, and to find the cabin not already reserved.

Sept 15th Weekend - Chloe & Tucker

2007-09-13T22:32:00.000-04:00

Chloe and Tucker the lucky dogs visiting Paws & Reflect this weekend, with their people, Gina and Tommy. The family hails from the Pittsburgh area and they've been planning this vacation for months.

Saturday Follow-Up: I've heard from Gina and Tommy already, as they were first finding the fireplace tricky but then got it going. Gina was surprised that her younger dog figured out the doggie door with no experience, or even much help, at all. I wasn't surprised; I've had lots of guests go through the same process and laugh about it as they told me later.

Wow! After they returned home, Gina posted dozens of photos of the cabin on Photobucket! Check them out HERE.

From the guest book at Paws & Reflect:

We had a wonderful time staying here at Paws & Reflect. We really did nto do much except for doing some much needed relaxing. Tucker & Chloe loved the doggie door. It was a revolving door to them. The hot tub go a lot of use by my husband & I. We visited the Luray Caverns & of course I can’t go anywhere without falling. I would definitely recommend sneakers that aren’t slippy on the bottom. BTW – if you don’t know what slippy is – it’s slippery in Pittsburghese.I cannot thank you enough for having a place like this that dogs are welcomed. The dogs were so relaxed here! I know that we will be returning and most importantly we will be recommending this vacation to our friends. Once again, thank you!

Gina, Tommy, Tucker & Chloe

Tucker is a black lab & Chloe is our rescue. We believe she is greyhound & lab mix.

Fall Dog Events

2007-09-08T22:08:00.000-04:00

In the upcoming weeks, I will have vendor tables at three dog events around the area. If you are located anywhere between Northern Virginia and Baltimore Maryland, I would love to be able to meet you and tell you all about Paws & Reflect. Come out to one or more of these events if you can do so.
Sat 09/29/07 - FOHA Barktoberfest, in Sterling VA (at Melodee Music)
Sun 10/07/07 - HART Dog Walk & Homecoming, in Manassas VA (at Bull Run Regl Park)
Sat 10/20/07 - Fidos For Freedom Stroll'n Roll, in Columbia MD (at Lake Elkhorn Park)

Sept 8th Weekend - Lacey & Tushka

2007-09-05T07:36:00.000-04:00

Lucky dogs Lacey & Tushka are returning to Paws & Reflect for their second 2007 stay, accompanying Sue and her husband, as they do, from the family's Maryland home. They're extending their weekend on both ends, which come to think of I believe they did last time too. I guess I should take lessons from them on how to plan my own weekend getaways! You can see plenty of images of these gorgeous dogs, as Sue sent in lots of pictures for the photo album from their last stay at Paws!

Labor Day - Chapps, Deuce & Nipper

2007-09-01T11:45:00.000-04:00

Labor Day guests, Cathy and Doug, are first timers to Paws & Reflect, and they're down from PA. Cathy shared this with me the day before they left for the cabin: "My boys (cockers) are excited to get going, I was packing the Jeep this evening and my baby boy would not get out of the car." She promises to take photos of their three dogs at the cabin and email them to me, so look for them here or in my photo album. Cathy thanked me for allowing her family a last minute reservation, which I was glad to do since the dates were available. I'll do that for you, too, in the future if I can.

Follow-up: Sounds like the boys had a good time at the cabin, and should get to come back for another stay in the future. Here's a photo of Nipper, who looks like he has playtime planned out.

From the guestbook at the cabin:

Loved our stay here – what a great place. I love all the doggie touches – our boys loved the toy basket and of course the doggie beds. Our senior (Nipper) was excited because he did not need anyone to help him on the couch (doggie) – he even played with toys, something he gave up with the two younger dogs. It was great to see him with some youthful spunk! We ate at the Mexican restaurant in the Dining Out guide – highly recommend it! Thank you Nancy for going above and beyond for our four legged fury kids! They loved it as did we – we will be back for a longer stay! Everything was perfect. Thanks again.

Doug & Cathy

Welcome to the Paws & Reflect Blog

2007-09-01T00:07:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Robin Burkett for suggesting this blog, which I had never thought of doing. I sure wish I had started it at the beginning, while the cabin was being built or at the time it opened - in July of 2005. I think I'll use it to post newsworthy or noteworthy information - perhaps purchases I make or new additions of features, upcoming events at which I'll be promoting Paws & Reflect and you can come out to meet me, passing on messages I get such as the passing of canine guests (five so far this year), and the like. But I think I would mainly like to use it to introduce each upcoming guest to you, briefly of course, a day or so before their arrival at the cabin for their stay. When I can, I'll provide photos of the canine companions!