Moose’s Story
Published by jennifer on Tagged NewsHow can I have my own website and not pay homage to my dog? So, here in brief, is our story….
I moved to Vermont in 2001 on a whim. I had never been there before, but knew it was a woodsy and beautiful landscape and just a few hours from my mom and dad. I settled into a small apartment situated on the side of a steep mountain, above a tremendous and uninterrupted slope of canopy facing west. Manchester, VT is a stop for hikers on the Appalachian Trail, and having over nearly 6,000 miles of my own, I constantly dropped in to see if there was anybody who needed a helping hand. Affectionately called ‘trail angels,’ people who help hikers in need are a huge support system and a large contributor to why the trail so magical. I pulled up to a pay phone by the post office, and saw two guys with their backpacks and a droopy, sluggish looking creature bundled up by the wall. After a short conversation, I piled them all in my jeep and headed home. I cooked them dinner, let them shower and do laundry, use the phone, bought them beer and let them sleep on the floor. These guys had been hiking for a month and a half headed south to Georgia; a trip proving too rigorous for the poor dog. The weather was too hot, water was scarce, and they were walking too many miles in a day. Moose has a separated shoulder and a defeated demeanor. I offered to hang on to the dog for the remainder of their trip. Moose could rest up and get better, the hikers could finish the remaining four months of their trip, and I would have companionship in Vermont. And that’s what happened. I proceded to fall in love with Moose. It was as if the Universe sent him on a journey to find me, and I came to Vermont to be found. As the months passed, and I communicated with his owners, we came to the delicate decision that Moose would be mine. Not for a lack of love on their part, but in an attempt to wholly understand that some things are just the right things to do. My handsome and patient rootbeer barrel, my stubborn and loyal fluffy buddy. Our most triumphant memory was in 2003, when a friend and I decided to do our own southbound hike on the Appalachian Trail. The steep and rocky mountains of Maine, the stormy and relentless weather of New Hampshire couldn’t keep Moose from being the strongest dog he’d ever been in his life. And when we passed through Manchester, Vermont, my proud and gleaming eyed dog cruised straight through, and well into New York…..
Moose is a dog to be known, and is a large part of who I am. To be centered is to have the love of a dog. Keep an eye out for the wisdom he is going to contribute to the site…
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