At only eights month of age, Norrie is still very much a puppy - full of energy, eager to please and showing all signs that she will grow into a perfect lady with a family to call her own. A lovely mixture of beagle and hound, Norrie seemed to smell that an adventure was in her near future when I picked her up en route to our hiking destination in the backyard of the Castle in the Clouds located in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. This magnificent property features 28 miles of trails running over 5,500 acres of conservation land in the Ossipee Mountain Range.
Norrie ready to start up the trail
On the morning of December 3, 2011, Norrie and I decided that we would tackle five miles along these routes with a straight out and back hike on the Mt. Roberts Trail to a scenic summit that shares the name. Norrie was ready to lead and did not require much coaxing to begin charging her way to the top of the mountain. However, along the way, she obeyed requests to slow down and also agreed to take several photos en route. Norrie was especially interested in playing catch up to the hikers who were on the trail ahead of us. Norrie also kept us precisely on course with her nose to the ground following the scent of the trail so adeptly that she steered me in the opposite direction just as I was about to make a wrong turn.
Scenic outlook!
Norrie and I enjoyed a mostly solitary hiking adventure, but we did have the opportunity to meet up with a few people at the summit of Mt. Roberts who were eager to learn about her search for a home and to share stories of their own canine companions past and present. While we did not have the opportunity to interact with any other dogs on our journey, Norrie does very well with other dogs, cats and kids. As we were concluding our hike, a few children who were playing on the property near the hiker parking area definitely attracted Norrie's attention, and it was obvious she would have loved to join them.
Part beagle and part treeing walker coonhound perhaps?
Norrie is currently living with a family who provides her foster care as volunteers with Almost Home Rescue. Her temporary family happily reports that Norrie is house trained and continues to improve her leash manners. Most of all, Norrie would love to have a home of her own for the holidays.
For additional information about Norrie, to share her profile or to make an application for adoption, please visit her page online at Petfinder.com. In addition to the following video clip of Norrie hiking on the Mt. Roberts Trail en route to a scenic outlook, there is also an entire album of photos detailing her adventure available online at the Foster Dog Summit fan page. See you on the trails!
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