【推荐2】On Sept. 2, 2012, the dog Hunter passed away over the Rainbow Bridge at about 15 years old. He was so sweet and gentle. I rescued him from HELP in 2001 when he was about three (after his second visit to HELP). I went to his foster (代养的) home in North Aurora. His foster mom said she just gave him a shower, so he would be presentable. I walked through the door and there were many dogs and toys. I never understood why he came to the shelter twice. He did get two pieces of bread from the table and put them on the floor, but that was my carelessness and I quickly learned that. No more problems.

On the way home that day, I promised him he was home for good and he would never have to worry again—I would love him till the end. That was the best move I had ever made. I just lost my dog Bo two months ago. Now Hunter brought sunshine into my life and saved me. Near the end of his life, I was able to repay him for all he had done for me.

I do not remember his foster mom’s name. I promised to send the latest information to her, but lost her email address. I wish I could tell her what a good dog Hunter turned out to be, but I’m sure she already knew that. If she is still a foster mom, perhaps she will read this.

I should have written this long ago. How time flies! Hunter was the finest dog I had ever raised. We shared thousands of miles on the trail (小径). Everyone who ever met him fell in love with him.

【推荐3】When Milla Bizzot to finished her first 24-hour obstacle race, she went shoulder to shoulder with experienced competitors, ran 36 miles and completed hundreds of obstacles, all at the age of 9.“There are some double takes on the course, but she has been an inspiration to people who see her out there competing like that,” said Christian Bizzotto, Milla’s father and coach, who was proud of her. Milla is very fit for her age, and she proved it in completing the BattleFrog Xtreme 24-hour race in Miami.

Milla also used the event to inspire other kids to be active, and show how competing in obstacle racing has helped her deal with being bullied at school. “We wanted to make her feel more empowered and make her feel that she wasn’t weak, and that changed her whole mindset,” her father said.

In preparing for the 24-hour race, Milla trained 20 hours a week for 90 days, doing exercise in the gym for 4 hours every day after school.

“The reactions are 90 percent good, but some are totally negative,” Christian said. “I’ve had people message me on Facebook saying I’m a child abuser, and that no 9-year-old should be doing a 24-hour race. But her own doctors were there supporting her and cheering her on. I want her to be a kid, and this is just something she really wants to do.”

CrossFit and obstacle course racing have also helped Christian turn around his life. He got injured in a motorcycle accident. After he was finally able to get around without using a walker, he began his recovery by going for walks on the beach with Milla, and then began running every day.

Next, he joined a CrossFit gym and enjoyed it so much that he opened his own gym to train others for events like CrossFit, BattleFrog and Spartan races. “I just wanted to create a hero that Milla could look up to,” he said.

Next up for Milla is an invitation-only “Athletes Race”. Competitors also have to raise $5,000 for charity.

Back in middle school, I went to live with my mother for two years on her farm. Whenever people hear that I lived on a farm, they immediately have an image of dairy cows, tractors, hay, and overalls. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I wasn’t on the kind of farm everyone imagines. I didn’t feed cows or pigs; I didn’t grow corn or wheat. I helped my mother raise llamas (羊驼).

It is strange that such non-traditional livestock should be raised on a long-established farm such as ours, which has been in the family for generations. Our family did indeed raise traditional livestock for many decades. Then, fifty years ago, my great-grandfather decided to buy a llama. He must have learned that wool from llamas was more profitable than wool from sheep. The llama wool business turned out to be so successful, in fact, that my great-grandfather changed the family business to a completely-developed llama farm.

Before I began to live on the farm, I had many false ideas about rural life. What could possibly be easier than feeding and cleaning some animals? After I had settled into my new home, however, I realized that farm work was much more involved than I had expected. Collecting manure (肥料), for example, doesn’t seem so bad when someone else does it on TV, but I had to get up before dawn every day to finish that chore before catching the bus to school.

I don’t mean to say that my life on the farm was a bad experience. I learned a lot about myself: for example, I’m not a morning person. I also learned about llamas’ habits, such as spitting (吐唾沫) when they are unhappy. Most importantly, my mother and I got to spend a lot of time together during those years. Although I doubt I’ll have a career in farming, I look forward to returning to the family farm for short visits.