Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: camping


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Active retirement

A few weeks ago, while driving north for the Great Camping Adventure with Katie, I noticed a car.  We passed each other a few times.  It was the same make and model and even color as my car.  But that’s not what made me notice it.  What was special about the car was this:

Adventure mobile

Adventure mobile

Perched on the top were two kayaks, on the back hung two bicycles.  It seemed to epitomize the kind of retirement I hope my husband and I have.  The kind where you explore and enjoy and especially stay active.

I glanced at the couple in the car once when they passed me.  Seemed to be people pretty much like myself.  I wished them well and forgot about them.  Until I pulled into a fast food drive through line and saw the car parked next door at another fast food restaurant.  So once I got my taco I swung over there, parked, walked over and snapped the picture.  Turning I realized the couple was sitting at an outdoor table looking alarmed.

So I walked over to them, smiling, and told them I wanted to be them when I grew up.  Old enough to be retired, young enough to enjoy it and off on adventures every weekend with your life partner.    She smiled, pointed at her companion and said “Him?  We just met a few months ago!”    Then we all had a good laugh.

But in my heart I still hope I get to have that kind of retirement.  The kind with two kayaks on the roof, two bikes on the back, two voices laughing in the front seats.

Happy trails everyone.

Follow the road.

Follow the road.


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Safety update. And turtles

Who you lookin at?

Who you lookin at?

Today was a busy day as volunteers, including some of you, made phone calls to Senators in Washington, asking them to consider safety before profits  —  to strike down the Collins Amendment that would gut the Hours of Service Rule just instituted last summer, and to watch out for amendments that would prohibit any attempt at raising trucking company’s  minimum liability insurance requirements.  And as the day went on some Senators stood up and voiced concern over trucking regulations.  In particular there is now another amendment, the Booker-Menendez Amendment  (both are Democratic Senators out of New Jersey) that would strike down  the dangerous part of the Collins amendment; the part that would cause the hours truckers are allowed to work to increase back to 82 a week.  The Booker-Menedez  Amendment would allow a study of the ‘unintended effects of two consecutive nights off’ for drivers who work 70 hours or more a week but would not make changes in the rule until after that study was complete.  Seems like a good compromise to me.    I called my Senators again late this afternoon and asked them to cosponsor that amendment.  We’ll see.

I’ll keep you posted.  I truly appreciate all your support, in all its different manifestations, from calls to writing, to hugs, to concern.  It’s all important.  And the more you talk about it with friends the better chance we have of making our politicians understand the importance of not letting profits compromise safety.

Scoping the lay of the land.

Scoping the lay of the land.

Meanwhile.  I came home to find a Blanding Turtle (no I didn’t know the name, but a friend on Facebook did!) in my driveway.  You know those things can move pretty fast when they want to.  By the time I got inside and hooked the dog up for a walk to the mailbox it was nowhere to be seen.    But I knew where it was, under some shrubs along the edge of the driveway.  Because Katie wanted to go over there really bad.  But I wouldn’t let her and we high tailed it back inside.  Almost instantly I noticed it had moved up to the garage and was looking around.  I think she’s trying to decide where to lay eggs.  I watched and took pictures through a tiny bit of beveled glass in the front door.

She walked all the way up the driveway, along the garage door, then back past the front porch and under the car.  Who knows where she went after that, but there’s a lot of garden for her to choose from.  Katie and I went out on the deck to watch and listen to the birds.  I fell asleep until the frogs began to sing.  It would be a good night to camp out but sheer exhaustion precludes me from lugging the tent out and setting it up.  Plus tomorrow is another day.

I hope Capital Hill sees fit to make the right decisions tomorrow.  I hope they aren’t like my wandering turtle, just exploring and looking and ending up headed right back where they came from.  Or hiding under a metaphoric car.

Wandering off to look for better places.

Wandering off to look for better places.

I’ll let you know.  For tonight I’m pulling my head into my shell and getting some shuteye.

Katie says night too.

But Mama, I don't want to go to bed yet!

But Mama, I don’t want to go to bed yet!

 


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The grand camping adventure

Katie here.   Mama says she’s had a very long and emotional week and she’s exhausted and too tired, she says, to write a blog about our camping adventure last weekend.  But I know that many of you are waiting impatiently to read all about it, so I have taken over the blog!  It should be my blog anyway if you ask me; I can not imagine what would be more interesting or more important than yours truly.  I am, of course, the center of the universe.

Ahem.

Mama took last Friday off so that we could go way up north and set up camp for a two night stay at a luxury state park.  I thought it was luxury anyway, as mama gave me my regular big pillow and then two of hers just so I could see out the little vent in the front of the tent any time I thought I heard something.  I like to know what’s going on.  That way I don’t have to bark at stuff.  And I don’t get yelled at.  It works out.

My princess bed.

My princess bed.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Our drive up north took about 4 hours and I was an incredibly wonderful traveler!  Mama put my crate on the back seat and I could see her all the time which made me very happy.  Plus she stopped at all these wonderful rest stop places that had really cool smells.  I never wanted to get back in the car after I did my job, so mama let me walk around for awhile.

Vacations are like that you know, no reason to rush.  Right?  The best rest stop was the one only a couple of miles from the exit for the state park.  It had this little path going back into the woods from the dog run area and it was so green and wonderful in there!  Except for the mosquitoes.    And the fact that mama put her foot into a gopher hole and fell and hurt her hand.  But other than that it was all fun!

We're up north now!

We’re up north now!

Mama says she knows she’s ‘up north’ when she starts to see the ferns on the forest floor along the freeway.  They make her smile.  And when my mama smiles, I smile too.  It’s sort of contagious.  You’ll notice I smiled a lot on this trip.

We got to our campsite a little early but that was OK, it gave us time to set up camp and blow up mama’s bed without annoying anyone with the noisy pump.  Then we walked around the campground.  It was pretty empty that first afternoon.  In fact, all weekend I bet the campground wasn’t half full, which worked out fine for us!  We had a cozy site tucked back into the woods which would have been really cool.  Did I mention mosquitoes?

Friday evening we tried to go do one of the hikes that are in the park, through old pine trees, and we got about 100 feet in and had to race out of there.  We were getting eaten alive and mama was wearing bug spray!  Mama says I looked like a bug cloud in the shape of a sheltie.  There were several short hikes we would have liked to do during the weekend but the bugs were ferocious.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Luckily mama had plans Saturday for us to go over to Elk Rapids, a town about an hour west of where we were staying, to visit her blogger friend Gerry who gave us a tour of the town.  We saw old houses and churches and we walked through town and let people admire me.  I even got to go inside a store because the owner  thought I was beautiful.  What can I say?   I get that a lot.  This is a bridge over to the library in town, isn’t it cool?

The princess goes to the library.

The princess goes to the library.

We went down to the beach too, and watched a bunch of guys in a big canoe replicate an historical landing.   I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I knew I was hot, so I took my mama over to the river to get a drink.

 

Ah.....

Ah…..

This was a big deal for me as I don’t generally get my feet wet and I never drink out of a river.  It’s just not something a princess does.  But you gotta do what you gotta do…right?

Then we went to a park that a lot of beautiful and interesting sculpture in it.  I liked it because there was shade on most of it, except those that were out on the beach.  It was all interesting and I got to sniff a lot of new stuff!

Shade and color is good.

Shade and color is good.

Then we went to Gerry’s house and I got to meet her duo…Cowboy and Sadie.  I didn’t like that my mama kept saying how adorable Cowboy was and what beautiful eyes Sadie had.  She’s my mama and I want her all to myself.  Plus I had a hard time keeping track of them, they were so fast and there were two of them and only one of me.  So I got up on my mama’s lap while she and Gerry sat and talked a little bit.  Mama was really glad she got to meet Gerry and the gang.  I liked Gerry a lot but I’m not so sure about those furry ones…maybe next time I won’t be so nervous about the whole thing.

The duo.

The duo.

I slept all the way back to camp, and when we got there we escaped into the tent where I slept some more.  All this traveling wears a girl out!

Zzzzzzz.....

Zzzzzzz…..

Sunday morning we did a little walking around the campground and then mama piled everything into the car as fast as she could to get us away from the mosquitoes.  I really didn’t want to go home.

Where did my pillow go mama!?

Where did my pillow go mama!?

I stood in our empty camp site a long time until she made me get in the car.  But then I slept a lot on the way home.

And where did my tent go?!!

And where did my tent go?!!

 

Once I made it into my house I was the old Katie girl — full out barking for a long time just letting my mama know I had a good time and thanking her for taking me with her on the big camping adventure.  I was a really really good girl.  I didn’t bark once on the trip up or the trip back.  I slept all night both nights, though I did get my mama up by 5:30 every morning.  But then we went back to bed for a bit.  I sat around the camp while she was working on stuff and didn’t whine, and when she asked me to do something I did it right away.  Sometimes.

Can we go again soon mama?

Can we go again soon mama?

Yep, I’m hoping my mama makes reservations for us at another campground soon!  Maybe one that doesn’t have so many mosquitoes though.  This is way more fun than sleeping in the back yard and I can’t wait to go again!  Mama failed two nights at making a campfire, she blames the wood.  I think she needs more practice.  What do you think?

Where should we go next?

Me and my mama.

Me and my mama.


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Weekend song

This is the song Katie and I are singing on our drive to an adventure:

Imported Photos 00852

I can do what I wanna do, be who I wanna be
I got no one to answer to, soon as I turn the key
A cash machine, gasoline and we’re outta here
Call it an early weekend, call it goin’ off the deep end
Baby, you and me,we can leave it all behind

I don’t have to be me ’til Monday
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
I ain’t gonna face reality
Three days without punching a time clock
Three nights of goin’ non-stop
No work and all play
I don’t have to be me ’til Monday
Yeah

 

Thanks to Steve Azar for putting down exactly what we’re thinking.

We’ll tell you all about it soon!

Gonna be fun!

Gonna be fun!

 


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Katie’s perfect day

Hi there everybody!

Hi there everybody!

Katie here.  Bet you’ve missed hearing from me haven’t you!  Sometimes my mama forgets I’m a princess and need to talk to my subjects regularly.  She’s sort of ditsy like that you know.

So anyway.  I got her up this morning at 6 a.m.  I tried to get her up at 5:30 but she told me to go away.  So I did for a few minutes.  I can be patient if I have to, but not forever, you know?  So after we were up she started getting stuff done, like she made humming bird food, and she cooked some chicken (and no I didn’t get any) and she did some laundry and she went to the grocery store and then we went out front where I supervised her while she started spring weeding.

Mama filled this cart up with weeds.

Mama filled this cart up with weeds.

Mama says she really appreciates me getting her up so early because otherwise she’d never have gotten all that done before lunch!  I figure if I get her up about 4:00 tomorrow morning she’ll be even more appreciative.

And then you know what she did in order to say thank you to me?  Yes indeed, I bet you know already!

This is my park.

This is my park.

She took me to my favorite park!  Of course I had to sit around and get my photograph taken in all the yellow flowers.  We do this every single year.  Except for last year.  Last year mama got to the park a little late and all the yellow flowers were puffy things that made me sneeze.  She says this year she’s trying to be more organized.

We had such a great time at the park!  The weather was beautiful and no one else was out there!  We walked all the way around, and I even stood on this stupid bench for her so you could see the little lake in the background.  I’m cute aren’t I.  I practice being cute all the time when they aren’t looking.

See how pretty it is here?

See how pretty it is here?

Then we got home and mama made me stay inside while she and daddy went out and did lots more weeding.  I wanted to stay inside anyway to rest my eyes you know, after being out in the park and stuff.

It’s exhausting being perfect.

OH!  And I almost forgot!  Mama bought a new tent and I helped her put it up this evening!  I don’t think we’re sleeping in it tonight, she’s just letting it ‘air out’ whatever that means.

This goes up pretty easy with my help.

This goes up pretty easy with my help.

I think it’s pretty cool, I ran right in as soon as it was up, even though none of my camping stuff, like my blankets and my pillows, are in there yet.

Did I tell you that mama and I are going to go camping at a State Park up north sometime?  She made reservations for us, I just can’t remember when.  The calendar sort of confuses me.  I think every day should be a Saturday, don’t you?

Welcome to MY tent!

Welcome to MY tent!

So that’s the story on my perfect day.  We have a whole new day tomorrow too!  I can’t wait.  But I really need to get some sleep.   I might not be able to get mama up so early tomorrow if I don’t get to bed soon.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you out there tomorrow!  We hope you have as perfect a day as we had today!  Spend it in the sun with people you love.

That’s my plan, yes it is.  See you guys later,

Katie-girl.

Made you smile!

Made you smile!


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Come on summer

Katie says:

Let's get moving people!

Let’s get moving people!

I think my park ranger people should set these picnic tables up and get this summer started!

And guess what? Guess what, guess what, guess what?!!!

Mama made a reservation for us at Hartwick Pines State Park!  For two whole nights in June!  She’s got a campsite in the woods and there are trails for us to explore!

You remember I had so much fun when we went camping at a real campground last summer, right?  Well, this will be even better!  I can hardly wait!  She says we can explore stuff, and people watch, and go for a walk, and then we can take a nap and then we can do it all over again!

I am so excited!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 


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Mama says

Katie and I went camping last night.  In the yard, back behind the big blue spruce.  Just about where the tent is pitched in the header of this blog.  Yep.  A nice spot.

IMG_5589

She did good, climbed right on top of her big pillow and went to sleep at 11 when we ventured out.  I slept good too.  Until 3:22 when Katie barked once.  And then stood on me to look out the window and slowly watched something move from right to left while growling under her breath.

I convinced her it was all right and eventually she gave up guard duty.  But then she was up!  And she wanted nothing to do with hanging out in the tent and going back to sleep.  I gave up asking her to go lie down at 4:15 and we wearily (well I was weary, she was prancing) walked across the yard to the house.

Her Dad took her out the front door to do her business in case that was the problem, though why she couldn’t do that on the walk to the house is beyond me.  Apparently you can only do your business if you go out the front door.

Then we went back to bed.  But she wasn’t having any of that either.   After a bit of jumping on and off the bed and barking to be let out of the bedroom I used my school voice and told her to LIE DOWN!  She did and we all fell asleep.

Until 6.  Because, don’t you know, 6 is when we get up….right Mama!?  So I took her out again and as we wandered the front yard she starts staring out into the shadows and growling, then lunging at our shadows.  And doing some spins.  We went inside.

Now we’re both up.

But I’m going back to bed.  And I’m not promising that I’ll be awake in time for doggy school.  I’m not setting an alarm either.  She has lost all brownie points and any possibility of an adventure this weekend.

Oh look.  Now she’s asleep on the sofa.  Looks cute doesn’t she.

Uh huh.

IMG_5577 (Small)


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No adventure? REALLY?

Katie here.  I just wanted to tell you guys how disgusted I am with my Mama.  Yes.  My Mama.  She was home for three whole days and did we go on an adventure?  No we did not!  She sat around and said she was tired.  And told me to go lie down. 

Oh sure I got to go to doggie school and I love doing that.  I especially like running recalls and coming in crooked.  I like how that makes my Mama look all frustrated and stuff.  Makes me grin, but you can’t tell cause of all my fur.  And I get lots of attention from everyone else there.  Sort of makes up for being ignored at home.  Doesn’t make it totally OK though.

She says I should be happy that we camped out in our yard for two nights straight.   B.O.R.I.N.G!  I’ve graduated from the stupid back yard!  Didn’t I prove that when we went camping at a real campground?  There were lots more interesting sounds and smells there.  At our house it just smells like grass.  And sometimes a stupid bunny.  Geeze.  I’m not a baby anymore.  I want to go on a real adventure.

Face it Mama.  You let me down.  I think you’re getting too old for adventures.

Geeze Mama!

Geeze Mama!


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Camping experiment results

Arriving

Arriving

As many of you know Katie-girl and I enjoy sleeping out in the backyard on warm (and sometimes not so warm) summer nights.  If there’s no rain predicted we leave the rain fly off the tent and watch the stars until we fall asleep.  I’d like to do more camping with her, further from home but she’s a Sheltie and Shelties bark which made me wonder about how she’d behave in a campground.  So I booked a camping site at a local KOA, one located only one exit up the road.  And last night we went camping for real with a backup plan of scooping her up and heading home if she barked too much at night.

This is my campsite!

This is my campsite!

Turns out she doesn’t mind being in a tiny campsite right next to other people (and their dogs) at all.  She’s interested, but not particularly offended by their presence.  She watched them until it got dark and then she settled down with a sigh on her pillows in front of her window and went to sleep.  During the night she got up a few times and settled somewhere new, sometimes up on the air mattress with me, sometimes somewhere else in the tent, but she’s always been a dog that sleeps in multiple places during any one night.

Watching the neighbor's campfire.

Watching the neighbor’s campfire.

She woke me around midnight with a series of soft yips but I don’t know what bothered her.  Maybe she just woke up in a strange place and was confused.  I tickled her tummy and we both went right back to sleep.  She barked about 4:45 a.m. but it turns out the next door camper was out with his dog, whose tags were jangling and he was coughing himself.  She had to let him know he was infringing on her space.  I told her ‘no bark’ once and patted her head and she settled back down with another sigh for an hour or so of sleep.

And then it was 6 a.m. and she was UP!  Want to get up now Mama?

Hey Mama! You awake?

Hey Mama! You awake?

Huh?  How about now Mama?  I really do have to gooooo!

We went out and found a good place, then went back to bed for another hour…when many people in the campground were up including neighbors on both sides of us, so we got up, packed up and went home.

Sheltie sized window. Perfect.

Sheltie sized window. Perfect.

She was a very very good dog.  I’d go camping with her again no problem.  Not at this particular campground which was crowded and noisy and not near anything interesting.  But for this experiment it was exactly what I needed; lots of people, lots of dogs, lots of noisy cars…radios, TVs, bikes, you name it.  She wasn’t distressed by anything other than an early morning walk by the neighbor dog dangerously close to her bed.  Cant fault her on that.

I think she’s a natural camper!

Can we do it again soon Mama?

Can we do it again soon Mama?