I interrupt this retirement to go back to work in DC, trying to be a catalysis for change, trying to get people with power to stop and listen, to open their minds to the possibility of doing something a different way.
To open their minds to the fact that they have the power to save lives.
It’s no easy task.
It’s only Wednesday and I’m already exhausted.
Stay tuned.
We’re back in D.C., ready to work for safer roads.
Flying east with hope
We got in late last night; our flight was delayed due to mechanical problems. We arrived at the hotel long past dinner time having only eaten breakfast many hours prior.
The Potomac River gleams pink as we bank into D.C.
The hotel staff was helpful in finding us one last restaurant that would deliver though they were official closed for the evening. It’s nice when people go out of their way to be helpful.
Flaps up we’re in the Capitol now.
We can only hope the lawmakers we’ll be talking to about bigger and heavier trucks are as thoughtful.
Luggage in tow we’re going to work now.
Katie here, continuing my travelog. Mama and I are headed home to daddy, and today is our second day of driving. All day. Yesterday I wasn’t very good about being in the car for so long, but I can explain!
Which looks better? Me or the mountains?
No one told me that we were driving home! I thought we were just going to the beach or the park and I didn’t understand that I’d be cooped up in the car all day! So I kept asking mama if we were there yet and by the end of seven hours she was about over the whole travel with Katie-girl thing.
So she says.
What a pretty day to travel!
Today I was a lot better, though by the last hour I did throw a bit of a fit. After all, my supper was more than 2 hours late! I had to remind mama that it was unacceptable to hold up a princess’s supper.
Anyway, we drove a little bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway on our way north. Not a lot of it, mind you, cause mama is on a mission to get home, but we got to see a little bit of it. She loves the layers of blue.
Perfect!
Me too, I could sit and look out over the view for a long time. Or until someone gives me a biscuit.
Enjoying the view.
Speaking of which, I’ve been snacking on treats Reilly’s mom packed for us. My guy even gave me heart biscuits! He’s a special guy, my Reilly.
Thank you Reilly sweetie!
Mama is really enjoying watching spring unfold all over again. It was spring weeks ago in Alabama and now that we’re in Kentucky we get to see the redbud and dogwood trees blooming all over again.
Isn’t this pretty?
And the deciduous trees are just budding out, with red and peach and orange and lime green making the mountains just glow in the sun. Mama couldn’t get a good picture of it cause she was driving. But the image below she took when we were at the Kentucky welcome center. The trees were on the other side of the freeway, and the light wasn’t as perfect as she’d seen when she was driving, but you can kinda see how beautiful it is here this time of year.
Can you see all the colors ?
Tonight mama is worried and is watching the weather channel. It looks like tomorrow we’ll be driving right into a bad storm. She can’t decide if we should get up early and try to beat the storm home, or if we should stay here for another night. But she says it would probably be two more nights because Saturday afternoon all the way into Sunday looks bad.
I don’t know what we’re going to do. Mama says we should get some sleep and see what tomorrow looks like. I personally think we should go back to our lake house, but mama says she has stuff to do in Michigan.
Glad we had a good day, cause tomorrow is going to be different.
Signing off….your travel guide Katie-girl.
Just another photo of me. Mama just won’t quit.
Katie here. You all know I’m down in Florida waiting out the snow up north and visiting with my boyfriend Reilly Cowspot Dog. Well guess what? Yesterday we got to go on a date and we went to Reilly’s park!
The moms asked us if we wanted to go and we got all excited. But then, in a typical mama fashion, she took forever to get all her stuff together and eventually I made my opinion known.
Come ON people! Let’s get moving!
They moved a little faster after that and soon we were all in the back of the car headed out!
Everybody’s ready to go mama!
Once we got to the park we could hardly contain ourselves. So many great smells, and we were barely out of the parking lot!
Good sniffing everywhere!
Some of the time I spent with my special guy….
Let’s go this way Reilly!
…but most of the time we all just hung out together. That’s OK. I like Reilly’s little brother Denny too.
We didn’t always agree which way to go.
Of course the moms made us stop to take pictures. We tried to cooperate.
We’ll all look at you guys if you promise this is the last time we have to pose.
But sometimes we just had to take things into our own paws and put a stop to all the photography.
Enough is enough moms!
We did agree to sit with each of the moms for a photo. We figured if they had to do it they’d see how annoying it was to be interrupted while having a fun day at the park just for a photo opportunity.
This is my mama with all of us!
We had the best time! I treasure every minute I get to spend with my guy Reilly and his family. And that’s not just cause his mom gave us doggy ice cream when we got back home.
Yum. How come you never buy me these mama?
Yep, I’m a lucky princess. Kisses to my prince Mr. Reilly.
Me and my guy.
And thanks to mama and Reilly’s mom for taking us on a wonderful date!
What’s next mama?
Katie and I are still in Florida. Lots of pretty things here.
A beautiful spring day at the beach.
Katie here, continuing as your tour guide. Today I take you to see the Atlantic Ocean in northern Florida. Though to be honest most of what you’ll see is me. But that’s why you come to visit my, ahem, mama’s blog. Right?
I thought so.
Showing off my true form, and proving I’m not fat! It’s just fur people!
This will have to be short as I had a very long day yesterday driving in the car for miles and miles and hours and hours and then today I got to walk on the beach forever. So I’m behind in my sleep quotient and I need to get to bed.
I’m visiting my intended Mr. Reilly Cowspotdog in Florida for a couple of days. He didn’t feel up to frolicking on the beach so I sacrificed and went to inspect one of his beaches for him. I always do my duty, yes I do.
Everything’s OK under these rocks, Reilly!
It was a little bit warm, at 63 degrees, but very windy which kept my furs fluffy and cool. There was hardly anyone else on the beach.
Nose into the wind and on a mission.
That meant that mama could let me run free most of the time, though she had to hook me back up to my leash when joggers went by because I like to tell them off and mama says that’s rude. Whatever. It’s Reilly’s beach and I’m just making sure everyone knows that we shelties rule!
I got the zoomies for a little bit, I was so happy!
Mama took a few pictures of things that were not me, but not very many. Mostly I kept her entertained by all the fun I was having. She likes watching me enjoy new things. I guess that’s why she takes me with her on so many of her adventures.
Artsy pelicans.
My only complaint about this adventure was the first wave. The tide was coming in and I forgot how wet the ocean was and I was standing there and a wave came up and went right over my feet! I jumped and mama laughed and I twirled around trying to get it off me and then it left. I was mortified and never let it happen again! Mama didn’t get a good picture, but this is sort of how I looked.
Wet feet! Wet feet! Wet feet! Get it off of me mama!
Oh, and another embarrassing thing was that mama kept trying to get a picture of my behind with the wind blowing all the fur forward. She says it was cute. I made sure she didn’t get a decent shot. Then just as we were leaving she said she got me AND the danger flag.
Drats. Never let your guard down with a mama and her camera.
Anyway, I’m outta here, I have things to do and people to sniff.
Talk to you guys later. Don’t look at my behind.
Signing off for now, Katie, beachcomber extraordinaire.
Mama! Don’t you embarrass me!
Change Is Hard 