Life Adventures

It was time to drive to MD to see Patti for Logan's next treatment.  The cool weather allowed us to make a day of it.  We went to Sky Meadow for an early morning walk.  This time we took North Ridge Trail up and came down Piedmont so we could see the view. On the Piedmont decent, Logan made at least 10 successful attempts of a run-by.  The thrill of running a few strides fixed an unforgettable smile on his face, and ours. I did give plenty of breaks to take pictures, but since Braddock was not cooperative I made him take an extra one with me. We did spend another hour walking the Snowden Trail through the woods, where there was shade and a little more breeze.  Logan spent so much energy doing his Zoomies down Piedmont that he initially protested the turn to Snowden Trail.  But, after a few treats, he kept up just fine. The gratitude for today was how much energy and playfulness Logan had.  He truly felt good today.   

We ended our May Asheville/Clemson trip with 2 days at the Clemson, SC trial.  It was graduation weekend and hotel prices were outrageous so we stayed in a dumpy Super 8 in Anderson.  It was nice to end the trip seeing old friends.  Anne Jones was there running Karma and Jen Bachelor was there running her Greyhound Maddie.  It was pretty neat to see how excited Frye got when she saw Jen.  Frye definitely remembers her. Weather was nice so we visited a favorite spot, the Botanical Gardens, which is pet friendly.  Normally we come in November, and the place is still beautiful then, but it is exquisite in the spring.  The dog's patiently posed for pictures. The gardens are filled with squirrels and rabbits so the dogs are hyper-vigilant about any movement.  Logan even got exited over one squirrel but it was brief. Braddock smoked Standard runs this weekend with 1st places in both and got a double Q the last day.  I can't eve...

I wanted one more trip with Logan.  I don't want to think about this being the last trip, and I hope it isn't.  I only knew that I wanted one more.  And now that the trip is over, I am consumed by the aftershock of still wanting one more.  It's been 8 years, and finally we return to a place we've always enjoyed visiting.  I call it the dog resort.  Everything is tailored to the dogs;  dog beds, dog towels, dog sheets for the furniture, private fenced yards, dog treats, dog doors, doggie gates so they can stay out on the deck with you.  The property itself is dog heaven; a few acres completely fenced with a lake in the middle.  The owner makes you feel right at home. In the kitchen there is a welcome white board with yours and your dogs' names.  She shows you how to work the fireplace, the hot-tub, internet password, etc. In the past we've stayed at Diva's cabin, but this year we chose Lacey's cabin and we prefer the...

I absolutely love this town!  Started the day walking the Blue Ridge Mountains ( https://adventures4real.blogspot.com/2017/05/blue-ridge-mountains-graveyard-fields.html ).  Next stop was Sunny Point Café https://adventures4real.blogspot.com/2017/05/blue-ridge-mountains-graveyard-fields.html , a local favorite for inspired dishes and fun atmosphere. It's not a fancy place by any stretch of the imagination, but it does bring out the free spirit hiding within.  It was too crowded to sit on the patio with all the dogs, even though plenty of people had dogs with them.  We opted for sitting in the garden area where beverages are allowed.  I ordered a pot of green tea for me and latte for Russ. Logan and Frye joined us and both got plenty of attention.  When she could, Frye would sneak a lap of Russ's latte.  We drove into downtown Asheville, the part of town Russ was more familiar with as he used to do business with Malaprops Bookstore.  Y...

It was deja vu, but then again, it wasn't.  We had been to Graveyard Fields before. Eight years ago to be exact.  I remembered every stream that Russ carried Phineas over.  I remembered Phineas's impatience as we picked blueberries. I remembered Noel's verve. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and it seemed like yesterday.  Here is the passage of time captured in photographs. Sometimes there really aren't words, and only pictures. I remember well the breathtaking scenery The old men bringing up the rear The primitiveness of the trail, a reminder one is in the Blue Ridge mountains Likely to be Logan's last visit to this exquisite place, we reminisced about the Bryson City trip where we stopped at Looking Glass overlook and just soon after, Logan threw up a corn cobb in the car.  That was a surprise to us all, especially Phineas who was covered in projectile vomit and he wasn't happy about i...

It's been 8 years since we visited Asheville.  We last visited on our trip to Barkwells right before we picked up Braddock as a puppy.  We were coming home from the Specialty in Michigan and Logan had just won the High In Trial in Agility.  It feels like forever ago, another lifetime.  We wanted to bring Logan back one more time. We stopped in the city of Asheville on the way to try and get a feel for the place.  We've considered retiring here because we have heard and experienced positive things.  And today, only reinforced those perceptions.  The people we met in town were exceedingly friendly, from saying "hello" to asking permission to  pet the dogs.  Dog-friendly shops and restaurants were plentiful. We chose to eat outside at Rhubarb.  Our site was originally set on Posana Restaurant.  Supposedly they are the icon of dog-friendly complete with having their own dog menu.  However, it is closed for lunch on weekday...

There are some things you take a chance on, like an impromptu pick for a state park.  It can dissapoint and it can delight. The stop at Claytor Lake was a delight.  It's only 2.5 miles off the interstate.  There are enough trails to walk.  Given we were only there for a short 3 mile hike, so it sufficed.  There's a nice paved trail, Lakeview Trail (.8 miles), that runs along the lake to the marina. You pass nice cabins on the water. I'd consider staying there. At the marina, we crossed the street and got on the Poplar trail towards the campground.  We walked through the campground just to consider the potential of staying in the future.  The campground appeared to be an easy in/easy out and have space large enough for big rigs. From the campground we took the Claytor Lake Trail (1.55 mile) back to the car.  The trail takes you through some breathtaking views of the forest riddled with Poplar trees.  On the way we stopped a the Clayt...

For my own memory and to help those who may be in need of similar help one day, I thought it best to record some specifics on Logan’s treatment plan. What were our first steps after diagnosis? Refer to the post on Dec 13, 2016 for changes we made after our first visit to Patti.   In addition to the changes mentioned in that post, Patti recommended a specific Chinese Herb we were on for 3 weeks.   Thereafter, she changes the formula based on his current status.  Here are some pics of the products mentioned in the December post.  Patti recommends these brands and to give the pills in their separate from rather than in a combined pill format that you find in some vet offices: liver support liver support cancer support What are some additional things we do?   We’ve made some diet changes.   The dogs get ½ an egg 6 nights a week.   That amounts to 3 eggs per week, which Patti said is the right amount.   We also fix a specific ...

The trial in Toano is a user-friendly trial.  We showed up, ran Novice Std and immediately after we ran Novice JWW.  There was little wait time in between.  Only one ring runs at a time to minimize distraction for the dogs.  And today's weather was beautiful. The questions in my head today were:  1) does Frye really try?  Is she serious?  2) what opportunities does Frye have for improvement?  3) is the "operation tire out greyhound" really going to work? The answers are:  yes, yes, she needs to know her job better, and yes.