One of our favorite trips we've had as a family over the years is the trip to Carova - a 4x4 only beach area - where we stay at Running on Faith. Our first trip was in Dec 2008, then we returned in Dec 2009, May 2010, and December 2010. When we bought the RV, we stopped coming, only to return now, 8 years later.
View in 2018
The crew at the house 2008
Same house 2018
Me with Logan on the dune 2010
Me on the same dune 20018 with the new crew - Braddock and Gracie
After Logan passed, we were desperately trying to find out where to go to finally take a vacation this year and get out of the house - like we had done when we lost Phineas and Noel. The difference in the past, however, is that the trips were already planned. We had a tentative plan to do something in November on the way to the Concord trial, but decided to make something happen now. We debated whether to return to Running on Faith or go to Cape Hatteras. It came down to comfort - Running on Faith - vs cost - Cape Hatteras. At first quote, Running on Faith price was too high for a partial - but then the owner came off 1000K and we knew that is where we should go. It feels great to be back - to remember the old times with our first pack, and now to make new memories with the new pack.
Here are some favorite pictures and videos of the past:
Favorite Pics of Logan
Braddock giving me love
Braddock and Noel take the best seat in the house
Braddock 2010
Noel 2010
Us - 2010
And below is second video: Carova video 2
And finally, from a slideshow from the past -2008-2010
Returning, we reflect on how much a puppy Logan acted. He had a zest for life, which manifested in his tigger bounding and superman gestures every time his feet hit sand (as seen in the above videos). Gracie shows that same zest for life. She plays more like Braddock - running in circles with her playmate and mouthing rather than fly-bys and chases like Logan.
This is our first full day (we arrived around 3pm yesterday giving only a short time for a walk, watch the sunset, dinner, hot tub, and part of a MST3K show (The Christmas that Almost Wasn't).
Gracie has been my shadow. She is out here on the deck sleeping on the couch beside me. Meanwhile Frye slumbers in the spot I covet in the den (the chaise part of the couch). Braddock has been resting on the couch too, but comes out during the sunny parts of the day and lays on the deck. Cadia snuck in an afternoon snooze on the couch outside (we couldn't find her inside anywhere and finally saw her through the window snoozing).
This morning we let the dogs off lead for a few moments. Cadia and Gracie played enthusiastically (like watching the Cadia/Braddock of the past). Then we let Braddock off by himself and he started running zoomies so we let Gracie off to see if he would finally play with her....and he did!!!
The dogs recharge when they can:
We have only see one horse so far:
We remarked how the beach is nicer than Hatteras island - the beach is wider, sand is easier to walk, and it is more private.
First Sunrise
On the second morning, Halloween, we had a beautiful sunrise (which is captured in the video). Grace had a great time on the beach. She had the most fun this morning.
After the beach, we came back to the house for breakfast and the dogs joined us on the deck, as usual.
Our last full day was another gorgeous sunrise. The dogs all had a good romp on the beach - Cadia and Gracie rough-housed immediately, then Braddock started digging in the sand so we let him run zoomies with Gracie, Frye chased her favorite ball (football shaped tennis ball) and even retrieved it once as it bounced in the water, and then Gracie and Frye each got a solo sprint to chase after birds.
The Winchester area has always been one we've struggled to enjoy as a destination. It's a great venue for agility, but the lodging has been lackluster. Normally we stay at Candy Hill with the RV, but we don't enjoy it. The campground is an easy-in, easy-out, right off the interstate. That is the only positive. Forget about late check-out - they nickel and dime you for every minute. Once we left 15 minutes late, but didn't worry about it until a young kid started chasing our RV on foot to retrieve the $2.00 owed for being late. As far as the campground amenities and aesthetics, there isn't much to speak of. This trip, we decided to try somewhere different - Skyline Ranch Resort. It was a significant improvement in primarily location. The views of the skyline are breathtaking. We stayed in site 132 (the row 130-132 is easy to get set up and rather level, but there isn't any shade). There is another row on the other si...
The feelings around the loss of a dog unites many of us together. Grief is a very raw emotion and is so powerful that there are even stages associated with it - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Add to this that our beloved dogs generally live a decade, if not longer with us. How does one lose a 12 to 15 year old child? The answer is - not well, not well at all. Those who don't know this kind of love and connection may not understand. But for those of us who live this life, we all relate. What complicates and differentiates this process even more is that the owners have the responsibility to make the right decision - all the way up to the bitter end. This responsibility creates its own wave of emotion ranging from anxiety in wondering when to make the decision, stoicism to not let the dog perceive any hint of sadness, fear of what is to come, depression that more can't be done, concern if they are in any pain, regrets of not s...
We finally decided to improve the kitchen. We had golden oak hardwood cabinets and a green/blue laminate countertop. The cabinets did not have any decorative moulding and they were all uniform - no dimensionality. The island had a raised bar portion that was raised 10 inches high. I don't have a picture of that, but below is the picture with the bar raise cut down to only4 inches. Step 1 was to have some dimensionality in the cabinet above the microwave and over the fridge. In addition, we added a light rail moulding at the bottom of the cabinets and decorative crown moulding on the top. Cabinet over fridge has been pushed out Cabinet over microwave has been pushed out Some other things needing to change were the fluorescent light above the island, the chandelier above the table (the light shades were relocated to the den fan), the old white appliances, and the stainless steel sink faucet. The cabinets were in great con...
After the beach, we came back to the house for breakfast and the dogs joined us on the deck, as usual.
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