Life Adventures

It has been a couple months since we took the camper anywhere so we decided to get away for the weekend.  We stayed somewhere new, the Charlottesville KOA.  We had scoped it out once before. The campground is not much to look at, but it's good for an overnight stay and very convenient to activities we enjoy. The bathhouse is nice, updated and user friendly.  There is a pool, and parking is easy in, easy out.  You should get there via exit 121 rather than 118.  There are low limbs and powerlines off 118.  We stayed in site 53, a pull through, that was extremely level.  There is no privacy at this campground, as rigs are packed in tightly, however, sites 53, 54, and 55 are off to themselves so it's as private as you can get. We hiked Walnut Hill in the mornings.  It's a nice state park, with a huge lake and miles of hiking/mountain biking trials.  For others' interests, there is a beach, disc golf course, and play ground.  It's a beauti...

Each dog is different.  This is a fact I need to be cognizant of.  I've worked so hard in perfecting the cadence of agility with Braddock, but am finding that the cues, timing, and lines are all different for  Frye.  When Laurene Galgano, one of the best instructors for teaching a solid foundation, told me that she had an opening, I jumped at the opportunity.  Conditions weren't great.  It was a hot and muggy afternoon.  No cloud cover.  Frye was panting from the start, and smartly, taking shade under the A-frame while we waited to get started. We ran a course, and quickly saw that Frye's stride makes her flank out wider than any other dog I've run, carrying her past the obstacles if I don't change her line.   One of the lines I needed to work more was the line to the weaves.  When Frye comes out of the tunnel she flanks out so far (because of her speed in the tunnel......

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...