Pearl's Big Cross Country Adventure

Happy 6th Birthday to Pearl

2009-10-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

Pearl here: Today is my 6th birthday. My brother Matthew made this picture for me.

Yesterday Stinkey and me took a road trip in the truck. I didn't have any idea where we were going. But it was raining cats and dogs. So I was just happy to stay dry in the truck.

It turns out we were heading to Los Angeles airport to pick up brother Albert. We met Ashley at the Howard Hughes shopping center and she rode with us to the airport.

The humans went inside LAX and I had to stay in the truck and baby sit Stinkey. No dogs allowed in airport, you know. Where are dogs allowed anyway? So Albert comes back to the truck and Ashley is hanging all over him. They made me sit up front in my Mommy's lap. I didn't even get to sit with Stinkey. My Mommy says the only way she got Albert to come over and hug her and the big guy, was to wave the new Green Bay Packers baseball cap she bought him. She says he came running to them then. I think I'm supposed to say LOL! now.

Then we took Albert to eat. And I had to stay in the truck (again) and baby sit Stinkey. Personally I wouldn't eat at any place that doesn't allow dogs. Albert and Ashley said goodbye to me and Stinkey and then they went home. My Mommy is laughing because instead of going straight home, they go to Best Buy. She says Albert won a $150 gift card to Best Buy for being the weekly winner in the Reagan's Fantasy Football League. Don't you think they should have gone straight home instead of going to Best Buy? Silly humans, he's been gone 5 months.

So we drove back home and it took foreverrrrrrr. But we arrived at 12:01 on my birthday. So I got one doggie treat. Now I am working my Mommy for more treats since it's my birthday you know. I love to hear to top popped on my treat jar. I'm going see what else I can get out of her before the cops come home, errr I mean the big guy. He'll blow the whistle on this whole spoiled stuff for sure. My Mommy does promise we'll go for an extra long lizard search today. Hey I think maybe I can get me one today. At least it's not raining.

Oh and by the way, I'm supposed to tell you that I'm having a girl cousin and that brother Albert won the bet. And my Mommy is putting another picture of Albert & Ashley here.

Here's where we 'live' half the year

2009-09-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

This is Bay Pines RV Park, where we live half the year, and where we will be "stable" the next six months... we're about half a mile from the beach. So we are really close to the water, but far enough away from the coast that we do not get the sea spray and messy seagulls (!).

The photo of the trailer immediately below this post was taken today after we got settled back in.

The trailer and truck are FILTHY so both will need a serious cleaning inside and out this week.

[D]

Back at home base

2009-09-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

Home at last!

We arrived back at home base (Morro Bay) around noon today. Pearl is already itchin (literally) for a walk on 'dog beach.' We will try to get to that tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing our trip with us! The blog has been fun :) (D)

Last night on the road, literally

2009-09-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

We spent our last night on the road at Cholame, Calif., at a crowded rest area on highway 46. This rest stop is just down the road from the James Dean Tree – the tree planted at the spot where Dean was killed in a car crash in 1955. (He ran into a Cal Poly student who pulled out onto the highway in front of his car.) The highway is still two lane, still very crowded, and still one of the most dangerous highways in America.

Here’s a snapshot of our trip, by the numbers:

Miles driven: 10,800

Miles per gallon, average: 12.09

Most expensive fuel: $3.89 (Calif.)

Least expensive fuel: $2.19 (Okla.)

States visited: 26

Stay-in nights…

RV parks, 26

National park campgrounds, 9

Corps of Engineers campgrounds, 8

Wal-Mart parking lots, 7

Forest service campgrounds, 5

Casinos (Terri says “Woo hoo!), 4

State park campgrounds, 3

Rest areas, 2

Didn’t stop at all at night (almost 1 - ok, 2)

National parks visited:

Smoky Mountain

Theodore Roosevelt

Yellowstone

Grand Teton

Yosemite

Yosemite (cough, cough)

2009-08-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

We had hoped to see much of Yosemite valley on Sunday, but that was not to be. A controlled burn fire that got out of control resulted in closing some of the key roads to the valley. (I will avoid rambling on about how stupid it is to do a controlled burn when things are as dry in California as they are now!) So, anyway, we were able to see much of the eastern side of the park, shrouded in smoke, but we did not take the 3 ½ hour (one way) detour that it would have required to get into the valley. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Heading back to the trailer, we went up highway 108, which is a two lane road through the mountains north of Yosemite. When we drove to Alaska, we had to go up 11 and 12% grades on the Alaskan highway, and I thought that was excessive. Highway 108 has a 26% grade. Wow. Good thing we were not pulling the trailer.

Pearl sunbathing

2009-08-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

Pearl's idea of a perfect day!

High in the Sierras

2009-08-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

We are high in the Sierras in the area around Mammoth Lakes. Here is a shot of June Lake (which is nearby). Wifi isn't too good here, so we won't post any more for today. We are off to an exploration of Yosemite - but I do not know how much we can see. There's a big fire and some of the roads are closed....

No goose poop for me

2009-08-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

{Pearl} - The humans took a ride yesterday afternoon out by the lake. They stopped and got roast beef sandwiches (Oh boy! I love a picnic!). We stopped at this nice picnic area right by the lake. Once out of the truck, however, I saw more delicious things than roast beef sandwiches... yes, the grass was covered with those green slimy nuggets: GOOSE POOP. I love goose poop. It's so tasty! Why, it's even better than cat pooo___________________

.... WAIT WAIT WAIT.....!!!!

Aarrgggh. I got dragged back and thrown in the truck. No goose poop for me. And no roast beef, either.

Darn.

This is our one and only bear picture

2009-08-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Late yesterday afternoon a California brown bear ran down the road in front of our trailer and off into the tall grass. This is it (the brown lump in the picture below.) I guess bears don't like to get their pictures taken.

Pearl says HI from Lake Tahoe

2009-08-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

{Pearl} Lake Tahoe is cool. We are in a campground deep in the woods, where there's a constant parade of critters for me to watch. Squirrels, mice, woodpeckers, you name it. I'm not trying to catch anything, though. Just playing it cool for now. Sitting here on the nice door mat and watching the world fly/ crawl/ scamper by.

Soon we're going to go on a ride and see the lake. That will be fun. I like to hang my head out the truck window and be admired by the humans we pass by.

Cheers!

Me? A Moose?

2009-08-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

I bought this T shirt in Grand Teton 'cause I thought the picture looked a little like me. Big nose, big ears, big feet, kinda dopey facial expression...

Back in electricity!

2009-08-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

One tends to forget how valuable electricity (110v) is, until you go 6 days without it...

We are in Reno today and headed for the delights of Lake Tahoe tomorrow. We're at the Grand Sierra RV park. Grand Sierra used to be the MGM Grand.

I went to the store today and got Pearl a big new bag of doggie treats. She's happy.

This lake picture (I keep forgetting to post it) is Bear Lake, on the border of Utah and Idaho. It's very pretty, and also very crowded - boats and people everywhere when we went by. The blue color comes from suspended limestone in the water.

[D]

Tacky, even for Wal-Mart

2009-08-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

One of the nice benefits of traveling coast to coast in an RV is that you can spend the night free (without hookups) in truck stops, some state rest areas, and some Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club parking lots. The key to doing this is “safety” and “discretion.”

First, you never plan to spend the night anywhere that looks unsafe. Some truck stops are nice. Others are seedy little places where RVers are not welcome. There have been stories of RVers being harassed in truck stops where they were not wanted, for example, so you have to be careful. Most of the time, we won’t spend the night anywhere where there isn’t at least one RV already parked there when we arrive. Safety in numbers.

Once you do find a spot to spend the night, you also want to practice “discretion.” (Also known as “having a little class.”) You are parked for the night; you are not camping. You are not there to call attention to yourself in any way. One does not pull in, hang the patio lights, plop out the lawn chairs, fire up the barbeque, and make a night of it.

This is a lesson our neighbors in the Elko, Nevada, Wal-Mart parking lot have yet to learn. They pulled in their trailers door-to-door, and then put out their awnings between them. After that, it was time to roll out a rug, then pull out the lawn chairs and the picnic table. They enjoyed a nice evening picnic right here in the parking lot. Tacky.

A motorhome nearby had a huge propane bottle (one of those that stands about 4 feet high) standing next to it in the parking lot, with a line feeding the furnace. One can only wonder how many nights that RV had been staying in the lot.

Yet another motorhome had a cooler and baby stroller sitting next to it, in the parking lot. A dog was tied to a chain that was staked out in the flower bed.

Wal-Mart has been very generous by allowing RVers to park overnight for free in many of its store parking lots. Tacky people like this threaten this nice freebie that the rest of us benefit from.

(Terri said I could write about these people, but that I should not use the words red***k or hillb***y in this post. So I did not.)

{D}

Snakes and scorpions

2009-08-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

There was one Utah rest area along I-80, with this friendly warning for people new to the area. Pearl got out and sniffed around a bit. Thankfully she did not uncover any new crawly friends.

{D}

Negligent driving...

2009-08-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

We left Salt Lake City on Sunday morning (which, you would think, would be a good time to get out of town – since one would assume most Utah people are in church half the day on Sundays). The stretch of I-80 west of town is long and straight – skirting the southern edge of the Great Salt Lake and heading west toward the Bonneville Salt Flats. Just across the border in Nevada is – CASINO GAMBLING!, LIQUOR!, and SHOWGIRLS! – and those few Utah people who are not in church on Sunday seem to enjoy driving very fast across I-80 to reach the Nevada attractions.

The state has posted these signs to warn people about driving drowsy. And, indeed, we passed two accident scenes where drivers had left the road (both were eastbound) and torn through the highway median. We came upon one wreck just minutes after it had happened. A guy in an eastbound Dodge Dakota drove through the median and then rolled on the westbound of the road. It appeared he may have been thrown from the truck; there were a lot of drivers stopped giving assistance when we passed by. There are no towns on this stretch of highway, so we had gone quite a distance down the road when we met the ambulance passing by on its way to the wreck. This highway is NOT the place to get into a wreck, given its remote location and lack of assistance for those who get in trouble.

Another place to NOT drive fast is in the national parks, by the way. We passed by this scene on the way to Grand Teton. Some moron driving too fast hit and killed a full grown female bison. We did not see the vehicle (it had already been taken away - I imagine it was heavily damaged.) Yeah, that's the dead bison being loaded into a dump truck with a bulldozer. Yuk.

{D}

We're so cosmopolitan

2009-08-24T10:29:00.001-07:00

I keep forgetting to list all the cosmopolitan places we have visited on this trip. Here's a partial list:

Paris

Peru

Cuba

Geneva

Vienna

Nassau

Genoa

Paris, Idaho

Peru, Illinois

Cuba, Missouri

Geneva, Idaho

Vienna, Virginia

Nassau, Delaware

Genoa, Wisconsin

{D}

Left this place feelin' older

2009-08-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

On our way from Grand Teton across southern Wyoming and into Utah...

We stopped in Montpelier, Idaho, to take a look at the 'National Oregon Trail/ California Trail Museum.' It's a series of exhibits that detail what the settlers to this area endured as they came here by wagon train in the 1800s. The basement has a whole bunch of different exhibits. One of them featured an old manual typewriter from the early 1900s. The museum docent was explaining to a girl of about 10 how the typewriter worked. The girl was fascinated - as if she was seeing an object from outer space. The manual carriage return was especially interesting to her. (Of course the typewriter was probably from the 1940s or 50s - hardly an exotic thing for anybody over 40.) So it was just another opportunity for us to feel much older!!!

Many of the people who settled in the Bear Valley area of Idaho were Mormons who were fleeing religious persecution in England in the mid to late 1800s. I did not even know there were Mormons in England at that time. (One of the couples featured in museum exhibits was Mr. and Mrs. Albert Ashley. HA HA)

Oh, yeah, Pearl was in the trailer while we enjoyed the museum. She was thrilled - as you can see from this "Help! I'm in prison!" expression.

Bison in the road

2009-08-22T17:48:00.003-07:00

There were LOTS of bison in the road and the roadside meadows in Grand Teton. We did not see any bears, however, despite the numerous warnings to keep all belongings "bear safe."

Pearl, squirrel stalker

2009-08-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Pearl at our camp site at Grand Teton. She stood at this tree about 20 minutes, watching a crafty squirrel that had eluded her (it ran past her and climbed the tree). Dang those crafty squirrels.

Not a great day for Pearl

2009-08-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here at Grand Teton, there are lots of places dogs can't go. Much more so than at Yellowstone and other parks. I guess the argument is that dogs can spread disease which can then transfer to the wild animal population.

So we went out today and had some fun. And Pearl stayed home.

And tonight we're out doing laundry. And Pearl is... you guessed it. Plus, we're washing her blanket, so the "doggie smell" will be gone. Yikes! Not a good doggie day...

Grand Teton bound

2009-08-19T16:08:00.001-07:00

We are on our way to Grand Teton. The weather here is sunny and hot today (78). Pearl is in the truck (again) and not happy, so that's all the time I am going to take for posting now....

Yellowstone Tourists!!

2009-08-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

Earthquake Lake, 50th anniversary

2009-08-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

We passed by this spot on the 50^th anniversary of the big earthquake that happened here on Aug. 17, 1959. Twenty-eight people were killed when the quake caused the mountainside to slide down onto a crowded campground. The landslide blocked the river channel and created a lake. The campground and three miles of the old Highway 287 are under the water.

Across Montana

2009-08-18T14:05:00.003-07:00

We took these pictures as we travelled across Montana en route to Yellowstone. These are near Ennis, Montana.

"This sign tells the story of my life" {Pearl}

2009-08-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Every time the humans go somewhere fun, and I get to go with them... we pull up and then the back window of the truck slides open. That's my cue: NO DOGS ALLOWED. "Stay in the truck, Pearl."

Aarrggh. If I was going back to school after summer vacation, and the teacher said "what did you do on your summer vacation, Pearl?" my response would be:

"Sit in the damn truck, most of the time."

Hi Grampa?

2009-08-16T21:10:00.000-07:00

It is a pretty drive from Three Forks to Anaconda. It's about 60 miles. It was a mix of sun and rain today, with some really pretty cloud formations and a bright rainbow at Butte.

Then of course we had to pass this sign along the highway. Grampa's snotty little grandkid needs to ditch the spray paint and find a new hobby!

Sunday with the relatives

2009-08-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

We spent a few hours in Anaconda, Montana, on Sunday with Terri's folks and her grandma, and her uncle Jim and his wife Mona. We went out to eat a late lunch (pork chop sandwiches, a Montana dietary necessity).

Here's a couple of pictures.

Tomorrow, on to Yellowstone!

Talk to the hand

2009-08-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

{Doug} - I think the only proper response to the continued complaining by my dog would be to purchase and wear this t-shirt...

Hey I need moral support here

2009-08-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

Pearl here: Hey is anybody out there reading my blog besides Mary & Priscilla? What happened to the rest of you? I need you to tell these humans to take care of me the way I want to be taken care of. Where are you, brother Matthew, Auntie Pam, Denise...? Surely you couldn't resist making comments about the big guys hat post? I need some moral support here. I need you to tell these humans:

--To stop leaving me in the trailer all day while they go out and have fun at places that don't allow dogs.
--To stop leaving me in the truck or the trailer when they go into a store or to eat some place.
--To buy me a new ball, it's not my fault I popped my other one.
--To buy me the Science Diet dog food with the picture of one of my cousin on it instead of this veggie crap they bought cause they couldn't find a place that sells Science Diet. Don't dogs in Montana have any taste?
--To let my mommy buy my treats instead of the big guy. My mommy buys me the kind that I can chew. The big guy was trying to save money and bought me these things I can't chew.
--To let me play with all the animals I want to play with, like prairie dogs, wild horses, bunny rabbits, cats, buffalo.
--To get their lazy butts up out of bed in the morning and take me outside the first time I come in their room.
--To put my blankey back on the couch. I'm tired of sleeping on the floor.

I missed seeing my godhumans Lee & Kathy. They are my back-up offer in case I decide I've had enough of my present humans.

Pearl's friends saying "YOO HOOO!"

2009-08-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

We drove the 36-mile loop through the southern section of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Along the way, we passed 5 or 6 prairie dog towns with hundreds, maybe thousands of prairie dogs. Peal was, of course, fascinated.

On the way out of the park for the last time, I think I saw one of the prairie dogs doing the little dance that the gopher did when Bill Murray was trying to kill it in Caddy Shack.

"Yooo hoooo, toodle-ooh, Pearlie Poo"

snicker snicker snicker

Pearl's Driving Day Routine

2009-08-15T22:08:00.001-07:00

Terri thought that, perhaps, you might be wondering what Pearl does all day while we are driving from one place to another. Well, wonder no more.

Pearl's day, summarized:

Sleep.

Look out the window.

Sleep.

Scratch.

Wake up, walk in a circle.

Plop down. Sleep.

Get up. Look out the window.

Plop down. Scratch. Sleep.

Yawn, stretch, sleep.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

2009-08-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

Here we are at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. According to the history of the place, TR came here first in 1883 when he was 25 years old. Being from a family of means, he of course spent a ton of money to buy an interest in a cattle ranch. He then returned to New York... not long afterward, his wife and his mother both died on the same day. TR later returned to this area and said that the peace and solitude he got here helped him recover and that had he not come here, he would not have been ready to be president (which of course was much later).

Of course, TR also died at the age of 60, so maybe the North Dakota winters were responsible for his not living to a ripe old age...

Hat Flack

2009-08-15T21:59:00.001-07:00

I have taken some flack for my choice of "comfort over style" in the selection of a summer hat.

Matt suggested that if I painted the hat black, and stood in a dark room, I would look just like Darth Vader.

Ha ha ha, hardy har har.

I am going to continue wearing my hat, stylish or not, because it keeps my head out of the sun and saves me from getting sunburned.

Bison? Buffalo? I dunno-

2009-08-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

Don't know whether these are bison or buffalo, but about two dozen of them lumbered through our campsite yesterday afternoon. We are at Teddy Roosevelt Nat'l Park in North Dakota. Pearl's little heart was beating wildly... of course, she wanted to get down on the ground and run around these huge animals.

By the way, when bison stop by your place, and then leave - they leave all their flies behind. Aarrggggh!

You gave up golf for this??

2009-08-13T10:31:00.001-07:00

One of our blog following friends, Priscilla, sent an e-mail saying she enjoys our blog so much that she even gave up golf one day to stay home and read the blog.

Doug thinks that:

1) It must have been raining

2) Priscilla's golf game must be really, uh, 'off'

3) The golf courses in Iowa must not be very good anyway

It's hard to imagine somebody putting a happy hobby on hold to read our blog!!

Biggest City in North Dakota

2009-08-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

We spent last night at the biggest city in North Dakota. It’s called Wal-Mart. As you can see, there are not many people here. And I think there are more people on the inside of Wal-Mart than there are on the whole outside of Wal-Mart in this state.

Exciting places on our list

2009-08-13T10:26:00.001-07:00

We have been working on a list of exciting places to visit that we cannot get to in California. Here’s the ones we have been to on our trip to far: White Castle, Blake’s Lottaburger, Sonic, Schlotzsky’s, Braums, Culver’s, Steak & Shake, Waffle House. Still to go: Long John Silver’s and Popeye’s Chicken.

No, KFC is not on that list. I love the 11 herbs and spices. But we’ve had a falling out with KFC after two bad incidents… and a complaint letter to corporate that went unanswered. So KFC can be giving the chicken away; I’m not interested.

Come on, let's go!

2009-08-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

This is where Pearl stands as we are packing up. She doesn’t want to be left behind. (Yeah, right, like that will happen.)

Tom & Matt in a canoe

2009-08-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

Just when you think life won't get any stranger... we find out Matt has been out in a canoe not once but TWICE in the past month. Wow. Canoe = water, fresh air, sunshine, bugs, sea spray. That's all "outdoors" stuff. Wow - Good for you, Matt!

If Pearl had her own paddlewheeler...

2009-08-10T21:23:00.001-07:00

If Pearl had her own paddlewheeler at Lake City, this is what it would be.

Pearl stalking a frog

2009-08-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

No, she did not catch it. In fact, she was so busy looking to see what else was in the water, the frog jumped right out of the water, over Pearl's head, and back into the water on the other side of her. As Terri would say: "Duuuuuuuuh!"

Big hole in the ground

2009-08-10T21:17:00.001-07:00

While we were in La Crosse, we got to see some of our UWL friends - Angie, Lori, Ronda, Mary and Kim. We also got to see the big hole in the ground where Wilder Hall used to be. I don't think anybody misses that building. The new classroom building is going to be very nice.

Steamboaters' Reunion

2009-08-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, we went out on the Mississippi Explorer (http://www.mississippiexplorer.com/) for a little steamboaters' reunion. We had a very nice time. Thank you, Captain Eric :)

Pearl and her bottle

2009-08-10T18:56:00.001-07:00

Pearl: One of my favorite things to do is to chew on a plastic water bottle. So my humans will toss me a plastic water bottle with the cap on, and we see how fast I can get the cap off. So far there hasn't been a bottle yet, that I can't get the cap off. And I'm getting faster all the time. Once I get the cap off, then I work on the ring. Then I move on to the label. Sometimes I take the label off in one piece. And other times I chew it up into tiny little pieces that my humans have to pick up. Once I'm done with the label, then I have to flatten the bottle with my teeth and chew it up into little pieces that my humans will later step on barefoot in the middle of the night. This can keep me busy all afternoon long. And don't worry, once I've chewed a piece up, I spit the piece out. I never swallow it.

At the river...

2009-08-08T14:11:00.001-07:00

We are spending a few days along the Mississippi River. We are camped at Blackhawk Park, which is just north of DeSoto, Wisc. It is hot and MUGGY here. It rained like crazy last night; about 3 inches worth, according to the weather radio. This morning it was 70, with 70% humidity. Whew.

Here are some photos we took on the way in, around Dubuque.

On the road again

2009-08-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

Pearl: Are we there yet? Hey I think I see a squirrel out there.

Oh I love my blankey

2009-08-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

Pearl: My blankey smells and tastes so good.

They're at it again

2009-08-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Pearl: They're eating in front of me again. I swear all these people do is eat. They've already eaten at all the places they had on their list that we don't have at home.

"Surprise, surprise"

2009-08-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

{Pearl} - You smile now, but wait till you see the surprise I've left for you on your bedroom floor.

Ha ha ha!!!!

That's what you get for locking me up every day while you go out and have fun. Take *these* and add them to your little Boston Terrier collection...

I guess this is a visit you won't forget, eh mister huggy-huggy?

Pearl doesn't get mad. She gets even. In round, squishy nuggets.....

Smithsonian Fountain/ Julia Child's Kitchen

2009-08-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

Today we did one of the DC touristy things and went to the Smithsonian.

It was a typically hot DC day, so it was nice to dip our toes in the sculpture garden fountain outside.

We went inside the American History Museum. Among the exhibits now on display is Julia Child's Kitchen.

Later we walked down the Mall, which would more appropriately be called "the embarrassment." It's sad how little attention/ funding/ upkeep the Mall gets from the park service. The grass is dead/ dying (although most of what is supposed to be grass is just mowed weeds). The pathways are worn. Down at the end, the reflecting pool is filled with algae. Yuk.

Monument to Pearl

2009-08-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

Matthew has this monument to Pearl / BTs in his apartment.

Arlington National Cemetery

2009-08-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

We went to Arlington today to take some pictures for Lisa and put flowers on Gregg's grave. We saw five or six funerals taking place during the hour or so that we walked in and out.

(Lisa is Terri's sister. Her husband worked in Naval Operations at the Pentagon and was killed in the 9/11 attack.)

The 9/11 victims are buried in Section 64.

Sadly, Section 60 (the section for Iraq/ Gulf War vets) still has lots of empty space in it. Sigh.

My own bed

2009-08-03T19:20:00.001-07:00

Pearl: Oh, it's so good to be back home in my own bed. I made myself a tent or as my humans call it a "Pearl sandwich." And when I got back, I found that the big guy took my blue towel and was using it to wipe his muddy feet on. When I got my muddy paw prints on his truck seat, I got in trouble. Geez, I can't go away and trust my stuff to these humans any more.

No more sharing

2009-08-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

Pearl: Yay, I got my back seat back to myself and I'm going stretch out as far as I can. I only have to share with Stinkey. And if I don't feel like sharing with him, then I can kick him off the seat onto the floor. I love my back seat. No humans allowed!

The house that Russ built

2009-08-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

Terri here: I know this post is out of order, but I had posted some pictures earlier of my brother's house in the construction phase. So I wanted to post some after shots. Doug didn't get too many of them. But this one is in his living room. I believe he and his wife Candy said that the inside was pretty much finished. I think they are still working on some of the landscaping outside. We really liked the house.

Where's my Mommy & Daddy

2009-08-03T07:24:00.001-07:00

You really don't think I'm going to eat that do you? Where are my humans? This boy is feeding me all his food. I want my doggie treats.

Pearl's Sunday Night Sleep-over

2009-08-02T20:15:00.001-07:00

I am spending the night at Matt's apartment. I should have at least half the bed for myself... hope none of his huggy friends shows up~!

Another exhausting day...

2009-08-02T05:18:00.001-07:00

{Pearl} - Yesterday was another exhausting day. I didn't even have time to take my three afternoon naps. The humans threw me in the truck and we drove all morning to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Well, ok, I LOVE THE BEACH - but then when we get there it turns out this is a SPECIAL beach where dogs are not allowed. They didn't even want me on the boardwalk. I had to sit on the bench. Yeah, that's what the cop said. It was ok for me to sit on the bench but I could not walk on the sand or on the boardwalk. (So they don't want my clean feet on the ground but it's ok to have my dirty butt on a human bench. Ok, whatever.)

While the humans went into a restaurant, they left me tied up outside. But it was ok. I got scraps (they threw 'em through the bars just like I was in prison, grrrr). Roast beef from the sandwiches, and other tasty stuff. It was ok.

Plus, while I sat there, there were LOTS of people who stopped by to adore me. So I got plenty of attention at the restaurant, and wherever I went all day long. There were lots of little girls and boys who wanted their faces licked. Plus lots of adults to do the usual "Oooooooh, what a cute Pug you have!" (morons). "Oooooooh, he has two different colored eyes!" (same old story)

I love it when somebody says "Does your dog bite?" Yeah, right. If I rode all the way to the beach in bumper to bumper traffic in a hot truck and didn't bite one of these humans in the backseat who gave me NO ROOM to stretch out, I'm sure as heck not going to bite you for just petting me here on the sidewalk. Humans can be stupid sometimes. Do I look dangerous to you??

On our way back to the truck to leave the beach, some gal fawned all over me and took my picture. Yeah, that's right, I'm cute enough to go in your photo album. "Cheese!"

I couldn't get any sleep on the way back. Those seat-hogging guys in the back kept elbowing me. Grrrrrrrr.

Our stylish rain hats

2009-07-30T14:35:00.001-07:00

Here we are in our stylish rain hats. It has been raining for three or four days... We are in Bristol, Virginia at a Starbucks (it's pouring outside) and on our way to Matt's in DC. We anticipate overnighting it in a WalMart or truck stop parking lot tonight.

Meanwhile, Pearl does not have a stylish hat. All she has is her cute little self. We went riding through the tourist area in Gatlinberg and she was looking out the window. She can't understand why people call her a "bull dog" and why, nine times out of ten, people think she's a he.

Mingus Mill

2009-07-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Smoky Mountain National Park. The first ones are from the demonstration farm near the south gate at Cherokee. The buildings are all original structures that have been moved to the site from other parts of the park when the park was founded in the 1930s.

Any resemblance to Pearl (oink, oink) is purely coincidental.

The others are from Mingus Mill, which was built in the late 1870s and is still used to grind wheat and corn. The water is diverted from a stream through the long trough and into the mill. The guys were grinding while we were there, and when they shut down the grinder the guy had to go out and move a tiller that sent the water back into the stream.

We found ELVIS!!!

2009-07-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

Why is Terri so excited? Because when we were at the Newfound Gap overlook in Smoky Mountain National Park - she saw Elvis!

Surely there must be some kind of reward for this great discovery?

Branson - then Smoky Mountains

2009-07-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

{Doug} - Here are some pictures from Branson. We spent two days there. They have a nice new development along the riverfront (downtown) with shopping, restaurants, fountains, etc. and two cruise boats that are identical to the La Crosse Queen and Island Girl in La Crosse.

Today we are in the Smoky Mountains National Park, at a nice but very wet campground. We got here late last night. Traffic was horrible along the way (lots of delays due to construction and a flipped semi on a bridge in Nashville). So we got off the freeway in Sevierville just about the time the shows near Dollywood let out. That meant we spent another hour creeping along in traffic in the tourist trap that is Sevierville-Pigeon Forge.

Once we got out of the traffic, we started climbing the hill to our campground. Of course, the rain (which had fallen on us all day) got worse. We got to the higher elevations and the visibility dropped to about zero – darkness, fog, rain. We crept over the summit, literally watching the yellow line right off the left fender so we could see whether or not we were on the road.

We arrived at the campsite around midnight and set up in the rain. Whew. It’s been a long time since I was that glad to have arrived at our destination. It is beautiful here. Wish it wasn’t so cloudy and wet, though.

Today we drove to the closest town with wifi (10 miles away).

*Side note for a rant: What is the deal with people smoking in gas stations? So far we have seen three people smoking cigarettes while filling their vehicles with gas. Don’t people comprehend the whole EXPLOSION thing?

Pearl is having another ‘issue’ – this time, one of her ears is all swollen up. We think she got stung by a wasp or insect of some kind. She’s not in pain, but has a little pillow where the top of her ear should be. I can’t see any kind of bite, or anything sticking in it (like a tick). We are hoping the swelling will subside soon.

We will be on the road again tomorrow, and should arrive in DC on Friday. Will post more pictures soon!

At the lake with Terri's family

2009-07-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

At Skiatook Lake with Terri's family...

DIVA or DEVIL -? you decide....

2009-07-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

{Pearl} - I am happy to have been on the road again today. Spent three days at the lake with the Cheri's dog Meeko. She's cute, small, bouncy, fluffy - all the qualities that make humans go all gaa-gaa. Her owners say she's a DIVA. I'm not so sure... judge for yourself....

Steamboat Reunion

2009-07-22T14:58:00.001-07:00

We just heard from our friends Lee & Kathy, that they are trying to get together a reunion of those who worked on the Julia Belle Swain Steamboat. This will be on Aug. 8th while we're in the La Crosse, WI area. So we're looking forward to that. We spent a lot of time on that boat. The reunion won't be held there though as they shutdown this year. But a former Captain pilots another boat that will be used.

Our next stop

2009-07-22T13:43:00.001-07:00

Our next stop tomorrow will be Skiatook Lake where my my brother lives. He had a ranch north of there and sold it. Then he built this house. These were before pictures of the place. He is mostly done with it and we are very anxious to see it now. He and his wife lived in their trailer all the time it was being built. They will have us out to dinner. Then they have to leave for their son Cody's wedding which is in a couple of days in Texas on the Gulf. We will be at a Corps of Engineers campground. My sister Cheri and her kids will be camping in a space across from us. We'll be there until Sunday. We don't know how much Internet we will find so we'll post more when we can. But I'm planning on taking some after-shots of my brother's place.

In the picture on the left, you see the view of Skiatook Lake from his deck. The center photo is the construction phase. They used rock for the bottom level. The rest is log cabin. The photo on the right is of his deck. My parents saw it last year and tell me that there is a huge rock fireplace in it and lots of windows.

Our little sun goddess

2009-07-22T13:36:00.001-07:00

If there's sunshine to be found Pearl will find it.

Another shot of where we are now staying

2009-07-22T13:28:00.001-07:00

This is very unusual for Oklahoma in the summer time. It is usually dried out by then.

After they cut the two trees down

2009-07-22T13:26:00.001-07:00

This is after they cut the two trees down. This made Pearl quite nervous. To the right of the tree stumps you can see our trailer.

Where we are now

2009-07-22T12:47:00.001-07:00

This is the place we are staying now, except that this morning those two trees to the left of the trailer were cut down. They were ruined in the ice storm they had this winter. We told them that if they hit our truck or trailer, that they'd be buying a new one.

Funny things about my humans

2009-07-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Pearl here:

My humans have these funny cravings sometimes. I think we took this trip just so they could eat at all the places they don't have where we live.

First they have to eat at In and Out in Ventura. Of course I had to stay in the truck.

Then they left me at Ashley's and they went to Pat & Oscars. I don't know what that place is.

Then they go crazy cause they saw a Culvers. They used to only have them in Wisconsin. But they had one in Phoenix near our rv park.

Then in Casa Grande they saw a Sonic and we had to stop there. I had to sit and watch them eat in the truck in front of me. Every once in awhile they throw me a piece of meat or bun. I don't like french fries cause they're to salty.

Then in Tucson my mom looks on the Internet and finds the nearest Scholtzsky's and they leave me in the trailer to go there.

This morning we have to go into a place that sells Krispee Kremes and I sit and watch them eat.

They have already spotted a Braums which they have in Oklahoma. So I fear we will be taking a trip there. Oh and then they talk about Steak & Shake and White Castle too. Geez, all these people do is eat.

Here I am at the drive-up window but nobody will take my order.

Spanky, where are you?

2009-07-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

Pearl here:

Knock, knock, Spanky are you home? It's your cousin Pearl and I want you to come out and play with me. C'mom Spanky, get your butt off that couch and get out here and play with me. Oh well I guess Spanky doesn't want to come out. Maybe he's getting to old to play with me.

This post may get kind of long but if you get bored you can skip ahead. But I have to give you a history of me, Spanky and my Boston cousins.

You see my humans have this club where you have to have an rv and you have to have a Boston. The club got started in 1992 when Ed & Sue (some friends of my humans) brought Cookie home. Cookie was the first one of us Bostons. My humans fell in love with Cookie and tried to borrow her sometimes. But Ed & Sue told them to get their own Boston. So they did.

In 1995 my humans brought Lucy home. I didn't know Lucy or Cookie but I heard plenty about them. Lucy & Cookie played together on camping trips. But when Lucy had no one to play with my humans thought she needed a playmate. So they brought Ricky home. I didn't know him but I also heard about him. Ricky wasn't your normal colored Boston. My mommy says Ricky wasn't normal in any way. But Ricky was mostly different shades of brown & white.

Ricky & Lucy didn't like each other but they tolerated each other. Then Fred came along. Clifton & Charlotte brought Fred camping. Fred is really a girl but she has a boy name. Then Kane came along. Roy & Susan brought him into the club. Then my humans decided they wanted to breed Ricky since Lucy was fixed. So they brought Betsy home.

My mommy told me a funny story about Kane & Ricky. They were both unfixed males. And sometimes Roy and Susan would come over with Kane and the humans would sit in the hot tub while the dogs played in the yard. Betsy was a trouble maker and she liked to pit Ricky & Kane against each other. They had to fight and the winner got Betsy's love. So while the humans are in the hot tub they hear all this barking and growling. They run out into the yard to find Ricky and Kane fighting it out with Lucy & Betsy standing on the side watching them.

My mommy also told me that Betsy would start fights between Lucy & Ricky too. Well Betsy & Ricky has 6 puppies. One of them was Yogi. He was a brown & white too. One time Kane was running after his mommy and he got his by a car. So Susan wanted another dog. So my humans gave Yogi to her.

Then I guess Ed & Sue got jealous of them having extra dogs, so they brought Max home. My mommy says Max is the biggest Boston you've ever seen. Max loved Cookie but she couldn't keep up with him. Cookie passed away and so Ed & Sue just have Max now.

Yogi was running with his mother and he got hit by a car. So Susan brought Spanky home. I first met Spanky in summer of 2006 when my humans were moving to California. We stopped to see Spanky and his humans. Spanky stays in a trailer like me but it is a lot bigger than ours and my humans call it a 5th wheel.

My humans had to give Betsy away to some people who drove all the way from Wyoming to get her. They were moving and couldn't bring 3 dogs with them. So they moved Ricky & Lucy with them.

When they got to Wisconsin they thought they would tried to breed Ricky one more time so they got Gyps. But she was so hyper that Ricky couldn't catch her. And she barked so much that the neighbors got mad. So this grandma lady who wanted her real bad came and took her home.

In 2005 Lucy died of cancer. I hope they didn't bury her in the trash can like they did Stinkey. My humans worried that Ricky (who had never been alone) would be sad, so they drove to Oklahoma to rescue a breeder dog named Little Girl. Little Girl is the only one I knew. Little Girl was scared of people but she liked Ricky. Ricky taught her everything. But Ricky was to old for more puppies so they had Little Girl fixed.

Ricky died later in 2005 of a brain tumor. I hope they didn't bury him in the trash can like they did Stinkey. Ricky was Albert's dog and he was very sad when Ricky died. So it was just Little Girl. She mostly hid under the furniture and would only come out if it was just my mommy and daddy in the room. Of course I was scared of Albert to when I first met him. But now we like each other. I just had to teach him who was boss. So I tore up his contact lenses and his underwear and he got the message.

Anyways my humans thought Little Girl needed a playmate and that's where I came in. My former humans had 4 little boys and me and my 6 month old son. I was an unwed underaged mother. I was going into heat soon. So they said they had to get rid of one of us. So my new humans came to see me and I jumped in their arms when they came through the door. That was all it took. I don't know where my son is. You know how it is with mothers, we spend all that time with them growing in our body, then we give birth to them and teach them everything they need to know. Then they grow up and they leave and we hardly if ever see them again. I never even get a mother's day card from my boy.

Little Girl was older than me and she was like my big sister. She taught me how to go through the doggie door. She also taught me how to kill birds, carry them through the doggie door and leave them at the back door for my humans. I just watched. But if I wanted too, I know how to do that. She was also my big chew toy. But she had one bad fault. She always wanted to sleep in my bed with me. We couldn't both fit in there. So I'd either have to kick her out or go sleep in her bed.

When my humans decided to move, they knew Little Girl wouldn't travel cause she's afraid of cars and the rv. So they gave her to some people who lived on a lake and had other cousins for her to play with. She also gets to sleep in their bed. I've been trying to do that with my humans too. My mommy would let me but the big guy says "no way." I'm going keep working on them though.

So now you know how it got to be just me, Spanky, Max & Fred in the rv & bostons club.

Oh my humans did let some other humans in. One has cats but he owns the land we are staying on. And the others have those springer spaniel dogs. But they have rvs so they're allowed. I don't get to play with those 3 dogs nor the cats. I don't think they like me.

This is a cool place we are staying at. Gary & Brenda (the cat people) have a couple hundred acres east of Oklahoma City. They put in a few rv sites for friends. Their kids grew up with my brothers.

UPDATE: We were just talking to Roy & Susan and asking where Spanky was. Spanky was dog-napped awhile ago. So they have Bugsy now. Bugsy and Pearl sniffed each others and growled at each other. Bugsy is almost 3 now. He's a big Boston. So I think Pearl will want to see more of him.

What a wonderful view

2009-07-20T20:48:00.001-07:00

Doug has some better photos on the digital camera. But this is one I took with the cell phone. If you haven't been to Ruidoso, it's worth a visit. During the winter you have all your winter activities like skiing. During the summer you have the horse racing at Ruidoso Downs. There is also the Inn of the Mountain Gods which has a nice hotel and casino. The downtown area has lots of gift shops. We always enjoy looking around town. They even have a Wal-Mart Supercenter. There are lots of hotels, motels and RV parks. There's a couple of national forest campgrounds too.

Oh how I love the mountains

2009-07-20T20:43:00.001-07:00

It was 65 degrees when we pulled into Ruidoso today. We never needed the AC and even had to turn on the heater a couple of times at night.

Ruidoso, New Mexico

2009-07-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

We spent two nights in Ruidoso, NM in the parking lot of the Apache Casino Travel Center. We've stayed here before. They have free parking for trucks and RVs. It's actually about 5 miles from Ruidoso on the Indian Reservation. We had a little rain each night The casino has a nice place to eat, a convenience store and a good sized casino.

Tacky tourists

2009-07-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Terri said these new shorts I bought were fashion-wise so, uh, “unique” that I would draw a crowd of admirers everywhere I went. (Turns out she was right. Look at all the people standing around me.) Could have been worse – they also had ‘em in Kelly green plaid.

Albert sent me the shirt from Japan. I don’t know what it says (hope it’s nothing nasty). If I wore the shirt every day, Pearl could stand right in front of me and disappear.

White Sands Missile Range, NM

2009-07-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

At the top of the hill, in the San Augustin Pass above White Sands. (Well, more than a hill, really – it’s a two-mile climb to a point about 5,700 feet up.) After leaving here, for the next 35 miles of a very lonely road, there’s no GPS and no outgoing cell service. One suspects the military doesn’t want anybody knowing where they are or making phone calls. I hope we don’t get brain cancer from all the jamming signals…

Pearl's boo-boo

2009-07-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

Got too rambunctious chasing a chewed up plastic bottle; had a wipeout on a loose rug. This spawned a boo-boo that I am using to get lots of attention and treats. “Oww, oww.” Did I tell you how much in misery I am? “Oww, oww.” Wait, I’ll try to squeeze a tear from my eye…

Truth or Consequences (N.M.)

2009-07-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

With Terri’s folks at a restaurant in T-or-C (truth).

The busted scissor jack from the right rear corner of our trailer, torn up when we scraped bottom on one of the town’s crummier intersections (consequences). Consequences replacement parts cost $85 from a little rinkydink repair shop in Alamogordo. That’s about double what one would pay at an RV supply store in the developed world.

Deming, NM - by night, and dust devil by day

2009-07-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Dust devils are very common in this part of the country. They are like little mini tornados. They usually don’t do a lot of property damage because the winds aren’t that strong. But they tear up the dirt and send debris flying. We saw five dust devils at once from our vantage point at Rockhound State Park in the mountains southeast of Deming.

Pearl limping again

2009-07-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

No Pearl picture as she's not posing for the camera today. My parents have wood flooring in their kitchen and dining room. They have a large rug in the entry right after you step off the carpet into the dining room. Pearl discovered yesterday that if you run real fast from the living room and land on the rug you can slide it and yourself across the dining room floor. She tried this several times. And now she are limping on the same left front paw that landed her in the Pet ER right before the start of our trip. She doesn't seem to be as bad this time. She's walking, though with a limp, eating and drinking as usual. She even feels like playing with Stinkey. So we're hoping by morning that she'll be feeling better.

Still hot here

2009-07-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

Pearl says "where's my dinner? You guys are eating, why can't I?"

It is still 100+ degrees here. We are having some problems with the electric amps in this rv park which is causing our AC to shut down. Since we've been spending the days at my parents (Terri's parents), we've been leaving the AC on to keep the trailer cool for when we come back at night. We've come back to check on things twice today and each time the circuit has been tripped. So Doug has got the 50 amp plug in now hoping we can keep the amps up. The trailer was 105 (one degree hotter than outside). As long as we are here we can reset it.

We'll be here until Friday morning and then it's on to Ruidoso. We're eagerly awaiting the mountains and cooler temps too.

Ashley had her first doctor's appointment today. They did her ultrasound too. Her due date is set for Feb. 9th. Valentine's Day is a big deal for Albert. So we're hoping for a Valentine's baby. He is quite creative when it comes to Valentine's Day for Ashley. I envy her. Oops, guess Doug might be reading this too. LOL! Though he may not be as creative as his son, I have enjoyed 27+ Valentine's days.

And Pearl's two cents worth

2009-07-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

We camped at this really neat place last night. I liked it because there were bunny rabbits, squirrels and lizards galore. The only problem is that the big guy would only let me chase them while attached to a leash and as far as he could run without getting tired. He runs so slow. If it weren't for him, I would have caught me one of those little buggers. I don't know what I would do with it when I caught it but it would be fun to catch one.

Another photo from Rockhound State Park

2009-07-14T21:58:00.001-07:00

Another view from our campsite.

Photo from Rockhound State Park

2009-07-14T21:54:00.000-07:00

Our space at Rockhound State Park had a wonderful view. At night we could see the lights of Deming, and in another direction we could see the stars and satellites (most likely one of them was being used by our dish).

Rockhound State Park

2009-07-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

I spent my teenage years in Silver City, NM. During the time my family lived there we did a lot of camping. But we never managed to get to Rockhound State Park. Rockhound is located SE of Deming, NM. It's a small park but has some really nice camping spaces. It's a great place for those who like hiking and rocks.

There are some days on our schedule that we left open. This was the first one of these days. We had originally thought we would stay in a Wal-Mart parking lot as we've done so many times before, but with 105 degree temperatures we decided we needed our AC. Our generator is not powerful enough to run our AC. So Doug got on the New Mexico State Park website to see what parks were near Deming. We have been to several but not this one. So we made a reservation.

The space we had was a wide 75 foot back-in space with pea-sized gravel, a concrete pad with picnic table and shelter and our very own trash can. It also had electric & water too.

We will put this park on our list of places to stay in the future. California State Parks could learn a lesson from the New Mexico State Park system. In California we have all these wonderful parks in nice locations, but they don't cater to big rigs like ours. There are only a couple of parks that we our allowed into with our trailer. In all the NM parks we've been in there are plenty of big rig sites. The parks are inexpensive and well maintained.

We are now in T or C visiting my folks for 3 days. I'll post two more photos of Rockhound State Park.

Ooh I love to roll in dead anything...

2009-07-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

This is Pearl here:

Why am I sitting here naked on the couch? Well the big guy decided to take me to the dog park in the RV park. So he lets me off my leash and I'm running around cause it's a little cooler earlier in the morning. Then all of a sudden I smelled something I couldn't resist. The source of the smell was a dead bird. So when the big guy wasn't looking, I decided I'd roll all over that dead bird so that I could smell just like it. Then all of a sudden the big guy spots me and hollers at me. But I decided that I would keep doing it until he got down there to physically stop me. When he gets to me, he puts my leash back on me and takes me back to the trailer. All the way back he is hollering words at me that aren't fit for doggies ears or this blog.

When we get back he takes me to a hose, strips me down naked and you guessed it, gives me a hose bath with shampoo. YUCK! He didn't even need hot water or a tub. The water coming out of the hose was pretty hot too. This bath was even worse than the last one. But at least I got my five minutes of fun before he caught me. He, he!

Pearl is to hot to play

2009-07-11T23:24:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry Stinkey but it's to hot for me to play with you today. I know you're new and need to be broken in, but I'll have to break you in when I'm cooled off. I don't even feel like chewing on my bone either.

It's hot here too

2009-07-11T23:19:00.000-07:00

We thought the temperature at our next stop would be cooler but not so. The 104 reading is inside the trailer right after we arrived at the rv park and before we turned the AC on. The 112 mark is the temperature outside the trailer. We'll be here for two days. Lucky for us the pool is right across from us.

Off to our next stop

2009-07-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

The whole gang in Phoenix, minus Pearl and Stinkey of course. Why? Well have you ever tried to get two little girls and a dog to pose in the same picture? I think Pearl is hiding some where in the other room under a table.

We're on to the next stop of our trip today.

Albert is some where in the Gulf still surviving the heat, Ashley and the baby are doing ok, and Matthew is off buying the latest IPone. So that about covers it for the kids.

Obituary

2009-07-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

Black Stinkey passed from life into the 20-gallon trash can on Friday, July 10, following a brief tug-of-war between Pearl and two persistent nieces. Stinkey left behind a (briefly) grieved family and an especially grieved Pearl. However, he was quickly replaced by gray Stinkey who had been stored in the linen closet in expectation of this eventuality. No services will be scheduled; the garbage will be taken to the Dumpster in the morning. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you try Kellogg's whole grain Eggo frozen waffles (see below Stinkey)... they're really tasty!

Dinner time

2009-07-09T23:15:00.001-07:00

You people eat to slow and talk to much. Here I am sitting at the dinner table waiting for my steak. Then after dinner, I'll head to the kitchen to mop the floor. And these grandparents keep giving me treats. But one of them tried to give me some green lunch meat today. I'm not that stupid, I don't eat green anything. So I left it laying under their table.

The calm before the storm

2009-07-09T23:06:00.000-07:00

Pearl's enjoying a little peace and quiet before the two girls come to "play" with her.

Teased, tormented and abused

2009-07-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

Grrr! I'm normally a pretty easygoing dog, but these girls pushed me to the limit tonight. It was 104 degrees, and all I wanted to do was lie quietly and lick my Stinkey. But ohhh, nooo- I have to be teased, tormented and abused by these kids. One of them was grabbing Stinkey, and the other one was trying to pull me across the room. Grrr. If I was a male, I'd have lifted my leg on these two. Fortunately, the owners kept me safe - and also kept me from taking a "cute little doggie" sized tooth-filled chunk out of these two. Maybe next time. Grrr.

My humans played a dirty rotten trick on me today

2009-07-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is Pearl here:

I have been humiliated. My dignity has been damaged. I may never recover. I won't be able to show my face in public anymore.

The big guy takes me out for a walk. Yeah I saw that he had a towel and a bottle of shampoo in his hand, but I thought it was for him not me. He takes me to this do-it-yourself pet wash in the rv park. As soon as I saw it I tried to get away from him. But because he is bigger than me, I couldn't escape my fate. Yes you guess it, he picked me up, stripped me down to my bare self and put me in this big tub made just for dogs. Then he turns the water on and hoses me down. Then he puts shampoo all over me. It runs in my eyes, up my nose and in my mouth. I'm snorting oatmeal shampoo now. And to top it off he dries me off with a towel that feels like sand paper. Oh the humiliation of it all. All my dog friends will know. I can't ever show my face in the rv park again.

Now I don't like baths, but if I have to have one, then I want to go to the pet spa and get one of those fruity smelling baths. They talk to me all nice and tell me how pretty I am. They pet me and cuddle me. And the other dogs are there too. So it's not so bad. But the big guy he tells me how smelly I am. YUCK!

Ok I think he is just trying to get me back for the trip to the Pet ER the other day. So now we're even.

Emma Woods State Park camping area along US101

2009-07-06T12:53:00.001-07:00

This is the camping area at Emma Woods State Park just a couple of miles north of Ventura off Hwy. 101.

View point near where we are today

2009-07-06T12:51:00.001-07:00

This is about 4,000 feet above sea level off of I8 heading towards El Centro.

Out in the middle of nowhere

2009-07-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

We are working our way out of the State of California. We will be leaving on Wednesday to head to Phoenix to see Doug's family. We feel like we're out in the middle of nowhere right now. We've been here twice before. It's very hot and windy here. And since it's all dirt and no pavement, that makes it very dusty here. So Pearl is not a happy camper. She would love to be outside but the wind keeps blowing dust in her face.

Doug is enjoying hiking the trails, though he feels it's to hot to ride the bike on the trails. It much nicer to come here in the spring, fall and even winter. But we have an air conditioner which is where I am content to remain.

Matthew got to see the fireworks show at the Washington Monument, along with thousands of other people. He enjoyed that a lot.

We have no cell phone service here. I can get my wifi card to work with my cell phone. So I can use the Internet during the day. We can walk down the road a ways to get a signal to at least send and receive text messages. But we can't get calls in or out.

Family bonding across the seas

2009-07-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

We're getting ready to leave Hemet where our RV park is located. That is 12 miles from where Ashley lives. It's a nice park and we will likely stay here again. Even though we discovered we were parked on an ant hill and the little buggers took over our trailer last night. Doug spent the night cleaning and spraying. So far so good.

Last night we drove to Temecula to watch their fireworks display. As we started I saw that Albert was emailing Ashley to her cell phone. So I thought that I would shoot some video with my cell phone of the fireworks display. I emailed it to him after each clip and he texted me back from his email to send him more. He said it was like he was right there watching it with us. He's 12 hours ahead of us so when he's working days it our nights. So the timing was perfect. They had missed the fireworks on the ship because the weather was bad and made for some rough seas. So no steel beach picnic or fireworks for the Reagan. So I was glad that we could enjoy the show with him. Oh the wonders of technology. And thank goodness we chose the unlimited family plan for messaging.

We're going to meet Ashley for coffee on our way out of town. Then we'll head out for the next leg of the journey. Pearl is disappointed that Doug would not allow her to chase any of the rabbits in the RV park. She was thrilled to see her dog food disposed of because there were a couple of ants in the bowl. YUCK says Pearl.

Some things I don't understand

2009-07-03T22:22:00.000-07:00

Hey this is Pearl again. This is me soaking up some sun on the pavement in front of our trailer. It was 104 degrees so I got a little hot and had to go inside. Oh and that's Stinkey next to me. Stinkey doesn't mind the heat.

There are some things I don't understand. Like why do my humans ask me questions like I can answer them?

And why do they play games with my blankey? One time the big guy puts my blankey on the couch and I'm allowed to sit on it. But if for some reason I get over on his side on the leather or if my blankey starts falling off the couch and I accidentally get on the leather, he waves his finger in my face and says "Pearl are you supposed to be on the leather?"

And sometimes the big guy gets territorial and puts my blankey on the floor. I never know where I'm going to wind up. And then my mommy puts stuff in her chair so I can't sit on it. Why? I can't help it if I leave white fur on it. So you see, humans really have issues with turf. They say I'm the one who has issues.

And why won't they get up at 6:00 am and walk me when I come into their room and shake and scratch? What's the big deal anyway? They will just go back to sleep anyway.

And then there's my treat jar. Why can't I have a treat whenever I want? Why do I have to suck up to get a treat? Aren't they for me anyway? You should try eating my dog food. You would need a treat to supplement your meals too.

And then there's this bath thing. I like it when I'm smelly and my dog friends don't mind either. So why do my humans insist on bathing me?

Oh well I guess that's life I'm in for.