My brother is off to Church this morning so I thought I’d fill you in on what we’ve been doing this week.
The most exciting find was this “World Showcase Hallway” we found at the grocery store! They take their boxes and crunch them flat, then stack them up sideways. Let me tell you: it is the most amazing cavalcade of smells! It’s like a world tour just walking past it. Apples. Bread. Chicken. Mangoes. Cheese! Bananas. Bacon!
It’s a big accordion that’s playing a symphony of pretty notes for your nose!
You know what’s coming next … I did a Whiskey Tango happy dance!
In other news, my brother got his second distemper shot last Tuesday. I’m guessing that’s what it was for. I figure some of our two-legged friends might be getting in a bad temper after having to wear their muzzles for a the last year. I hope it helps them out. I’m just glad the Lord has blessed me with a good mood!
Did you think that we went to the beach in this picture? It sure looks like it! Actually, they’re building a new house on one of our morning walk routes and I just decided to soak up some morning sun. My brother says it’s a Ronald McDonald Mansion or something like that. I thought those were the places where children and their families could stay when they got sick, but they’re building so many in our neighborhood that it makes me sad that there might be so many children who are ill. It may be an even bigger problem than the distemper!
Well, this has been a week of ever-changing views! I’ll leave you with another mini-vacation we had this week on our morning walks. It was like we were at a mountain stream!
Well, my brother and I are back in Washington, DC! Here’s a picture of us leaving the house last Wednesday:
Before I tell you about our adventures, a big “thank you” to my niece’s mom: she made me a nice blanket for Christmas!
It is very soft and it has pictures of the Pioneer Lady’s dog in a pickup truck on it! I think it’s time my brother and I got a pickup, but I think I’ll still let him drive most of the time. When you’re the driver, I think your passengers expect you to stay seated and not just decide to lie down whenever you feel like it.
Our first night, we stayed in Jackson, Tennessee. With my traveling bowls, I felt right at home!
Our room had a nice couch for me to sleep on – just like home and the boat.
The hotel folks had dog treats for me in the lobby and there was a nice courtyard to explore.
Speaking of the courtyard, I think the hotel was also called the “Courtyard”. What a coincidence!
The next day we got to my friend Tripp’s and his brother, Mike’s. They live in the Smoky Mountains. Speaking of another coincidence – the mountains were a little hazy!
We got to their house before they did, so I got to play in the backyard. I even got to “borrow” one of Tripp’s toys for the rest of the trip.
At first I thought it was a little lamb, but it’s actually a fluffy piñata, because it’s full of squeakers! At last count, I have removed four squeakers from it. What a nice surprise!
It’s always fun to visit them on Lake Douglas. Wait a minute – Douglas is also my brother’s name! This trip is jam-packed with coincidences!
On Lake Douglas
Well, I’ll keep you updated on our adventures on the boat, soon!
What a beautiful, Fall day! My brother and I went on the Talimena Drive. I love Fall because it’s a little cooler for me, plus a lot of the trees start to look like Golden Retrievers.
I know the two-legged people are still in timeout and have to wear their bandanas over their mouths. I’m glad I’m behaving, and just to make everybody else not feel bad, I wore my new, sporty bandana that I got at the barber shop the other day.
Talimena, here we come.
I like to sit in the front seat and help navigate, but once we got on The Drive, there was so much going on that I spent a lot of time looking backwards to make sure we hadn’t missed anything.
At the eastern end of the Talimena Drive is the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge. That’s where I thought we were going to get some waffles. It’s a funny story!
So good arrivin’ when it’s drivin’ time.
On the way there, my brother told me that Queen Wilhelmina was the queen of Belgium. That’s when my mouth started watering: waffles!
I’ve heard that there are some pigs in Europe who hunt for truffles. Well, I took it upon myself to be the Pioneer Golden Retriever; hunting for waffles in the Ouachita National Forest!
Above Talimena.
I was thinking of all my Golden Retriever friends who could join me in the waffle hunt. Maybe another group of us could hunt for fried chicken, just to cover all the bases. With that in mind, we hit the trail, nose to the ground, on a mission!
Lover’s Leap at Queen Wilhelmina Lodge.
Now, here’s the funny part. My brother got it wrong: Queen Wilhelmina was from Holland! Goodbye, waffles. Hello, chocolate, which nobody wants me to have for some reason. I guess they’re worried my face will break out, which I’m not too worried about, because it’s covered with fur and no one could tell, anyway. Oh well; it was still a joy to be out and about. I was so happy that I did a little dance!
A happy tump at Queen Wilhelmina Lodge.
They have a little train that goes around the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge. Naturally, I decided it was the perfect time to take a rest on the tracks. My brother said I looked like the Perils of Pauline. I don’t think we’ve ever met, but I want her to know that I’m a trained professional on a closed course – don’t try this at home!
I’m ready for my closeup, Mr Gasnier.
We had a nice walk on some trails, and then it was time to head home.
A little bit stronger.
Here’s something interesting: on the drive to The Drive, I was thinking so much about waffle-hunting that I missed some of the beautiful scenery. Has that ever happened to you? Anyway, I got to really pay attention to everything unfolding before us on the drive home.
I’m gonna be a diamond someday.
I loved all the music we listened to on the trip. This is one of my favorites: “I’m just an old chunk of coal, but I’m gonna be a diamond someday.”
The Long and Talimeandering Road
My brother took a lot of photos and videos on The Drive. By the way, if anyone asks, we had at least one hand (or paw) on the wheel at all times! Once again: don’t try this at home!
This last video is kind of long, but I like the part of the song that says, “Funny how a melody sounds like a memory.” Whenever I hear it now, I will always think of our fun day, hunting for waffles on the Talimena Drive!
Wow! We’ve had an exciting past few weeks! My brother and I went to the boat! We left Tulsa on a Monday morning and headed first to St Louis.
The beginning of the journey
I was so excited that I spent the whole trip in the front seat. I love listening to music on the road. Some of it made me want to dance …
Dixieland Delight
Then, there were songs that make you think a little …
The Dance
We had lunch with my niece’s Godparents, the Hunts. Their daughter is my brother’s Goddaughter. I guess that makes me a Goduncle. That’s so exciting!
We spent the night in Louisville with our friends the Wilhelm’s. You’ve probably heard of Labradoodles and Golden Doodles. Well, their dog is a type I wasn’t familiar with: a Poodle. A very nice young man!
The next day, we made it all the way to Washington. Talk about a lot of familiar smells, and some new ones! The Washington Channel was even prettier than I remembered.
A-B Fairway at Dusk
We went over to our friend Guy’s boat, then met our friends Al and Alan for dinner. Fun times!
At Kirwan’s with my cousins Al and Alan
Oh, I almost forgot … I learned that leashes don’t make good dental floss. On Monday night, I chewed through mine when we were at dinner in Louisville. The Wilhelm’s dog let me borrow one of his for the trip to the District. It was a pretty pink one. Well, after dinner on Tuesday, I thought I would clean my teeth, and it snapped, too! I’m saving up to buy him a replacement.
After the long trip, it was a treat to go to the Dog Park in Shirlington.
Running free at Shirlington
There’s a pretty creek that runs alongside the park, but there’s a fence between them. Some dogs get to go play in the creek, but my brother, for some reason, was not interested in exploring.
Shirlington Dog Park
That’s OK, because what I really like to do is scratch my back. My brother calls it “tumping”. I’ll try to send you pictures from time to time. Maybe you can exercise along with me.
Winston scratching his back
It was good to see all the places at The Wharf again. When we go for our early morning walks, there are always some treats on the ground, left over from the night before.
At Pearl Street
I may not be that great at catching squirrels and rabbits, but I’m getting very good at sneaking up on pieces of chicken and ice cream cones!
On C Dock
Sometimes I like to sit on our dock and watch for ducks. Then, there’s also the pier with the fireplace.
On the Public Pier
There are so many places to look for treats. After a busy weekend, it’s almost like an all-you-can-eat buffet!
On the District Pier
Speaking of Buffet, on our first Saturday back, Alan and his friend Jodie gave a concert of Jimmy Buffett songs, and everyone sat out in their boats to listen. My brother and I snuck up on the balcony to get a better look.
Watching Jodie and Alan
Then, the next Saturday, our friend Mike and his jazz band played. After that, Al took us on a boat ride! We went all the way to Alexandria!
On the Channel
Back on our boat, my brother has rediscovered one of his favorite shows, “Hank Parker’s Outdoor Magazine”. He told me he used to watch that show 30 years ago, and Hank is still going strong. He gets to go all over the place and fish. Maybe we can visit him sometime and go on his boat. After my trip to Alexandria, I think I’m up for anything! We’ve watched a lot of his shows this past week. My brother calls it “bench-watching” but we’re actually sitting on the sofa.
Well, I’ll keep you up to date on our adventures. I can’t wait to see what’s around the corner!
My brother calls peaches “God’s Candy”. I appreciate the clarification, because I always thought that was a little piece of Egg McMuffin that someone dropped on the ground. But, we all know that God has more than one favorite. He’s God, after all!
There were a lot of people buying peaches. Luckily, I didn’t have to bring my wallet. I even got to walk around in the orchard.
I thought I looked like Indiana Jones in search of treasure, but when the fruit started dropping out of the trees, I didn’t want to be Sir Isaac Newton!
The Livesays have a little schooner in their yard. I would like to take a ride in it sometime. Fortunately, though, no one wanted to hitch me up to it, because I had already had my exercise for the day.
These little wagons were more my speed.
If you’re near Porter, come on out and enjoy Summer – by the bushel!
Bass Pro Shops, that is. Every time we go through Memphis, I get to go inside the big pyramid on the river. There are waterfalls, fish, and all kinds of things to smell. I’ve been told it looks like the start of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World.
Well, did you know that there’s one in Tulsa, too? Bass Pro, I mean; not Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s not in a tall pyramid, but it also has waterfalls and ponds with fish. It also has more light, and there are those magic rooms that you can walk in, the doors close, and when they reopen, you’re somewhere else! Have you ever been in one of those? They’re amazing!
I like our boat in the District, but these would be nice for finding more fish that I could be friends with.
Speaking of which – when we got inside, I made a beeline for the fish area!
We took one of the magic rooms and, before you know it, we were upstairs, looking down on the store.
Wow! There were things I missed when I was looking at the fish.
