Sunday, February 26, 2017

On the road again...

In less than two weeks, I'll be heading back out on the road with the girls.  I know it's time...I get the same feeling every time.  I have a longing to get out and see new things and feel the open road in front of me-full of possibilities.  I'm restless.  Growing up, we didn't travel much, a few trips to Higgins Lake when I was young, some trips to Cedar Point over the years, that was about it.  In high school, I was lucky enough to travel to Florida and Washington DC with band, but that was the extent of my travel opportunities as a child.  When I think about it, it's hard to believe that I hadn't even been to my beloved UP before the age of 18.  Through my 20s, I made several trips to the UP, but still hadn't struck out to see much more of the land around us.  In my early 30s, we made our first major family road trip, heading West to visit Yellowstone.  On that trip we drove through Madison Wisconsin and made a brief stop to walk around town.  I think it was at that point that I realized my love of Capitol Buildings.  We stopped at Mount Rushmore and Devil's Tower and I saw my very first Grizzly Bear in the wild.  It was an amazing trip.  Over the years, we made small trips to other surrounding areas, but still I had so much to see.

Then Nicol was off to college, 6 hours away in Lexington.  The years she was there gave me so much more than I expected of them.  I missed my daughter and the only way to see her was to drive there. Many Friday nights right after work, I would get in the car with Jake and Imke in tow, so that I could make it to Lexington that night and have an entire Saturday to spend with my daughter.  And then I'd turn right around after lunch on Sunday and head home.  There were also lots of round-trip 13 hour days in the car when she would come home for the holidays and I would drive down to get her and turn right around to come home.  Those trips gave me road stamina and taught me I could travel on my own or better yet, how easy it was to travel with the dogs and how much they enjoyed it-how much we all enjoyed it.  

On one of my long weekend trips to visit Nicol, I struck out to see the sites around the area.  We visited a fort and several historic homes and walked the streets of some beautiful small towns.  


I have so many good memories from that trip.  And for me, this is where it all started.  My realization that I wanted to travel and see as many things as I could see.  This picture of Jake and Imke at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort really started it all.  One comment from a friend (thanks Janie!) about this picture started our journey. It's not a great picture, but it captures a moment in time and the personalities of my two four-legged buddies pretty well-Imke always looking for the next fun thing (what's over there any way?) and Jake so very serious and well-mannered.  

Imke and Jake in Frankfort Kentucky

From this day on, I was on a mission.  I was going to get these dogs to as many State Capitols and historic sites as I could.  Unfortunately, the only other State Capitol Jake ever made it to was right here in Lansing, but Imke and I have been a lot of places together since then.  

Jake enjoys the Capitol lawn and 4th of July Parade
Imke and I have now been to 38 State Capitols together and she's been through 40 States and 3 Canadian Provinces. When this started, I don't think I ever really thought we'd do and see so much together.  What a ride it's been so far!  Some of our trips were just the two of us and sometimes we've had Maddie along for the ride. One trip to Ohio and Indiana even included a foster dog.  And we have such amazing memories.  I'm pretty excited to think that in less than a month from now, we will have added 5 more State Capitols and four new States for her, but more importantly, we'll have added some great new memories to the bank.  I can't wait to share them with you!

On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again
On the road again
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway
We're the best of friends
Insisting that the world keep turning our way
And our way
Is on the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again
-On the Road Again Willie Nelson


Sunday, February 19, 2017

Sunday mornings

Today started like most of my Sunday mornings have for most of the last 13 years.  Even in a dead sleep I can feel it-The Stare.  Imke standing in the doorway of the bedroom, usually right around 7am, quietly staring at me.  I'm sure many of you who have dogs, or children for that matter, you know what I am talking about.  Even though I'm sound asleep, I can feel her looking at me and just moments before the whine starts, I am awake. Sunday is the one day of the week I can sleep in, with no commitments and no need for an alarm clock.  But there she is, my brown-spotty, shorthaired, four-legged, whining alarm clock, letting me know it's time for breakfast.  So I am out of bed and off to feed the hungry masses, Imke trailing behind me.

At this point in time, I have a foster, which isn't always the case, and Julia is enthusiastic about every meal.  She twirls and twists and barks with joy, her stubby little tail wagging one hundred miles an hour as I prepare her dish.  Maddie has become my lazy bum, never in a hurry to get out of bed; always happy to spend a little more time snuggled up under the covers.  She will not move until she hears the clang of the food hitting her dish.  And Imke, she has a routine which hasn't changed much over the years.  She'll follow me to the closet, then grab a toy from the toy basket, and off she'll go, toy in her mouth, to pace and circle her dish until it is full.  Everyone must sit and stay nicely until I release them to eat, but Imke always tries to stretch her neck forward in hopes of getting one little nibble before I say it's okay.  She's older now, so I allow it.

Once they have finished breakfast, it's outside for a potty break and a good sniff around the yard.  It's outside and right back in for Maddie and then right back to bed where she can establish herself in the prime spot -right in the middle of the bed-for some quality snuggle time.  Imke and Julia take a little more time outside with Julia zooming around the yard while Imke searches for the prime sniffing spots.  Eventually everyone is back inside for a good bout of snuggling.  Even though Maddie is sure she's gotten the best spot in the bed to be closest to me, without fail, Imke will find a way to burrow under the covers and shove her 70 pounds body between me and Maddie because she must be closest to mom with her chin resting somewhere on my leg, always.

The snuggling time varies each week, depending on the weather, the amount of exercise they got the day before, the ever changing moods and demands of a German Shorthaired Pointer, but in most cases it ends long before I'm ready.  Then it's time for them to get back outside to enjoy the day.  With 2-3 dogs in the house it can be a never-ending game of in and out, but then there are mornings like today, when they decide that outside is much more fun than inside.  Those days are generally sunny, warmer, and involve lots of squirrel "hunting".  Imke and Julia spotted him first this morning, running across the electric lines in the backyard wagging his tail and causing them much anguish.  There is much barking and tail-wagging and running around the yard and then once he's out of sight, they will sit quietly at the fence for 30 minutes or more just staring off into the yards around us awaiting his reappearance.

I love those mornings.  Making my breakfast as I watch them flit about the yard, running, sniffing, playing.  They are so full of joy and so full of life in those moments.  They have not a care in the world, well, other than getting that darn squirrel! Makes me wish we could all have simpler lives, like they have.

After spending a good 45 minutes outside this morning, they all came back in and were given a special treat that I knew would keep each of the occupied while I took some time to relax and read.  Maddie finished first and climbed back up on the bed with me to get some one on one time while the others were  still occupied.  It was a wonderful, peaceful, enjoyable morning, but the quiet never lasts long when you have a GSP in your house.  But that's what I love about them most, there is never a dull moment!

The sun is shining and it is barefoot, short-sleeve weather in Mid-February here in Mid-Michigan, so it was back outside with me following right behind them.  Time to take a lesson from my dogs and sniff the fresh air, breath in all of the smells of the beautiful world around me and soak up the sun!

After a week of work and responsibility and commitments, it is just nice to take some time to enjoy the simple things in life.  Happy Sunday!