The Passing

Last week we learned of the passing of Peaches' original owner and, while I didn't know him, I was saddened to receive the news.  Peaches' story is a good example of how not all rescue dogs had bad lives before coming into rescue.  She wasn't abused, she wasn't abandoned, she wasn't unloved. 

Peaches was dearly loved by her owner, Dave.  She was well cared for, well trained, and very loved.  And I am sure that she loved him.  But Dave suffered some health issues and had to go into a temporary nursing facility for care and he had nowhere for her to go.  He asked a friend to care for her while he was away, but his friend couldn't keep a dog at his home and lived 20 miles away.  Don made an effort to visit Peaches several times a day so that she could remain in her home and be there when Dave returned, but Dave's stay in the facility was longer than expected and it became too hard for both of them.  Don believed that Peaches deserved a better life.   He could tell that even if Dave made it home from the nursing facility, he wouldn't be able to care for Peaches when he returned.  So Don made the decision to take Peaches to the local shelter. 

I know that this decision was not an easy one for Don to make.  He knew how much she meant to Dave and Don also loved Peaches.  He left a lovely note with Peaches when he brought her to the shelter and asked if it would be possible for whomever took her in to reach out to him via email with updates.  He wanted to be sure she was happy.

I have exchanged several emails with Don over the months as he reached out to check-in on Peaches so that he could give Dave updates. He never told Dave that Peaches had cancer...he only shared the good things that were happening in her life so that Dave would know that she was happy and loved. 

I had hoped that at some point we might be able to get together with Dave so that he and Peaches could see each other again, but Don thought it would be too painful for Dave.  I'm sad that Peaches never got the opportunity to say goodbye to someone she had loved.  I'm sad Dave did not have the opportunity to say goodbye to Peaches; I can only imagine how hard it was for him.  But it is nice to know that when Peaches leaves us, there will be someone there to greet her and very happy to see her.  And I know she will be happy to see him too.  Rest in Peace, Dave.  I promise to care for our girl through all the tough times and love her until the very end, until you are reunited.

Our Awesome UP Adventure

Last week we were lucky enough to spend some quality time in the U.P.  Over the last couple of weeks, Imke has had some really low points and I thought we may have to cancel our planned travel, but with the blessing of our vet, it was decided that we would be okay to make the trip.   Although I had originally planned to spend an entire week there, relaxing and enjoying some time to recharge, due to Imke's health, we decided to shorten our trip.  I was just excited that we were going to get the opportunity to visit some of our favorite places and see some friends.

After a nice relaxing Saturday at home and a visit from Nicol, Sunday morning came and we were up early and off on our adventure.  The girls settled in for the drive and we slowly made our way along US-127 to I-75, with a few more stops than normal along the way, as Imke demanded them.  After all, this trip was all about her; celebrating her life and letting her enjoy some of the special places that I know she loves as much as I do, as well as discovering some new places along the way.

We enjoyed a couple of short walks to check out the Fall color in the Northern Lower Peninsula and took our time, enjoying the journey along the way.  Imke even decided she just wanted to sit and let the wind blow in her face so that she could take in all of the unique smells of a Northern Michigan Fall day.

Although it took a lot longer than normal, we made it to Mackinaw City and got out for our traditional stop.  We always make sure to stop here to spend a little time at the beach and to take a short walk.  As soon as we arrived, Imke headed right for the water, just as she always does, and Maddie and Peaches were excited to join her.  She had a little extra pep in her step as we got closer to the beach.  I love to see the joy this stop always brings to the girls.

As we walked along the beach, we savored the Lake air.  We spent longer than normal there, enjoying a peaceful walk together and chatting with several people we ran into along the way.  I alway love when people stop to ask about the girls and I enjoy having an opportunity to share all of the great things they've done in their lives.  It was a great stop, but we still had a drive ahead of us, so after about an hour, it was time to leave.

As we turned to walk toward the Jeep to leave, Imke stopped, looked back toward the lake, and took a deep breath, pausing one last time to take in the smells of that special spot.  It was at that point that I realized that she knew exactly what this trip was...and she was enjoying what could very likely be her last stop here. 

We continued on our journey and, after a longer than normal drive there, we arrived in Munising for the evening.   I grabbed dinner and we settled in for the night to rest up for the next day adventures.

Heading to Miners Beach

We awoke on Monday morning to a little chill in the air, but we are never ones to let a little cold stop us from a good adventure and we had things to accomplish.  We had so much to see and we were determined to complete our 100 miles on the North Country Trail while we were in the U.P. 

Miners Beach

The most important stop of our day was Miners Beach where we could enjoy a walk on the beach, beautiful Fall colors, and a walk on the North Country trail.  This is without a doubt our favorite beach and we have spent many hours here over the years.  The girls knew where we were as we pulled into the parking lot and there was much excitement about what was to come.

Miners Beach

 As we walked the beach together, I reflected on all of the memories I have of this beautiful place.  I was glad we were able to get there to make more memories.  The colors were beautiful, the sun was shining, and although there was a strong wind blowing some really cold air off the lake, it was a perfect day to spend at the beach.

Miners Beach

And just like in Mackinaw City, Imke was taking it all in and savoring every moment.  She made sure to inspect the beach and the air and the lake.  She was in her element, living in and loving those moments just as much as I was.

Taking in the smells of Miners Beach

 After some time on the beach, we headed up the stairs to take a short hike on the North Country Trail before leaving.  The views are always stunning and the girls enjoy all of the smells along the trail.  It was a great way to get some energy out before continuing our drive to Copper Harbor that afternoon.

North Country Trail at Miners Beach

We had a beautiful drive to Copper Harbor and arrived late in the afternoon to some snow and beautiful fall colors.  After dinner, we took a quick walk around town after sunset and then settled into our room for the night.

Tuesday I planned for us to stay close to town.  I didn't want to push Imke too hard because she had had a restless night, so we were just going to go at her pace, no matter how slow it may be.  We took a walk around town to start our morning, just like we have so many other times.   Then we headed to the end of the road.

After our time in town, we headed up Brockway Mountain to check out the Fall Colors from there.  The girls always love heading up the Mountain because they get some time to explore.

From Brockway, we headed down to Esrey Park.  It was beautiful as always, but boy was it windy and cold.  So our stop here was a quick one and then we were on our way to see more of our favorite places.

We had been awfully busy and I wanted to make sure that Imke had time to rest up before more adventures, so we took a drive into Calumet, driving Cliff Drive on our way into town and then driving out to Five Mile point on our way back.

This allowed us to see some more great Fall colors and beautiful scenery along the way.

It was now getting late in the day and the temperatures were beginning to drop, but we had one more stop that we had to make on our way back to our room.

Hunter's Point Park is our favorite spot in Copper Harbor and we arrived there with much excitement. 

I was happy that I was able to get the girls to stop long enough to get a picture of all of them together while we were there.

It was a cold and blustery afternoon at the beach and Imke was beginning to shiver, despite wearing her coat, so our stay here wasn't very long.  We always enjoy our stop here.  

Since we had a short visit at Hunter's Point, we had time for one more quick stop so we headed off to Fort Wilkins for a walk.  It was a nice way to end our day of adventure in Copper Harbor.

Wednesday morning arrived and we would be leaving Copper Harbor to begin our journey toward home, but before leaving we had a very important stop to make to visit our friends Bryce and Zi at Great Sand Bay.

After a walk through the woods and a stop at the beach, we continued on our journey toward Munising.  We still had plans to make a couple of stops along the way and the girls were excited to get out for a little hike at Canyon Falls, especially with the fresh snow on the ground.  It was a beautiful day for a little time in the woods and we were inching closer to reaching our 100 miles on the North Country Trail.

Before I knew it, Thursday had arrived and our time in the U.P. was drawing to a close.  But before we left, we still had some things to do.  Our first stop was Bayshore Park for a walk along Munising Bay.  The colors were still beautiful and the sun was shining, but boy was it chilly.

We then made a quick stop at Wagner Falls.  This is my favorite waterfall and I can't resist stopping here in any season.

And then, with a quick stop to get gas and a snack, we were off heading toward home.  We stopped along the way for a burger at Clyde's in Manistique and then headed to US-2 and the Lake Michigan beach. 

This is a beautiful beach and with the sunshine it looked extra stunning on that day.  While Imke and Maddie have stopped here many times over the years, this was Peaches first time at this beach.  While Maddie tried hard to avoid the water, but the waves were coming in pretty high so we all got wet.  Maddie explored the beach grass while Peaches splashed around and Imke chased the waves.  We all had great time at this stop.  When we headed back to the Jeep, we were wet, covered in sand, and happy.

Finally, we made it to St. Ignace, our final stop on our U.P. adventure.  We got there and headed for the boardwalk with only a 1/2 mile left to complete our 100 miles on the North Country Trail.

We ended up walking about 2 miles that afternoon and I am so proud to have completed our 100 Mile challenge together.  It was the perfect way to end our trip!

While we prepared to cross the Bridge, the girls settled in for the drive home, Maddie and Peaches sprawled across the back of the Jeep and Imke riding shotgun with the window down so she could sniff the air as we crossed the Bridge.

Although this trip had some challenges because Imke wasn't feeling well for parts of the trip, I don't regret going.  The fresh air, the woods, the lakes-they helped us all feel refreshed and renewed and ready to conquer another day.  I was glad for the opportunity to slow down and get away from our everyday life...a day to day that had become exhausting and draining because of the challenges that Imke had been facing.  Watching Imke savor the moments in all of our favorite places and allowing Maddie and Peaches to get out and have some fun made this trip very special.  I am glad I got to make more memories with these special girls.

But the very best part was the happiness it brought to us all just being there together.  It truly is a trip I'll never forget.