Chadron State Park

We took our first trip of the year, to the oldest state park in Nebraska - Chadron State Park. We've been here before - last year we rented a cabin here in late April. It snowed. I decided next time, I'd reserve a cabin for a couple weeks later, hopefully after the last snow and before the ticks became very active.

The last time we were here, on one of our walks, I looked at all the rest of the cabins and decided which one would be just perfect for us. This is it. It has a deck that faces east, so we could eat breakfast in the sunshine, and be able to sit and read in the shade later on.

It's isolated - at the very end of a loop, so the only traffic going by would be someone going to the cabin below ours.

The interiors of the cabins are great, too - there's a screened-in porch, two beds, a table, bathroom with a flush toilet and a shower, a stove, a modern refrigerator, and a sink. All the plates, silverware, pots and pans and cooking tools are also included. Takes all the discomfort out of camping, for sure!

Once we got settled in, it was time for fun. We went hiking on one of the many trails that wind through the park. Jo had a great time chasing his Frisbee in the large, grassy area in the center of the loop, and both he and Star loved exploring.

And wrestling, too.

Then it was time for dinner. Star and JoLee supervised, of course. They even kept an eye on things while Harry went inside to check on a cold beer.

After dinner, it was time to relax. After all, we had a big day coming up - a visit to Toadstool Geologic Park!

In the morning, there was a shimmering layer of frost everywhere. Star was a bit chilly, so she wore Harry's hoodie for a little while - just 'til the sun got up.

But after the sun was up, she warmed up nicely. In fact, she got downright relaxed.

Here, the trees are just leafing out. It was beautiful. Even Harry started to relax!

Today's destination: Toadstool Geologic Park. According to a web search, it's a "must see" for anyone in Western Nebraska.

This is a "destination," for sure. You could never accidentally run across Toadstool Geologic Park. It's waaaay out in the middle of nowhere.

These are part of what's known as the "Badlands."

I was a little worried about running into rattlesnakes, so I kept the pups on their leashes. It wasn't terribly warm, but in short order, the pups were panting. They drank an entire bottle of water on our 1 mile hike!

The dirt reminded me of the top of a home-made oatmeal cookie. Once we got farther into the rock formations, vegetation grew more and more sparse, and the rocks and soil grew more and more peculiar. Still, there was so much beauty!

The dogs had a good time, even though there was one place where we had to help them across a fairly large crack, using a combination of cajoling, pleading, and finally a good heave-ho. Good thing they wear harnesses! The interesting part to me was that these dogs have traversed much bigger cracks and steeper slopes - it seemed to be the crumbling soil that made them uneasy.

At the end of the end of the trail was a replicate of a soddy that had been here years ago. Just the thought of anyone actually living here left me shaking my head in wonder, but the soddy's thick walls left the interior cool and comfortable. Star took full advantage of it.

Then it was back to the cabin, for some more rest and relaxation.

And a beer.

The dogs were so tuckered out that they didn't even see the bunny, right down the hill from the deck!

The next morning came too soon. We got everything packed up, JoLee assumed his favorite car-riding position, and we headed back to Lincoln.

We stopped for lunch at Lake McConaughy, in one of our favorite camping spots.

We're back home, and the dogs are all sleeping around me. It was a great trip - although way too short. Until next time, happy trails!

Worm Boy and Gimpy Grrl

I'm sure more than one of you has wondered why I haven't been blogging my fingers off about JoLee and his little heartworm problem. Thing is, I'm thinking of saving all my thoughts about the whole experience up and putting them all in one entry, so I don't lose you all with my obsession over the whole thing. For now, I'll leave you with this thought: maybe this was all supposed to happen so I end up with two great dogs - while Jo is being kept quiet for those two months, Star's leg should be able to rest.

January is going to be a very good month, when JoLee's done with treatment and Star is all recovered!

Arkansas, the Natural State

On October 26, 2011, we went for a little vacation to Arkansas. Neither Harry nor I had ever been there, so neither of us knew really what to expect. What we saw was beauty unmatched.




Our first stop was a Motel 6 in St. Joe. It was nice. Very basic - an end room, and lots of grossy areas to walk the kids. JoLee had lots of fun chasing the flies in the room, too. We slept as long as we wanted to the next morning (unusual for us) and continued on to our next destination, Eureka Springs. Harry wanted to check out this community of artists tucked away in the Arkansas mountains. I was amazed - even the Days Inn motel was picturesque! Once again, we were given an end room, but this room had a king-sized bed. What a wonderful invention - the king size bed - especially with two dogs!



This is the view from the parking lot at the Days Inn.



JoLee rode most of the way on his Daddy's lap.



Finally, we arrived at the vacation home of Jolie Bank's parents, in a small town near Bull Shoals. What a wonderful place. Harry spent a little time reading out on the deck, while the dogs got acquainted.



The next day we went for a nice hike at Jolie and Jim's property. For the first time, I got to see Boudreaux's Rock. It's a pretty special place.



Jolie and I were hoping to get a good photograph of JoLee and Star together. I'm not sure we succeeded, but we all sure had a good time trying!



































Ms. Jolie Banks is a great person - and a beauty, inside and out. She also has a wicked sense of humor and a heart as big as Texas. I love her to bits.



JoLee was pretty good at camouflage. Can you see him?



The Buffalo River was our next stop. The entire shoreline was made up of round river rock - just perfect for skipping stones. I'm not sure it made for the comfiest footing for the dogs, but they seemed to manage!







JoLee and Magoo ended up being the best of friends. They had such fun chasing sticks in the river!















The eatin' was great. Jolie made her famous gumbo, and Jim made sausage gravy and biscuits. Made me want to grow a couple more stomachs so I could just keep on eating! Harry made breakfast, and I brought green chili. Everyone worked together to make meals and clean up. Here is proof that men can do dishes. Thanks again, Jim!



The Kitchen Magician.



Every morning, Jim gets up when all the world is still, and as soon as it gets light enough, he goes out to the bank and fishes.






These little beauties were the lucky ones - Jim let them loose.



I wandered around with my camera and tried to capture some of the mystical beauty.












The visit was over way too soon. After we packed up, Jim and Jolie led us to the Bull Shoals dam.























Then it was back on the road for us. At one point I looked over and look at what I saw - a sun dog! I've never seen a sun dog in any time of year but the winter - it was pretty darned cool.




The dogs rode in style on their new blankies their Auntie Jolie made for them.







And when we finally got home, they sure did enjoy their bully sticks. They laid close together and chewed until they fell asleep. What a great time we had!