How Could I Have Ever Thought I Didn’t Need a Dog (or two)??

I sure hope ya’ll will forgive me for going on and on about our new furkids, but they have just added so much to our lives, I can hardly help myself.  Russ has taken to calling me by my Native American name, Donna Two-Dogs, because I always have a dog or two on my lap or at my heels.

We have been returning to some of the places we used to walk with Rusty and Poppy and these guys have been just wonderful.  Had a short walk out at the lake a few days ago but I don’t know what happened to the picture.  It was cold and windy anyway so it was a SHORT walk!

They had their first visit to the Delta Ponds trails a couple of days ago.  It was raining there too but not cold so we walked anyway.  They sure didn’t seem to mind and would have kept going a lot longer than we were able.




These trails are great for dog walking and for viewing birds and native wildlife.  In the summer, you can usually spot lots of pond turtles but it was much too cold for that this day.

One of the joys we shared with Rusty and Poppy was going for rides and letting them see out the windows.  Ollie and Jewel are crate trained and ride quietly in the back of the car in their crate – but they can’t see anything!  I can see why this is necessary when you still have kids in car seats to take care of, but these are our kids and we want to share the experiences of life with them.  And so we bought a car seat -  just one so far as we wanted to make sure they liked it.

Jewel has more confidence so she got the first turn.

We weren’t sure how she would react so I rode in the back seat with her to make sure she was safe and calm.  She LOVED it!  She settled right in and enjoyed looking out the window.  She has a harness and is tethered to the seat belt so she is safe.  Halfway through the ride, we stopped and I went to the front seat.  Jewel was still fine and enjoyed the ride.  Ollie rode in his crate alone and seemed to enjoy the extra room.

Today it was Ollie’s turn to try out the new car seat.  I was concerned because he is timid and tends to bark at things he is unsure of.  Big surprise when he seemed to like it as much, if not more, than Jewel.


His eyes got heavy right away and he snoozed between bouts of scenery watching.

As with Jewel, I rode in the back to make sure there were no problems.  I wanted to see how he would react to people so we pulled into McDonalds and parked close to the door where people would be walking past.  Russ went in and got a cup of coffee and I stayed with the dogs.  Several people walked right next to the car and Ollie never said a word.  Just as good as gold.  I got back in the front seat and we continued our ride with no problems.

We went out to Harrisburg today and managed to get in a nice walk along the river between rain showers.  The kids loved it, with all the new sights and smells to keep them occupied.

Uh, Dad, I think we may have a problem here!!


Okay, much better!


Lots of water in the river right now – have to be careful where you park haha!!


At home Ollie and Jewel continue to do very well.  Ollie has made up with Russ and even lets Russ dry him off when he comes in from outside. 


Isn’t this just the cutest face.


Jewel has taken up her station at the glass door and loves to watch the squirrels come for the peanuts.  Sometimes Ollie joins her but this is definitely her thing.













She loves watching the squirrels so much that I put a rug over the top of the coffee table so she can sit on that and watch out the living room window too.  She loves it.














Later on this week, we are going to introduce them to the motorhome and if that goes well, we’ll take them for a ride in it over the weekend.  We might get some dry weather then so it would be great to get out for a ride. 

Don’t want to jinx it, but we may be headed down 395 in early May.  We’re hoping to have a mini-family reunion with my sister and brother in Bishop.  We all love that place and, while they would be stuck in a motel, it would be great to get together there for a few days.  BTW, I am a fan of Brown’s Campgrounds in the Bishop area and this was on my FB feed this morning if anyone is interested.

"SEASONAL CAMP HOSTS - Brown’s Owens River Campground above Crowley lake is accepting applications for camp hosts / maintenance personnel. Job is perfect for a couple but not required. Must have your own RV and must live onsite. Mid April - Sept. 2014. Applications and job description available at Brown’s Supply, 219 Wye Rd., Bishop or call 760-872-6911, Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM."


Don’t know anything about this other than what’s posted here but being in and around Bishop would sure be a nice gig for someone.   They have several campgrounds in the area and the Millpond is where we will spend some time if we get to Bishop in May. 

P.S. That second doggy car seat has been ordered!!