Bernie’s Story

I am a desert dog.  I live among the cacti, javelinas, and coyotes.  I know where to walk, which animals to avoid, and which plants I can baptized.  I laugh when my Kansas cousins come to visit because they just can’t figure out why desert plants bite. 

This month my sister and I went on a road trip.  Since my life revolves around smells I don’t know where I was taken but my home is wherever my person, Scott is.  I just adore that boy.  I just made myself comfortable and situated myself where I can see him. 

And I waited.

Our first stop was by a body of water, commonly known in the human world as a river.  Then Scott put up a house for us to sleep in and we all settled down.  Chicken was cooked, beer was opened, and the smells of that along with all of the wonderful smells was divine. 

The next morning we got up early and we climbed on another vehicle (a school bus) and off we went.  If I knew then what I know now I would never have gotten on that bus.  We drove for a while and then we were dumped.  I know dumped because I am a pound puppy and being dumped is not a good thing. 

I was so confused especially when they dumped off a long thing that floated on the river.  I watched Scott put a cooler in it, I saw grandma get in, and then he called my name.

I didn’t know what to do.  A part of me wanted to run, another part of me wanted to obey so I just stood there… frozen.  I might have Labrador running through these veins but I am a desert dog.  Water is to be drunk.  I found myself being picked up and carried to the floater thingie, which was embarrassing.  Then a push was given and I found myself in the middle of the river.  So I started drinking. I thought I could drink the river dry and everything would be okay. 

We had to stop so I could baptize a bush.  Then Scott went in the water, he started calling my name….  I don’t know what he was thinking but it is for sure that I was not going out there.  I found myself, once again, being carried out to the middle of the river… then I was dumped. 

They say I reached the shore in less than a second.  It was there I watched Scott. Just to show him there was no hard feelings I jumped into the floatie thingie and off we went down the river.  They tried to make the river a good thing, a fun thing by giving me pieces of their lunch and lots and lots of attention.    Since my home is wherever Scott roams I was content… 

Enjoy the pictures.  If you want to see more click here!

Its Raining

I decided not to post until things start going right and so far it hasn’t – when it rains it definitely pours.  I had to rethink things and start to focus on what is going right.  Between the layers of so many wrongs there are some rights. 

Mom and I decided to head north this year and head into Canada but it looks like we will be in Arizona for a while.  Mom had her nerve test and she needs surgery.  So we are waiting for the doctor to call to get the ball rolling.  While waiting for the surgery we will explore Arizona some more. 

The change in plans has turned into a good thing because (if all goes right) I will see all of my children in one room at the end of this month.  The last time we were all able to get together was 5 1/2 years ago.  Needless to say I am beyond excited. 

I will be posting about my float trip that I took with my son, Scott tomorrow.  We took a lot of pictures and had a wonderful 10 days on the road. 

For now all is well.

Critters and Plants

We Have Arrived

We made it to Spring Branch Texas at 6:30 p.m.  After we set up camp, Scott started the charcoal and we sat by the river listening to an owl and a bunch of peacocks.  The campground is pretty sad but what is important is sitting around the picnic table enjoying a meal of chicken and succotash with family.  It was a wonderful evening.  Tomorrow we are hoping to rent a canoe and hit the river.   Mom is going to stay home and baby-sit the grandpuppy, Louie.  This will be Bernie’s first time in a canoe and on a river.  Scott and I have never flipped a canoe yet but I have a feeling our record will be coming to an end.  Bernie weighs about 80 pounds.

Last night we spent the night at Balmorhea State Park.  The wind was so bad that we just knew Scott’s tent will blow away but it didn’t.  The three of us and the two dogs stayed in the van until bedtime.  I am finding out that the five of us can be comfortable in our little house on wheels.

Louie the Chorkie is the little escape artist.  It didn’t take her anytime to figure out how to escape the tent so she has been bunking with us.  When Scott and Bernie leaves she will sit by the door waiting for him to return.  It takes her about 30 minutes to jump into bed and even then she is ever alert and ever hopeful.

Enjoy the pictures.

 

A little Chapel  on the way to Balmorhea State Park	It was built over a hundred years ago.

On The Road To Texas Hill Country

We decided to take my son, Scott to Texas Hill Country for a float trip.  We will be there tomorrow.  He brought his tent to sleep in and the only trouble we have had is his dog, Louie, figured out how to escape from the tent.  So she is bunking with us and she is not a happy little camper.

My son is doing all of the driving which is a nice break with me.  Currently we are staying in Balmorhea State Park in Texas.  It has been a very windy day and Scott is not liking the wind very much.  Our little van gets blown around pretty easy. 

I will post more later.

It Started With A Phone Call

I was in the middle of a conversation when my phone just turned off.  I turned it back on and called the person back.  After that call my little phone continued to die so I took it to Verizon.  The first clerk that took care of me claimed that all he had to do was wipe out my hard drive and that would fix the problem.  When he wiped out my hard drive he also took away my ability to get on the internet.

Folks, you can come over and kick my dog and slap my mama but do not take away my internet…

The next morning I was at Verizon.  That is when I found out two things:
1.)  You can not tether your phone to your computer anymore
2.)  When your phone is turning itself off – it is toast

Fortunately I had insurance and there was no problem.  Verizon would send me a new phone.  I was still upset over losing the internet.  So I agreed to to a 2-year contract for Verizon internet.  Only I didn’t have to pay anything but my monthly payments.  All other fees were waived. 

After running a couple errands I went back to the park and plugged in my internet to let it charge.  It took three hours and when I tried to connect it wouldn’t.  Now I was upset.  The next morning I went to Verizon.  I was amazed that there were about 20 customers already there.  The technician I saw the day before saw me and came over.  He took my internet box, my lap top, and off he went.  It seems that Verizon’s 4G internet service wasn’t working and there were a whole lot of angry people in the there.  Fortunately for me my technician told me to go to lunch and he would call me.  Sure enough an hour later he had everything working great plus my new phone would arrive that afternoon at my son’s house. 

Life was getting good again.

My new phone arrived and I noticed that it wasn’t new it was refurbished.  My definition of refurbished is “taking on someone else’s headache or problem.”  Sure enough the darn thing wouldn’t work.  Guess where I was the next day? I was back at Verizon.  They shipped my new refurbished phone back and finally I received a new, refurbished phone yesterday. 
I am back in business… I have the internet and I have a phone that is working. 

During all of this bull hockey with Verizon I was dealing with getting my generator fixed.  Of course I was told that the part would be in Friday.  Ha ha ha I won’t go there.  I am planning a trip and I needed the generator to be in great working order.  So I am going on my little trip without it.  I am not saying where I am going because I don’t want to jinx it.  My luck hasn’t been too good lately.

I was also dealing with a van radio that stopped working as well.  Folks it seems like everything was falling apart. We replaced the radio with an inexpensive one that works fine.  I drove from Kansas City to Tucson using my ipod and cheap speakers and so this sounds divine!  Those that know me know I have to have my music.  I have enough songs on ITunes to last a month without having to listen to anything twice.  I am talking letting it play continuously for one month. 

With Verizon, the generator, the internet, the phone, the stereo you would think my technical problems would be over.  I don’t know what I have done to make the techno gods angry because during all of this my computer ate my CD.  I couldn’t get it out so I had to take my computer to Best Buy.  The tech looked at my machine and said the only way to get the CD out was to totally dismantle the computer.  It would cost like smoke and then there is an chance, after they put everything back, the machine might not work.  I had to buy an external CD player. 

I should be afraid to leave the house but I am not.

My mom had her yearly physical…  I will discuss why the doctor said she has a chance of becoming a “fancy monkey” for another blog

I am still in Tucson.  Loving every minute.