Road Trip

We headed out to Michigan last Monday. Skipping the hotter parts of the US, we drove east through the Columbia Gorge, up through eastern Washington and on to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. From there we booked it to Michigan through North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The weather was mild and Okra spent most of his time in his crate on the back seat of the van, or on my lap, or on the floor. He was obviously bored.

Nevertheless, Matt and I had a great time.
We spent two days in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons on the way.

We came into Yellowstone from the west entrance:

Günter enjoyed the hot springs, he seems to enjoy foul smells. I wonder where he got that?

A mud volcano

Old Faithful looking ominous against the storm clouds

The beautiful Grand Tetons, as seen from our camp in Coulter Bay, WY

A view from Mammoth hot springs on the North side of Yellowstone

Every morning we tidied up the van before taking off for the next state. We were amazingly well organized during the trip, which I think aided in our getting along so well. :)

Drowned forest in North Dakota

We stopped through Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota on our way. Apparently this park was built on Teddy's old hunting grounds. This was an unexpected gem.

Everyone loves a Prairie Dog

Buffalo are just cool, I couldn't resist putting at least one shot up...

Apparently this is one of the few places in the US where wild horses roam.
We were pretty stoked to see a few.

The Mackinac Bridge, a 5 mile long suspension bridge that connects the upper and lower Michigan peninsulas, was the final sight to see before heading to Matt's home in earnest.

Okra doesn't even know how exciting his life is about to be. As soon as we arrived he was overcome with joy at being able to play with Gonzo (resident lab) and Pudge (dog-friendly cat)!

Summer Rocks: Post 3

The post title is a misnomer. Actually, the last week has been exceedingly busy, stressful, exciting, and hot. I should probably be unpacking at the moment, but we thought it was time for an update.

First things first: Okra has gained at least 1 lb this week. He's now at 10.8lbs! He looks so little, we guessed 8-9lbs. I wonder what Maeve weighs...?

Few respectable dogs would find themselves in this position.

Little guy in a big crate.

We've been bonding with puppy, he loves playing tug and wandering between our legs and underfoot. He heels perfectly, doesn't run more than ten feet from us, and absolutely loves to run into, roll, and attack tall grass (obviously a natural upland hunter). He's doing really well with potty training, though he's scared of the yard in the dark and has taken to peeing on the porch (we're working on it). He crossed his first stream, played in his first ocean wave, and snorted his first nose-full of sand and generally seems ok with water (except in bath form). Although he is totally exhausting at times, we appreciate that he sleeps 20 hours a day and we're enjoying the "age of attraction", as these first months are commonly described.

Secondly, we've moved!

The surf shack has been emptied and cleaned out. I spent a quiet moment with the view and moved on. We now have a full kitchen, our very own yard to garden and mow, cherry, plum, and fig trees, an incredible abundance of birds, and great views of the coast range foothills.

I might miss the ocean view, but I'm loving the new space. I don't think Matt will miss the view, he seems much happier in the quiet country space we now occupy.

Here's some pics for now, but it would be even better if you came to visit! We have a spare room and a loft, so there's plenty of space.

This first one is of our bedroom/office.





Here's a shot of our living space, including the loft.
















Our new wood stove (inserted into a fireplace).

Third, we're road-tripping out to Michigan on Monday, I hope to be able to post another blog before we go, so stay tuned!