January 11

 

With the RV maintenance behind us (I did enjoy the water tower in Gaffney), we took a short trip to Oconee State Park in South Carolina.

Nestled in the hills high above the piedmont, we toured the local sights with Mom’s friends Ralph and Joan. The senery was breathtaking and the view of Whitewater falls was worth the short walk!  I really liked the park we stayed in because there were no other campers and I was able to run outside and chase my Frisbee without my leash! We had campfires, cooked a few meals and Mom and Jay spent time at Ralph and Joan’s house. Jay and Mom watched the birds at their feeders and were awed by Ralph’s display of his hunting success in places they’ve visited all over the world. Jay really liked the Greater Kudu.

We left South Carolina after a few days and headed farther south. We stopped for a few days in Birmingham where Mom and Jay wanted to play some golf but it rained and rained and rained. I didn’t like that very much.  We have settled into a nice routine though.  When we’re tired, we take naps!  I enjoy that a lot!

 

Our next stop was Montgomery, AL where we stayed at Maxwell Air Force Base. Finally we saw the sun and enjoyed some warmer weather! I got to meet some really fun little people. Jay called them his grandkids – Braelyn (6) and CJ (4) stayed at the RV one night.  They played Frisbee with me and I ran and ran and ran till I couldn’t run anymore.  Those kids just kept on playing – I don’t think they ever get tired!  We watched movies and played some games.  I slept with them on the couch and protected them from through the night. Mom and Jay finally got to play some golf so they were happy!  And they had wonderful visits with Jay’s daughter and son-in-law.

After a few days we packed up again and headed for our next destination– Gulf Islands National Sea Shore in Ocean Springs, MS. We visited this park last winter and were happy to see the alligator sunning herself in the same spot in the little lagoon and noticed that she's grown a bit! The sun shines here and the temperatures are in the mid-60s. It feels good to soak up the sun! Wonder if that is why Mom and Jay are smiling so much.

We’ve gone for a few nice walks here.  Jay and Mom seem to be paying more attention to what’s going on in the trees than me!  They keep talking about how many birds they’ve seen so far.  I guess the total count in up to 92 different kinds (Their goal for the year is 300….)

That’s it for now – we’ll be heading to the bayous of Louisiana soon.  I know Mom is looking forward to eating some Cajun food and listening to zydeco music… 

Journey 2013

January 6

 What a dog’s life!  Just a week ago I was heading outside before daylight to squat in 8-10 inches of snow in sub freezing temperatures.  I did look forward to my morning stroll around the yard and rolling in the snow, but I think I’m liking this warmer weather already.  Jay got his wish before we left Russell, too.  He said he’d never operated a snowblower, so one chilly December morning, he conquered the ‘Beast’ (aka Mom’s Honda snowblower!) and cleared the driveway of all that white stuff!

 

Well the snow is all behind us now.  We passed the last of it on Monday just south of Lexington, VA.  We are in Gaffney, SC where our mobile home is getting some routine maintenance leaving us time to just run around and have fun.  With 70 degree temperatures in the forecast, Mom, Jay, and I strolled Revolutionary War Battlefields (Cowpens), and state nature preserves, in short sleeves.  They ate lunch in an interesting 50’s style diner….  (while I stayed in the car (of course!)
 

 

They keep looking up into the trees looking for birds and have already seen 40+ different species.  A rather good start for them.  Their goal for the season is 300+.  Only 3 days into the 3-month  trip and they are  over 10% already.  Bet the last birds are a lot harder to get than the first!. 

 As much as we like Russell and the colder winters, something has to be said about the South.  No kidding, It is really warm here and gas for the car is only $2.99; diesel for the motorhome is $3.49.  Mom and Jay seem to like that – maybe that means more money for treats for me!!