From Sigmund - Things I am learning



Sigmund Patiently Waiting



I wanted to do my very own doggie blog but Mom said I could write on her blog.  I have only been a traveling dog in our motorhome for about a week now but I have learned many things.  I thought it might help other doggies if I shared them.

1.    I can get a free ride by sitting on the sofa when the slide goes out and in.  Also, if I sit on the sofa my precious tail and toes do not get caught in the slide

2.   It is 3250 steps to the pier at the end of Clam Cove Road.  There are many spots to pee and lots of good dog smells along the way



Potential Bathroom Spot



3.       Do not use my back paws to throw my poop way up in the air and spread it everywhere like I do on my very own mountain top back home.  My Mom must pick it up here and that is the rule.  If I spread it this is not an easy task.  I still poop in the tall weeds away from where everyone walks because I am a smart doggie

4.       There are more small dogs than there are big dogs

5.       Small dogs like to bark.  Small dogs like to growl at big dogs

6.       Lots of people use to own goldens or they always wanted to own a golden and therefore they want to pet me

7.       I get more petting if I do not jump on people.  Instead of jumping, I should just sit on their feet and lean up against them, look adoringly into their eyes with my big brown eyes and smile showing them pink tongue and pretty white teeth.  Also, sitting on their feet holds them in place and they cannot move away from petting me



The Jungle where varmits live



8.       Everyone wants to know about my name, Sigmund, Yes after Freud.  My mom tells them I am a therapy dog because I helped her get over Cyrus (the golden she had that passed away two days before I came into Mom’s life).  Everyone seems to like the story and I get extra pats on my head for being such a good therapy dog

9.       If I ever go to Las Vegas I should look up the vet there.  His Dad says he is a vet because he had a golden when he was a little boy and now he has two goldens that  are bigger than me but they are not girls – I might have gone to Vegas for girls because I understand that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas although I do not know what or where Vegas is

10.   One does not drink salty sea water because it is salty



Mom and Me - A good safe spot



11.   If one hears a strange noise in the bushes behind them it is best to run back to Mom’s side just in case

12.   I must get brushed daily so I do not get to much fur in my little home away from home

13.   A roll in the sand is good for the soul



Sand for Rolling In



14.   “Just a minute” means I am suppose to stop and patiently wait while Mom fiddles with the camera – she said I could put some photos on my blog

On The Road Again!!



Jekyll Island Campground



Magical Jungle on Jekyll Island



Don't you just love Willie's song, On the Road Again.  I think of it often in the summertime when I watch campers pull in and out of the campground.  Now I think of it in the wintertime :).  As most of you know Bob and I bought our very own 25 ft 2005 Isata motorhome.  It is turning out to be the perfect size and we love the layout in it.  It has one slide where the sofa is and that makes it very roomy for moving around on the inside.  After 38 years of having a campground, it is about time we are out camping.  We love staying in campgrounds even non KOA's.  Its great knowing so many people who already camp because we are getting some great recommendations on places to stay.



Jekyll Island Beach



As a result of that camper, today's coffe break is on the road from Jekyll's Island, GA.  What a beautiful spot in the world.  Sixtyfive percent of the island has to be left undeveloped .  The beaches are fantastic - broad and long and they seem to gently roll into an ocean that extends so far you can not distinguish the ocean from the sky on some days.  The waves are gentle.  This time of year there are not many people on the beach.  I counted six people yesterday as far as the eye could see.  The temperature is in the low 70's during the day and in the 40's to 50's at night.  Sigmund loves to go walking on the beach but he does not like to get in the ocean.  I have never loaded photos in a blog but maybe later on in the day I will edit this and try to put a photo of the beach so you can see what a pretty place it is.  It is suppose to rain today so we are going to do laundry and clean our little home away from home.  Of course in between showers Sigmon will get his long walk.

Walking Road Across From Campground

  Right across the road from the campground there is a road that winds beneath towering live oaks laden with spanish moss. The road leads  to the sound.  It is almost a mile to the pier on the sound so it makes a two mile walk - speed limit of 15 miles an hour for traffic.  It is a great place to walk me and the dog.  We woke up about 5 am  for Sigmon to have a bathroom break and were treated to an owl hooting and then out near the road we saw two small key type deers.  I quietly sneaked in the opposite direction so as not to interrupt their morning grazing.  The campground also has a bird santuary in honor of departed winter guests - lots of birdfeeders and ferns. It is very quiet and peacful filled with bird songs riding on gentle breezes. Gone but not forgotten.



Jekyll Island Campground Bird Santuary

 Let's see, one of my sisters loves all the funny things that happen along the way.  Laughter is a wonderful medicine.  We bought the camper with the help of Bank of the West.  It seems Bank of the West did not know us and would loan money whereas our very on bank in Boone that knows us would not loan the money.   Who knows?  I told the Boone bank it was their loss!!  So we get the camper home and all is well, Carolina Coach dealership had done a great job - it was clean , everything worked and they were even so kind as to have gotten a tag for it.  Two days before we were to leave for our first great adventure Carolina Coach called and said we needed to bring it back to them for inspection.  I said well it has a tag, it should be ok.  They said no, something was goofed up, good thing we were home, we took it to them on the way out of town and found out we were driving on an expired tag that had belonged to the gentleman who sold the unit on consignment.  (He was selling because his wife was terminal).  Now we are drivng on a 30 day tag and we were thinking we might not be home in 30 days.  I am thinking about were Garry could send our tag to us in Florida when it comes in the mail in Boone.  It was a good thing we did not know the tag was expired as I am sure I would have done something stupied and been pulled over and then how would I we have ever explained something we did not even know??



Little Cedar Creek Campground

 After the inspection stop, it was on the road to Little Cedar Creek Campground in SC (recommended by Sally).  Our first setup and thanks to automatic jacks we looked like pros.  We had practiced at our campground so we knew basically how everything worked on the camper.  We did discover that our TV satellite receiver and converter box no longer worked.  We think a wire somehow came loose during the jarring ride down I40 in NC near Clermont.  This road is awful.  Some of the tarp money should definitely have been sent for its repair.  Needless to say after finally figuring out some of the wiring system, we have wisely decided to wait until we see our friend Johnny in Florida for help.   At Johnny's suggestion we have been reading manuals on this trip and can now operate  the Bose surround system which gives us great radio.  We are surviving fine without TV but it will be nice for Bob when it is working again.



Lake at Savannah South KOA



Our second night of camping on the road was at the Savannah South KOA.  We felt right at home at the KOA and left them some of our brochures.  Hopefully someone will come our way when they read about our cool mountain summers.  This was the first time we dumped our holding tanks.  This worked like a charm thanks to Sally's instructions about dumping the black first and following with the grey to clean out the lines.  Then we ran a lot of water out of the holding tank as it tasted more like chlorine than water.   Have you noticed how much I mention Johnny and Sally in this coffee break?  They are our wonderful friends who have full timed it for about 10 years and are pros on all the stuff we need to know.  Hands on experience is different than being behind the counter at the campground.  We should have done this years ago..  Someday I will have to tell you the story of how Johnny and Sally came back into Bob's life and therefore into mine - what a blessing...



Notice the feet on this Driftwood - We call it walking driftwood!



Well I have typed for an hour and had a wonderful time sharing our beginning adventures with you.  I am hungry so I will go.  You all have a great day...I will try and add photos later. 



Bob and Sigmon showing off at a natural bench on Jekyll's



   

Bob and Sigmon enjoying a rest break!!



Giving Thanks

AT  0 degrees with howling winds making it seem more like -20 something I thought it would be a great day to chat with my coffee friends.  I slept late this morning.  The sound of the wind did not encourage me to rise and shine.  I think it is one of those days when the jet stream is right over us.  The wind sounds like a freight train.  We have an inch or so of snow.  A little snow here, a drift there, none in that spot - all depends on where the wind wants to place it on this day.  The little birds are trying to eat and the wind is blowing them around.  They are landing on the ground to get the food that is blowing out of the feeders. Also we have so many birds this morning there is not room at the feeders for all of them at the same time.  I have four regular bird feeders, a suet feeder, a sunflower seed feeder and two thistle seed feeders.  No one wants thistle seeds today.  They also have a heated water bowl and they are drinking from that.   I would guess at about 50 birds this morning.  The most birds we have had all winter.  Of course, it has been a mild winter for Boone.  We are thankful after the harshness of the past two winters.  One of my friends got me a subscription to Birds and Bloom.  What a wonderful magazine.  I highly recommend it if you love birds.

Hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas and that Santa was good to you.  He was exceptionally good to us this year.  After 38 years of owing a campground we (including the Bank of the West) now own a 2005 25ft motorhome.  Needless to say we are looking forward to some Florida time this winter.  Gee, I can have coffee with you all from Florida.  Technology is wonderful even if my phone is not smart and I do not have an ipad :).  I am the official driver of the mh - look out!!  It will be the first time I have done somethng like this so it will be a learning experience.  Quiet comical I would venture to guess.  One of my sister's says I am to write a travel log for her to read.  I wrote a couple of past adventures into logs and she has kept them for years.  She gets them out to read whenever she needs a laugh.  Be back in a minute, time to heat up the coffee and get some more of that real cream half & half.

Ok I am back with a steaming cup of well creamed coffee.  Also, a half of a banana.  I have not had breakfast yet.  I think I will have oatmeal this morning - seems like a good thing to do on such a cold morning.   I like to put bananas, yogurt, walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon in my oatmeal.  My sister likes to put peanut butter in hers for added protein.  I tried that and it is good.  Have you ever had peanut butter on you pancakes?  That is really good.  A great way to get a little extra protein if you are a vegeterian - of which I am not although I do think about it.  Bob likes meat so we usually have meat around and I eat it.  Of course I like food in general.

Did you all make a New Year's resolution?  I did - one that I can keep.  Mine is to be thank  God every day for life's blessings and to make a list of things I am thankful for each day.  By the end of the year my list should be very long.  Do you ever think of some of the things you are Thankful for?  Let's see to name just a few - I am thankful for Bob, Family (Just listing names would make for a very long list), Friends (another long list by names and you are on it), Boone KOA, Sigmund (our golden retriever), Health, Birds. Bird Food, snow, trees, wind, rain, sunshine, and the list goes own and own. I am especially thankful for each morning I wake up to another wonderful day.  Yes, this will be an easy resolution to keep.  Well, my stomach is hungry and you are probably tired of reading so its off to a bowl of oatmeal.  Take care of yourselves....your friend....Joann