Puppy time!

Bandido After Several Rounds of Tennis Ball Retrieval

Roger here...  The themes of this post are cousins, 
genealogy and doggie bliss.  We spent three nights at Four Paws Kingdom outside of Rutherfordton, North Carolina.  We have stayed here twice before.  A trip back was mandatory.  Below is a picture of our large full-hook-up campsite in the tall trees.  The fenced deck on the left was ideal for our dogs (and us).  The deck opened up to a larger private fenced in area for our dogs to explore.

We were in site 26, just down the road from Dianne's cousin, Nancy, her husband, and their huskies.... Nikki and Dakota.

Dianne found a perfect place to display the camping placard that our daughter, Amanda, found for us.












The enclosed deck area was ideal for the dogs to stay outside while we were setting things up in the trailer.  The pic below shows Poquita staring at the trailer, hoping to see her mom.

It was cool when we arrived.  We are not acclimated to cool, but welcomed it.  Dianne whipped up some chili at her outdoor portable kitchen that warmed us up.

The temperature was in the high 40s the next morning.  Bandido and Poquita appreciated the blankets.

Dianne's Teensy-Weensy Trailer Tip:

The tiny trailer also comes with a tiny refrigerator.   It is adequate for a weekend trip, but not a four-month-long journey like ours.   Before we left Texas, we purchased a Yeti-knockoff cooler at our local HEB grocery store.   Knowing it would have to be stored in our hot car part of the time, I used Reflectix to make an insulating shroud for the cooler.   This helps it keep its cool!

Cousins....

Dianne's cousin, Nancy, and her husband, Jim joined us during our stay at Four Paws Kingdom.  

Jim, Nancy, Roger

Genealogy....

Speaking of Nancy.  Evidently, she is the family expert.  She brought several documents to share with Dianne concerning their shared family that Dianne devoured.

Dianne here:   Nancy really knows her stuff.  Half my family tree is easy to build because of her decades of prior work.   She showed me an article she had written about a shared ancestor that was published in a respected genealogy book!   I am so impressed by her, in every way.

Nancy is so creative.   One of my prized possessions is a genealogy fan she made for me, showing six generations of direct maternal lineage.  

Nancy's fan is identical to mine, except for the most recent two photos; hers shows herself and her mother, my Aunt Lois.

Puppy Bliss....

Four Paws Kingdom is a mecca of puppy joy.  

Only adults guests with dogs are welcome there.  There are multiple dog parks.  There is a hiking trail through the woods.  There is an amazing fenced-in pond where the dogs can swim.  It also has a gazebo for the adults.  Such fun.

Dakota and Poquita

Dakota

Let's go for a hike while mom does her genealogy stuff.

"Dad forgot to mention that they have doggie ice cream!"

After three nights in doggie paradise it was time to move on.  Next stop --- Lexington, Virginia and a little hiking.

Pet Picture of the Day...

Poquita likes my outdoor chair.  She does not seem to mind if I claim it, as long as she can sit in my lap.