Fenway Needs A Job.....

I must have mentioned the fact that Mr. Fenway Underfoot Woodard was not "up to par" the last night of our trip.....and many of my friends have responded with a little "worry" about him.

Let's just say that we dog (and cat) lovers are very sensitive to when our four-footed-family-members start to act sick. For Fenway that started the last night of our RV trip when (in the dark) I got up at 11:30 pm and stepped in something "interesting". After cleaning up what Fenway tossed up we went back to sleep....until 2:30 a.m. Sunday when we woke to another and much more "extensive" lose-your-lunch-adventure. Small space, dog bed a mess, clean up as best you can, make a new bed out of folded towels or whatever you can find and fall back into bed. 

We woke Sunday morning to head for home around Chicago and he still wasn't feeling well....no interest in breakfast and every time he drank even a little water it "came up" within about two minutes. So add to the traffic and the bumps the worry about the little guy in the back who feels sick and just contributed his last water to the blanket on my bed.

Things did not improve after getting home. We confined him to our bedroom with tarps and towels all over the carpeting.....and he just lay on the floor and shivered. Every time he would have even two or three licks of water....up it came. So about 6:00 p.m. we decided to take him to the emergency vet nearby. Two hours later we were home. The doctor gave Fenway a shot for nausea, a shot for pain in his stomach and subcutaneous fluid injection for hydration. The office gave us a bill for $240+. (Thus he needs a job!)

We all slept all night....Fenway acting like he was "tripping" on the drugs. Today he seems better and is keeping everything in his stomach where it should be. Our regular vet called to say we should watch him for a few days and keep him posted. Maybe he ate something wierd while we were not watching (I don't see how) or maybe the nausea is a symptom of something "else". Hmmmmm.....

Anyway - I appreciate my friends who read this littlel blog expressing their concern. Mr. Fenway is a huge part of our family and even though he just turned 12 we are hoping for more years of laughter-due-to-dog-silliness ahead.

Dog lovers (and cat) will understand.....

Two Weeks and Two Hundred Miles.....

September is usually the month when we take off in the RV. This year we planned a trip east to see friends and family we haven't seen in two years or more. Gee....I wonder why?

Our route took us to Athens, Ohio where we visited a grandson just starting his freshman year at Ohio University. It was wonderful to see him in his new surroundings, explore a little of the campus, share a lunch on a bench in the shade and just talk. He is so happy with his choice of school and that makes us happy too!

We then moved on to Lewes, Delaware where we connected with sailing friends from Maryland. They rented a house on the beach and we were in Henlopen State Park about a mile away....together during the day we talked, played cards, explored the town, talked and just generally enjoyed each other's company. Leaving Lewes we moved up to Old New Castle, Delaware to see a best friend. We'd met him and his wife when we lived in our historic home before our sailing adventure. This was a bittersweet visit because my best friend, his wife, died during COVID and walking into their house and not hearing her laughter or seeing that broad smile was a heartache. But seeing him was wonderful.

We drove north through New Jersey trying (unsuccessfully) to avoid NYC traffic and found a lovely state park just across the Vermont line. We happily pulled into our site and just collapsed. There is nothing relaxing about driving anywhere near NYC in a car....even more "fun" in an RV. The next day saw us pusing east to Atkinson, New Hampshire for a long overdue gathering with Dave's brother and extended family. Hugs all around and adult kids with little kids.....activity throughout their big back yard and a deliciousl barbeque dinner!

Two days with family was relaxing and passed too quickly....but he headed a little west to Hollis, New Hampshire for two nights with "The Other Lynn and Dave".  Our long-time friendship has weathered distance and now weekly dice games on Zoom. So much better in person!

That connection meant it was time to head back home.....so into the RV for three plus days of driving. Crossed the southern edges of New Hampshire and Vermont, moved quickly across New York State and hit a little of the corner of northeast Pennsylvania. Basically it was a start-driving-about-nine-in-the-morning and stop-driving-about-three-o'clock in the afternoon part of the trip. This get-back-home-part is not my favorite section of any RV trip. This one went smoothly, though, until about the last 200 miles. 

Let's just say that there are way more semi-trucks heading on "our" route and the highways are in terrible condition. Shake, rattle and roll for hours. If I ever have to help drive from Indiana around the bottom of Chicago to head north to Wisconsin again it will be too soon. And much of our Wisconsin highway system is nothing to boast about.

Glad to be home.....Dave will be checking all the nuts, bolts and screws in every door and cabinet in our rolling "home" to be sure nothing falls out or off next time we go anywhere. A nice two weeks....but a bad 200 miles.

A Dragonfly Day.....

Last night I watched a two hour special on TV - "The Women of 911". Robin Robertson interviewed about a dozen women who shared their stories of where they were that morning and how that day affected them. Some were in the buildings, others were on the street, some were first responders. It was a sadly fascinating special and it certainly brought back memories. The moments captured by photographers as the events unfolded were heartbreaking. Everyone in my generation knows exactly where they were and what they were doing on that day. For Dave and I it was an amazingly beautiful blue-sky day spent sailing Connemara eastward across Naragansett Bay toward the East River....we planned to go down the river to the Hudson to see Manhatten from our little sailboat. We had no idea what had happened the morning of 9/11 until we dropped anchor about 3:00 and Dave went to shore in the dingy for a few provisions. He came racing back and we spent the rest of the afternoon/evening glued to our small screen TV and watched in horror the replay as the Twin Towers collapsed, that black smoke rolled through the city.

Today, almost 20 years later Fenway and I went out mid-morning for a short walk.....our route took us along the creek and into a small park. It was an absolutely beautiful, blue-sky-with-puffy-white-clouds kind of Wisconsin day. Perfect weather for another dog walk. As I moved toward the creek I began to notice dragonflies....hundreds of them as I moved along. All of them were flying, none resting on any plants in order for me to grab a photo. They were zipping this way and that for whatever reason dragonflies behave this way....eating something?? Mating ritual?? All I know is that it was fun and interesting to watch them going up and down, back and forth....filling my field of vision.

Fenway and I turned for home after about 15 minutes and I watched more as we walked back to the condo.....and then I heard a plane overhead. It was probably headed in for a routine landing at the Milwaukee airport. But the sound of that jet engine above, after having just seen 9/11 re-played on television made me almost stumble.

In a flash I was thinking "that's the sound that NYC heard just before the first plane hit the first tower....and once again as plane number two made impact....and the plane that hit the Pentagon...and the one that went down in Pennsylvania."

A jet flying overhead....a pretty common background noise for many of us in many parts of the US. But today, after enjoying a beautiful dragonfly morning, the sound proved haunting. 

20 years......

Birthday Boy.....

Twelve years ago we brought this little boy home to our house in Bay View. We'd loved a wonderful boxer for almost 12 years when the kids were growing up and it broke our hearts when we had to say goodbye to Daisy. It took a long time before we were ready to get another dog, partly because of our two years afloat, but after settling in Bay View we decided the house was too quiet and we needed to add a boost of activity.

Ta da.....Mr. Fenway Underfoot Woodard moved in.

He was so small he couldn't jump up onto the sofa and we could carry him around with one arm....but he was so sweet! And for the twelve years since he's made us smile, get outside for walks, laugh and sometimes worry. He is our best buddy..... now our Frostie Bostie.

Fenway is still doing well......lots of energetic walks every day, a good appetite, playtimes and continued silliness. He's been our camping buddy for 40,000+ miles as we've explored the US and Canada in our little RV. All you have to say is "Do you want to be Camper Boy?" and his head tilts and he's ready to go. Trees to sniff and conquer in every state! He sleeps on his own bed in a corner of our room....quiet all night until the first morning walk. He loves to visit friends....especially those who have big dogs. His "social circle" includes cousins Sadie and Walter (yellow labs), River and Ember (Italian Spinones) and mixed breed Maggie, Mia the golden doodle. If we mention any of their names his head cocks once again and he's ready for the car ride!

We love our Fenway so much and sometimes look at that little greying face and think "Oh no....stop getting older!" But, for now, we sing happy birthday to him and maybe we'll be off to Starbucks for a puppachino....or the dog store to find another toy he can shred.

Mr. Fenway Underfoot Woodard.....happy birthday to you!

Just Another Morning……

Our hot humid days are in the rearview mirror for now and we are enjoying a stretch of much cooler days. This morning when Fen and I headed out at 6:45 I realized that, with the strong breeze, I should have grabbed my jeans jacket.

But we just did our normal pre-breakfast route heading toward the lakefront  and along the path. I passed several other walkers and dogs along the way….we all commented on the lovely morning!

Especially our view east……what a lovely moment.

Stopping Traffic.....

Driving along Hwy C yesterday headed toward Target for some "stuff" on my shopping list. This is a nice two lane road running past an apple orchard, some corn and soy bean fields and a few homes. I always keep my eyes roaming from right to left to watch for deer alongside getting ready to come into the road.  So looking ahead to see cars stopping in the opposite lane didn't surprise me.

As I got closer I realised it wasn't deer slowing down the traffic, it was a parade of turkeys. I didn't have my cell phone ready to take a quick shot but found this on the internet. ( It's a bigger bunch but close!) There were at least twenty birds crossing Hwy C...adults and the hatched-this-summer gang. They just made me smile....especially as the last young one rushed across to catch all the others.

I never get tired of spotting wildlife in our area.....birds and animals that have found ways to adapt to the people beginning to crowd them out. 

I will always stop for turkeys!