Sunday Afternoon Drive

For years I drove a small pickup that had room for the driver and passenger and that was about it. This pretty much let out taking excursions with the dogs. Even one moderate size collie would take up the passenger seat and spill over into the drivers lap. There were one or two times that I would put one collie in the seat, and one in the floorboard (on pillows) for a drive to the vet or groomers--but it wasn't a pretty sight. After getting the moose, er, Boone it was pretty much a given that one dog was the maximum. Back 'in the day' when I had my first two collie girls, Hanna and Mara, and little Nicky the Pom, we did allot of adventuring around in my old AMC Concord wagon. I've really missed being able to do that, so when my old truck died, I wanted to get the extended cab version so I'd have 'options'.

Finally over a year after getting the truck, I decided to take the dogs for a Sunday afternoon drive! What fun! What work! First they had to get brushed and powdered and fluffed so they'd smell good and look pretty. Then I had to clean out my truck and put sheets all over everything. After that I had to make sure I had plastic sacks and paper towels (in case someone got sick!) and plastic ziplocs in case someone had to poo at the park. Yep, we were going to the park! Way out here in the middle of the country even.

If you take the back roads from my place there is a very well known state park about five miles away --it's a trout fisherman's paradise and quite heavily 'tourist-ed' in the summer months.

Boone hadn't been out and about since all his vet appointments the first year he was here, so it was time to let the big boy see the world. Ariel hadn't been out for years either, except to the groomers and vets. If anyone recalls the last time I loaded Boone in the truck for the vet's appointment it was a horrible ordeal trying to get him up in the seat. This time he got loaded into the extended cab area behind the seat. Just enough room for a big slobbery dogue. He did remarkabley well, and was eager to get in, with just a little help from me, so I guess he just couldn't cope with the height of the front seat. Ariel got lifted into the front seat, where she sat sprawled across hers and part of my seat--stiff as a board.

So...here we go! Buckle your seatbelt!

Ariel is a little apprehensive.....

Boone is allot apprehensive....

Headed down into the valley..see how green everything still is?

The road winds up and down the hills and hollers, heading for the river

What would be a trip to a trout fishing park be without a picture of the trout?

Here Boone and Ariel (still a little apprehensive) pose in the little rock shelter that sits over the river

After a short, but successful stroll in the park we head back home

I love how this tree arches over the road

Boone was wiped out, and had to take a dip in the pool when we got home

Ariel was ready to go again!

All in all it was a good trip, short and sweet, without too many stresses for sheltered dogs! I picked an area of the park that had very few people (hard to find), so that we were able to just unload, wander about, and then head back to the truck. I hope to be able to do trips like this more often, particularly as the weather cools and fall sets in. The dogs will get more relaxed and it'll become more enjoyable for them. Next time we might even pick a spot with people.