Archive:
Travels of Faith
May 2024

We did not rush out of the hotel. Champ hadn’t drunk water or eaten food overnight, and when we went outside… he threw up again. Vet time? I ate yogurt and Special K, and gave Champ a good dollop of yogurt. Initially he ignored it – but when I gave him the remains of my bowl, and pointed out the one for him after, much yogurt was consumed. Fingers crossed, see if it stays down. I went to a dollar store and got a small thing of dish detergent, and went to Tractor Supply in search of activated charcoal. They had none, but they did have seresto tick collar, which I got for Champ – because SO MANY TICKS. I think he gets in the water too much for the topical stuff to work.

Back at the motel, I gathered my dirty sheets and took the mattress cover off. I discovered the laundry needed quarters, and there was no machine. I decided since I wanted multiple loads anyway (Champ’s bed, sheets, clothes) I’d head down to the laundromat a few blocks away. Checked out of the motel, and headed to said laundromat. They had a cash to quarters machine – I had $20 bills. Success. While the laundry was running, I went outside and wrote some journal entries.

Post laundry completion, off we go! About 11am by now. Champ seems to be keeping the yogurt down, so maybe he’s good? First stop – Moe’s. I got a burrito, and a side of white chicken for the pup. I started by giving him just a little, but he knew I had more and started sticking his nose under my arm. Being a sucker – I gave in and Champ got more. Next stop, dog park in Ava, OK, en route to Santa Fe.

Beautiful dog park, very big and with trees for shade. While we were there, a lady with two dogs came in. We got to talking – her name was Brandy, and one dog was a husky mix, the other a recent beagle rescue. Probably talked for an hour and a half, it was great conversation. Brandy has started her own business, and is working on more, including an animal welfare adventure. The conversation was very inspiring. We talked a bit about ideas Robin & I have, and the pluses and minuses of owning one’s own business. Of course, also discussed dogs and training. Brandy suggested I check out Sulphur, OK – some good paths, a few springs. Also another park in Ava, Winter something – but by the time I left, it was 1pm, so I decided to skip that.

Sulphur was maybe 45-60 minutes south, and we arrived with good time to hike. Stopped in at the visitor center, and a helpful lady showed us where to park for the Little Niagara walk, and the other spot for the multi-use trails. Little Niagara was a 2 mile out and back. The parking lot had a road out that was blocked, because trees were downed from tornado damage and repairs were in progress. There was one spring we found, water seemed not too rotten egg tasting in that one. The river we followed was nice, the path wide and well used. Turns out, little Niagara is very little – and mostly used as a swimming spot. Champ was oohed and aahed over by a family, and we turned back. I took a picture of a cactus and sent it to my uncle Bruce, about how close I was to Arizona. He asked me if I was going to visit my aunt Elizabeth (first cousin once removed). Forgot to write in the 5/30 journal, but I’d left a message for her brother, Bill about visiting and not gotten a response, so the plan was to pass through OK. However, Bruce gave me Elizabeth’s number, and she texted back immediately! I will be visiting Walters. But not yet, hike time!

Getting to the next hike, we briefly stopped in a parking lot to view the recent tornado damage. Not as destroyed looking as I’d expected from what Brandy had said, but still significant number of trees and bushes showing their roots. Parked on the side of the road next to the trail, and off we go. Saw no other people on this, and it was not used significantly. Champ went off leash, and we had a nice, very sunny and fairly hot. Lots of flowers, including some flowering cacti! Phone service was in and out. I got a good view of an armadillo. Elizabeth and I texted, and then she called. Decided to go there that night.

After the hike, headed to Walters. Arrived at 8:20, and went into my aunt’s bakery (on her farm). Really cool place! I met Elizabeth in person, and her husband Bob. Elizabeth made me a delicious beef sandwich. Champ discovered that the bakery is an amazing place where he gets lots of delicious snacks. We all chatted for a while, and then headed to the main house. They have 4 dogs - Champ had a bad first meeting with Urbie (really cute pitbull) and Maggie (very energetic golden doodle mix). Annie was probably fine, but since they were all together it didn’t matter. Cache had been at the bakery, but they generally kept Cache separate anyway. So! Keeping Champ separate from the overly energetic.

I met Great Uncle Bill for the first time. We talked for a while, and Urbie got all the pets. Maggie brought me socks and toys and got pets as well. Went to bed around 10:30.

Quiet, nice, secluded spot to wake up. I lazed about reading for a couple hours, and we got moving about 9. Aiming for Winding Staircase trailhead, which was back to Albert Pike and then 2 miles up another road. About a mile into the road, some backpackers are on either side of the trail. One of them flags me down, and asks if I know how long it is to some trailhead. No service, but GPS and google maps works well enough – looks like it is 10 miles as the crow flies back through the woods to where their car is parked. Ed’s feet aren’t going to survive that, so I offer a ride. The other two in his party hike on to Albert Pike, while Ed gets in and we drive thirty minutes to his jeep. Great conversation the whole way. They all work for the same company, in Mississippi and near Memphis. Last year, their boss flew them to the grand tetons for a five day trip, but insisted on a day hike of 27 miles. Took 14 hours. Figured from that experience, could do a nice backpack, but started the downhill side and still had the uphill route to go. Ed insisted on giving me $45 for helping. I said it was too much, and he said to trust him – it was worth at least that much. Okay! We both drove back to Albert Pike, I waved to his friends and then carried back up to that hike I wanted to do.

Champ and I got on the trail, and very quickly hit a creek crossing. We continued on, clear trails for a bit, but then they turned into overgrown trails… a few backtracks, and we eventually hit a point we couldn’t pass, unless we went in the river (too deep for Champ there) or a dangerous rock edge (maybe I could, but not trying with Champ). So we finally gave up, only a mile in, after not reaching the scenic view point shown on the map. Right before the river crossing, we heard some people. As we passed them, last minute I turned around and asked if they knew about the scenic point – and that is where they were headed! Had been there before, and two trails existed – the low one, which was really for horses and required going in the river. Probably what Champ and I took. & the high one, that went up onto the cliff we had been at the bottom of. Champ and I joined up with the family – Raymond, Becca, Thomas, and more. Turned in a great time – the conversation was fun, the trail was much clearer, and Thomas knew a lot about plants and wildlife. Everyone was from nearby, Louisiana and surrounding, but Thomas & Becca live in Honduras now and are missionaries there. En route out I spotted a gray, large snake – King snake, non-poisonous. Champ found a few squirrels. We got to a river crossing that Champ was looking at saying “too deep!” – Thomas carried him across. Champ very nicely stayed still the entire crossing, barely twitching. Thanks! The scenery was great, some caves to look at, variety of flowers and plants.

We reached the scenic point, “Blue Hole”, which is also a deeper part of the river where you can swim. I ate lunch before getting in. Champ was not happy with the swimming aspect and stood watch the whole time, regal atop his ledge. We swam about, tried to find the deepest spot (estimate about 12 feet), and watched the fish splash. A really lovely afternoon. Rain threatened but faded, and shortly after we headed back. En route back, there were a few armadillos! I didn’t get any good looks, but didn’t even know that was something I should look for in the area. Armadillo was always an “I know it exists, but not in my world” animal, and never crossed my mind as something I’d see in Arkansas. Turns out, Champ doesn’t care about armadillo, even if they waddle away from him if he goes close. Good job Champ.

Hiking on the ledge, Thomas somehow spotted a water moccasin way down in the river, lying on a rock. So cool! The correct distance to see a poisonous snake from. Great conversation continued, and we got back to the first water crossing. I was taking my shoes off, and Champ was kind of crossing, when someone called out a cottonmouth snake hiding under a rock right nearby. Shoes back, hopped up, crossed quickly and made sure Champ stayed away. Hike ended shortly after – I ran back into the woods briefly to pick up a poop bag from early on the hike, but it was gone. Back at the car, a downpour was threatening – said goodbye. Becca asked to pray with me, and right after that I jumped into the car – seconds before the rain came. Excellent timing! What a great day.

Drove out of the park and got to a highway, stopping for gas and some food about ten miles away. Decided to aim for Walters, OK – wouldn’t reach it tonight, but that is about where my great uncle lives. We crossed into OK pretty quickly, and service on the phone was… terrible. Maps weren’t working, so I was doing directions by looking at the map and deciding what routes looked best – the old fashioned way. During this, Champ threw up on my bed – and it soaked right through the sheets. I pulled over and washed them – Champ ate the throw up I dumped on the ground, gross. Now I had wet sheets… Champ threw up again, but this time he moved the towel I put down and hit the mattress cover. He also fell down the side of the bed, what a sad boy. Motel tonight, with all my bedding so wet. Passed through Clayton, OK – cool! Looks like a nice lake and campground there, but we just briefly stopped in a parking lot to try getting maps to work with the service. Sherriff pulled up within a minute and asked if I needed help. I said I was good. My maps still weren’t working, but texting was and Kallie helped me find a Motel 6 to stop at in Atoka. We got in about 9:15, checked in, and shortly went to sleep.

Yogurt and fruit breakfast, and then we went down the hill to part of the Lake Ouachita Vista trail, starting at Homestead Trailhead. Technically, if I wanted to hike long enough, connected to what we had done the night before. As is in the name, this trail was mostly along the lake – and it was beautiful. The fog was still over the lake. We saw one person in a dinghy sized boat, but otherwise very quiet. Flat, easy trail so we did a decent amount of running – but my legs were a little tired, so not the whole thing. Pulling out the running pack makes a huge difference to how much I’m willing to run… For better or worse. We did go pass one campground, but it was quiet at the 8am hour and I saw zero people.

Needed to get out of this area of the park, because it was clearly to built up around the lake. I read that Albert Pike was a nice area, and headed that way. Following google’s directions, we ended up on a dirt road – gorgeous. Until we hit a flooded part with a downed tree on the other side… Turn around! Looking at the map I found an alternate route – also dirt road, joined up with the original, but after the downed tree issue. Added 30-40 minutes, but the driving was great so that’s okay. Followed along the Little Missouri. At Albert Pike, there was a really nice bathroom and campground facility – except no camping anymore, because many people died there in a flash flood 10+ years ago. No cell service anywhere nearby. We parked, and went over to the rec area where kids were swimming in the river. No dogs on the beach, per the sign. I talked to a lady for a while. Karen – she lives in the Ark-La-Tex area, and her family has a cabin at Albert Pike so they come up regularly. Karen is a grandmother. She has 1200 acres – we talked a bit about farming, and guard dogs she recently got when she bought sheep for the first time. Many discussion topics. I chilled with her for an hour or two. Then I went off to hike – Karen recommended a trail at the back of the lot I had parked in. We also got Karen’s number, and she offered for us to stay at her cabin. My plan was to carry on, since it was early and supposed to rain the next day. Champ and I took this advice, and were very happy about it. Did about 6 miles out and back style. Stopped for lunch at a nice clearing overlooking the river. Got lost very briefly, and saw a backpacker at the same time – saved him from following that route! We split off for lunch, but then saw him again – turns out the left turn we both thought was trail, actually wasn’t.

Champ led us a little off path, which was fine – it looked like a once ATV trail overgrown. Mistake in that – tick city right there. Found that out later. It ended and I took us into the river, walking upstream. Champ was not sure about this – he had led us that way, but for a brief wade, not to actually hike in it. However, Champ made it through for a while! Mostly sticking to the side. Rejoined land, and eventually got back to the trail. Officially crossed the river and went a little further before turning around. Stuck to the real trail on the way back – did see the backpacker had set up his tent, probably when it had briefly rained.

Went back to the rec area after the hike, and Karen was no longer there – but her daughter was. I sat in the river (in a chair, so just my legs getting wet) and read for a bit. After getting out, I had a great conversation with Karen’s daughter. Talked about the foster system and adoptions and IVF, along with other topics. Probably for an hour or so. I ate some snacks, and then went to leave the park. Via the paved road that was on the other side of the forest, so google hadn’t sent me down it. Much easier on the car though.

When we got to cell service, I found out – the rain was no longer predicted to happen! Decided to turn around. Went back down the dirt road over a mile past Albert Pike, because no overnight parking before then, and found a great little camp area. I pulled ticks of Champ as I found them, and made dinner. As it got dark Champ went on high alert. We could hear lots of owls. The fan lasted the whole night on low speed, but would have been nicer if the windows were open (bear fears, kept them closed).

Kicked off about 6am, driving across Mississippi. First stop at a dog park in Memphis, Tennessee – our only stop in Tennessee. Saw the Mississippi river! We had to make a decision about Ouachita National Forest vs Ozarks by Little Rock. Decided – Ouachita, since it is more dog friendly and less populated according to the web. Buffalo River in the Ozarks is the most beautiful, but not very dog friendly, so Champ had opinions.

In Hot Springs, we went for a 4 mile hike. These trails were in the middle of a (small) city, so everything was very well defined. Not too much pavement, so that was nice. Champ found some little creeks he could lie down in, and the view point was decent. We did not try the hot springs… A decent stop, better than I expected when we started up.

From here, driving into Ouachita was beautiful! Not sure which part to go to, I aimed for Lake Ouachita. Turns out, a lot of boats and lights on the lake. The second campground we saw, looked to busy. We stopped for lunch, but then continued to Hickory Nut campground. This was free, primitive (toilets), and much higher. Perfect! Had a view of the lake through the trees. After a brief stop, jumped back in the car and went to Hickory Nut Viewpoint. Great view. Looked like an old road/atv trail down the other side, so Champ and I took a hike. Not a good trail… I may be biased because I slipped in the mud and bruised my shin (still very visible a week later). We turned around, and did a total of 1.4 miles.

Back to the campsite, and did the trail from there. Much better! The trail itself is point to point, 4 miles to the next trailhead, but we cut it short and did a 6 mile out and back. Run/walk combo. I finally pulled out my running pack with the 1.5 liter camelbak, instead of using my other backpacks. Much easier to run with. The first part had gravel/rock that was annoying under your feet, but when you got down the hill it was quite nice. Beautiful scenery, didn’t see any bears (thank goodness), followed a creek for a while. Since we left at 6, and sunset at 8:20, I wanted to be back before that, even though I brought a flashlight. Not a problem, we were in by 7:30. I made pasta for dinner (and a plate for Champ), and then we settled in for the night. Windows all the way up because bears are strong and can push them down if they are cracked.

Beautiful view to wake up to. Eventually got out a bit before 7, and went to do the 8 mile Conecuh lake loop. We were a bit away from the lakes/ponds on the trail, so I let Champ off leash. Saw some squirrels, passed some ponds, sandy beach type forest. We passed the second pond, and I kept Champ out of the water. Third pond, he said “I’m going!”. The 80 degrees + humid trumped Faith saying stay out. Got out of the water, we kept going, and less than a minute later he went back in. I saw a twitch in the water, and maybe 30 feet from Champ there was an alligator. I freaked out internally and urgently called Champ out, which he came. The alligator didn’t really move, other than looking that way, and Champ is in theory bigger than they would normally go after… but still, adrenaline high and ahhhh. Champ went on leash as we passed the rest of that pond (quickly) and the next pond.

We got into more swampy woods, and away from the ponds. Champ went off leash again. There were some creeks Champ went in, and a little pool. Very clear water. I also love the trees in the middle of water scenery. Some of the trail was a bit flooded and muddy, but not much. You could see where the whole area would flood, because leaves on the ground were all grey. Probably not a fun hike without boots after a rain. Luckily, I had good timing! The far end of the trail you got to a river (or a creek), which was gorgeous. Followed that for a bit before heading back. Walked through sandy pines that had clearly burned at some point. At the ponds section, some guy was fishing on one of the further in ponds. A lot of the campground was cleared out, but not all! Primitive side was completely empty save me. Let Champ cool off in the water (very aware looking for alligators).

Champ and I settled in, expecting rain. Did some training, especially working “get back” and “lie down”. Made food. I got my computer out and did some writing. A family came in, looked like they were there for the day but it was in the camping section. Little kid was taken swimming, bigger kid and the granddad went fishing, someone was cooking hot dogs. Looked lovely. The heat kept increasing, bleh.

I decided around 2pm that I need something to cool off, like… ice cream! But a search didn’t reveal and ice cream closer than 20 minutes. I decided to abandon ship and move on. By this point I also made the decision to abandon New Orleans, because the weather looked miserable, and head north towards the Ozarks. Just as the decision was made, it started to rain! Very short rain though. Also, a lady and a guy in a truck pulled up to check my camping registration. I talked to her for a bit – got the down low on the alligators. Apparently when an alligator gets to be 6-8 feet long, it will be relocated. This is about the size they start getting aggressive. People swim in the ponds all the time, despite the alligators, and have no problems except the guy who lost an arm and a dog after he was harassing an alligator. Don’t molest the alligator.

Drove away. About 30 minutes later, found Smallcakes Andalusia. Delicious chocolate icecream! Champ enjoyed the vanilla. We also found an REI en route, where I returned the bucket toilet (unused) and bought bear spray. Ate dinner at a chicken & beer place. We kept on until about 9pm, with a stop at a gas station/dog park combo. Upon entering Mississippi, we stopped for the night at the welcome area – security! The security guard walked by while we were parking, and again ten minutes later. Had a nice chat with him, he greeted Champ. Told me Hot Springs, Arkansas – the water was healing. Tested out the window reflectors (success!), and made a few mistakes (parking on the highway side/near the trucks instead of far side of the building).

Slow morning. I woke up at 6am, as usual. Rose & Henry were still sleeping despite me hearing an alarm go off, and Champ seemed to want a lazy morning/pet time, so I got my computer out and did some writing. Around 8am got some movement from Champ - & Henry 0. I did some packing & cleaning (made the bed). Shower was available, and I took advantage. Rose got up a bit later, and we were out the door around 9:15 for the planned waffle house breakfast. This waffle house asked a lot more questions than I was used to, like what type of jelly I wanted! Normally they just bring a smattering.

Post breakfast, brief stop at the house. Picked up the dogs and headed into town. Henry and Rose showed me the theater and the historical district and some other parts of Columbus, and we parked Alabama side of the Chattahoochee and walked onto the bridge. Me, wearing a Jesus Loves You hat, because I didn’t bring one and that was available – I found this amusing. A few things happened over a period of time on the bridge: (1) We looked at the Chattahoochee, which was a bit lower than usual. (2) Champ barked at a lot of swallows. (3) My phone fell out of my pocket, and I had taken the case off, and of course the screen cracked – only the lower corner, but sad. (4) Champ got a lot of compliments.

On the drive back we passed through Flat Rock park, where people were playing in the water (not the lake, but on the rocks). Looks like a nice park. Then, nap time! For almost an hour. Left Champ alone and went to Walmart – turns out it was just the grocery type, not a super center. Still got some supplies. Packed the rest up, and time to go.

Decided quickly to stop and walk along the Chattahoochee – ten minutes of driving later, we were getting out and I realized I’d left my leash at the house. Took Champ with the running leash instead, and we walked about 2.5 miles. Champ made several stops in the river to drink and cool off. Path was paved, cool breeze was very nice (could have used cooler, but I’ll take it). Back to the house, grabbed the leash, and aim towards Cape San Blas, maybe stopping on the way.

Decided on a stop at Fort ???, near a state park. About an hour away I added a Walmart super center stop, and picked up a fan. I also made the decision to abandon the beach plan, and rerouted to Conecuh National Forest. Later stopped at a gas station, and two kids in their F150 XL were blasting music, the guy was helping his friend load a cooler with ice. Probably high schoolers, but I can’t tell age. Drove away smoking what looked like a cigar. Those youth. Pretty sure his car was leaking something.

Arrived in Conecuh, and there are plenty of primitive camping sites! Initially I picked one secluded in the forest, but everyone seemed pretty quiet so I switched to a pond-side one. $8 per night, but I only had twenty dollar bills, and planned for two nights. Keeping Champ out of the pond, because there may be (are) alligators. Sad Champ. The signs said “do not feed or molest the alligators”, and that they rarely attack humans unprovoked because we’re big. People do use the pond for swimming. Many people were fishing.

Wandered a bit, and then cooked on the stove for the first time, pasta w/ cheese, meatballs, and spinach. Worked great. Tried to do some AC unit planning, but the time frame had changed and I don’t know how UPS Access Points work, so… I gave up and went to sleep around 10. It was very hot – I had the fan on Champ, batteries lasted until at least 3am. Every once in a while I woke up, and put water on him to help cool him off. Too warm. Even with windows open except mosquito nettings, not enough of a breeze either. I think maybe I should get full door netting, and less tightly knit so air gets through more easily.

What a quiet night! Much better sleep. Woke up a little after 5, and pet Champ for a bit. Then decided not to bother making breakfast. Was unsure of my plans, and started driving towards what might be a trail – turns out it wasn’t – before pulling over with service and deciding to head back to Lake Chinnabee and hiking to the shelter from the other direction. A nice fellow stopped to make sure I was okay (6:40am). Back to the lake parking area! Started the hike. Passed two people with a fire, and two more looked like they were trying to build one. About half a mile in, found the true swimming area. A mile in, heard rumblings from the sky, but persisted. Some runners passed us going the other direction, and we saw a few other people. Champ, as always, very popular. About mile 2.5 we hit the shelter, and turned back. Very soon after that, the light dimmed and it began to drizzle. Regrets – I decided to wear my glasses. The humidity meant they were fogging up, plus we did some interspersed jogging so they slid off my face, and then the rain hit and really not useful. Oh well! I took them off.

We passed a group jogging, and the rain picked up a bit. The runners passed us as well, and one smart person with a poncho. Got very wet. Jog/walked back. The trail had many puddles, but the flash flood warnings luckily didn’t apply for this short storm. Grabbed towels from the car, and dried off a bit under a sign. Moved things around so I’d have a little space not on beds, and dried off more/changed in the car. Nixed the plan to hang in the park and make oatmeal, driving off instead. A mile later, the rain was gone… Oh well! Mapped towards Cape San Blas, the route going close to Columbus, GA (my actual destination). Stopped at an overlook before we left Talladega, where I took pictures and spent some time on my phone (internet!). Bonnie’s parents were in Columbus, so getting in touch with them to see if they’d like a visit. Also turns out my dad used to live there and play in the Chattahoochee river!

Turns out, not that far to Columbus from Talladega. En route, stopped for gas, and decided I wanted to do a bit more hiking. Found a state park (name, ?). Just as I decided to go to the park, downpour. Everyone on the highway has their hazards on, I almost pulled over for visibility type of rain. I’m committed, hopefully the rain is a passing summer storm. Still raining as I get to the park ($4 entry fee), so I sit in my car and read for a bit. The rain fades away, time to make lunch! Post lunch, people are swimming in the lake and there is a diving dock. I aim to do the lake loop (2 miles). Following Falls View trail, we get to a dam & some falls. On my own, I could cross, but with Champ the boulder hopping required is a no go. Kids are playing in the water. We switch takes and go for the trails nearby, which look crazy on a map due to all the switchbacks.

The trails are in fact a bit crazy, but mostly nice and wooded. I do some cutting off to make it a 3 mile instead of 5-11 mile hike, because it is hot… Champ finds multiple gross looking water sources to lay in, so he is fine. On the way back, reaching the lake, woah! The water level has ridden, the dock now has a layer of water over it. I pull into a little elevated picnic area to read. Champ questions this, but goes along with it. I didn’t even notice the water level still rising until someone walked by 20-30 minutes later and took their shoes off to get through – we were hemmed in by water. I jumped the railing so I could keep my feet dry, Champ didn’t worry about it.

One hour further driving, hello Henry & Rose! They live in a cute, safe neighborhood. Champ gets along fine with Annie, their small dog. We chat, play in the yard a bit, etc. Steak takeout dinner, while they’re out getting it I took Champ and did some training/individual time. Hiking is good, but Champ always wants more. During dinner we watched Atlas, a new movie starring Jennifer Lopez. I enjoyed it, though more time in action scenes than I needed. I also tried ordering a portable AC unit to New Orleans, but turns out it was too big for Amazon Locker pickup. Boo. Package receiving people seemed to need an account setup. I gave up for the night, and went to bed.

After waking up a few times during the night… because of the neighbor’s extremely loud generator and flood light… We still got a decent start (central time). Ate some yogurt with raspberries, packed snacks and water for Champ and myself, and went for the 9 mile loop. Which for some reason in my brain was 8 miles, but I figured it out eventually. About mile 7.

The trail was Chinnabee Silent Trail -> Odum Trail -> Cave Creek -> Pinhoti -> Chinnabee Silent Trail. Not too steep, well defined most of the way. Dogs off leash allowed in the National Forest, except by campgrounds and established rec areas. Starting early on, we found many downed trees that we had to bushwack around. Champ actually got stuck once, caught in thorny vines and a branch in the harness. Faith to the rescue! We found one creek early – assume Champ lay down in every creek he could – and one little mud section he decided to play in. The intersection of trails was also a camp site, so we took a short break. I wasn’t sure how well Champ would do as he is getting older, so enforced rest!

Carrying on, we got to the high point of elevation and had a nice flat section. No views, as everything was treed in. A couple of toads! Stopped for another break – Champ did not drink any water. 2 minutes of walking after the rest, we found a good sized creek – which Champ chugged water from. Maybe it tastes better? Along the way also saw various mushrooms, which I have not identified.

I’m following Champ on trail, and he’s walking normally, when suddenly I realize I am stepping over a snake! Startled me, but I was already mid-step so I passed it and then turned around to look. It was across the whole trail, 2-3 feet long, head slightly elevated, and not moving at all. No twitch. I didn’t get close just in case, but snagged a picture before carrying on. Didn’t see any snakes in Australia, but easy to find in the US!

Soon after the snake, we found a red toad – cool! We got to some rocky sections, which Champ isn’t the happiest with. I missed the turn off onto Pinhoti trail, but got lucky and looked at the map a bit later when I felt we were off trail. Going back to the intersection, there was a small elevated sign that blended in, and the trail itself was overgrown. Easy to miss. After pretty good trail except for fallen trees, the overgrown on what I thought was the main trail in the park was surprising. We did get a couple good views on this section. Champ also scared up some wild turkeys, who flew over my head in their escape. Eventually we got back to Chinnabee Silent Trail and headed back to Turnipseed Campground. I enjoyed watching Champ as we got to trees – he would remember the path we took around it the first time, and instead of stopping and evaluating the best way to pass the tree (also cool to watch) like Champ did on the way up, he would immediately retrace our footsteps. We saw zero people on this trail!

The plan was to find a nice shady parking area with service and rest for a couple hours, but – finding service was not easy. I ended up driving a long loop (nice A/C time). Tried for high trail – but the road to it was dirt. There were two hounds at the entrance, who followed us until we turned back (didn’t want to get stuck if the road got worse). Seemed friendly but we didn’t test it. Gave up on shade + service, and went back to Chinnabee parking lot. Hung about until the car with my computer out, but was not inspired. Started heating up, so we went the other direction on the trail, towards Cheaha falls. At the falls (very minor), Champ took a bath, and then I sat down to read. Champ wandered a bit, but wasn’t really into the break. Kept going on the path, until we found a shelter. Turned back shortly after. We met a few people on trail, one couple said they’d gone from the other direction to devil’s falls the day before. Wasn’t sure what that meant. Everyone loved Champ! Kept going to the campground for a bathroom stop.

Back at the car, decided to drive down the road the trail had crossed over. Didn’t want to stay at Turnipseed again. A few cars had been parked. A few minutes later we saw some side of the road by a creek car campers. Turning left at the end of the road, we got to a “Lake Chinnabee Rec Area” – why not check it out! Only 4pm so far, plenty of light left. $3 day use fee, no overnight allowed. A few cars, and saw teens and families coming back from swimming. Lots of comments and how beautiful my dog was. We wandered a short while, and found a nice spot to go in the water. Clearly not the swimming spot, but I dunked my head. A little to deep for Champ, he didn’t want to cross. Back at the parking lot, found a picnic area. I did some training with Champ and then reading while I scattered treats for him to sniff. About 5:30 grabbed supplies to make a wrap from the car (wrap, hummus, feta, carrots, tomato, cucumber) and brought them back to the picnic spot, along with Champ’s food with meatball topping. Mmm, delicious.

About 6:30, used the bathroom and left to find a place to sleep. Quickly found a nice spot off the side of the road! Setup the bug nets. I had iffy service, mostly none. Gave up on that quickly, and switched to writing journal entries for two weeks back, before going to sleep about 9.

Hanging out at Grandma Joan's.... To do.

Written 9.24, so we'll see what details I remember.

May 14th

A non-productive morning for me... But we did get some productivity with an RC car! Or more accurately, we had a lot of fun with Champ and the RC car. He reacts very strongly to it. Hung out with Grandma when she was awake. Played some bocce with her, using my very lightweight travel kit. My mom also took the bed that I had cut the foam down but needed the sewing part of the cover done - and finished it. Much more productive than me! In the evening, I started going through fridges. Was discussing with Dad via text, he was pro a fridge/freezer combo. I decided against that, seemed unnecessary. Decided late, about 10pm, between the two I was looking at - and then changed my mind. Ended up couldn't cancel the first, so both were being shipped. I wanted the Explorer Bear due to fit and simplicity. Finally went to bed about 11:20.

I also during the day watched multiple hallmark movies... can't help it. That was what Grandma (or the caretakers) had on TV, and I can't help but concentrate on it when I'm in there. Cousin Katie and her dog Jerry came by in the afternoon and we hung out.

May 15th

7am, lets go to Kennesaw mountain! Mom, Champ and I went to hike the mountain. Its about a mile up, two miles round trip. Mom used to do it regularly, but since some health issues earlier this year hasn't been much. Couldn't find her park pass, I paid the $5 by phone. We had a great hike up, though the view was a bit obscured - looked kind of smoky. Mom and I switched off leash duty on the way up so she could benefit from the Champ pull. Happy everyone. We also, later in the morning, went to Woofstock (dog park in Woodstock with a great name) and met up with Mom's friends and their dogs. Baby Cakes - tiny yorkie missing an ear, and Crazy Eddy - a bit bigger but still tiny. I didn't do a lot on the van, but I did get the solar working! New controller that could handle the 360w solar panel came in. First smoke of the project- the inverter I brought from Massachusetts was bust. Hooked it up to the load part of the controller, and all the smoke. Headed out to Harbor Freight and got an inverter. The first one I got was big and a little excessive... Most importantly it needed some 2 awg cable which I did not have. I brought it back and picked up a littler one instead that would cover my needs... and had its own cables! Plus cheaper. Got home and realized I'd missed returning one part, but they were closed now so would have to wait until the next day. Had everything hooked up by 8:30. Only did the wrong battery vs solar input locations once, and only flipped the direction on the battery once (in my defence, the controller ordering of battery vs input pos/neg is flipped and I didn't realize initially). Wait until tomorrow to see if it charges successfully! The app was working, but no sun to charge.

May 16th

Vet appointment for Champ this morning! Needed updated blood tests (looked fine, one a little off but it fluxes regularly, and the uncertain one from December was fine). I was going to get a Lyme vaccine, but he would a booster in 3 weeks - we were not going to be around. This time, we did not get Champ a Lyme vaccine.

Solar panel charging is working! Looks good. I did do some kitchen area designing, now that I had a fridge size determined. Drew some things on paper, and headed to Home Depot to do some scouting. I purchased a minor amount of wood to use as blocks to hold the fridge in place. Came home, Mom or Crystal (caretaker for Grandma) suggested using on of the nurse bucket things as a sink - I looked at others, but did not find any that would fit the space well. Designed a kitchen using Onshape, an online CAD software. Gave myself a little space on the bed side for a headboard cubby. Back to home depot! Trying to figure out the plumbing, had what Dad had bought and got some new ones. Plus wood for the kitchen area. Katie was coming again - I went to go home, and the car was not starting... uh-oh. Called Katie and she came to Home Depot to rescue me instead. We could not get the jumpstart to work from her car - it is a hybrid, but we did find the theoretical spots to hook up the jumper cables. In the end, I actually jumped it off one of my "house" batteries from the back. Second time for smoke - accidentally hooked +/- up backwards the first attempt to jump that way, whoops. No permanent damage done, just a little bit of discoloration on the connector.

Made it home, anyway. Hung out with everyone. Katie and I went on a walk around the lake with Champ and Jerry.

May 11 – Drive to NC

After a restless night, having cleaned more before bed, I woke up at… 5:30. Thanks body. Wrapped up the packing and the cleaning (boring stuff), and headed off at 8am! Expected 9 hours of drive time not including rest stops. En route I listened to “Drinking from the Toilet”, a dog training podcast. I also talked with people and listened to music. We stopped only once! For food & gas. I also took a short nap, and of course let Champ wander about. At long last, close to 6pm, we arrived in Asheville, NC (or a town just outside).

Hello Aimee! Post drive, let Champ out, brought some stuff into Aimee’s apartment, and then went down the street for dinner. After dinner we took Champ out for some soccer & training time, since he’d had a relatively boring day. Then sleep time – tired Faith.

May 12 – Asheville, NC

Wake up in the morning, feeling like – the dog park! 7am on a Sunday was not hopping. Just Aimee, Faith, and Champ. The park itself was quite nice – shade trees, grass/dirt floor, and a few holes dogs had added. We did some training, and a bit of running around. Only tripped on a few holes. The drive to the park was beautiful! Blue ridge parkway area. From there we went straight to breakfast – and recalled that it was Mother’s Day. Relatively busy for 9am on a Sunday. I think the place was “The Crossing”. Food was good, and they let Champ walk through the restaurant to get to the patio.

Next stop – the NC Arboretum. Which had some May “Blooms” event going on , so there were extra flowers everywhere. We started on wooded trails, which I enjoyed, and ended with the flowers. The Bonsai trees were out – no dogs allowed, so I met Aimee at the bottom. Then a guy working invited me and Champ in despite the “no dogs” sign. I think it was Champ’s excellent behavior while we waited. The fellow also talked a bit on how the trees here weren’t following all the traditional Japanese practices and such. He also made a “joke” about not letting Champ damage the $15000 trees as we walked through…

It was a nice Bonsai exhibit. Back to more flowers! There is a “quilt” garden – when viewed from above, you can see the quilt pattern more easily. We also got a lot of great pictures of Champ, and compliments on behavior when I’d have him stay and move away for the picture.

After the arboretum, recharge time. AKA – back to the apartment. We made pigs in a blanket from the supplies I had cleaned out of my freezer, and I took a nap. Lounged and read a bit – Aimee was reading a series that turns out, I’d read a parallel series to in 2021. So I started the one Aimee told me about. At some point we rallied and went to a set of trails (and a disc golf course!). Almost on arrival I saw an off leash dog, so took that as a good sign for Champ off-leash time. Except when passing other dogs/people, or anywhere close to a frisbee. Champ makes it really easy by stopping and turning around to check in with me when he spots people coming towards us. The trails ended up being quite nice – they were named by color, and we mostly were on the red trail. Found a few creeks for Champ to lie down in. If I lived around there, those trails would be a go-to morning run. Richmond Hill, I think – will need to check when I have service…

Return to the apartment, and after a rest and change, headed into Asheville for dinner. We wandered the streets for a bit, before coming back to a burger place. I’d say, reasonable burgers for a good price. A few other places I’d be interested in trying next time I’m in Asheville.

Post dinner, we started an owl puzzle. The edge was cut to outline the owls! Very non-traditional. Our split of edge pieces vs not was… very bad, even with the “maybe edge piece” pile we had going. In parallel with the puzzle, strawberry apple rhubarb crisp was made. Mmm, delicious. A lovely night. Kaze, the cat, really wanted on the table. Kaze had gradually been growing bolder, coming closer to Champ over the day. The interactions were fairly cute – Champ was semi-protective of me, but has a baseline of respect for cats so initially let the approaches happen before growling a bit. Kaze eventually ignored Champ enough to jump on me and stab my pants, ouch! We moved him over to Aimee, where he wrapped around her shoulders. A very cuddly cat. We stayed up later than intended on the puzzle, but got to bed at about 10:45. I didn’t even stay up late reading!

May 13th

Morning puzzle time! No way would we finish. I loaded my car, and then puzzled with Aimee until she left for work, leaving alongside. Random aside: made it through the whole weekend without seeing her roommate. Felt a little weird, like was I intruding on the roommate’s patterns? Oh well!

I first hit a bakery, and then headed towards Georgia. I took the route close to the Appalachian Trail, and turns out the hike I picked was right at the NOC – for anyone who knows what that is. We did a total of 6 miles as an out and back. Less than two miles in, I did an ankle twist – ouch. Probably should have turned around, but thought I could walk or jog it off. Didn’t feel too bad. Walked with occasional jog, beautiful area. Talked to a few people on trail, one guy named Fro who was 3-4 weeks in to his thru-hike. Somehow missed getting rained on – the drops started as we were getting into the car. Perfect timing.

From there, Grandma’s house here we come! Arrived about 2, and said hi to everyone. Champ was very excited to greet the fam. I had forgotten about my ankle, but I took my shoes off and ouch! Maybe it will be a pain for a few days. Chatted, napped, and did a decent amount of reading. No car progress.

Since I'd planned to leave Friday originally, should probably have been cleaning Thursday... but we took a break and headed to Raspberry Ridge. Details on how the herding went are on the Champ training page - but TL;DR, it was great! Also had a lovely lunch with Carolyn, before heading home. Snuck in a nap before dinner with friends. The only major issue - definitely being hit by allergies. Why body, why. You used to handle pollen just fine.

Friday - full throttle! Clean closet/start packing. Laundry. Make my bed up with new sheets. Fix light that has been out for years in the bathroom. Take Champ out. Hit home depot for curtain rods, blackout curtains, toilet repair pieces... The closet purge and re-org continued. I hired a taskrabbit person for the first time - they came for two hours at noon, and helped with various tasks - tightening up the cabinets in the kitchen so they close nicely again, putting the curtain rods up in my room, fixing the toilets so it doesn't need a jiggle of a handle to keep them from continuously running, getting hair out of drains, fixing the air vent pipe that came apart in the basement (only semi, but better than my attempt... will need to get someone in for that). Overall: very useful. Worked independently, and the only flaw was he didn't realize I wanted the curtains put up with the curtain rods - so I did that at night.
My primary focus was supposed to be packing the car with stuff first - fail. I barely packed anything. Did a ton of clearing out and repacking in my closet, as well as clearing space in the fridge/freezer/pantry, various closets, and of course my closet.

After making great progress, took a break in the evening and headed to Kallie's for takeout and a movie. Slow the brain down a bit.

Tuesday was another not-as-productive as desired day. Whoops. A bunch of reading instead of cleaning. I did cut the hanging upholstery off the chairs in the living room, and a few other small things. Hit the farmer's market with Champ for the last time before leaving. Rhubarb season! Also Tuesday market has empanadas and samosas, mmmm.

Kallie and I did make an afternoon trip out to Ikea and Lowe's - I got bedding for in case I get renters. Did not find a cabinet that would just work for the van, wrong heights or widths for the most part. Interesting idea to use a tool box (the big ones) instead - nice drawers, they lock so sliding won't be an issue... The height was right but not the width, but keeping it in mind. I also scheduled myself to pick up a mattress in the morning from nearby, since the second floor room had only the frame. Due to time and fatigue, skipped Target.

Ryan came over for a late dinner, and we made chicken. I was too tired so did not start the apple rhubarb crisp, oh well.

Wednesday was very, very productive! In the morning, I did a lot of cleaning - my room, first floor, second floor, etc. "Stuff" cleaning - aka, the cleaning person was coming and I needed to get the house in order so she could do her thing. Made a ton of progress, including throwing  old boxes out and some other junk. Freed up much space in my closet. May have set off a bout of allergies from all the dust??
I obtained the mattress - the woman I was picking it up from and I go it to the van, but had trouble getting it in. A nice fellow stopped and gave us some extra umph, which sped the process up quite a bit. Should have taken the bed out of the van before going to pick up the mattress. Oh well! Worked. The mattress sat outside a while, and my neighbor helped me bring it up in the afternoon while our pups played. I also got the bed all setup - second floor pretty much set! A bunch more cleaning and moving stuff that afternoon, along with a nap, before dinner and drinks with friends.

Time to go! Packed the car, made sure the batteries can't slide around, and off to NYC. I was tired, and traffic did not help... I took a break for breakfast after the van entered limp mode the first time (known issue, but not expected on the highway - stop and go is a problem). Limp mode is the transmission's safety mode - you can still drive, but it won't change gears. To reset it, you need to turn the car off and back on. Irritating - and a little concerning sometimes. Most of the transmission has been replaced, we're hoping it could be a wiring issue (old or loose wire harness). Otherwise, if it keeps up at the rate it's been going, I might look for a new car.

Jackson came and hung out on the driver seat armrest for a while. Champ mostly hung out in the further back areas, but moved from the bed to the dog bed and back. Stopped again to take a nap - the dogs took the bed, I took the dog beds. Pretty comfortable! Needed it between being tired and traffic. Last stop was for gas in NYC. Between stops and traffic, took 5.5 hours - longer than anticipated. Oh well. Hi Robin!

NYC we were pretty chill. Took the dogs on a walk, I got hot chocolate at a coffee shop. Stopped at a dog treat store and I got Champ a dog burrito. Robin and I abandoned the pups and went across the street to a food hall for dinner, which we ate in the apartment. Stayed in the rest of the night, watching the Bruins - which I went to bed when overtime came on. Out like a light.

5:30am wakeup by Jackson - pretty polite, I took the pups out. Weather felt great, if I'd had socks on probably would have extended the walk. Instead we came back and went to sleep until 7:15, at which point we did a take two on the walk. Fort Greene time! Love that the parks have dog off leash hours in NYC. Champ is fully off leash, Jackson has a leash hanging on him - he gets distracted by the girls right now. Got some good recall practice in, got a bunch of treats from Bob. For some reason no one was playing tennis, very weird - but convenient for me, I have to be careful with Champ when they are playing. On to a coffee shop (hot chocolate for me), where the barista said Champ was "a dream dog - and he knows it too". So well behaved.

On return, took a nap/played on the phone, and played with dogs a while. Then Robin took over my hair with her dyson air dryer + attachments. We went out for a delicious brunch (no dogs, a bit chilly), and shortly after I packed up and we walked to the car. A good short visit! On to Philadelphia.

Sadly the Holland Tunnel caught me in traffic, and I didn't get back until after 5 - so I missed watching the Phoenix ultimate frisbee game. But, Thai food from my local spot! Champ and I played a bunch, and worked on "steady" command, before I headed off to read and sleep.

Monday - I basically did nothing today. Except start blogging again! & laundry. & I fixed the dishwasher drain, when I replaced the garbage disposal I didn't realize I need to hammer out the plug where it connects to the dishwasher. FYI! Champ and I also hit the dog park in the morning*, I worked with him on steady more. Vienna led Kallie back over in the afternoon. & I got a haircut! So - not as productive as it could have been, but not as bad as I picture it?

Joined a good crew for quizzo - we were tied for first place and then bet it all on the final round, which we got wrong. A lot of fun!

*There was a bad fight, not involving Champ - everyone is okay, just a bit bloody. Please don't bring the dog you rescued direct from the street a week ago to the dog park without (a) checking vaccinations, (b) building a good repertoire with the dog, and (c) introducing the dog to social situations slowly, so you know if the dog park is even a viable option or should be avoided.

Wednesday Dad & Ender went to agility. We didn't get a lot done on the van - I finished taking the door apart, determined we do need the part (eta: Friday). We also tore some carpet out (which Monty tried to tear up), and Dad started work on the solar panel. Mostly planning and trying things out for how to attach. Champ and I went on a walk with my friend Tracey, stopping at Petco en route back. I decided to buy him a new bed - Jackson has used it more than Champ. Jackson also tried (again) to be friends with Dusty, the cat. Unsuccessfuly, Dusty only likes Champ.

Thursday, progress! But first, we started the day with a swimming lesson for Champ. Background: Champ loves to wade in water, but never goes in far enough to lose his footing. The one time I've seen him in deeper water, he had fallen off a jet-ski dock and flipped out. Luckily I had a life jacket on him and was easily able to pull him right out. So this is a big unknown.

The swimming lesson turned out pretty well! Champ went down the ramp into the pool, and then unsurprisingly stopped before his feet would come up. We managed to get him pretty excited about the toy, but he still need a pull into the water. He kept running down the ramp excitedly even after the first flailing experience. The instructor helped him in a few more times, and he was calm enough to grab the toy while swimming, and learned to aim for the ramp on his own! A few more lessons, maybe he would get in the water on his own.

Thursday continued, built the bed frame! No legs, but tested it out. We also made some progress on the solar panel & water, but not much.

Friday was the big day! After a few tries, got the legs to the right height and place, and the bed was in! We then cut the tri-fold mattress foam pieces down, so I have a full mattress! Jackson enjoyed sleeping on the mattress cover anywhere I moved it. Need to do some sewing to make the mattress cover fit better, hoping my mom can help with that. The part for the door came in, and it was pretty quick to put back together! Now that I know how, it isn't a long process. I had a few scares - the passenger lock button wasn't working when the key was in the ignition. Security feature, apparently. Also, all the buttons stopped working - but quickly discovered the battery was dead and the car also wouldn't start. Easily solved! Everything works on the door now. Solar panel was secured fully, so we took it for a test drive. Stayed on no problem on the highway, excellent.

Started the solar panel hookup, but turns out the controller we got doesn't work for the higher voltage solar panel we switched to - so we'll be waiting on that. The water tank we obtained all the attachments, but again not setup yet. A lot to do still when I get to Georgia!

Headed to Massachusetts to pick up and start work on the van! En route, I stopped in NYC to pickup our favorite 10lb toy Aussie... Jackson!! Champ said "Hi" to sister Robin, and then we carried on. Jackson was an excellent copilot, giving me the support I needed to make it through Connecticut, home of terrible traffic.

That night, I met Monty - a coon hound staying at my Dad's house. He immediately jumped on me - Champ was not a fan. Monday morning, Monty and I did some one on one training - lie downs that didn't include the pawing and crawling forward he currently included in them. With some delicious treats, Monty quickly stopped jumping on me same day! The only jumps were triggered after Ender (border collie, my Dad's dog - the handsome non-Champ BC pictured) jumped on me, and Monty copied. Pretty good! He also was lying down voluntarily from loose leash. Cool how quick training can have an impact!

Monday - we went to sheep herding with Ender. Champ did not get a chance with a sheep, but it was interesting to watch. The style of learning is very different. My main takeaways were - confidence is important, don't forget the at home training, and I'm going to stick with positive reinforcement as much as possible (I'm sure I'll fall sometimes, frustration gets the best of all of us).
Didn't get a lot done on the van Monday, dog training interfered a bit. The interior cleaner we hired didn't show. But we gathered some things for it. I also got the middle seats out, and cleaned out anything that looked like it shouldn't be trashed. My dad and I split a Dos Cabezas can of wine, delicious.

Tuesday - the interior cleaning guy (a different one) came at 9am - and crushed it! He charged $100 per car and also did one other car - was there from 9am to 4:30 pm! We paid him before going to the dog park at 2:30, and when we got back he had cleaned the exterior of the second car as a bonus. Winner. I did some more one on one with Monty (who Champ still dislikes). I started taking the front right door apart - the lock didn't auto-lock, so pretty sure the mechanism needs replacing. The videos for this are... long and not great. To finish off the day, Champ and I headed into Boston area to visit Holly & Corey. Had a great (albeit a bit cold) dinner, and got to see their house for the first time.