Cool morning temperatures have arrived in Georgia. Trooper loves his three sweaters. He is hoping for a new one this Christmas! A couple of these photos were taken by Trooper’s physical therapist last winter. He had therapy sessions following a CCL surgery of his knee. Trooper healed wonderfully and is back to his ball chasing self.
Hot and humid July weather didn’t keep Trooper and Bobbi from tagging along on Charlie’s work trip. We spent about ten days at Thunder Canyon to visit with friends and work on some upgrades to the Wifi. Then, we spent two weeks in Scottsboro so Charlie could work on a customer project. Trooper and Bobbi kept each other company hanging out at the campground, taking walks, and most importantly playing ball!
In April, we went on the longest trip we’ve ever taken. We visited Thunder Canyon Campground in Ider, Alabama. The highlight of this stay was seeing the beautiful little chapel built in 98 days! We were blessed to have been in attendance at the very first service on Easter morning. Other highlights of the trip included seeing the total eclipse outside Little Rock, Arkansas, visiting the Grand Canyon and family in Arizona, exploring Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, and touring the battlegrounds in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Last stop was to see old friends at the dog park in Alabaster, Alabama.
Our family had the pleasure of having a house guest for just over three months. Eight year old Dusty was our foster through the American Brittany Rescue. He is a retired plantation hunting dog. We had the joy of taking a couple camping trips while Dusty stayed with us and he did great! Trooper loved having a buddy and was sad when it was time to say goodbye. While all of us grew attached to Dusty, his forever family awaited him near Charleston, South Carolina. We are thankful Dusty’s new family sends us occasional updates. We wish him a wonderful retirement with his new family.
After the work week in Scottsboro, we spent a few days at Thunder Canyon Campground in Ider, AL. We lucked out and were able to get the coveted bamboo forest campsite. In the cooler mornings, we enjoyed helping with a few projects around the campground and exploring the canyon. On this visit, about a half hour drive away, we discovered a quaint little restaurant called The Hatter Cafe in Mentone, Alabama. This is an Alice in Wonderland themed restaurant. We had to visit as Charlie is a fan of Lewis Carroll. Doggy guests are welcome on the porch. We had a delicious meal and lovely night out as a family. According to Trooper, the best part of trip was celebrating his birthday. On July 17, Trooper turned 9 years old. Please join us in wishing Trooper a wonderful new year in his life!
This past week, Charlie’s work took us back to Goosepond Colony in Scottsboro, Alabama. Trooper and Bobbi enjoyed nature together. Thank goodness we brought multiple balls. One ball rolled in a deep hole by the edge of the water and was never to be seen again. Trooper was a happy camper since we had back up balls!
Stopping for lunch and a doggy walk at Buc-ees is always an adventure. Trooper made sure he pointed out the instructional signs to us in the dog walk area.
We had great fun on our way to visit family in Florida. Our first stop was Serenity Acres Farm. We stayed here as part of the Harvest Hosts program. We were taken on a wonderful tour of the goat farm and were able to take home some farm-made soaps! Next stop was Hillsborough River State Park. Despite the heat and bugs, we were able to get in a few walks along the river. One afternoon we visited Plant City to see the city’s railroad park.
Today we said goodbye to our sweet little Mattie. We were blessed to have had her part of our family. She will always be in our hearts and we look forward to seeing her again one day.
Mattie July 19, 2011 – April 21, 2023
Below is a short little video of Trooper and Mattie hunting for critters. This video is extra special to us as Mattie has been not been feeling well. For a few short minutes, Mattie had a burst of energy and joined Trooper in a critter hunt.