Doug and Duppy's Traveling Circus

The Venice Jette is Fun!

2010-11-23T19:42:00.003-05:00

Doug took me down to the Venice jette this and yesterday afternoon to watch people fish, but I saw lots more than that! There were three dolphin lolling around and having lunch - not really on their way anywhere like the dolphin in Virgina Beach that definitely had an agenda to get somewhere. There were lots of birds there, too! There was a crane who was just a little too interested in my presence there - someone threw him a fish and he flew off with it, thank goodness because he was about four feet tall and kinda scary!

There were also cranes, egrets, a couple of herons, and a cormorant that freaked me out because he was spreading his wings and looked like he was in attack mode. Doug said he was just drying his wings, but I don't know if I believe that. The egrets and terns were diving into the water to get lunch, and of course, the ever-present sea gulls and pelicans were zooming around. When Doug goes fishing I always bark when he casts his pole, but he asked me to not do that to the people fishing there. Fish are something I'm really curious about, and I always try to "get" the fish - not that I want to really bite them, but they look likes tons of fun to play with because of the way they flip and flop on the ground. The people were mostly catching grouper and snapper, but there were a couple of fish that Doug couldn't identify and one of them was really slimy. I had to lick my nose a few times before I got the slime off and Doug laughed at me and said I looked like a mule eating briers!

Last night we partied with Grammy who shared some of her spaghetti and meat sauce with me! Delicious!! We watched "Dancing with the Stars" because they're almost to the end of the competition and Aunties Cyn and Karen watch it. I thought it was pretty boring, but what do I know? Doug had a scotch on the rocks with Grammy, and they just talked and petted me until Monday Night Football came on and THAT'S when the party started!

Grammy is a huge football fan, and watching the game is a pleasant distraction from what ails her. When the family lived in San Diego they were just a mile from Jack Murphy Stadium where the Chargers used to play, so they were rooting for them last night. It took me years to get over the way people yell and scream disgusting things at the TV when football's on because I always think they're yelling at me. I don't know why I think that because, really, I'm just a Doug's boy, and he never talks to me like that. The only time Doug gets disappointed at all is when I get poop on my butt because I have such fancy pants. Despite everyone yelling at the TV, I like football games because every munches on goodies when the game's on, and I'm all about snacks with the family!

That's all for now, friends and fans, except to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving on Thursday! Doug read Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick, and recommends that anyone who wants to know the real story behind the Pilgrams ought to read it! He especially enjoyed learning about the Indian wars!

Happy holiday!

Pictures of Mom's Venice, Florida, neighborhood on Aloha Friday!!

2010-11-20T11:23:00.000-05:00

If you click on the pictures I believe they enlarge to original size!

The Venice "canals" are not like the ones in Italy

This is the terminus across the street from Mom and Dave's house

Some pictures of beautiful Venice Gardens waterways around Mom and Dave's house taken yesterday. This is one of the off-shoot canals half a block from the house.

A front coming from the east - taken on the Venice Jette

Sunset Report: Self explanatory.

I'm sitting with Mom at Harbor Chase. She's reading the newspaper, and I'm writing this. When I arrived this morning she was bright-eyed and bushy tailed and said she'd tried to call me, but I didn't answer. I told her I have my phone in my pocket - I took it out, and sure enough. "One missed message." I dunno how that happens. I'm just THAT deaf, I guess. I was rocking out on the way here and pretty deep in thought... It's kinda scary to think I can be that oblivious to the world.

I'm heading north to New England for the Christmas holidays, but I'm fearing the cold weather. It's been in the low eighties and very sunny for most of the past couple of months, and the thought of thirties and twenties is frightening. I have a very specific list of people I want to see and things I want to do so that I make sure I get everything I want to do in during my short visit north. By the way, Duppy thanks everyone for his emails, and asked me to leave today's post off with a picture of one of his favorite bird chasing venues - the beach!!

Duppy's Update

2010-11-18T13:34:00.002-05:00

Here's one of the pelicans taking off by running on the water!

The past week or so we've just been hanging out with my Grammy at Harbor Chase Rehabilitation Hospital while she gets her legs back under her. Everybody here loves me, and whenever they see Doug coming they always look for me. I had a spa treatment and grooming two days ago so I'm especially foofy now, and everyone loves that. We've been here about three weeks and Doug hasn't taken me to the beach even one time. Down here in Venice they have lots of pelicans and cranes, but since we haven't been to the beach I haven't had to chase them off like I did in Virginia Beach. We don't have to go to the beach to see birds here because Grammy and Duffy LIVE in a bird sanctuary!! I'll tell Doug to post some pictures - I know he's been meaning to take some!

For every step forward poor Grammy makes she seems to take one back. When she fell and broke her hip she also tore open her elbow, which needed to be stitched up. Unfortunately, it became very infected and it took until today to get the infection under control. A couple of days ago she got tangled up with a device in the bathroom, and cut her wrist up pretty badly so she's all bandaged up. The rehab nurses are trying to get her going, but it's a very slow process, and Doug is just glad that she's not spending her days on her back in the hospital bed. She goes to physical therapy in the morning and occupational therapy in the afternoon. Right now she's in her wheelchair watching TLC. She loves that I come to spend lots of time with her every day, and I hop right up on bed so she can feed me tidbits and pet me!

Even though we haven't made trips to the beach, we have been eating out at least once a day and I love that! Before I became a service animal I had to wait for Doug in the truck, but now that's all changed. Doug gets lots of email about our experiences, and our blog has had almost 6,000 hits from twenty countries in just eleven weeks - the latest being Equatorial Guinea, India and Latvia! Jeez! Doug says it's my fan club since I seem to be the one most people want to write to. Can't blame them as I'm pretty darn cute!

See what I mean? Cute or what?

Doug and Grammy both enjoy reading historical literature, and Doug is reading one of Gram's books entitled Mayflower, written by Nathaniel Philbrick, about the real story behind the colonization of the Plymouth Plantation. Reading the book has caused Doug to go on a huge search for information about the European Hundred Years' War, Thirty Years' War and the Seven Years' War, which all preceded the Pilgrims' emigration to the New World. While the part of the story about Squanto and the Indians saving the Pilgrims' bacon when they first arrive in North America is true, the rest of the story was a shock for Doug.

He thought the Pilgrams were peace-loving people, but that was not really the case because in the book it said every man in church worshiped with a musket at hand. Within a handful of years the colonists and Indians found themselves in conflict that erupted King Philip's War and the Great Swamp Fight which was absolutely shocking to Doug. Seventy-five percent of the New England towns were attacked, which had homes, barns and mills set on fire, and many people killed or captured to become Indian slaves! It turns out that America's first best-selling book was the story of Mary Rowlandson's capture and experiences as an Indian slave! Doug is doing lots a research as he reads, and is looking for a copy of Rowlandson's book.

We hope that before long Grammy will be back on her feet and we will be down the road to Pensacola for Thanksgiving, but that may be too optimistic for her current circumstances. Doug said he will posting some pictures soon, so stop by in a day or two to see them!

Love,
Duppy

Dear Daddy, Remember The Time?

2010-11-13T14:48:00.007-05:00

One of my favorite older pictures from elementary school

Dear Daddy,
Remember the time you tapped my hand to the seat of your vehicle (F-150) when I was reaaally young to teach me the concept of a musical beat?

Miss the old days.

The above is a text from Emma, my daughter, that came in VERY late last night. I had my phone charging, and didn't get the message until I got to the hospital with Mom today. You have a message in your inbox, sweetie!

Yes, I remember that lesson in syncopation more vividly than you can imagine. Lee Roy Parnell and Radney Foster were the artists we did that to in my old green Ford truck that wouldn't die. I finally junked it because it was too embarrassing to be seen in. I always said I'd drive it until it broke, but it never did. It just got uglier and uglier. It ran like a beast, and I always enjoyed that you liked the truck, too. You were the first to ride in it after I bought it, as well as the truck I still have now! You're my best girl! There should be a country song about your best girl being the first to ride in your truck. "Riding down the road in my pick-up truck, ya better get ready 'cause I'm pickin' you up" Do you remember that? You used to sit on stage and sing our songs during Oklahoma, in fact, you stole the show one night and had the whole audience clapping for you! Deservedly so! You used to offer command performances in restaurants from your chair by winking at the men, singing and reciting poetry!

I remember teaching you to roller skate, ride a bike, swing high and long on a rope swing, dancing with you, singing to you (You Are My Sunshine! Remember?) taking you to the playground, fairs, ballet, circus and reading to you to show you how syllables work. But what I remember most is how much I have always loved you, and how special you make my life. I don't pretend to take credit for the fact that you are so brave that you could handle the 150 yard zip line, or jump of a sixty-five foot cliff into a quarry, but I really admire you for having the guts to face and do those things.

You are simply the best! Remember that always!!

I am SO lucky!!!

Love and kisses always,
Daddy

We've Been Busy!!

2010-11-11T16:04:00.011-05:00

Ringmaster Chris

I've been having a lot of new experiences since we hit the road and most of opening my life to be as large as Doug's has been really great, but sometimes things get a little freaky for me because I'm just a Duppy. Yesterday Doug took Auntie Cyndi and me to the Cole Bros. Circus! At first I had fun, and met the Ringmaster, Chris, before the show. He knew about Harold Ronk and Uncle Soapy, and Doug thanked him for his kindness and gracious words. When the show started they brought out the BIGGEST kitty cats I've ever seen! I was really glad they stayed with their trainer, and I was a little jumpy about that because animals of all kinds gravitate to Doug. It was after that things went to hell in a hand basket. For starters, everything was REALLY loud, and it just kept getting louder! I was pretty okay with Doug covering my ears until the clown car exploded when Doug didn't expect it! A great big BOOOOM!!! Then I went to pieces, and hopped right into Doug's lap. I could tell it even scared Auntie Cyndi, because she jumped, too! Doug took me out before they fired off the human cannonball, thank goodness! Next time I'm going to let Doug and Auntie Cyn leave me in the car. After the circus Doug took us out for dinner at Ruby Tuesday. We had steak and lobster tail, and Auntie Cyn had a shrimp parmesan pasta dish. Both of them shared because I really enjoy a good piece of pasta with my steak!

Grammy's house has a Florida room with windows low enough that even I can look out at the back yard, and yesterday I saw a big hook-bill crane catching geckos and Lord knows what else. I also saw a red-headed woodpecker, doves and the cat next door hunting the squirrels that Grampa Dave feeds. Kitty has been hunting them for years, but Grampa says the squirrels are way too fast. They scamper up the orange trees, and say, "Na na na na - Boo boo," which really torques the cat off. There are plenty of orange trees out back for the squirrels to take cover in, but I have to admit that chasing squirrels is one of my favorite things to do, too. I don't really want to hurt them, but I really enjoy it when I can get my nose right up in their tail feathers! Doug used to take me to Wesleyan University on weekend mornings, or if he got home from work early enough on sunny afternoons we'd go chase the squirrels and there are really lots of them! The squirrels in Florida aren't nearly as juicy as Connecticut squirrels - they're kinda small, but still great fun to chase after.

The things that catch my eye and makes me jump are the geckos that run from everywhere I go, and the fire ants sneaking up and biting my tootsies when I'm not looking. Yesterday they got Doug good, and when he realized we were under attack he scooped me up and dusted the ants off me first, and himself after! The bites stung for a couple hours!! The neighbors don't pick their oranges, and they just leave them on the ground which draws in all kinds of "visitors" I'd prefer not to meet. Grampa Dave caught a opossum in the trap he set to catch our runaway kitty when she got out, but there's no way I wanna chase one of them! They are kinda gross, and hiss like crazy!

Look how many types of palms there are!!

The part of Venice that Grammy lives in is called Venice Garden, and it's right in a bird sanctuary with a canal that winds through that part of town to a lake on the other side of the street from Gram and Gramp's house. Doug takes me to a spot at the end of the street when he goes to see if he can spot an alligator, or see if the fish are jumping. Doug's dying to go fishing again, and once Gram begins to feel a little better he'll find time to take me fishing because I really enjoy it, too! I love to try and get the fish when Doug catches them, and I always bark at him when he casts his pole, but I don't know why. Just plain ol' excited, I guess!

The trees here are really different from what I'm used to, and I have to be careful where I raise my leg because some of them I've learned about are cactus! Ouchy!! I've also discovered that palm trees come in all shapes and sizes, and some of them have stickly thingys on 'em. Bugs and snakes hide in them, too, and make me jump like a cat when they unexpectedly hop out when I pee on them! Yikes!

See what I mean?

Auntie Cyn stayed with Grammy the past two nights because she's going back to Pensacola tomorrow. Boo hoo! We're really gonna miss her more than I can say. She's so much help and comfort for Gram. Doug and I do a good job taking care of her, but no one does it better that Aunties Cyn and Karen. I heard Cyn tell Doug, "If you thing I'm good at taking care of Mom, you should see how good Karen is. She's unbelievable!!!" Grammy knows just how to blackmail Auntie Cyn, and got her to stay almost a week longer then she'd planned. Doug and I aren't going to leave Grammy until she's up and running on the road to recovery, but we promised Emma we are coming for Christmas in Connecticut. Uncle Dave is bringing the boys down for Christmas with Grammy and Grampa in Venice, so at least she'll have some of us here with her for the holidays.

Doug said for me to issue the Sunset Report for today, but before I do I wanted to let you know that We saw the sun set behind the Cole Bros. circus tent yesterday, and it brought a tear to Doug's eye. I wished he'd remembered to bring his camera!

If I weren't a Duppy, I'd say, "Damnation, it's beautiful here!!"

Love,

Duppy

Venice, Florida - Circus Memories

2010-11-09T17:35:00.010-05:00

Sunset Report: Sun setting through the palm trees in a 77 degree cloudless sky was beautiful

Cyndi and I have been mostly spending alternate nights at the hospital with Mom, which believe it or not, is disorienting after a couple weeks. Mom took her first painful steps yesterday, and is learning to overcome her fear of falling again. Because she's been so sick for so long, her muscle tone is poor and she'll be going to rehab for a while with a goal of being home for Christmas! Her spirits are much improved, and it's easy to see her progress the past couple days.

Our Uncle Soapy (AKA Duane Thorpe)

The longer I'm here the more I remember about the old days of coming to Venice for Winter Quarters during Christmastime, and watching the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey show rehearsals before they launched the new show edition for the year. We all stayed at the 40 Winks Motel and celebrated Christmas with our circus family. Very special people. I haven't "Googled" any of the names below, but I will later. My memories are personal ones, and I don't need Google or Wiki to remind me of their talent and kindness.

Dick Barstow and Bill Bradley choreographed the dancing and production details for the spec and web numbers while Merle Evans and singing ringmaster, Harold Ronk, coordinated the music. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I grew up on the laps of my Uncle Soapy, Lou Jacobs, Otto Greibling, and Prince Paul. Eric Braun, Joe, Mike and the other younger guys on clown alley welcomed our family behind the scenes to see how the circus show is put together. Frankie Saluto didn't care much for kids, and he was usually chewing on a cigar, pretty sauced, and scary under any circumstance.We weren't passed to him, and glad for that.

The particular "patina" of the circus is mainly a combination of elephant poop, saw dust and tiger pee; it is permanently ingrained in me. I'm taking Cyndi to the Cole Bros. Circus in Sarasota tomorrow evening, and I'm excited about that! Mom expects that I'll see several people I know, which I kind of doubt but still hope for. When I traveled with the show it was very much a family affair and because Uncle Soapy was such a popular guy, and had traveled with the circus so long, I felt like I had 425 brothers and sisters looking out for me. Many I'd known much of my life.

Every day that I drive to the hospital, I pass the old winter quarters building as I drive over The Circus Bridge. Very nostalgic. There's a trapeze school set up outside the building now, and there's talk of razing the building... so sad. I discovered during a waiting room conversation with a lady over my Duppy that she went to school with Tito Gaona, and that the trapeze school belongs to him. He was a firey, handsome flier from the days I traveled with the show and made me want to fly. Unfortunately for me I grew eleven inches in one year, and trapeze artists aren't allowed to be nearly six feet tall. I was allowed to fly on the low trapeze during practice, which only served to make me believe I could handle going high... I also always wanted to be shot out of what is now Elvin's cannon. (Not it has anything to do with the show, but driving 200 mph was also on my bucket list - the best I was able to do was 161 mph in Germany)

Handling Gunther's cubs to help socialize them, and seeing how he controlled sixteen elephants using only his voice - the same with his horses - and having him explain to me "They follow my commands because they WANT to please me," was a revelation in training animals that I understood more from the depth in his eyes than the words he used. He recently passed from brain cancer, and I went to his monument with my family last summer. RIP, Gunther.

Since Uncle Soapy's induction to the Clown Hall of Fame, I haven't seen any of the old gang. It was great to see Peggy Williams, who has made a career fostering interest in the American circus through education. Chuck Sidlow is one of a few contacts still maintained from the old clown alley; he has been wonderful about keeping us up on news and regularly calls Mom. Chuck's last bit of news was that Frosty Little has passed on last week. He was 44 when he graduated from the first class of the Clown College - quickly because clown boss, and had a twenty-four year career trouping with RBB&B. It was nice that such a great guy was such a success in transitioning his life. I know about running away to the circus, too, and we understood each other.

Thank You VRMC!!

2010-11-05T19:24:00.011-04:00

Douglas Bradley Pascoe
28 Berkeley Terrace 9 November, 2010
Milford, Connecticut 06460

Venice Regional Medical Center
The Rialto
Venice, Florida 34287

Dear Nurses, Staff, Doctors, Administrators, and Board of Directors,
I was a career master teacher, so I know this letter format is a bit unorthodox. In the nine weeks I have been keeping this blog during my earlier travels around the country in my camper I have had almost six thousand hits from sixteen countries around the world, and I want for all the world to know how appreciative my family is for the incredible care EVERYONE here at VRMC has extended to Mom and our family as we strive to keep an appropriate level of fight instilled in her and allay her fears. I am staying in Venice until Mother is back on her feet, and we hope to have her transferred to a rehabilitation hospital before too much longer. The blog address access is available at WWW.DougandDuppy.blogspot.com. If "Doug and Duppy" is Googled, a link will come up. The first entry was made 23 August. The positive email feedback I've had about Mom's care was considerable, and far exceeded other peoples' less than positive experiences and expectations with other medical/surgical hospitals.

-The Blog Entry Regarding VRMC-

Below is a letter to the wonderful people who have been caring for my Mom during the past years of her decline. They have welcomed our large family, even when we were ALL here under their feet. Cyndi just noted that Evona, Mom's RN today, has stopped in three times this afternoon just to check on Mom's comfort! Mom's CNA today, Lourdes, is an angel, too! Cyn says, "It just keeps getting better!" in reference to the care provided here at VRMC.

For all of Duppy's fans, hold on tight. I'm sure he'll be posting soon!!!

Dear VRMC Staff and Administration,

Thanks be to you for having provided such excellent care for our Mom, Caryl Duffy, during her recent illnesses. The volunteers, staff, doctors and especially the nurses at Venice Regional Medical Center have been awesome beyond comparison. I'm touched when I see nurses like Becky, Michael, nursing students Chris Thorgard and Brittany, RNs Evona, CNA Lourdes, RNs Gail, Debra and Nicole calling Mom "Honey, Sweetie, Momma and Dear," and meaning it as they take such great care of her. I'm very impressed by their compassion and professionalism. Even when Mom doesn't make things easy and becomes fussy, they are able to address her fears and frustration at not healing faster to offer even better care to help restore her health and spirits. Their kisses on Mom's cheek and the hugs they freely offer definitely help, too. As a former member of a National Medical Enterprises hospital administration team and a career master teacher, I recognize the exceptional nursing care your staff is extending to my mother; we are grateful beyond words.

Charlene, Bonnie, Conelly and all the staff from dietary have been absolutely awesome in their concern for making certain Mom has food that she will eat. Her meals are always delivered by Charlene with a smile, humor and grace. Patrick and Annetta, Mom's respiratory therapists, have become her friends, but the whole respiratory department has been great! David, Julie and Eric, and Mom's other physical therapists have been a Godsend; everyone from PT has been terrific! She is very grateful for the excellent care she is receiving. Everyone who works here has been so kind, considerate and thoughtful. I can't say how much it means to my family to know that Mom is being cared for so well as she struggles desperately to mend her broken body. As a "frequent flier," Mom has always given wonderful reports about her care at VRMC to the rest of the family who are far away and eager to keep up with the status of her health. I'm delighted and relieved to see her reports are spot on, and that her care here could not be better.

My sister related a story to me that I'd like to share with you and your staff. In the first week of October Mom came to your emergency room with a painful compression fracture to a disc in her back that badly distressed her. She was placed on a gurney, treated and then wheeled into the hallway as the ER was exceptionally busy. My sister noted two administrators observing practice and procedures of the ER staff, when Mom was approached by an ER doctor who ordered her immediate admission to the nursing staff. The two administrators, Regina Richardson and Mike Noll, wheeled my Mom to her room themselves. As a former hospital administrator, I admire beyond what words can express that your WHOLE staff is so involved in a quality of patient care that extends beyond what people expect. That you treat my Mom like you would treat your mother means so much to us - we thank you from the very bottom of our hearts for that.

I've recently semi-retired so I am able to visit Venice for as long as Mother needs, and have seen first-hand the quality care delivered with smiles and love she has spoken of so many times. My sister lives closer and has been to VRMC during almost every one of Mom's in-patient stays here. She also speaks very highly of the support the entire hospital staff offers our family as we strive to be here to provide all the very best for the strong woman that raised a very close family of five children. My siblings and I will not leave our geriatric mother, and appreciate that VRMC supports our family's endeavor to do the best for Mom we can. Your staff has made our family feel welcomed here, and we appreciate that more than I can say.

In admiration for your grace,

Douglas Pascoe, and family

Sunday Update on Our Doings

2010-10-31T12:41:00.008-04:00

I'm Such a Duppy!

For the past week we've been spending our days in Venice Regional Medical Center with Auntie Cyndi and Uncle Dave where poor Grammy is being cared for. Today is the best day Grammy's had in the past week; we hope she continues to improve to get past the up and down pattern of the past week because everyone's so worried about her, especially Dee Dee, her husband. I saw him cry with Grammy because she was so frustrated with trying to get better yesterday. To cheer her up today Doug wore his Gettysburg shirt, brought a crossword puzzle and announced that it was football Sunday because Grammy really likes all those things. I've tried to hop into her hospital bed three times, but I forgot that she has a broken hip. Doug scooped me out of her bed very quickly, but I just wanted to let her know I love her and try to make her feel better. Duppy love is the best Doug says, and I just wanted to spread the wealth!

The nurses here all have great fingernails, and are more than willing to use them to scratch under my collar while they call me "Baby!" I'm very popular here, and some of the nurses stop in just to tell me how cute I am and pet me. The first couple of days we were here some of the people called the risk management and administrative offices to tell them there was a "dog" in the hospital, but by now you can guess how that all went down. Doug used to work in hospital administration, and since I have a service badge he makes them go away with their tails between their legs. I really admire the way Doug is able to handle aggressive people that want to throw me out - he talks to them in much the same way he used to talk to his students using his "teacher voice," and it really works. Doug doesn't take "No" for an answer, especially when it comes to defending me.

Uncle Dave and Auntie Cyndi being here is a huge bonus for me! I'm really gonna miss Uncle Dave when he has to leave tomorrow, but Auntie Cyn can stay until Wednesday so Doug's withdrawal from having his siblings around so much for so long will be only somewhat mitigated. I won't be able to see Uncle Dave until Christmastime, when we'll head back to Connecticut for the holidays with Em. I'm hoping to see Auntie Cyn for Thanksgiving. All the family time we've had recently has been spectacular, and really, really long overdue. When Grampy was sick everyone came to Connecticut and stayed with us often. I LOVED that everyone came to our house at once, but I used to mope around after they left because I was so sad. Doug used to say, "What am I, Duppy? Chopped liver?"

Doug called Carol this morning and they chatted for the longest time I've ever seen Doug use the phone! During the whole time they talked Doug didn't once mention how much I miss Margo, but Carol really did reinforce Doug's decision to call it quits in favor of hitting the road with me. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone in Connecticut in December. Doug was only planning on spending a week there, but we may have to build in more time to see everyone. I don't mind the cold weather, but Doug sure does!

Hanging out at the hospital with Grammy isn't the favorite thing I've done, but I'm really glad we're able to help keep Grammy comfortable with our company and attention. Auntie Cyndi is the best nurse Doug has ever seen, and she always seem to know just what to do for Grammy. I saw Uncle Dave as he cocked his head watching Auntie Cyn care for Gram yesterday, and then he said, "I want Cyndi to visit me when I'm sick!" Kinda the same way Doug knows how to take care of me, she knows exactly how to make Gram comfy.

I'm so glad I have Doug all the time now. We haven't been apart a minute since last April. I could tell that Doug has missed having writing time, and have watched him writing today to let everyone know what's going on. We have to see how things are going for Grammy before we can make more plans to travel. The weather is a wonderful 85 degrees during the day, and 68 at night!! Doug loves it, but I have to seek shade and drink a lot of water. Okay everyone - that's all for now! Football's coming on, and ya know how I love a football party with snacks!

From the world's hungriest service animal with love,

Duppy

Our Poor Mom

2010-10-26T14:36:00.000-04:00

Dear family, friends and followers,
This is not just a blog post. I just received a call from my sister, Cyndi, that Mom has fallen at the rehab hospital and broken her hip, as well as sustaining other injuries. As you know from reading my blog, nothing is more important to me than my family. Mom has been struggling for a while, and this is a scary time for all my family.

I'm suspending the freedom journal, and am on a mission to do whatever it takes to help our Mom. Brothers, sisters and I are looking at how we can most effectively be of assistance, and coordinating our efforts in that direction.

I need to go pack up to be ready to go.

Prayers for Mom, please.

Ever,
Doug and Duppy

A Part of My Support System

2010-10-25T19:32:00.000-04:00

I wasn't going to put a post up today, but I was so touched by a note from Don, which I posted below, that I wanted to share with all the bloggers a part of the support system I have that enables me to be the eccentric, haphazard, self-indulgent, fun-loving, idiot that I can be. The seventeen years that I lived in Connecticut before this great adventure was as long as I've lived in any one place in my whole life. I was SO lucky to have fallen in with The Breezy Corner Basement Boys, and have them take me in as a friend and band mate so many years ago. The transition from rocking with Gary and Matrix, to cozy traditional bluegrass with friends who became my brothers was an amazing one. ALL my brothers and sisters love the boyz in the band the same way I do, and I really love that. Thanks for such a terrific note, Don!

Hey Dougly, (The manner of address is a total "Don-ism)

I have been quietly following your blog regularly, but up until tonight, have had nothing but grief trying to "enlist" as a certified follower. Problem solved and you'll now find me doing my best "popeye" impression on your page. I'm still not sure how I finally got it to work, but I did. The basic problem was that I already had Google, Gmail and Yahoo accounts and never use any and lost all the passwords, etc. The bast'ds all kept shooing me away when I tried to enroll "again" and I guess I just didn't have the patience before tonight to analyze the situation and deal with it.

Following the Duppy/Doug roadshow for me conjures up a basket full of adjectives; enlightening, inspiring, educating, entertaining, thought provoking and heart warming come to mind easily. I selfishly wish each of your entries were more frequent, daily perhaps, but I understand how that type of imposed -self or otherwise- pressure may water down the very product of your journey that keeps me and others glued. I do suspect that more pen is meeting paper than we out here are seeing right now and one I hope to be among the first to add the hard cover to my collection.

As much as I think I already know and admire about you, every time we speak and every time I read your writings I learn more, admire and envy you more. I'm not surprised at your wide and scattered circle of friends, but what I truly admire is your family unity. My family is intact, but the closeness you enjoy evades us. We're all so different I guess. Cherish that my friend.... and I know you do.

I was a bit surprised by your focused visits to the historic battlefields. Notice that I did not call them "Civil War" battlefields. I have always viewed that term as an audacious oxymoron. I've always been intrigued by the travesty, but not to the extent Luke has. His 40th birthday was marked by a guy's trip to some twelve or so of the most prominent locations complete with period garb and facial hair. I excused myself from the trip only because the timing was bad. I plan to make the same trip on my own terms one day. I was touched by your reaction to Antietam. That is on my short list since my great great grandfather was wounded there. I sadly know very little about him except that he was a bugler... go figure... and he did not die as a result of his injuries. My mother's side is not known for given much of a sh*t about heritage and such, but I think this is where he is buried.... Vermont Civil War He's where Sara's middle name comes from, "Hopkins." One day I shall learn more.

Well it's late and I'm beat. I just got interrupted by two collect calls from Costa Rica, so I better get to work on time tomorrow to cover that. I'll leave you with a couple of picture attachments to give you a hint on what that's all about. We had a big day last weekend. (Note: Don's baby and new son-in-law are honeymooning in Costa Rica - Congrats from the Duppy and me!!)

Later my friend.

Don

P.S. I can't believe Luke is 40!!! How did that happen??

Upper 70's and Sunny!! Yay!!!

2010-10-22T19:21:00.001-04:00

Love Uncle Donny's new house, but the neighbor has issues

Today we took a giant "Mother, may I?" step forward toward getting Uncle Donny settled in. We checked out of the hotel that used to bring us delicious steaks and pizza right to our room, and now we're in Uncle Donny's new house where he's settling in. While the house is really nice, I loved our daily walks on the beach and going out to eat.

Doug says when Uncle Donny's truck is ready to be picked up we'll be headed down the road to his buddy, Fred, in North Carolina. After he looked at Weatherbug today, Doug told Uncle Donny he is looking forward to nearly eighty degree temperatures for the next week. Perfect!! Uncle Donny's racy convertible rental car has to be turned in tomorrow, so we'll all be back in the truck again and that suits me fine. Love our truck!!! Doug and I did the USA Today crossword sitting on the tailgate today, when Uncle Donny brought him a beer and hung out with us. Love my family!

My buddy, Scottie in NY, is sick again. Hope he gets well soon!! I often wonder how Monkey is fairing with his "service dog" lessons, and how enjoys not having to stay home when Vicki ventures out. He was so sweet there's no reason not to take him everywhere like Doug does with me. I really miss Karen, Mike, Eric and Renee, too. Be sure to give Dex a huggy kiss for me, Auntie Karen. He's the best puppy I've EVER met, even though he's a scamp. Tell him the next time we come through town my butt is off limits, and sniffing my lips isn't polite! Doug gets mad when I invade the space of others to sniff people, but I just can't help myself because I'm a Duppy.

Doug's friend, Kathy, is okay, and I know he was really glad to talk with her. He's recently tried calling and writing her four times, but couldn't get through and was worried because another one of his friends passed away this week. He's lost six friends in one year, and I'm sad for him. DeWayne was like a brother and I would have gone to California for his funeral, but I wasn't a service animal in June. Doug stayed with Linda, who I would have liked to, and will meet, but I had to stay with Emma who took great care of me. Doug said he loved celebrating Wayne with his wife Kristine and their kids, and it wasn't as sad as before he went. Before our adventure is over I'm going to get a chance to meet them myself, and can't wait!! See ya soon, guys!

Doug needs to walk me before we go out to watch the ball game tonite and grab a bite to eat, so I'm signing off for now. I still can't figure out what "cable" is, but Uncle Donny doesn't have it either. I've been loving my fan mail, and thank everyone that writes to me!!!

Your buddy,
Duppy

Stuff Going On

2010-10-20T19:28:00.002-04:00

Doug and Carol on the Old Block

A special "Hey!" to Rosemary who was my "work wife." I called her yesterday, and we talked about stuff for a while. Her son-in-law, Andrew, was a very nice guy and we hit it off on my way out of Middletown. She fed me at work, and took care of me when I needed taking care of. Thanks, Rosie! Love you! A special "Hey!" to all the people I worked with for so long at WWMS. You're the best!!!

My sister, Cyndi, said that Mom is struggling, and that (quote) "it killed me to leave her" after a nearly two-week "visit" to help care for her. Heartbreaking for me. Cyn has been Mom's guardian angel during her long-term illness, and always found a way to be with her when needed. I just show up during emergencies, and Mom doesn't even remember that I was there because of drug and stupor issues.

Losing Pop a couple years ago was almost too much for me to handle, and still makes me cry easily. Lately death has become a part of my everyday life. I've lost five friends in the past year that have dropped dead. Another one today. Ouch. I almost don't wanna know anymore. My friend, Kathy, hasn't responded to two emails or two phone messages... and I'm afraid for her as it's not like her to drop out of sight. And she just lost her Mom.

Okay, I just talked to Kathy who has her share of stuff going on - deaths, weddings and commuting to Long Island. I didn't know I had her cell phone number until we talked a few minutes ago. Luv ya, Kathy!!

Donny will move into his new place tomorrow, and I'll have to get up and function earlier than I have in a long time so that I can be a "D. Pascoe," only one of only a few, to sign for his household goods to be moved in tomorrow. Jeez. I haven't risen from the rack before 9:00 A.M.ish for a really long time. After we get Donny moved in, I'll be looking at putting us back on the road. His Harley and truck will be back in possession in just hours!! So glad to have you home safely, Donny!!

Our blog has attracted a lot of attention. We've had almost 5,000 page visits since I started it just seven weeks ago from China, South Korea, the Cayman Islands, Brazil, Belgium, Russia, Finland, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Australia, the U.K., Canada, Japan and the U.S. I started the blog on a whim, but never thought it would turn in to what it has become, and Duppy has LOVED writing on our blog!!! Thanks to everyone for reading about us and writing to us. Our email address is Coltshooter2@Hotmail.com so you won't have to use the Blogspot.com to write to us. I love that you write to us!!

Blessings to all.

With love,
Doug and Duppy

Photos From Sunday's Football Day

2010-10-18T16:24:00.002-04:00

Duppy can't help the fact that he's the ultimate chick magnet and Kristin, pictured below, was very taken with him. She is from Queens, NY, and wanted to be featured on our blog; with a winning smile like hers I'm glad to oblige. Thanks, Kristin, for hosting a fun afternoon for Donny, Duppy and me at the Waterside Hooters!

I didn't catch the blonde girl's name, but I think Donny got her number. She flounced over to Duppy while cooing all the way and using all the right words to melt him: Love, baby, cute, Aawww, you know! This picture doesn't do her justice. Good catch, Dup!

And one more of Duppy's fans - this one had kitty ears, and had been at a wine-tasting festival all day.

What's not to love???

This is one of Duppy's best trolling faces, and really knows how to get attention from anyone happening to be carrying food past the table.

And finally, the sunset report from Waterside: Postcard perfect!!!

Today we went to the beach and walked up to the pier. It was about seventy degrees out, but the breeze made it feel cooler. I chatted up a couple of the guys who were fishing, and found we have a common acquaintance in Chicago. Small world.

We should get word today or tomorrow how Donny's schedule will unfold to get him moved in to his new place. Tonight we'll be watching baseball and MNF!! Duppy is rooting for Philly!

It's Been Quite a Week!!!

2010-10-16T18:12:00.000-04:00

For a Duppy I've sure been getting around this past week that we've been in Virginia Beach. For starters, Uncle Donny, Doug and I reconnected with Uncle Dave's boys and we spent the Columbus Day weekend together doing all kinds of things. I love it best when we all go to the beach and out together to restaurants, and the boyz are the best! I'm so lucky to have such a big family that loves me so much! A funny thing about Pete and Colin is that they look so much alike some people can't tell them apart, but I can easily. Yoda, right? I love being everyone's doggie, and wish Dane could've been here, too!!

We're camping in a high-rise luxury hotel right on Virginia Beach with Uncle Donny, which is not my favorite thing because we're pretty high in the air when I'm on the balcony and there's no place out there to pee or poop. Doug has to take me to the elevator, and then for a walk. My girlfriend, Margo, wouldn't like this at all, but for me it's okay because the room service brings us delicious steaks. Doug and I walk on the beach every day, and I love our walks to the pier where people catch fish; for some reason when they cast it makes me bark, but I don't know why. I'm such a Duppy. I love that the balcony door is always open, but waves crash on the beach 24/7 and that keeps me awake. The housekeeping staff all like me even though this isn't a pet-friendly hotel, and I can tell they have doggies by the smell of their shoes. They always give us extra coffee, but I wish they'd bring me some treats!

Doug's "brother time" is a big bonus for me because there aren't any people I'd rather be with than our family, and as much as I really love Uncle Dave and his boys, Uncle Donny plays "the bisquit game" very well. A couple years ago I messed up, and caught his hand with one of my fangs, but I couldn't help it because they stick out so much. That happened with my Emma, too, and I'm so sorry because I love her so much. I've only bitten one person on purpose, but it wasn't either one of them.

I've been training Doug how to take me to the beach, and he is a good student and quick learner. When we first got here it was really hot, but today it's only around seventy degrees. Auntie Karen and Uncle Mike gave us a great folding camp chair for Doug's birthday, and Doug showed me that if I dig a hole in the sand for myself behind it I can stay pretty cool. Doug always makes sure I have plenty of water because I have to chase the sea gulls and pigeons when they try to intrude on our lunch on the beach. The pelicans are kinda scary because they're so BIG I'm afraid I might just fit in the pouch of their beaks, so I don't mess with them. Everyone brings their doggies to Virginia Beach, but in Connecticut dogs aren't allowed on the beach. Now that I'm a service animal I can go anywhere Doug goes, and have never been denied entrance anywhere. Doug's so good to me!

One day we all went to the beach I thought I was going to have to save Uncle Donny when he dove into a wave but didn't come right up again! I ran down to the water to save him as he surfaced again in just the nick of time. Doug laughed at me, but I was really worried about Uncle Donny! Thank goodness I didn't have to dive in after him! I'm not really big on swimming and have only gone in the water once, and that was when it was so hot at Vicki and Monkey's house in New York. Doug was shocked because I haven't done that before, but I HAD to cool off.

Doug has been thinking about Carol a lot, and I keep telling him to call her. I miss Margo and our walks around the old neighborhood. Carol and Margo always made me dance when I saw them, which was kind of embarrassing but I couldn't help it. They are very special, and I heard Uncle Dave say that he could tell how much Doug cares for Carol by the way Doug touches her. The only one Doug touches these days is me, and I have to say that I KNOW he loves me, but we do miss them!

We've spent a few days driving around this past week looking for a new home for Uncle Donny, and yesterday he decided on his choice! His truck is still a few days from being delivered, but his Harley is here, and I know he's anxious to get it back under him. Doug never took me for a ride on his bike, and it kinda pissed me off because I really wanted to go and feel the wind blow past us as we rumbled down the road. Carol wouldn't get on the bike, but I never understood that because I just wanna go wherever Doug goes. We're just waiting to see if/how we can help move Donny into his new place before we decide what's next for us, so stay posted for the news.

Family Time In Virginia

2010-10-14T13:06:00.004-04:00

My handsome brothers in an older picture

I am one of the most blessed people I know. In our family we are all the best of friends, and there are no other people on the earth I'd rather "hang with." Dave and his two sets of twins, minus Dane who is a senior at Liberty University, spent the holiday weekend together with us in Virginia Beach. Duppy and I are "camped out" in a luxury hotel on the beach with Donny where the room service is great, the sound of pounding surf lulls us to sleep, and we enjoy celebrating our brotherhood by eating too much and enjoying cocktails regularly. Being able to mostly shake off responsibilities of life, and revel in a freedom the hard work of life brings is a really wonderful thing. Donny is just returning safely from a three-year overseas assignment I wouldn't dare to write about, but I'm really proud of him and Dave both.

We started the family holiday weekend festivities by ordering pitchers of brew and big, fat steaks at Logan's Steak House. It's so good to see the nephews again and catch up on their doings and goings on. We're all a bunch of beach bums, and enjoyed record-setting high temperatures for the beginning of the weekend. The surf was up, and the boys' surf board was freshly waxed - Donny is a great body surfer, and I think maybe part fish. Duppy is training me in "Take the dog to the beach" protocol, and I'm learning quickly. He tolerates our days on the beach quite well, and has been a good teacher.

Over the weekend we had a food agenda, which included a couple of favorite places. Shoney's breakfast buffet where we had all-you-can-stand bacon, sausage and ham? Oh, I'm SO down with that!!! Number One Chinese Buffet is an experience in and of itself. All-you-can-stand sushi bar, a Mongolian grill I didn't even go to, and rows and rows of various Chinese specialty dishes. Whoa. We always enjoy going to Golden Corral, and made the most of our visit there before rolling, literally, out the door. The last time we visited those haunts was when Dad was here with us. It's been nice to revel in the past, and still make new memories as the nephews become young men, and my brothers and I traipse through our fifties.

Today is rainy one, but I'm not complaining. It is, after all, the middle of October, and while my goal is to follow eighty degree temperatures, Duppy and I are really enjoying hanging out with Don. Stationed on the balcony overlooking the Atlantic seaboard, I've been watching the dolphins smile at me three times a day, the pelicans glide in formation, and admiring the thunderous roar of Hornets and Super Hornet jets that take off from Oceana Naval Air Station. I know it might sound a little strange but our Dad, and I think both of my brothers, enjoy parking next to the airport to watch aircraft take off and land. I hope to do that here soon. In another life I would have loved to be a naval aviator, and really enjoy the powerful sound of the jet engines as they take off and land in training operations. As I sit here writing this, I'm unable to differentiate between the rolling thunder, streaking lightening and and roaring jets tearing through the sound barrier. Duppy is not a happy camper.

I have also enjoyed our strolls down the beach and boardwalk with cocktails in hand to VA Beach pier where people catch smaller fish than I care to try for. While I really enjoy fishing, I think it's kind of funny that I also find enormous enjoyment in watching other people fish, especially children. Last year I went deep sea fishing eight or nine times before I just started going along for the ride to watch kids fish from the Mijoy and Hell Cat charter boats on the Connecticut shoreline.

Don, Duppy and I have been riding around looking for a residence that Donny can move into as he gets ready to report in to his new duty station. The process of finding a new home is quite daunting, but eased by the fact that the navy will allow him to stay in the hotel until the end of the month. His household effects arrived a few days ago; I know he's anxious to get moved in to a new place, and his Harley back under him as much as anything else. Until then, "Life's a Beach," and we'll carry the party on until the wind blows Duppy and me away.

So Long For Now Auntie Karen!

2010-10-07T14:27:00.004-04:00

Once again I see Doug out mucking around in the truck, packing things into a more orderly manner and looking at maps. I know he's been talking to the Uncles and we're going to meet up with them in Virginia Beach for a visit, and YAY! More camping with the Uncles and nephews!! I could easily be Uncle Dave's doggie, but I'm going to really miss being here with Karen, Mike, Eric, Renee and even Dexter. I think Dex knows we're pulling out, too, because he's been a real pain this morning - this afternoon he's been better, He keeps bringing me his toys and pushing them into my face, and jumping on my butt. He's such a puppy! Sharing Doug with Dexter took some getting used to, and finding him in our bed next to Doug in the morning was quite an adjustment for me.

A couple years ago we came to visit with Karen, but Doug took off to Europe and left me here!! I was a little concerned about that happening again. As much as I love Karen, I didn't appreciate being ditched by Doug. I've been watching him very closely, but ever since I got my service animal vest I don't get left behind anywhere. It seems the whole world loves a Duppy, and I'm really enjoying life!

Since I go everywhere with Doug, I don't get to greet him when he comes home anymore, but I sure do love it when Auntie Karen, Eric and Renee come home! It's just like the old days, and they know just how to fuss on me! And I get to greet three people a day! I'm a lucky boy to have such a great family. Doug says we may be back this way during the holidays. I know for sure that we're spending Christmas with Emma in Connecticut, but I can't wait until the wind blows us back to Leesburg again!

Today when Karen got home we went for an enjoyable walk with Dex, and sniffed out a part of the neighborhood Dex doesn't usually go to and found all kinds of great things to pee on together!! Lottsa doggies use that trail. When we got home Dexter jumped all over me and made me chase him - I'm too old for him! He's really fast!! He jumps on my face, hops on my butt and runs away before I can get him. Scamp.

Special thanks for being such a great aunt, and special sister to Doug. I know he's really proud of you, and admires you. I think it's great you guys are such terrific friends and have a jolly old time traveling, exploring and just hanging out together. I wish I had brothers and sisters! I'm very envious. Thanks for your gracious hospitality, and all the things you did to make our visit memorable.

Love you,
Duppy

I Stand Corrected!!

2010-10-05T14:51:00.000-04:00

Renee showed me how to copy and paste information from web pages, which reminds how my students used to show me computer "tactics," and LOVED that my students also taught me!! While Antietam was, indeed, the bloodiest day in the war, the numbers below represent more accurately the battle statistics of the major "Civil War" battles. Civil War... Hum. Seems kind of a silly oxymoron doesn't it, or is it just me?

The Worst Civil War Battles -

Antietam was the bloodiest one-day battle of the Civil War. But there were other battles, lasting more than one day, in which many more men fell. The numbers below are total casualties for both sides.

Duppy's Day at Antietam

2010-10-03T16:57:00.005-04:00

Doug won't let me pee on battlefield fences

Today Auntie Karen was fussing over breakfast and making what Doug called "popovers" - something our Grampy used to make on Sunday mornings. When Doug and Uncles Dave and Donny talk about going to see Grampy I get all excited even though I've never really gotten to see him again, but I like the rock garden and park where we go. The guys always bring scotch, smoke cigars and sit around the same spot and toast him. We've been there a bunch of times, but I still haven't seen him. Grampy is the best. I tried eating the popover, but I liked the bacon a whole lot better! So did Dexter! Thanks, Karen!

Karen and Doug were excited today to go explore somewhere they've never been, and didn't know anything about until they went on the computer - then they got REAL excited by what they were reading! For my part, I just enjoy a good ride in the car. When we got there and went to the visitor's center, a park ranger came up to Doug and said, "No dogs are allowed in here." Hah! Silly park ranger! I'm not a dog - I'm a service animal! Doug really knows how to make the "No Dogs Allowed" people go away, and I'm really glad I get to go everywhere, and don't have to wait in the car by myself anymore!

We went to Antietam, and I could "smell" the blood in Bloody Lane in much the same way I did at Gettysburg, and a lot of it! We drove around the battlefield, the smallest one we've seen so far, which kind of "compressed" the effect and feeling of battle there. We walked past Dunker's church and down to Burnside's Bridge, which crosses Antietam Creek. Auntie Karen went ahead of us because Doug didn't want her to see his tears at this incredible battle site. Today I actually saw another dog, but he didn't get to go into the visitor's center and had to wait for his people in the car. I'm SO lucky.

Uncle Dave called Doug while we were on the northern battlefield, and I think I may get to go camping with him and the boys next weekend! I'm psyched! To be able to camp with Uncles Dave and Donny at the same time with nephews would be heaven for me! My family is THE best!!! Tyler and I had a great time camping with Donny, Mark and Doug last summer! Camping with the Uncles, Adam, Colin and Pete all at the same time? Wow!!! Let's GO!

The very best part of the day was a restaurant we went to on the way home! All the ladies that worked there were glad to see me and very nice. Even though Doug and Karen were slipping me food, one of the ladies brought me my very own serving of chicken! Karen is always watching out for me and noticed I looked a little thirsty. She pushed her glass of water toward me, but I couldn't reach it and I had to stand up against the edge of the table to get a drink. The waitress was really tickled and laughed because I'm so cute, but I could tell Doug was shocked. The next time we go to a restaurant I'm sure he'll make certain to water me better than he did yesterday, or I'll have to take matters into my own paws again! THAT'S what he should have taken a picture of!

Doug wouldn't let me pee on the Burnside's bridge either!

Antietam Battlefield

2010-10-02T23:35:00.004-04:00

Sunset Report: An arc of light after a humbling day

Karen mentioned yesterday that she wanted to make popovers this morning, which is something Dad used to do on Sunday mornings - a specialty, in fact - Karen broke all the rules and baked us up a beautiful batch! Pop would've been proud!! Scrambled eggs and bacon, too! I took a picture of breakfast ad lib - wished I'd arranged it a little because the popovers were SO incredibly beautiful, but the two bacon strips look like just one piece of bacon in the picture!! Delicious breakfast, Sis!! Duppy and Dexter thought so, too!

Our plan today was to go to the Antietam Battlefield - neither of us have been there before, but again, "Antietam" is a word I know without knowing why. That seems to happen a lot lately, and I wonder how it is I can't recall any background knowledge about something that sounds so familiar. The thing that struck me the most is that the battle for Antietam was the single deadliest day in American military history - EVER! At Gettysburg, the same approximate number of soldiers were killed in three days. Not one day! Yikes!

Casualties include three categories: 1) dead; 2) wounded; and 3) missing or captured. In general terms, casualties of Civil War battles included 20% dead and 80% wounded. Of the soldiers who were wounded, about one out of seven died from his wounds. Over 2/3 of the 622,000 men who gave their lives in the Civil War died from disease, not from battle.

Antietam Casualties

Approximate Numbers	Union	Confederate	Total
Killed	2,100	1,550	3,650
Wounded	9,550	7,750	17,300
Missing/Captured	750	1,020	1,770
Total	12,400	10,320	22,720

Because of the catastrophic nature of battle, exact numbers of casualties were virtually impossible to compile. The sources for these figures are The Official Records of the War of the Rebellion and the Antietam Battlefield Board. Tough to imagine. Another noteworthy fact is that Antietam was the first battleground to be photographed before the bodies were removed. I'm not posting the pics here, but you can Google Images yourself. They were taken by a guy who worked for Matthew Brady - forget his name as I sit here. Another startling fact about the battle was that six general officers - three per side - were killed. I don't believe that has happened anywhere, ever in the history of the world. Karen and I did the driving tour of the battlefield which was about eight miles long, and steeped in reverence. Dunker church, Bloody Lane, Burnside Bridge - this battlefield was six miles long and two miles wide, and the site of one of history's bloodiest battles. 50,000 Artillery rounds were expended in a day! Artillery Hell.

I bought Antietam: A Documentary Film, which is narrated by James Earl Jones, to complement the Gettysburg tour CD. Mom and I are going to have a ball when we get together!! My brother-in-law, Mike, made us a copy of the entire Ken Burns' Civil War PBS series and the movie Gettysburg. Big thanks for that, Mikey!

It occurred to me today that I don't know where Valley Forge is, and I've never been to Mount Vernon, though Karen says I have. I feel compelled to do something about that. We had a very interesting day, and Karen is a wonderful playmate for both Duppy and me. We went to an all-you-can-stand Chinese buffet on the way home where Duppy was not only greeted, but welcomed openly. The Chinese waitresses really fussed on him, brought him his own dish of chicken and laughed in delight when he put his feet on the edge of the table and drank out of a glass on the table. (I was mortified!) Talk about getting away with murder! We gave her a big tip!!! I back away from my earlier supposition that you can be too cute. Duppy's got it nailed.

Virgina Beach and hooking up with Donny has been put on temporary hold as he has a full-time agenda to find a place to live and get moved in quickly. He's in VA Beach, which is not conducive to guys with campers who need secure parking arrangements, like me. I hope that Dave can still find his way here next weekend - maybe we can find somewhere to set the camper up. I know I've camped in Virginia Beach before, but can't remember where. Anyway, Dave, no worries. Come on down and we'll figure out the details as need be! Bring ALL the Boyz and sleeping bags!!! I've got everything needed to be the host with the mostest and I LOVE your tribe!!

To my blog followers, I thank you for following. I have about 100 views per day on my blog each day from twelve countries - oftentimes even more!! It seems my family and friends are the only ones who leave me comments, but I do welcome your notes when you feel inclined to leave them.

All for now!
Doug and the Dup

Great Falls

2010-09-30T15:14:00.005-04:00

Sunset Report: Pitiful, pouring, precipitation

Yesterday Karen took me to Great Falls, Virginia. At Great Falls, the Potomac River builds up speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through the narrow Mather Gorge. The Patowmack Canal offers a glimpse into the early history of this country. Great Falls Park has much history and nature, all in a beautiful park only 15 miles from Washington, D.C. A trading place. A place to fish. A canal and town. An amusement park and a place to discover nature. In the past, Great Falls of the Potomac has been the all of these. The park depictions at the Falls show traders navigating the rapids in their boats with goods being delivered to Washington in the 1800's. Imagine! Donny, James and I did a twelve-mile kayak paddle past a mountain castle in Belgium in fair rapids. Very impressive to get a boat of goods on the water conditions we saw tonite!!

I mentioned earlier that my daughter and I share a love of waterfalls, and whenever I can put myself in the same area as a water fall, I do. This time, though, Karen took me as I wouldn't have thought to drive there by myself. Thanks, Karen! When we left the house I thought we were going on a thirty-minute excursion to Ball's Bluff, but she faked me out. In Connecticut I love going to the water falls at Devil's Hopyard, and there's a long family history of our going there. It was often one of the day-rides I took in the Corvette, or on our motorcycles with good friends, like Beth!! Hey, you!

The Devil's Hopyard "Chapman Falls"

Legend has it that the Prince of Darkness himself has been seen sitting atop a huge boulder near the top of the falls, playing a fiddle while his minions stirred nefarious brews in the naturally formed cauldron-like potholes at the bottom of the falls. (The potholes have also been thought to be the marks burned in the rocks by the Devil’s hooves.) Native Americans are said to have used the area for rituals, further spooking the locals and adding to the mythos. Over the decades, dark shadows and phantoms have been purportedly seen moving around the woodland. In more recent times, people have allegedly experienced spirit orbs and mists, as well as strong feelings of foreboding. Others have heard demonic voices and inexplicable laughing. EVPs have also been supposedly recorded. And yes, there’s evidence that in the 18th century there was a malt house near one of the tributaries of the Eight Mile River, near which hops were grown. Hence, the “hopyard.”

When we got home, Karen broke out my old pressure cooker and made a pot roast to die for. Emma used to joke about me being married to the pressure cooker because I enjoyed it so much! I love that my family has all the stuff that was once mine. Small enough to fit in my camper/sailboat, right? YES!

Donny didn't send me flight info. Don't know what that means, but I didn't go to pick him up and we're still in Leesburg. We had tropical depression 16 open the skies over us today, so it's probably just as well that we didn't venture to Norfolk. Today is a crossword and scotch on the rocks day. I was only compelled to write this because I'm a water fall seeker and we had a great time. Thanks, Karen!!!

Editing and Revising, and Musings

2010-09-28T19:38:00.004-04:00

Sunset report: Wow!

In somewhat the same way my itinerary has been revamped, I have revised and edited some of my stream-of-conscious writing so that it's more what I meant to write in the first place. Nothing really major; just working out the typos and bugs. I've always taught my students that a good piece of writing is the result of evolutionary process - I didn't do any major revising today, only editing, but I expect that I will at some point in time when I'm sitting deep in the woods by myself. Right now I'm loving hanging out with Karen, Eric and Renee - Duppy is even enjoying Dexter and his puppy antics. He even got into Dex's toys and played with something other than a bisquit yesterday!!

Today is Karen and Mike's 25th wedding anniversary, and Duppy and I are taking her out for dinner to celebrate the momentous occasion. I think I can count marriages of people I know that lasted 25 years or longer on the fingers of one hand, and three of them are my band mates. Way to go guys! I tried three times with two different women over a time span of more than thirty years, but to no avail. Anymore, it's looking like it's just me and the Duppy. I've done some writing about that kind of stuff on this blog, but don't want to review here. Just celebrate. My brother-in-law added last weekend that he has been "Happily married" for 25 years; very sweet! Karen is a real catch!!! If ya don't believe me, ask Dexter!!

I'll be bouncing around Virginia for the next chunk of our road time. Hoping to catch up with the Virginia nephews, an old army buddy and, of course, my brother and whoever comes to party as he situates himself. Charlottesville to VA Beach for a week, or so, and then to North Carolina. I haven't been able to use the camper as my sis lives in a neighborhood that frowns on campers who live in front of houses, and take a dim view on campfires in the front yard. I ain't camping without a fire!

I spoke at some length to a friend who had a birthday yesterday. I'm not a big chatter on the phone, but it sure was nice to connect again after missing him throughout most of the summer and on my way out of town. Someone else said while at a party, mistakenly, they had seen Duppy and me in town, which resulted in a phone call from another friend. Thanks for calling, Mikey! Ya gotta know I wouldn't come to Connecticut and not give you, Don and Dave a jingle on the phone. No CT for us until Christmastime. See you then!

As we prepare to shift our traffic pattern from northern VA to the corridor between VA Beach and Charlottesville, I'm realizing how much I've enjoyed, and will miss, hangin' with Karen and family. We've really had a blast. My nephews are no longer kids, and the evolution of our relationships has been really enjoyable. I have seven grown nephews, one who's a youngster, and a niece with four girls of her own and one in the oven. Karen's son, Eric, and I share a love of music and guitars - he now has my prettiest one! It's been too long since I've spent time with Dave's boys - two sets of twins, sixteen months apart - and I'm looking forward to seeing you guys! Donny and I will be in touch ASAP!

The shift south will likely mean less, or little, computer writing time. See you later!!

I'm in a Very Punny Mood! Just for fun.

2010-09-27T16:30:00.000-04:00

Some of these are retreads, but mostly very clever! If you didn't know what a cornball I am, now ya do!

1. The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Circumference.
He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned
out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey
maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was
confiscated from algebra class, because it was
a weapon of math disruption.

5. No matter how much you push the envelope,
it'll still be stationery.

6. A dog gave birth to puppies
near the road and was cited for littering.

7. A grenade
thrown into a kitchen in France would result in
Linoleum Blownapart.

8. Two silk worms had a race. They
ended up in a tie.

9. A hole has been found in the nudist
camp wall. The police are looking
into it.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

12. Two hats were hanging on a hat
rack in the hallway. One hat said to
the other: 'You stay here; I'll
go on a head.'

13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting
bigger. Then it hit me.

14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab
center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'

15. The midget fortune-teller
who escaped from prison was a small medium at
large.

16. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a
seasoned veteran.

17. A backward poet writes
inverse.

18. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In
feudalism it's your count that votes.

19. When cannibals ate a
missionary, they got a taste of religion.

20. If you jumped off
the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine .

21. A vulture boards an
airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The
stewardess looks at him and
says, 'I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed
per passenger.'

23. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so
they lit a fire in the
craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once
again that you can't have your
kayak and heat it too.

24. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, 'I've lost my electron.' The
other says 'Are you sure?' The first replies, 'Yes, I'm
positive.'

25. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused
Novocain during a root
canal? His goal: transcend dental
medication.

26. There was the person who sent ten puns to
friends, with the hope that
at least one of the puns would make them laugh.
No pun in ten did.

A Whole Other Schedule!

2010-09-27T14:02:00.013-04:00

In an email from my brother Donny yesterday he invited all the guys in our brotherhood to Virginia Beach, writing that he had a hotel room on the beach and wants to party since he doesn't report in until October 16. Somehow or other, the impending dates didn't register as being just a couple days away. I also didn't know he had so much time to play until yesterday. Yahoo!

Nineteen years ago Donny and I did quite a bit of camping in Shenandoah Valley, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Outer Banks and Virginia Beach. I don't know what is on his agenda, but hope we can find some time to re-visit some of those places. Maybe Steve and Lisa from Charlottesville can join us for a little bivouacking? Autumn on the Blue Ridge Parkway is spectacular, but I can't remember anymore if deer came into our campground on the BRP, or Yosemite National Park, or both. Like I wrote in an earlier post, I've had a really blessed life. Having deer visit my campsite is akin to a blessing. Kinda like an angel thing.

After partying in Las Vegas during the late nineteen-eighties with Donny we arrived back to our campsite very early in the morning, and dragged the blow up mattress out of the tent to sleep under the stars. Donny peered through the darkness and thought he saw a bear next to our site! Really, there was no alternative but to go to sleep as neither one of us was in the condition to be running anywhere. I explained to him that the best thing to do would be to go to sleep so as not to make ourselves prey.

A Newfoundland in daylight

He didn't argue, so we did because there was little choice. In the morning, it turned out the next door campsite neighbors had a Newfoundland dog, which does, indeed, look like a bear. Especially at three o'clock in the morning.

Anyway, the schedule I saw us following a couple days ago is out the window as we'll be heading to pick Don up at the airport once I get his flight information. He needs to find a place to live, and deal with his household shipment from Europe, but no matter. The sad note here is that my doggie niece, Zoe, won't be accompanying us in our travels, and I'm very sad about that for Donny. For those of you who know me, I don't just accept "No!" for an answer, but I couldn't invent a solution to make Zoe's trip to Virginia happen. And I'm really, really sorry and sad about that.

I'm looking forward to making more great memories before what will likely be Donny's last assignment as a chief in the U.S. Navy. I'm proud of you, brother!

Harper's Ferry and Duppy's Very Fancy Pants

2010-09-26T14:04:00.006-04:00

Sunset Report: Cloudy, gradually darkening horizon.

I recently mentioned Duppy's fancy pants, but I know that many people reading my blog won't be able to wrap your mind around how a Duppy has fancy pants. The above picture, taken by Karen yesterday, aptly depicts Duppy's fancy pants in a posterior shot replete with bull's eye. I know it's kinda too much info so maybe I'll go for a side shot next time, but I thought it was a terrific shot that shows Duppy at his foofiest. Way to go, Karen! Doggie porn.

Harper's Ferry is something that has resonated throughout my life, but with no tangible knowledge why. Karen, Mike, Duppy and I went there yesterday. It is the northern reach of the Shenandoah Valley where the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers occurs. It is more than one event, one date, or one individual. It is multi-layered – involving a diverse number of people and events that influenced the course of our nation's history. Harper's Ferry witnessed the first successful application of interchangeable firearms manufacture, the arrival of the first successful American railroad, John Brown's attack on slavery, the largest surrender of federal troops during the Civil War, and one of the earliest integrated schools in the United States. John Brown actually attacked the Federal armory to make off with rifles to arm a slave uprising he planned to lead. Not much of a strategy, and he was hanged for being stupid.

The Civil War had a profound and disastrous effect on Harpers Ferry, leaving a path of destruction that wrecked the town's economy and forced many residents to depart forever. Because of the town's strategic location on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley, Union and Confederate troops moved through Harpers Ferry frequently. The town changed hands eight times between 1861 and 1865.

I didn't know that George Washington established two federal armories - one in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the other at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, in order to make the weapons that guarded American freedom. That the United States no longer has federal armories is telling, and I feel our American freedoms slipping away in a rush of political correctness, restrictive firearms laws and Obamamama socialist legislation. I'll stop there since I don't want to rant on my blog, except to say that the school system where I used to work in was planning on integrating autistic students to regular education classrooms and eliminating advanced classes. Maybe I'm just a dinosaur, but it seems wrong to me. Too much PC.

Karen and Mike are celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary this weekend, and I wanted to take them somewhere nice for dinner. They knew of a very nice restaurant overlooking the whole valley and Harper's Ferry, but it was closed! Rats! We went to Long John Silver's instead because Karen heard me say I'd never been after seeing a commercial that made it look good. My curiosity is satisfied, and I won't be looking for another Long John's. I had the Lobster Bites plate, which tasted more like plastic than lobster. Duppy, however, had no complaints and ate heartily and happily.

Duppy, who's never been a fan of other dogs, save Margo, has been getting along fine with both Monkey and now Dexter. Dex is a seven-month-old poodle, and while I'm not a poodle guy, I am a big Dexter fan. Ever at my feet, he does doggie things like dig in the yard, chew on sticks, fetch whatever anyone is willing to throw and looks forward to the ritual walks Karen takes him on. He slept with Duppy and me a few times throughout the past week when, during the course of the night, he ate my belt and two checks out of my checkbook without destroying the whole thing. How is it that a seven-month-old puppy removes two checks from a checkbook to munch on? I don't have an answer to that question, but I'm glad I don't have to order more checks!

Aside from peeing on stuff, Duppy doesn't really do much "doggie" stuff unless it involves bones. Well, he does have the German Shepherd "service animal" act down to a tee so that people comment on his excellent behavior. I love it when mothers struggling with rugrats ask me how I get him to behave so well.

It's all about the love.

Gettysburg

2010-09-24T20:57:00.008-04:00

Epic Sunset at Gettysburg

Sunset report: Religious!

One hundred and forty-seven years ago Americans were facing off against each other in a four-year-long war.

625,000 people died.

Going to Gettysburg made me feel a lot like being in church.

The statements above are just what they are. My adding anything to them would just diminish them. Looking off Little Round Top into The Devil's Den, the Valley of Death, Big Round Top, and listening to the CD guide we bought at the Gettysburg National Military Park book store as Karen, Duppy and I took the driving tour was utterly moving. On our way home, Karen and I didn't say more than ten words as we listened to the incredible stories and background information on the guided tour disc, part two.

As someone who served as a soldier in the U.S. Army, I'm not certain I could convey my feelings with just words. That the war went on for four years is incomprehensible to me. Families on each side were split. Brothers fought brothers. For me, those facts are in opposition to the nexus that is me.

My Mom is a "Civil War" buff - no, more than that - "scholar" is much more appropriate, and when I spoke to her yesterday she reveled in the fact that being in Gettysburg was a lot like going to church. Yesterday's Gettysburg experience touched me in a primordial way that I'm not supposed to understand, I guess, and don't really even feel the need to. I just get it. As a soldier, I never had to go into combat but I was trained to be combat-ready, and led a platoon when I was a nineteen-year-old wearing buck sergeant's stripes in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment. I know about soldiering, so yesterday's experience was especially touching. I could tell that Karen "gets it," too. The experience that Gettysburg was about honor, valor and sacrifice brings a transgender understanding to all that is the Gettysburg battlefield. The courage, and the selflessness it takes to be a soldier in combat are only something I can imagine. And I'm grateful for that. I had army orders sending me to Vietnam, which were rescinded while I was a seventeen-year-old waiting to be out-processed for two weeks in Seattle, WA. Good thing God watches over fools.

When Karen and I got home, my family really spoiled me with a great steak dinner scorched on the grill, summer squash, sweet potatoes with lottsa butter and brown sugar, and birthday ice cream cake!! And presents!! Eric and Renee gave me sustenance for my trip, and Karen and Mike gave me an incredibly comfortable Coleman camp chair (with drink holders!) that feels more comfortable than the Ethan Allen chair I had in my former living room! My ice cream cake had "Happy Birthday" candles so that each candle was a letter! I guess when you're fifty-eight, you have to get your jollies when ya can, but I thought that was pretty cool. The sentiments on Eric and Renee's card were very sweet! Thanks for fussing on, and spoiling me you guys!!

Emma was the first to call me for my birthday at just after midnight - I know she was waiting until the bewitching hour! I wish you were twelve again, and I was home schooling you as we traveled the country! I miss you muchly, Em! Let's talk soon!!!

Duppy's blog: This was one of the most boring days ever but, thank God, we only spent two hours in the car. I learned that museums or book stores are too boring for me, and cycloramas are too loud. The best place we went today was Little Round Top, the site where some of the most ferocious fighting in all of the War of Northern Aggression against the South took place. There's something about ground that has been soaked in American blood that even one-hundred-and-forty-seven years can't erase. Doug and I could both "smell" it somehow.

We spent quite a bit of time there, and I could tell Karen and Doug were touched by the courageous gallantry of the soldiers that once fought at this battleground. I enjoyed peeing on all the rocks and pretending to be a mountain goat. Not many doggies get to come here, but then, I AM something special!

I peeked at some of what Doug was writing, but it didn't make sense to me. The list read:

Shiloh, TN
Cold Creek
Kansas War
CSA Unbeaten for two years
McClain
Currency
Taxes
Follow the money
Union/States Rights
Freedom for All
Human Freedom

Doug is really thinking about all this and trying to make sense of it, but I think he's going to need more time. He's not sure what questions to ask and is a little perplexed by that.

All I know is after we got back to Karen's we had steak for dinner, and everybody sang to Doug. I've never seen anything like it! Tomorrow we're going to Harper's Ferry, but I'm not sure what that is. I'll tell ya later! Time for chili, and BLT sandwiches. I'm outta here! See you later!

Duppy's Blog: Part Cinco

2010-09-22T16:40:00.002-04:00

Duppy in the River Bottoms Hunting Deer and Rabbits

The most exciting thing today so far has been a thunderstorm, though Doug, Dexter and I did get out for a walk where Dexter played ball. Personally, I think fetching a ball is ridiculous, but Dexter is a compliant doggie and loves the attention Doug gives him! For my part, I'm just a little jealous that Dex is too cute and really has a fix on Doug. Whenever Doug sits at the table Dexter is right on his feet, which I can understand because I don't let Doug out of my sight these days either, especially when there are thunderstorms like right now. I didn't used to be affected by them, but in the past two years for a reason I can't explain they scare me. I don't literally come apart at the seams like some dogs, er, service animals do, but I find thunder very upsetting these days.

I woke up two days in a row to find Dexter in bed with us. I'm not happy to be sharing Doug, but I guess I understand that Dex really likes us since he's not alone all day like before we arrived in Leesburg. Doug told Karen she's very lucky to have such a wonderful dog, and really, I have to agree that Dexter is something special. For a six-month-old puppy he's really smart and sweet, except when he invades my space by sniffing my lips and pawing at my face. He also likes to stick his nose up my butt, and THAT ticks me off but he's just a baby and doesn't know better than to respect my personal space. Doug is trying to teach Dex to walk on two legs for Karen. When I really want something, I can dance on my back feet for a long time while my front feet paw the air so that people know "I want!!!" Even if people have never seen that, they get it right away and feed me because I'm so cute.

We went to Cici's Pizza with Renee, Eric and Auntie Karen last night and absolutely feasted on all I could eat pizza. When we go to restaurants Doug usually hides the fact that he slips me food, but not last night and I CHOWED on cheese, pizza and pepperoni! I wasn't too interested in Doug's salad; he enjoyed it so much I thought I might want some, but in the end - no, thanks!

Doug's brother sent him a funny email showing doormats with clever things on them. These are my favorites:

1) THIS IS NOT A JOKE - If you ever want to see these people again, bring me a 5 lb. roast in a plain paper bag. [signed] The Dog
2) Our dog is not a biter, he's a humper. [we would need this one, I'm afraid... Doug says, "We don't have that kind of love, Duppy!!]
3) Well, butter my butt and call me a bisquit! Look who's here! (Emphasis added because we both LOVED that one!)
4) I'm really glad to see you! But then I lie like a mat.
5) Go away. Come back with wine or whiskey!
6) We love our vacuum, we found God, and we gave at the office.
Note: When we get religious converts at the door we say "We're staunch Episcopalians!" Gets rid of them quickly every time, usually with a bewildered look on their faces. Either that, or Doug tells them we believe in King Kong if he feels like being a smart ass.

Well, the sun is coming out again, and it seems the thunderstorms have passed for now, thank goodness. I was actually scooped up and sat in Doug's lap for a while during all that mess. I'm a lucky dog, er, service animal! Wonder what's for dinner tonite? We had chili that Karen made two days ago, but I have to say I preferred the pizza of last night!!

"Butter my butt, and call me a bisquit! " Too funny!!! I shudder to think what Dexter would do if somebody buttered my butt. Doug says I have "Fancy pants," which you only "get" if you know me! Tomorrow marks the first full month of our blog. Doug was surprised that we've had over 2,400 visits from people in twelve different countries, and he says it's because I'm so cute and well-mannered. While that is true, I think people might be enjoying our freedom and travels. I don't know if we'll go to North Carolina, or Charlottesville next. We're waiting for Uncle Mike to come home from Rochester so we can visit before we head outta Leesburg. We were going to see him in NY, but he was in Virginia then, so we went to Niagara Falls instead.

Alrighty, all for today! Time for a little nap!

Your buddy,
Duppy

2010-09-21T16:28:00.000-04:00

One of the beautiful farms I saw on my way to Virginia

It's Tuesday, which has always seemed like a funny day of the week. Now that I no longer have a schedule, work or otherwise, other peoples' schedules shadow what I remember as mine in the old days. I'm paling around with my sister, Karen, and after her workday today we're going to Ball's Bluff - the site of a battle in the war between the states. After that, I think we're going to Cici's just because we used to like to go there with her daughter and her four girls; not so much because the food is good, although it's not bad..

The link to Ball's Bluff is here: http://www.nvrpa.org/park/ball_s_bluff

I've had a couple people tell me that Duppy's posts were a high point of my blog, and they pointed me to a books entitled The Art of Racing in the Rain. I have also heard that Steinbeck wrote the novel Travels With Charley; both of these books were written from their dogs' point of view, which makes me want to read them. Last night Karen and I went to BooksAMillion in search of either one, or both of them to no avail. They were sold out of The Art of Racing, and no longer stock Travels. Borders has at least one, if not both, so maybe after we go to Ball's Bluff we'll check Borders out.

In my blog, I've been including entries written from Duppy's perspective unaware that this seems to be a limited genre of literature. I'm willing to bet I can pick up some tips from a writer like Steinbeck, but don't know what to expect from The Art of Racing in the Rain, as the reviews were sketchy, but I'll risk buying it. Thanks, Diane!

That my Duppy seems to know more about me than I do myself isn't exactly a surprise. I took a master's level course in animal communication that was very eye-opening about the cues animals pick up on and translate for themselves. He knows by the way I get up where I'm going and what I'm going to do, and I get that he reads breathing patterns, body language and other cues I don't know I offer him, but still it's amazing to me. Apparently I'm a pretty easy read. I learned dog training techniques from Bob Burgeron back when I had Gaza, and have built on them since then. The heartbreak of Gaza's death kept me from being owned by another dog until my ex-wife insisted my daughter needed a dog ten and a half years ago. After our divorce, I ended up with the girl, the dog and the cat. She got the house.

I shared the blog info with with my Timebomb2000 friends today. Google that if you wanna know more.

The Battle of Bull Run at Manassas

2010-09-20T14:02:00.002-04:00

Stonewall Jackson

Yesterday Karen, Duppy and I took the walking tour of the Manassas battlefield where the first Battle of Bull Run was fought, and the driving tour of the sites that encompass the second Battle of Bull Run. It was a very powerful experience, and that it affected me as profoundly as it did was a surprise. I was taught about the "Civil War" in school, but I know more about it as someone who lived in Virginia and was befriended - taken in by fellow staff members at Varina High School even though I'm a Yankee.

At first it was difficult for them to reconcile that I am a likable Yankee. In the South, the "Civil War" is called "The War of Northern Aggression," and on July fourth in Richmond before the firing of fireworks The Battle Hymn of the Republic, not The Star Spangled Banner is sung.

The story about the Civil War and abolitionists freeing slaves is hogwash. It was all about money and federalizing government power. The industrial Northern mills needed agrarian Southern cotton, but if the southern states sold their cotton directly to England they could cut the hold the North had over the South. Additionally, proponents of states' rights vs. a strong central federal government were at odds - again, largely over money vis a vis, taxes and creation of a currency that could be controlled by a central bank. Before Lincoln was even elected seven states had already seceded signaling their resistance to an overpowering federal presence. Something I agree with - we are now seeing Arizona, Montana, Utah and thirteen other states resisting the federalization of state laws regarding firearms and immigration laws which are being either ignored, or shoved down their throats - finally, they are resisting and suing the feds. You won't see these stories on the six o'clock news, but they're out there if you want to look.

I don't want to rant on my blog, but unconstitutional federal departments include:
*Department of Transportation
* Department of Justice
* Department of Agriculture
* Department of Commerce
* Department of Interior
* Department of Labor
* Department of Health and Human Services
* Department of Education
* Department of Housing and Urban Development
* Department of Energy
* Department of Veteran’s Affairs
* Department of Homeland Security

Eliminating them, and balancing the budget of America should be accomplished before America as we knew it ceases to exist. The America I grew up in is no longer recognizable. Is it time for war against federalization?

Duppy's Blog - Part Quattro. Shots, Spa Treatment and Doings!

2010-09-18T16:11:00.000-04:00

Auntie Karen came and woke us up very early this morning. I didn't really understand what was going on until we got to the veterinarian's office and I got a SHOT! Ouchie! A rabies shot, and the vet updated my bordetella vaccine that they spray in my nose. I hate that!! During my wellness exam the doctor said that I have a "significant" heart murmur and Doug didn't outright cry, but he did need a couple of tissues and I could tell he was very upset by that. I'm not sure what a heart murmur is, but I'm sure glad I have Doug looking out for me!

I heard Doug tell Auntie Karen just last night how he notices all the little noises I make now that I'm older - ya know, grunting and wheezing noises, like that. It was kind of embarrassing. To tell you the truth, I've been around long enough to see that Doug is getting kinda long in the tooth, too. I'm not the only one! He chuckles at me when I first wake up, but frankly, he's pretty funny, too, before he's awake enough to make his coffee. I try not to laugh at him, but it's hard not to until after I get my morning treats and greenies. Then I laugh my doggie ass off while he sucks down a cuppa java and wakes up!

I'm a woofer!!

After the vet's office Dexter and I went to the groomer's and had the spa treatment, which really made us feel good! Dexter's groomer, Miss Betsy, was very, very, nice to me so she still has all her fingers. I'm SO glad to be freshly bathed again! Doug put two new tags on my collar after our visit to Betsy - an "emergency tag" shaped like a bisquit with Uncle Dave's phone number, and a rabies tag that other people seem to think is necessary. Doug makes sure I don't get silly shots for stuff doctors try to get everyone to take. I've never once known anyone to get parvo virus, heart worms, distemper or anything like that. Doug is a little concerned about me getting Lyme disease from ticks, but he checks me over every day to make sure I don't have any bugs on me. I love that!

Right now I'm going to take a nap because later on Karen, Doug and I are going to go to Manassas where the Battles of Bull Run took place during the Civil War. Doug will probably write about that later.

Peace, out!

The Duppy

Sunset

2010-09-17T18:40:00.000-04:00

One of the beautiful sunsets from Wolcott, New York! Hi and thanks again Vicki and Monkey!

Wow! Statistics!!

2010-09-16T14:55:00.000-04:00

First off, I have to explain that I'm not computer savvy and if it weren't for Dave looking after me, I'd be up a creek. Putzing on the dashboard of my blog home I discovered that in three weeks' time I've had almost 1,600 visitors from ten countries reading my blog! Holy cow! Duppy's fan base! I'm sure it's his impeccable manners and good looks!

I still don't know how to customize the page, or even if I can set the background, but I keep trying!

Pictures coming soon!

Duppy's Blog - Off to Virginia!!

2010-09-16T11:25:00.001-04:00

Hi, Dexter!

I knew something was up Tuesday when Doug closed the camper in the afternoon before it rained again, and we crashed on Vicki's couch instead of sleeping in our camper. Sure enough, Doug and I said good-bye to Vicki and Monkey after breakfast yesterday, and Doug told me we were striking out for dinner in Leesburg, Virginia, where Auntie Karen, Eric and his long-time girlfriend, Renee, live! I was SO excited, but it was a long five hundred mile ride and took all day. It's tough being me when I have to spend the whole day riding in the truck, but as long as Doug and I are together I'm happy. Doug wasn't kidding and we had rotisserie chicken for dinner, hand-fed to Dexter and me by Auntie Karen! Yum!! Food always tastes better when I get hand fed and I can nibble it, which really makes it taste good! Doug gets exasperated when I swallow food whole, but sometimes it just tastes so good I forget to chew!

On our ride south we stopped two times to look at farms that had been deserted - the people just left them, and now nobody lives there! A big white barn, two matching white twin silos, lots of acreage and a beautiful white two-story farm house - just left behind by the people that owned them. We only stopped twice, but we saw lots of houses and dilapidated farms that people had just given up on and left during our ride to Karen's. The second time we stopped, it was because Doug couldn't believe such a beautiful farm was really vacant, but it was. There were still barn cats that lived there, but that was all. Doug was glad to see everything was still in good shape - the windows weren't broken, and there was no vandalism. It just had an empty feeling, like the ghost town we went to with Uncle Dave. Doug was puzzled by the abandonment of this lovely farm because it was only one-half of a mile from the York Street exit off of US route 15 to the Gettysburg battleground and I saw him keep shaking his head in disbelief. I sniffed out that a dog had lived there before, and I peed on all his favorite spots because that's what I do. I hope his people took him with them. I felt sorry for the cats, but they didn't like me the way Dolly does.

It's a lot warmer in Virginia than it was in New York. The low temperature here is warmer than the high temperature there, and I can tell Doug is happy about that. There were a couple of nights Doug had to cuddle me in the camper because it was so chilly in New York. Last night we slept in Auntie Karen's house because Doug said the neighbors would be creeped out if we used the camper, which I just don't understand because I just love our camper!

Last night Eric shuffled the cars so Doug could park the camper directly in front of the house, but we had to drive about a half of a mile to turn the camper around. Now, normally Doug doesn't have any trouble, but he forgot how badly he can't see at night - it took him a couple of tries before we found our way back to Karen's house pointed in the right direction. I thought it was funny seeing him squinting to read the street signs in the dark to try and find our way back. I never mind a little ride in the truck, especially when it's punctuated with comedy.

Now for some real news! Auntie Karen has an apricot-colored poodle puppy named Dexter, and NOBODY said a word about him before I got here. He's six months old, barks a LOT and even though he's kind of a spastic, he's okay. He's too happy about me being here and won't leave me alone, but he's being better today than yesterday. I had to get snarly to get him to back him off. We're both going to the groomer's on Saturday, I think. Even though I had a bath a few weeks ago I get dirty faster now that we're on the road. Like Doug says, "Ya can't be cute when you have poop on your butt!" He tries hard to keep me clean, but I make it difficult. Vicki had great woods, and I had a terrific time exploring the woods and pond at her house.

I guess that's all for now. We're going to have some nice family time, especially since Eric and his girlfriend, Renee, coo at me, are so nice to me and scratch under my collar and everything! She said to Eric that she wants to get a papillion of her own. Doug says,"Everyone ought to have a Duppy!" I think so, too.

Wet, Wet, Wet! And the Luckiest Guy in the World! Really!!!

2010-09-13T15:50:00.000-04:00

When I woke up to the sound of pouring rain at 3:30 A.M. I knew we wouldn't be able to pull out of Wolcott today. I pulled everything out of the camper to air and dry it out as I spilled my water on the foot of bed last night. Yes, a double-barreled wetting. Fortunately, I was able to move to the other bed so I didn't have to sleep in wet. The camper is remarkably dry in the rain. It's already dry from last night's soaking so I think I'll close it up this afternoon just in case it rains tonite, and Duppy and I will crash on the couch; we can take Vicki to breakfast one more time before we take off tomorrow. Ha! Before I could even finish this blog entry the skies opened up to more thunder, lightening and torrential rain, but I closed the camper and got everything inside beforehand!!

Today after breakfast Vicki grabbed her fishing pole, baited a hook and tossed it in the pond. In a few minutes she had a fish on her line, which answered the question whether, or not, there were fish in her two-year-old man-made (Vicki-made) pond. Awesome! She has her own fish market!! Monkey loved trying to "get" the fish, whose fins managed to make Doug say "Ouch!" a couple times before we got him back in the water. Monkey escaped without being poked by fins!

Note From Em on Duppy's Blog: "Hahahaha oh boy, Duppy, I never knew you were so articulate! That's seriously impressive! Dolly has a smaller vocabulary, but her grammar is better than yours. haha just kidding. I miss you Dad and I'll never stop laughing at Duppy's service animal costume. He does play the part well. I'm counting the days until you're back in CT... but really its never soon enough! As excited as I am for you to come back, I'm already sad for when you leave after the holidays. Its weird things are never gonna be the way they used to be. I cant believe how much things changed, and I never would have guessed we would be separated by hundreds of miles for longer than a week. Or that I wouldn't be able to take your glasses off when you fell asleep with them on, or greet you to the world each morning. I miss my dad, but you've become one of my best friends as well. Thanks Dad for dropping everything in your life and moving 8 states north just to take a chance at being my father. I'll never forget it for a second of my life. Not just any man would do that, especially when the mother wanted to raise the child independently. You never had to do anything, but you did because you loved me before you knew me or saw my face. That kind of love will fuel me through my entire life. I'm so fortunate to have you as a dad. I love you so much always. <3 Love, emelie."

Your words are so very touching they made me cry. The memories of you greeting me to the world each morning, and taking my glasses off when I'd fallen asleep with them on are wonderful ones. I had many wonderful years as a teacher, but they only served to help me be your dad, and a good provider. My life has always been all about you, and still is. I love you with all my heart, Sweetie!! You realize so much more than I ever knew you did. You are my everything.

Em, I'm never farther than a phone call or an email away. Even though I'm not in Middletown, I'm with you always and ever. If anything happens and you don't know what to do, I've set up Uncle Dave to take care of whatever it is that is plaguing you. If your troubles are more immediate than the few minutes it takes to get a hold of me, or thirty minutes for Dave to get to you, call Michael at 860-301-9721 - that's his cell, and he'll know what to do. Dave and Mike know each others' phone numbers and, in addition to me, are your knights in shining armor. You are not alone.

I am truly blessed.

Duppy's Blog: Part Deux

2010-09-12T19:02:00.000-04:00

See ya later, Monkey!

Being a Duppy is kinda like being Yoda, ya know? We just know "stuff." I can look at people and know we're close to where we're going, when Doug stands up I can tell where he's going and what he's gonna do, I know when to keep my head down in a restaurant, when to be extra-friendly or snarly, but the funny thing, to me, is that Doug knows when I have to pee. And I'm so glad! It rained last night, so I didn't pee on my way to bed and at five o'clock this morning I was *dying!* Thank goodness Doug heard me tossing and turning to help me outside. I really can't jump that far anymore without hurting myself. On some days I need a boost into the truck, too. Doug says it's because I'm seventy-five and that's the way it goes, but I still feel like I always did. Life's great these days - me and Doug, 24/7, and things have never been better!

We've really had a nice time hanging out with Vicki and Monkey. She has a great big yard and lots of woods with deer in them! I loved to chase the deer and rabbits in the river bottoms off Catherine Street!! The deer here only come when I'm not available to pursue them, and disappear during the daytime. Darn!

When we first got here I was standoffish with Vicki, but I think she has REALLY fallen hard for me. I love the way she talks to me and pets me. She even rubbed my tummy for me, which was kind of embarrassing as I had to roll over on my back into a rather compromising position that I'm not used to. She feeds me soft doggie food that I've only had when my Aunt Karen spoon-fed me. I'm SO spoiled, but that's okay because I spoil my people back by being the very best boy I can!!! Everybody tells Doug how good they think I am, so I have a grip on that! Yoda, remember? Vicki really enjoys that I get to go EVERYWHERE, and I'm teaching Monkey the ropes so he can be a "service dog," too! He's a fast learner, and did very well at Pet Co. last week, and Niagara Falls yesterday. He had a chicken panini, and I had a steak sandwich for lunch! Delicious!!

I don't know exactly when, but I'm sure we're taking off from here soon. Yoda, remember? I went in to a room I don't usually go in and read that Vicki is also a Naturopath in addition to being an Herbologist! No wonder she knows so much!! I don't really like herbs all that much because I'm a dog, er, I mean service animal, but she's got all that stuff down! We have had a great time here, and Vicki has been great fun to visit. We had lots of terrific outings, rides, went fishing (I love to try to get the fish, but I let Monkey in on the fun today!), touring and sightseeing, and sunsets that Doug loves so much. We've had a really, really, nice visit here in Wolcott, and I'm grateful for a wonderful stay and such great company, but I still really miss Uncle Dave, Colin and Emma in Middletown. Doug keeps saying Karen's name, "Gettysburg," and "Steve," and I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but I hope I get to see Auntie Karen soon. I really love her, too!!

Thanks for looking out for me, Vicki and Monkey! It was really great to meet you, and thanks for everything!!

Niagara Falls and the Beginning

2010-09-12T14:55:00.002-04:00

It has been almost a month since I turned over the keys to our apartment on Catherine Street, and about two months since I started making my life small enough to fit in a camper/sailboat. Going to Niagara Falls yesterday put some perspective on that - winning the camper on Ebay by accident was when the light went off in my head that we were going to hit the road. Early in July, when Donny first came for his summer vacation to Connecticut, we went and picked the camper up together. That we were able to share that experience is a nice memory. Beforehand, it never occurred to me that I needed to get tags and register the camper - it wasn't until the previous owner handed me an envelope with CT paperwork that I thought, "Uh oh!"

We hooked the camper up to the truck hoping to make it to safety without incident, and were driving down the street about thirty seconds before there was a cop directly behind me with no tags on the camper. Before I made it to DMV the following week it happened twice more - all times without being pulled over!! I didn't actually get it registered until the Friday after camping with Donny, Ty and Mark in East Killingly. That, combined with the fact the registration process took about ten minutes, seems to have been a positive omen. I was able to work the camper's operational bugs out with Donny, and have been sailing smoothly since then. There is only one thing. I haven't needed or wanted to deploy the door from its storage position, but that is the last remaining question about our little camper. I have seen it done once, and don't believe it will be too difficult. With any luck, I won't have to use the door for some time to come as our quest for the Endless Summer continues!

Me making my best pirate face!

The Rainbow Bridge

Our encore visit to Niagara Falls with Monkey and Vicki was exactly what I had in mind. We had lunch al fresco in perfect weather, then walked through the park to Prospect Point for the majestic Falls view. The last time I was there was thirty years ago to celebrate my divorce in a kind of twist, as many people go there for their honeymoons. Some people in my life have recently lost their pets to old age and illness, and yesterday I said a prayer for their peace and comfort on the Rainbow Bridge above the Falls. The story tells of a green meadow located "this side of Heaven." Rainbow Bridge is both the name of the meadow and an adjoining bridge connecting it to Heaven.

According to the story, when a pet dies it goes to the meadow, having its body cured of any illnesses, frailties and/or injuries. The pet runs around and plays with other pets, missing only one thing – the love and companionship of its owner, who is still alive on Earth. Upon the pet owner's death, on their journey toward Heaven they cross the meadow. While doing so, the pet (along with any other pets the owner had while on Earth) spots their owner and runs to greet them. Reunited, the pets and owner cross the Rainbow Bridge together into Heaven, never again to be parted. In my family we love our fur babies, and they are part of the family. Dad is watching all our babies for now. Thanks, Pop!

Starting with our family travels and adventures in July and August makes our trip to upstate New York seem more like a continuation than a beginning. I can hardly believe that we will have been camping at Vicki's for two weeks as of tomorrow! We are commemorating the good times we've had with a lamb dinner on the grill tonite. Marsha gave us whatever the filet mignon cut of lamb is called and a jar of mint jelly, which should be just delicious! On our way home yesterday we were going to stop by the liquor store, but it was closed. Vicki said she had "some stuff," and I replied that "Girls don't have scotch or bourbon!" She quickly proved me wrong, and produced a bottle of Jim Beam within minutes of arriving home! We didn't drink it, but I love being wrong! She's a great prepper!!

It will be a couple of days before I'm able to write again as Duppy and I make our way from here heading south. Very special thanks to Vicki, Scott, and their friends, especially Marsha and Norm, who will have to go to Vicki's to read my blog as they don't "do" computers.

Vicki and I went to their log cabin home with a large lake, too many acres to guesstimate and a thousand foot driveway for a "so long" visit. Norm designed the house and had to logs cut to build it twenty-seven years ago. Wow!

Going to the Mennonite store, seeing the vastness of the area, the huge farms, almost endless orchards, the beautiful bays and inlets and many little shoreline communities has helped me to understand why people are willing to brave the cold to live here. Their gracious hospitality and resourcefulness have really impressed me! So long for now!

"He's Not a Dog, He's a Service Animal!"

2010-09-10T21:01:00.002-04:00

Ever since I posted a couple days ago that Duppy is 75 people years old, the thought has been haunting me. The last time I equated his dog years into translated human years we were the same age - kind of a funny realization at the time. My body aches and stupor prefer aspirin and caffine in the morning before functioning. Duppy gets greenies and treats to start his day, but we both start a little more slowly these days. Duppy has always been close to me, but since we started driving on some rather long trips to help him gear up for gypsyhood he doesn't let me out of his sight. We took a few day trips to Massachusetts, to Newport, R.I. for a sailing trip, two weekend camping trips and finally to Florida for almost two weeks - That's when he learned the word "shade" as a kind of a command!!

Since we've been on the road he sleeps in bed almost every night, and I can only remember once I found him konked out under the truck in the morning - blinking at me, stretching and yawning before scrambling with all four feet to an upright position with a flip of his flying tail feathers. It's really cute when they drape over his face. He used to just stand up, but now that he needs more working parts to get going I see all his feet moving. Thinking about it, I don't exactly jump to my feet the way I used to, either, and sometimes even groan when I do. Come to think of it, so does he.

Duppy and I are very good at accommodating each other, and because of that, even before hitting the road I'd been able to make his world almost as large as mine, and mine not at all smaller.When my plans to turn gypsy were formulating, I also had to make plans for Dup. I really don't like it when he has to wait in the car, and since an Endless Summer is a goal, it's gonna be too hot to leave him anywhere. He has to be able to go everywhere I do, or my world is going to be very small. What to do??

I searched on the web and found a company that makes service vests for animals. I bought red one that has "Medical Alert" prominently embroidered in white thread across the center of the vest, a patch that reads "Service Dog," and a Department of Justice photo identification card complete with a website address and phone number that fits into a clear ID window on the side. It's all very official-looking. I memorized his service ID number so that if I have to, I can head off confrontation by handing his ID over and reciting the nine digit number. I've only had to hand over the ID once. It works like a charm, and he gets in everywhere with little ado.

People don't comment on his purported extraordinary ability as a service animal, but they do comment about how very well-behaved and cute he is. Like brother Dave says, "Asking me why I have a service animal is like asking me why I'm black. You're not allowed to do that!" I actually used that line during dealings with a defiant restaurant manager that was intent on giving me a go. Shut him right down. The world is so stupidly politically correct these days, and Duppy's behavior is so impeccably proper, that the service animal bit works immediately almost without question. And so, Duppy will be able to live his years out in splendor with a lifestyle very few dogs experience. Attached below is one of the best doggie stories I've heard. Enjoy!

I have had the below piece for years, but never knew the exact origin of it until recently. It is attributed to Senator George Graham Vest during the 1870 Burden v. Hornsby court case in Warrensburg, Missouri. Sen. Vest's oratory (Below is only a portion of Sen. Vest's speech; the latter half of it has been lost to history.) won the case of Charles Burden, whose favorite dog, Old Drum, had wandered onto the property of Burden's neighbor, Leonidas Hornsby. Hornsby made good his promise to shoot the first dog that wandered onto his property; that dog being Old Drum. He did this even though he had previously hunted with the dog and acknowledged him as one of the best hunters he'd ever seen.

Burden sued Hornsby for damages. Following several appeals, the case reached the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri. Burden received an award of $50.00 in damages for the loss of his canine. The Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce and dog-lovers around the country had erected a statue of Old Drum on the lawn of the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in Warrensburg on September 23, 1958. It is said that this speech provided the origin of the phrase, "A man's best friend is his dog."

he best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name, may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its' clouds upon our heads.
The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health and sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, when the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master, as if he were a prince.When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.
If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger to fight his enemies; and when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace, and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.

Big Camp Fires Are An Extravagance

2010-09-10T13:39:00.000-04:00

I mentioned earlier that I wanted to revisit the idea that big camp fires are an extravagance, and a regular camp fire is a luxury. Two of the times I've been in chilly weather this past summer, I was camping with my brothers but at different times.

When Donny, Tyler, Mark and I went camping in East Killingly, CT, it was rainy and a little raw at night. There was a campground rule that you HAD to buy firewood from the office because there is an invasive insect species that was wiping out trees in the area... Well, it turns out this policy is in effect in many places, which serves to generate lots of income for the camp ground owners. It also limits big camp fires to people willing to pay for the wood at the store - at $5 a bundle that means an extravagant fire can cost $20 - $30 a night for the two nights we were there. When Dave and I camped around Athol, MA, we were able to buy wood on the local economy for a good price because there weren't insect laws. The first night there found us scrounging wood around the campsite, but we still had enough for a big fire until we bought some the next day..

I've checked the USDA, National Forestry Service and Bureau of Land Management websites and was surprised how many areas are "endangered" by various insects, which serves nicely to limit camp fires by requiring the use of wood that must be purchased there - the end result is that anyone NOT buying wood commits a criminal offense, and is subject to prosecution and fines. I have contended for quite a while that the object of having so many rules, regulations and laws is so that the powers that be can make everyone a law/rule breaking criminal.

The groundsmen at the campsites regularly drove around in golf carts checking on fires - of course any bright light at a camp ground is a beacon, and leads them directly to you. In a state or national forest there are state or federal agents who are eager to issue citations, which justifies their existence. BLM requires a thirty foot clearance around the fire pit, and some state forests limit the size of the fire pit to eighteen inches in diameter! I've also learned that it is my responsibility to check and see if a fire danger warning has been posted, which can mean NO campfire!! How did I ever live to be 58 tears old without burning a forest to the ground? Oh, yeah. I used common sense.

Last evening was a bit damp and chilly - 57 degrees, so Vicki lit a fire in the fireplace, and we watched Joe Dirt. For as silly as the movie was, it was very entertaining, and had a few memorable lines. "Life is a garden, dig it?" And "Ya can't have "No" in your heart!" David Spade played an abandoned child who raised himself, and ended up telling his story to a DJ in LA. All of LA was intrigued by his story, and he became famous. Anyway, it was nice to have a fire at my feet and enjoy the movie after having a shrimp scampy dinner that we shared with Monkey and Duppy. Mesmerized by the fire, I fell asleep in front of the fire place before pouring myself and Duppy into the camper for another great night's sleep at about one o'clock.

General ramblings - Emma wrote me a wonderful message on "Duppy's Blog!" I've missed being in computer touch with her as she's been struggling with AT&T to get her internet hooked up. Thanks for a beautiful message, Sweetie! Marsha called this morning to say that she was having Norm bring us lamb chops and mint jelly! What a sweetheart she is. Errands for today: get glasses fixed, buy extra glasses, get pictures onto a disc and get yet another atlas. For some reason the two I had seem to have vanished, and the one Dave gave me isn't practical for the kind of traveling we do. Tomorrow has been reserved for going to Niagara Falls, and when I leave NY I'll head down I-81. I'll have to be in touch with Karen and Steve to see what they have on their plates before I finalize our next destination. I'm also wondering what Cyndi's travel plans are for the end of the month - I meant to call her last night. Her kitty, Buddy, had to be put to sleep last week, but I just found that out in a comment she made on my blog. So sorry for you, Cyn!

One Sunset I'm Not Looking Forward To

2010-09-08T21:03:00.006-04:00

2004

Yesterday I had to pick Duppy up and put him in the truck - it just wasn't the kind of day he could make the fairly monumental leap to the front seat of the truck. Sometimes he can still jump in on his own power, but lately that's only about half the time. Gene Weingarten wrote wonderfully about his experience with old dogs and their glories as we wind our ways through life together, and I wanted to share that with you below.

Duppy is ten-and-a-half now and the thought that he's 75 people years old, and that our time together is in the beginning stages of coming to its inevitable close kinda sticks in the front of my mind and aches. Our walks in the woods, experiences on the road in our travels together and his adoring companionship are all such incredible treasures. One of the funny things about Duppy is that HE thinks he's a German shepherd, but the fact of the matter is that he is thirteen pounds of foofiness - but that's only because he's full of bisquits! I've been trying to trim him back by a pound without success. It's funny having a dog that people just look at and either smile, or out-right laugh. Yes, he IS that cute!

For a papillion, bred as a lap dog, he is remarkably like my German shepherd, Gaza, who was a statue of an animal. People would just stop and gawk at his size and charm. His head was about four feet off the floor, and his 125 - 130 lb. body was about four feet long, excluding a very robust coffee-table-clearing tail the size of my forearm. He went to school and work with me a lot, but didn't have the unlimited free range Duppy enjoys, which is kind of ironic. To have once had a real companion guard dog as well-trained as Gaza who had to note all the "Dogs Not Allowed" signs that I just blow off with Duppy makes me laugh! A papillion "service animal." I just can't get over it, but he is a very convincing actor. Duppy is a bit more mischievous than Gaza, but he always just knows how to behave in any situation, is totally handsome/cute/endearing, a vigilant guard when camping, strong-willed, playful and he LOVES our family.

Uncle Donny, wanna get my bisquit? C'mon with your bad self!

Not long before his death, Harry and I headed out for a walk that proved eventful. He was nearly 13, old for a big dog. Walks were no longer the slap-happy Iditarods of his youth, frenzies of purposeless pulling in which we would cast madly off in all directions, fighting for command. Nor were they the exuberant archaeological expeditions of his middle years, when every other tree or hydrant or blade of grass held tantalizing secrets about his neighbors. In his old age, Harry had transformed his walk into a simple process of elimination—a dutiful, utilitarian, head-down trudge. When finished, he would shuffle home to his ratty old bed, which graced our living room because Harry could no longer ascend the stairs. On these walks, Harry seemed oblivious to his surroundings, absorbed in the arduous responsibility of placing foot before foot before foot before foot. But this time, on the edge of a small urban park, he stopped to watch something. A man was throwing a Frisbee to his dog. The dog, about Harry’s size, was tracking the flight expertly, as Harry had once done, anticipating hooks and slices by watching the pitch and roll and yaw of the disc, as Harry had done, then catching it with a joyful, punctuating leap, as Harry had once done, too.

Harry sat. For 10 minutes, he watched the fling and catch, fling and catch, his face contented, his eyes alight, his tail a-twitch. Our walk
home was almost … jaunty.

Some years ago, The Washington Post invited readers to come up with a midlife list of goals for an underachiever. The first-runner-up prize went to: “Win the admiration of my dog.”

It’s no big deal to love a dog; they make it so easy for you. They find you brilliant, even if you are a witling. You fascinate them, even if you are as dull as a butter knife. They are fond of you, even if you are a genocidal maniac. Hitler loved his dogs, and they loved him.

Puppies are incomparably cute and incomparably entertaining, and, best of all, they smell exactly like puppies. At middle age, a dog has settled into the knuckleheaded matrix of behavior we find so appealing—his unquestioning loyalty, his irrepressible willingness to please, his infectious happiness. But it is not until a dog gets old that his most important virtues ripen and coalesce. Old dogs can be cloudy-eyed and grouchy, gray of muzzle, graceless of gait, odd of habit, hard of hearing, pimply, wheezy, lazy, and lumpy. But to anyone who has ever known an old dog, these flaws are of little consequence. Old dogs are vulnerable. They show exorbitant gratitude and limitless trust. They are without artifice. They are funny in new and unexpected ways. But, above all, they seem at peace.

Kafka wrote that the meaning of life is that it ends. He meant that our lives are shaped and shaded by the existential terror of knowing that all is finite. This anxiety informs poetry, literature, the monuments we build, the wars we wage—all of it. Kafka was talking, of course, about people. Among animals, only humans are said to be self-aware enough to comprehend the passage of time and the grim truth of mortality. How, then, to explain old Harry at the edge of that park, gray and lame, just days from the end, experiencing what can only be called wistfulness and nostalgia? I have lived with eight dogs, watched six of them grow old and infirm with grace and dignity, and die with what seemed to be acceptance. I have seen old dogs grieve at the loss of their friends. I have come to believe that as they age, dogs comprehend the passage of time, and, if not the inevitability of death, certainly the relentlessness of the onset of their frailties. They understand that what’s gone is gone.

What dogs do not have is an abstract sense of fear, or a feeling of injustice or entitlement. They do not see themselves, as we do, as tragic heroes, battling ceaselessly against the merciless onslaught of time. Unlike us, old dogs lack the audacity to mythologize their lives. You’ve got to love them for that.

The product of a Kansas puppy mill, Harry was sold to us as a yellow Labrador retriever. I suppose it was technically true, but only in the sense that Tic Tacs are technically “food.” Harry’s lineage was suspect. He wasn’t the square-headed, elegant type of Labrador you can envision in the wilds of Canada hunting for ducks. He was the shape of a baked potato, with the color and luster of an interoffice envelope. You could envision him in the wilds of suburban Toledo, hunting for nuggets of dried food in a carpet.

His full name was Harry S Truman, and once he’d reached middle age, he had indeed developed the unassuming soul of a haberdasher. We sometimes called him Tru, which fit his loyalty but was in other ways a misnomer: Harry was a bit of an eccentric, a few bubbles off plumb. Though he had never experienced an electrical shock, whenever he encountered a wire on the floor—say, a power cord leading from a laptop to a wall socket—Harry would stop and refuse to proceed. To him, this barrier was as impassable as the Himalayas. He’d stand there, waiting for someone to move it. Also, he was afraid of wind.

While Harry lacked the wiliness and cunning of some dogs, I did watch one day as he figured out a basic principle of physics. He was playing with a water bottle in our backyard—it was one of those 5-gallon cylindrical plastic jugs from the top of a water cooler. At one point, it rolled down a hill, which surprised and delighted him. He retrieved it, brought it back up and tried to make it go down again. It wouldn’t. I watched him nudge it around until he discovered that for the bottle to roll, its long axis had to be perpendicular to the slope of the hill. You could see the understanding dawn on his face; it was Archimedes in his bath, Helen Keller at the water spigot.

That was probably the intellectual achievement of Harry’s life, tarnished only slightly by the fact that he spent the next two hours insipidly entranced, rolling the bottle down and hauling it back up. He did not come inside until it grew too dark for him to see.

I believe I know exactly when Harry became an old dog. He was about 9 years old. It happened at 10:15 on the evening of June 21, 2001, the day my family moved from the suburbs to the city. The move took longer than we’d anticipated. Inexcusably, Harry had been left alone in the vacated house—eerie, echoing, empty of furniture and of all belongings except Harry and his bed—for eight hours. When I arrived to pick him up, he was beyond frantic.

He met me at the door and embraced me around the waist in a way that is not immediately reconcilable with the musculature and skeleton of a dog’s front legs. I could not extricate myself from his grasp. We walked out of that house like a slow-dancing couple, and Harry did not let go until I opened the car door.

He wasn’t barking at me in reprimand, as he once might have done. He hadn’t fouled the house in spite. That night, Harry was simply scared and vulnerable, impossibly sweet and needy and grateful. He had lost something of himself, but he had gained something more touching and more valuable. He had entered old age.

In the year after our move, Harry began to age visibly, and he did it the way most dogs do. First his muzzle began to whiten, and then the white slowly crept backward to swallow his entire head. As he became more sedentary, he thickened a bit, too.

On walks, he would no longer bother to scout and circle for a place to relieve himself. He would simply do it in mid-plod, like a horse, leaving the difficult logistics of drive-by cleanup to me. Sometimes, while crossing a busy street, with cars whizzing by, he would plop down to scratch his ear. Sometimes, he would forget where he was and why he was there. To the amusement of passersby, I would have to hunker down beside him and say, “Harry, we’re on a walk, and we’re going home now. Home is this way, okay?” On these dutiful walks, Harry ignored almost everything he passed. The most notable exception was an old, barrel-chested female pit bull named Honey, whom he loved. This was surprising, both because other dogs had long ago ceased to interest Harry at all, and because even back when they did, Harry’s tastes were for the guys.

Still, when we met Honey on walks, Harry perked up. Honey was younger by five years and heartier by a mile, but she liked Harry and slowed her gait when he was around. They waddled together for blocks, eyes forward, hardly interacting but content in each other’s company. I will forever be grateful to Honey for sweetening Harry’s last days.

Some people who seem unmoved by the deaths of tens of thousands through war or natural disaster will nonetheless grieve inconsolably over the loss of the family dog. People who find this behavior distasteful are often the ones without pets. It is hard to understand, in the abstract, the degree to which a companion animal, particularly after a long life, becomes a part of you. I believe I’ve figured out what this is all about. It is not as noble as I’d like it to be, but it is not anything of which to be ashamed, either.

In our dogs, we see ourselves. Dogs exhibit almost all of our emotions; if you think a dog cannot register envy or pity or pride or melancholia, you have never lived with one for any length of time. What dogs lack is our ability to dissimulate. They wear their emotions nakedly, and so, in watching them, we see ourselves as we would be if we were stripped of posture and pretense. Their innocence is enormously appealing. When we watch a dog progress from puppy*hood to old age, we are watching our own lives in microcosm. Our dogs become old, frail, crotchety, and vulnerable, just as Grandma did, just as we surely will, come the day. When we grieve for them, we grieve for ourselves.

From the book Old Dogs, text by Gene Weingarten and Michael S. Williamson, based on a longer excerpt that originally appeared in The Washington Post. ©2008 by Gene Weingarten and Michael S. Williamson. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster Inc.

If you can... (anonymous)
... start each day without caffeine, ready to greet the world,
... get going without pep pills,
... always be cheerful, ignoring aches & pains,
... resist complaining & boring people with your troubles,
... eat the same food everyday & be grateful for it,
... understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
... overlook it when those you love take it out on you when through no fault of yours, something is wrong,
... take criticism & blame without resentment,
... ignore a friend's limited education & never correct him,
... resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
... face the world without lies & deceit,
... conquer tension without medical help,
... relax without liquor,
... sleep without the aid of drugs,
... say that, deep in your heart, you have no prejudice of any kind, Then, my friend, you are almost as good as your dog!

Riding the Wind to Gettysburg and Points Beyond

2010-09-08T19:35:00.000-04:00

I've just now made a decision to pull the plug on Duppy and me going to Ohio. My Tom Tom says 390 miles to Leesburg, which is kinda funny because I drove 330 miles to get here from Connecticut. Sometimes stuff, like the way the crow flies, is surprising! I've been looking at possible routes from Niagara Falls to Leesburg, and can see that's going to take some doing. The Falls are 133 miles from here, and I don't like to back track. We'll see. I-81 to VA is a pretty straight shot, though.

We were planning on leaving Wolcott today, but decided to put off leaving and wait for better weather to visit the Falls. The weather made a boomerang turn from a few days of heat wave to a high today of a soggy, cool, 61 degrees. Got laundry done today, and am hoping to get to make a disc of the pictures I've taken since we've been here since my firewire is in absentia.

Last night Duppy and I took Vicki to dinner with Marsha and Norm - two really nice folks I really hit it off with. They both worked for the sheriff's office before he left and became a judge, now retired. He hunts and fishes, and she loved my little camper and asked me, "So, what time are we leaving?" It took me a minute to wrap my mind around that before I saw her grinning at me, and Norm guffawing. There was no shortage of banter at the dinner table. I don't usually have drinks at dinner, but Norm and Marsha are in their 70's and 80's - like Pop, they think every really good meal starts off with a cocktail so I ordered... (drumroll here) an old fashioned! Anytime I drink one of them I toast Dad and remember all the great dinners we shared meeting up on Wednesday nights at the Gris, Copper Kettle, Steak Loft, The Armory - all the terrific places we went. Last night's meal was a memorably wonderful prime rib - just maybe the best rib I've ever had, save the standing rib roast Dad and Barbara made for Christmas a few years back. Marsha called this morning to wish me "Happy Trails," and said that WHEN I come back they'll take care of me. Very sweet!

People are funny when they realize what we're doing is riding the wind with my truck and camper. During conversations I can read the changes of expressions in faces as they piece together exactly what it is we're doing. ALL the ladies think the camper is "cute," and it is. Guys pull over and ask me "What year is it?" There haven't been many people who weren't wistful that they were doing what we are. Yep. Pack the dog, hit the road and keep it simple.I'm surprised at the number of people who say that their family camped in pop top campers in their youth, and can see why the sight of the camper makes them reminisce. Music, ghost towns and metal detecting all sound good to people I've been talking to.

From the Falls I think I'll try to camp at Gettysburg - spiritually, I feel like I need to. I can't explain that; it's just a fact. Historically, they teach us something less than the truth in school, but I, too, believe it was "The War of Northern Aggression" after studying about it as an adult. My great-grandfather, Captain Lawrence, fought in the "Civil War," but I'm embarrassed that I know none of the details. You have to write that down for us, Mom!

Duppy,Vicki and I ate breakfast out where he is now recognized and adored as a "regular" to be fawned over. He had his usual pieces of my ham and eggs and Vicki's bacon. The waitresses often comment that they wish the children brought to the restaurant were as well-behaved. He's really got the "service animal" act down to an impressive art. When I die, I wanna come back as an animal anywhere in my family.

Duppy's Blog

2010-09-07T12:34:00.000-04:00

Duppy Doodle
Yesterday we went to the 104 Store, which also turned out to be a restaurant where I had bacon, eggs and ham. There were some people that looked at me funny because they'd never seen a service animal in a restaurant before. Doug really has the bit about, "He's not a dog, he's a service animal" down pat, and sends even the most determined "Dog's aren't allowed people" turning on their heels. After our meal we went for a ride (one of my favorite activities!) and Vicki took us on another Great Lakes adventure tour to Fair Haven where Scott told Doug that Lake Ontario is 135 miles long, 60 miles across to Canada and also that even though it's the smallest Great Lake, it's also the deepest! We stood at the top of a bluff where a whole tree, roots and all, had tumbled below to the beach where I couldn't pee on it. Darn. Doug got really close to the edge and I was nervous that he might fall over the edge after I heard him tell a story about Lady Magee, who DID fall over the side of a cliff! She was Gaza's girlfriend. Fortunately, she wasn't harmed.

After the wonderful ride, Monkey and I hung out with everyone on the porch a while. Really, I was kinda waiting for dinner to happen until Vicki said, "Let's call out for Chinese!" While Chinese isn't my favorite, it's better than vegetable soup. Doug cut some chicken up and mixed it with rice for me, and it was better than I thought it would be. I ate it all!! Scottie shared his dinner with me, too, and fed me by hand. One of my favorite ways to eat!!! He's a really good guy and knows how to treat me!

Vicki doesn't have "cable," whatever that is, but they watched concert video of Damn Yankees and three superstar guitar players all playing together on the biggest TV I've ever seen. Doug said he's never seen so much talent on one stage! There wasn't a single doggie in any of the videos. Strange! Doug takes me EVERYWHERE, even band practice at Don's house where the guys all drink out of little tiny one ounce glasses. I just can't figure that out, but I'm glad I get to go.

Doug has been rooting around in the truck and camper this morning. I had the feeling something was up until I saw him looking at maps again, which means we'll be hitting the road again soon. Lately, when I get in the truck I never know how long a ride we'll be taking, but I do know at the end of the day Doug will set up the camper - our new home. I love the camper, and it suits me just fine. Life on the road has been really fun so far!

Lazy Sunday

2010-09-05T17:01:00.001-04:00

My little Coleman Niagara camper

Even though we crashed at a reasonable time last night, we slept until six or so this morning. Duppy and I got up, looked around, had a smoke, went back to bed and we slept until eleven o'clock!!! I really do love my little camper! It has windows, screens and curtains all around, so I can adjust to weather accordingly. I guess it goes without saying the sleeping temperature last night was perfect! I have yet to deploy the door because everything has been so comfortable that I haven't needed, or wanted, the door. Vicki's seventeen acres are just beautiful, and features a very nice pond. Wolcott is a small village with a very nice Main Street - a quaint reminder of olde America and a simpler life than the one I left behind.

Today Vicki harvested a basket of beautiful carrots that really wowed me! The sight of them compelled me to photograph them! When I buy carrots at the store, they just don't taste the way, the fullness, I remember carrots tasting like, and I'm looking forward to sampling Vicki's garden bounty. This morning as I was drinking my coffee she came in and plunked down four plums she had just picked from the tree - delicious!! Then she made maple syrup, brown sugar oatmeal. Yum. Can't remember the last time I had oatmeal for breakfast, but it's been too long. As I am typing this she brought in a couple leaves of lettuce that melted in my mouth! I'm feeling very spoiled by her hospitality and company.

Vicki has been wonderful fun to poke around with, and I'll try to get some pictures of our doings the past week posted here later today. My firewire for the camera got left behind at Dave's, so I'll have to make a disc of pics I've taken so I can post them here. Yesterday we went to Auburn, NY, to get Duppy an "Emergency" tag with Uncle Dave's phone number at Petco, as well as some Frontline Plus. We had a list of things to get and do, and ended up circling about four laps around Walmart until we finished the list because we didn't know where anything was located. I still don't have a boom box... can't find the one that's just right, but it doesn't matter right now. I did get Vicki her very first flashdrive!! I can't imagine life without a storage device!! Welcome to the twenty-first century! Dave and Donny have tried to help me become more computer saavy, but I'm still a computer dork.

A couple notes about Vicki's place - she has six parakeets, and I've really enjoyed their chatting and clucking. She opens the cage door, and they all fly around a while before parking themselves back in the large cage. When I lived in Germany I bought a parakeet for my wife because I was in the field so often, but I was the one that fell in love with him. His name was "Bussy," which means "little kiss" in German. He slept in his cage, but otherwise thought he was human. Vicki's little Bichon Friese is just adorable - even Duppy thinks so and, believe it or not, they share a small common space where their food is!! Duppy is usually kind of snarly about food, but not here. Vicki's hairdressing shop is next door to the house - imagine walking next door to work! We've had several discussions about feeling disenfranchised with work, and she's entertaining thoughts about pulling the plug. In the past few days I've watched her open tax bills that came in the mail, which made my heart sink for her. It's like the local, state and federal governments are trying to make her go bust. On top of that she has TWO sets of bills - one for the house and one for the shop! Ouch! Village, state and federal taxes times two. Mind-boggling for me to contemplate.

Another thing about Vicki is that she is an herbologist, and has been sharing her vast knowledge with me! She made me a tincture of ivy, herbal tea, and a cucumber/tomato herbal salad - all grown from her garden. On the covered back porch she has collections of various products from which she gathers seeds - a very impressive collection of herbs and vegetables in various states of readying preparation. Kale, scallion, collard greens, parsley are the jars that are labled, but there are several others that have stuff in them I don't even recognize. It's all very cool. In the end I guess it all goes back to "keeping it simple." Easy concept to grasp, but sometimes hard to do.

Tomorrow is Labor Day - the unofficial end of summer for everyone but me. I'm holding onto the idea of Endless Summer - following summer south. I was going to head west, but changed my mind as the idea of my trip evolved in discussions with Dave. After Christmas I'll wind my way out of Florida and head west gradually as I have stops to make on the way. Firedance and Doc, are ya paying attention? I may be down your way in October. Stay tuned!

The one thing on the list from yesterday we didn't get to was "Fishing at Mill Pond." We'll have to fix that today.

Miss You Guys and Complicated Drival

2010-09-03T17:50:00.001-04:00

Everybody suffers with love, or the fear of it, or the lack of it. Why? Why is love so universally and inevitably heart-breaking, whether it be through the end of a love affair, the death of a pet, loved one, or being locked in with the habitual casualness or indifference of a partner? I think the answer is because we've been taught and conditioned by the world to believe that love is a feeling.

Love is not a feeling; it's a sensation. Drinking water when you're thirsty is a sensation, not a feeling. Being in nature or swimming in the sea is a sensation, not a feeling. Lying down when you're tired is sensational, not a feeling, although you may say it feels good. Feeling is an emotional interpretation of experience and these sensations don't need interpretation; they are just good or right. Making physical love is a sensation, not a feeling. So is the love of God. The same goes for joy and beauty; both are sensational.

But in our oblivion we emotionalize romantic joy, beauty and love. We make feelings of them, personal interpretations based on our old emotions. We put our personal past on the present with the result that joy, beauty and love don't seem to last. But it's our emotional substitutes that don't last and we become bored and discontented again. I'll leave defining emotional substitutes open for you, after all, you chose them. I have my own. Surprisingly, I know several couples that have it all together, and I really admire that!

The sensation or knowledge of joy, beauty and love is of course still there but it's overwhelmed by the coarser feelings of emotional substitutions. Aging is another element that can cause internal confliction. Watching ourselves as we age, I think, causes us to beat ourselves up because we're not young anymore. I know I'm guilty. I do miss being young, and I was bullet proof until I was fifty-one. .. Not so much now, but I'm a terrific shot. Too old to roll around on the ground with hoodlums now.

Feelings are constantly changing. None are dependable for long. You can love someone intensely today, tomorrow, and next month not feel a thing. Except perhaps for the feeling of doubt or depression that what was so beautiful could change so quickly and completely. Isn't that amazing?? I just really think so! I guess it's just a component of the Human Condition.

Feelings, even the best of them, seem to turn to negativity given enough time - disappointment, anger, discontent, resentment, jealousy, guilt... A good feeling starts off being elevating, exciting, like doing something exhilarating or having sex. But what goes up must come down and feelings are no exception, I guess. So in a couple of weeks or months the down side starts and you perhaps wonder why you feel moody, depressed, or just plain unhappy. Instead, people are paying the piper for yesterday's music.

Okay, say there's no exhilarating experience or sex but you love someone, as a feeling. Then it won't be long before experiencing one or more of the painful feelings I've mentioned above - and thinking it's natural! Even in every day living you're continually interpreting experience via your emotions instead of being the experience direct. "This is good, that's bad," my feelings swing subtly to and fro all day long obscuring the reality, the sensational knowledge that it's not bad at all; it's simply life as it is. Hi-lited for emphasis.

Feelings can be false and deceptive. And in the spiritual process, the area of any person's life where they still have feelings, is where their level of unenlightenment can be considered. But the spiritual process is so little understood that people don't realize their feelings are personal and false, and have been misleading them all their life. If that's not true, why is humanity still so generally unenlightened and basically unhappy after all this time - when enlightenment is the completely natural, sensational state of being every moment? I know you see people like this every day, too.

Something I see more clearly now than maybe ever before is that we all have support systems that allow us to be who and what and the way we are. Family, friends, co-workers - the people who care about us. Sometimes when I see certain people I wonder how in the world they could leave the house looking like THAT?? What kind of people are the support system for someone like her?? I'm so grateful to my family and friends, and you all for being people that care enough to "Follow," "comment" and write me. My friends and family are the very best a man, a father, could have and for that I will be eternally grateful. Thank you for being the kind of people that make the others I meet on the road wonder what kind of support system I have! If they only knew.

Can ya tell I have a lot of time on my hands?

Friendship, Love and Why I'm Single

2010-09-02T14:40:00.000-04:00

Gaza when he was eight months old. Look at the size of the chair, and his proportions. He was a great companion guard dog, and loved going to school and work with me.

You are not the air that I breathe,
You are the sweet scent that drifts upon it
You are not the sounds that I hear,
You are the music of my life
You are not the food that I need,
You are the nourishment of my soul
You are not my will to survive
You are my reason for living
It is with you that I experience the wonders of the world
It is with you that I triumph over the challenges in my path
It is your partnership that will lead me to the fulfillment of my dreams
It is your friendship that guides me as I learn and grow.
It is your patience and wisdom that calms my restless nature
It is through you that I know my true self
I do not take you for granted, I cherish you
I do not need you, I choose you
I choose you today in witness of all the people who love us
I choose you tomorrow in the privacy of our hearts
I choose you in strength and weakness
I choose you in health and in sickness
I choose you in joy and sorrow
I will choose you, over all others,
every day for all the days of my life

In a Utopian world, right? Gaza taught me these lessons well, but I do have the Duppy!

These Are the Days

2010-09-01T22:20:00.001-04:00

Sittin' on a dock on the bay

Jaws!

Sunset at the end of the afternoon we fished.

Semi-retirement has been all I could have hoped for now that I'm not anchored to a house. Today on the way to go fishing, apple orchards just loaded with fruit abounded almost all the way there. Beautiful big old farms with huge barns and split rail fences for miles. Scenic Port Bay West provided a nice dock, and in 10 minutes the gear was all set, hooks baited and in the water. Five minutes after that we were sitting on the end of the dock with our feet in the water talking, and enjoying fishing as much as I ever have. Duppy really enjoyed the day, too, explored the area, made friends with boaters and even went in the water!! Those of you who know the Dupster understand the magnitude of him CHOOSING to get wet!! It has been hot - day three of a heat wave here, and it seems as though I've spent this entire summer in an unrelenting heat wave. The one exception was when Dave and I camped in Athol, MA - we had some chill going on, but we balanced it with giant fires. Giant fires are a glorious extravagance, campfires are a warm luxury - maybe more on that later because there's a reason.

On my way to put my butt on the pier and toes in the water to fish, Vicki pointed out as I was thinking it, "These are the days, Doug." On my camping trip with Dave I saw a boy kicking a can down a dirt road, kids playing catch, a family involved in a whiffle ball game and three boys with poles in the water at the end of a dock. I told Dave about what I'd seen that day and how nostalgic it had made me feel - that I felt like I was looking back in time to when our country was a better place. A place where everyone went to the little league games - not just the parents. A time when we never even thought to lock the front door, When "crap" was a bad word, and we drank out of the hose. I reflected on that today as I had little perch nibble my toes. Yes, these are the days. I don't have to be politically correct any more, or suffer a fool's ignorance, sense of entitlement, or anything I choose not to offer validation to.

Sunset report for the day: Spectacular. I love that sunset is an everyday part of my routine. I think it's important, but then I lived and went to high school in Key West where very many people on the island make Sunset at Mallory Dock a daily event. I think that says a lot about the folks there. Yes, capital Sunset because it's an event.

Ironically, there's a ghost town 30 minutes from here named GROTON CITY!!! Can ya believe it??? For those who don't know, Groton, CT, is the unofficial home of our family, which is rapidly shifting gears due to the passing of years. The official family homestead is Langdon Avenue, Watertown, Massachusetts, but we have all lived in Groton at various points in time, and consider it a part-time home-away-from-home.

I haven't done any reading, but have been doing some thinking about feelings and sensations, and the confusing differences between them, but that's a post for later. I'm kinda working it out on paper at present. And I'm writing this blog, which is not artful, creative writing just yet - stream-of-conciousness, yes, but not planned, noted, edited or revised (yet).

Duppy's blog: Woke up late. Went to breakfast, had ham and eggs, and waitress told me I was cute. Went for a cool ride/tour in the car from East Port Bay area to West Port Bay where I was unsuccessful at grabbing Doug's bait, or Vicki's fish. I tried to stay in the shade because it was so hot, but gave in and waded in up to my tummy because I was so hot. It was the first time I went "swimming" voluntarily in my life. Went back to Vicki and Monkey's house, and we had steak sandwiches. I need a nap now. Good-bye!

True Creation

2010-09-01T15:41:00.001-04:00

One creates from nothing.
If you try to create from something you're just changing something.
So in order to create something, you first have to be able to create nothing.

Life is music.
The laughter of adults and the crying of babies.
The snap of firebrands, songs of mockingbirds,
Whistles of wind, cracks of thunder and lightening.
The flutter of a bird's wings or splash of a fish in a pond.
A limb crashing to the earth in the woods all by itself
Are all songs I've heard and love.

Wolcott, NY

2010-08-31T21:32:00.000-04:00

First of all, thanks for your private emails and comments to the board, as well as those of you who are "Following" me. Normally, I don't think I'd like being "Followed," but under these circumstances I LIKE it!

Yesterday was my second day in the camper on Vicki's plot of 17 acres - I had earlier guessed 15. The camper is working out even better than I expected, and is a really cozy and more than adequate. Good storage space, comfy sleeping, and doesn't have to be disconnected from the truck to set up. That's a big plus, and it turns out it's even easier to set up than I thought. Even with my strained back, it went up in 4 minutes!! Yay!!

Yesterday Vicki, her son, Scott, and I went to have dinner on Lake Ontario at Skipper's Landing. There was an epic sunset with a blood red sun. Ya know catching sunset is one of my favorite things to do! This afternoon we're going Great Lake sight seeing, and tonite we're going to the Cayuga Indian Res/casino. Earlier today we had brunch at the village restaurant (1,400 residents here) where my bacon was cooked from raw - not re-heated, I had real HOME fired taters and home made bread, which featured two pieces of different shape. Surely homemade!

We just got back from the waterfront tour of Sodus and the surrounding area. From Wiki: the region was first settled by outsiders around 1794, who discovered the bay called by the natives, "Assorodus," "Silvery Waters." This settlement became modern Sodus Point. During the War of 1812 the community was mostly burned during an attack by the British. A community of Shakers lived near here until about 1836, when they felt the development of the area was becoming too worldly. A lighthouse was erected on the western point of the bay in 1870, replacing an earlier lighthouse constructed in 1824.The bay was considered an important port. A rail line extending into Pennsylvania allowed coal to be place on board lake shipping.

Tonite was a warm summer night with just a hint of September in the air, and we stopped on "the strip" at a geedunk and bought the dogs doggie sundaes, and food for us. They have a very cool square light house at the end of a very long pier with no railing - imagine trusting people to stay on the pier without rails? My outlook on our nanny state improved until I had to fork over my drivers license in order to scan it to complete a transaction for a pack of smokes, Sheesh. I took some photos which I'll post tomorrow as my firewire's location is currently in question. Sunset was beautiful again -- nice night for enjoying the end of summer here. For my part, I am going to make the endless summer a goal. Christmas will be the next time I need a coat. See you then, Emma! Love you lots!!

And So It Begins!!

2010-08-30T12:45:00.001-04:00

On Sunday, August 29th, I checked out of Dave's house in Milford and hit the road for NY state. Hanging out with Dave and Colin was really fun and relaxing after the business of compressing my life into miniature, which was a strength-sapping experience. Special thanks to Dave, Karen and Colin for all you did! When I talked with Dave last night, he exclaimed, "Dougie, I'm afraid you HAVE to come back!" I thought to myself, "Wow! What did I forget?" In the time he lived in Connecticut and especially the last couple weeks we spent together, we got real used to hanging out together, smoking cigars, sailing, eating out and doing what we do. I miss you, too, my brother!

Yesterday I rolled down the windows and set out for Wolcott, NY, as the first leg of the trip, and drove the whole way without stopping or rolling up the windows. Aside from making it almost impossible to talk on the phone (I had four phone calls), it was kind of liberating. No AC, just a 70 mph wind blasting into the truck. What a beautiful ride it was! I took route 8 from Bridgeport all the way to the Mass Pike, then to the NY State Throughway - a stunningly scenic ride. The majesty and enormity of the panorama was breathtaking from beginning to end. Aside from a bit of a glitch with the camper at the outset, it was a perfect ride. Dave saved my bacon when my camper jumped the hitch in Bridgeport to see if my safety chains worked, and he got me hooked up properly after I strained my back try to pick up the camper by the hitch. Thankfully, I feel better today and will be fine in a few days. Despite being sore, I got the camper set up in about five minutes after landing in Wolcott.

Vicki has been a wonderful hostess, and her little doggie is SO cute! He's a very sweet bichon friese named Monkey, and he IS a monkey! I'm guessing that Vicki has 15 acres, or so, and my camper is parked out back. We had drinks, dinner, talked about TB2K topics and people, and watched Journey and Ted Nugent concert videos on her six foot screen TV until 1:30 before I crawled out to the camper.

This morning Vicki brought breakfast to the porch on a tray that looked so good I wanted to take a picture of it, but I couldn't put my hands on the camera! Delmonico steak, bacon, eggs over, toast and a bowl of sliced plums she grew, and, of course, coffee!. Awesome! We ate on the back porch with Duppy and Monkey, which is kinda like Dave's screened in room without the screen, and talked about the pressures of her being a business owner and single parent.We decided that today will likely find us fishing later. Niagara Falls tomorrow? We'll see!

So long for now from Doug and Duppy!!

Text Message From Emma - I'm a lucky Dad!!!

2010-08-28T20:21:00.000-04:00

I wrote in an earlier entry how reflective minimizing 58 years of stuff has led me to counting my blessings, but all that was marginalized by a note I got from Emma today. I'm so very proud of her, I just wanted to share my good fortune with you!

Destiny has a way of uniting two paths. When fate forks the road it can't erase all the laughs. When we go down by love, family cannot be killed. It hurts to be here without you by my side, but change is inevitable and our lives will collide. When you have a loving parent, you're never alone. Part of you lives in my heart - and that's set in stone. The words that you've said and lessons you've taught are engraved in my memory - don't think that they're not. You've touched hundreds of lives being the way that you are. Many share my opinion - you're a shining star. I know that I'll miss you every single day you're gone, but since you're my father I know how to be strong. I'm so fortunate to know you, and every day I'm glad that you made me who I am by being my Dad. Written for you by your daughter. I love you <3

I love you, Em, more than anything else I've ever experienced in my life - You are the very best thing that ever happened to me. Being your Dad is both an honor and privilege. Just because I'm not there in body doesn't mean I'm not there with you in spirit. I am.

Sketch by Em given as a Christmas gift last year

Yes, I am truly blessed, see? She sketched the picture from a favorite photo I have. It brought a tear to my eyes, well, maybe a couple, but they were tears of joy for such good fortune to fall into my life. Thank you, Sweetie!

By the way, blog followers, Em hasn't even seen my blog because she is currently internet challenged. On Wednesday that will be remedied.

Today is my last day in Connecticut. I will head to Wolcott, NY, tomorrow after sailing with brother, Dave and nephew, Colin, today in what was a spectacular day on the high seas of Long Island Sound on a 27' S-2 sailboat. Pics to come later, but it was really a great way to close shop in CT for the time being.

Yes, a VERY lucky guy, I am! Pics below from today's sail -

Tiller in hand

Pretty cool, right?

Leaving is Harder than Expected

2010-08-27T21:20:00.000-04:00

Tonite I had dinner with my daughter before I leave - granted I'm coming back for Christmas, but the thought of not seeing her for three-ish months is almost incomprehensible. Today she thanked/complimented me for raising her to be the kind of person that would jump off a sixty-foot ledge into a quarry! That she has the kind of astounding fortitude and strength and sense of adventure is just awesome. I grew up playing in the woods, and didn't know whether I was Tarzan or Daniel Boone until I was twelve when I discovered motorcycles. She loved rides on the bike, too, and was disappointed when I couldn't take her for rides anymore in good conscience. I didn't recognize why at the time, but lately it's obvious why. The first time I rode her on the big, rumbly bike she said, "It's like flying, Daddy!" We share a love of waterfalls, walks in the woods, beaches and the simple pleasures of nature. Emma now has her own apartment, and starts school at Paul Mitchell Hair Academy in September - a goal she set long ago. Em put her fifth grade school picture miniature into the frame of my rear view mirror in 2005 road trip we took, and it's still there. Love you, Sweetie!

Meeting Grampy for breakfast ride

So as I set up to leave CT, I see there are several things I may not get to do - people I wanted to see before I left (Don G., Rosemary, Delores, all the wonderful ladies that staff the office at school). Seeing them will likely have to wait until December. The time to hit the road is upon me, and after sailing with brother, Dave, tomorrow I'll almost certainly drive outta Dodge on Sunday - Monday at the very latest. Brothers Dave and Donny and nephew, Tyler, and I went sailing in Newport a couple weeks ago - under the bridge and around the entire harbor. - We anchored for an hour, smoked cigars and drank a couple beers while Ty swam off the boat before heading back to the marina, packing sails and dinner at Flo's on Atlantic Beach in Newport. Yum!! Tomorrow will likely close the Connecticut door for me for a while.

This is the very first digital picture I ever took!

This afternoon when Duppy and I went to Em's apartment, Dup and Em's kitty, Dolly, kinda circled each other a little before Duppy walked up and gave Dolly a kiss. It melted my heart because I love her, too. Kitty love is very special coming from Dolly, who always seems to know when it's a good time to convey her affections for us. Her idea of fun was to hide behind a door, leap out, and tackle Duppy to the ground. It scared the heck out of him at first, but I think he kinda got used to it. I'm really glad Emma has such a sweet kitty to keep her company, and maybe just a little jealous. I have never set out to own a cat, but they sure find me somehow. When I take cats in, it's only until I find a home for them where they'll be loved til the end, which I've seen too many times and don't want to go through again. When I got married, the cats my wife had instantly picked me to be their guy. Duppy will be my last animal buddy, as I hate loving them as much as I do only to find myself digging a hole a handful of years later. I'm lucky that Dup loves sibs Dave and Karen, and if something ever happened to me he would have a family home with one of them. I think everybody oughta have a Duppy! He's such a chick magnet, when girls fawn on him Dave jumps in the way and lays claim to him. It's really funny!

To Do List:
Clean camper
Re-pack truck
Re-pack suitcases after finishing laundry
Call Mom
Put lobster sauce and white clam sauce in truck, and buy pasta
Check pots and pans for what I need, and fuel new Coleman stove
Buy a boom box
Get power strip out of Dave's car

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Our First Ghost Town Adventure!!

2010-08-24T13:21:00.000-04:00

A Pleasure Beach cottage

Saturday was a kind of unofficial beginning to our trip as my bluegrass bandmates and other friends threw a goodbye party to send me off. My brother, Dave, knows I want to see as many ghost towns as possible, and wanted to see for himself what kind of experience I'm going to be in for - he suggested we go to Pleasure Beach, a ghost town right here in CT, and we were off.

I won't tell the story here because all the info is at the links, especially the Wiki link:
http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/ct/pleasurebeach.html Many pics and video here!
Much more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasure_Beach
It was an incredible experience. Empty. Nobody. 30ish vacant residential properties right on the Connecticut shoreline and several commercial properties, including a go-kart track!.

Still, there was a sense of what had been there. The lazy summer days at the beach, families coming to visit and spend time together and happiness despite the ruination that stands today. A community of people that obviously enjoyed each others' company as the houses were all on one street, and closer together than the norm here, all sharing the same beach. I guess I should explain here that I'm an unrepentant beach bum - always have been, so this adventure held a particular allure for me, and we were not disappointed. Pleasure Beach... a name that has become an oxymoron. It brought to mind how finely balanced today's society really is, and that just a little tip can result in community upheaval like Pleasure Beach.

What a way to start our explorations!

Our Tentative Itinerary

2010-08-24T12:20:00.003-04:00

I've driven across country and the entire eastern coastline many times. Some of the more memorable trips were CT to California with brother Donny in 1991 when the navy transfered him to San Diego, CT to California when we moved there for the Summer of Love in 1967, San Diego to Key West in 1969 - that was a trip with Dad at the helm as Mom flew with sister, Cyndi, and the cat. Pop was always such fun, especially on the road. Kellie and I did a coast-to-coast romp in just over thirty hours in the Z car! California to CT in 1989 with my dear friend DeWayne Sigfried was a really fun trip. He'd never been east of the Mississippi, and enjoyed watching people race with the ambulances in New York City. We gleefully out ran a Texas state trooper in a dash for the Kansas border in my Z car after he clocked me at about 110 mph. Em and I didn't have any kind of excitement like that in my truck on our road trip to Disneyworld, Mom's and Cyn's in Florida. I also drove my Corvette to Florida where I met Donny at Mom's in Venice.

I've been thinking that this venture needs an epic starting point, and have decided that we're going to start by driving from CT to Niagra Falls. I have been to the Falls before, and have always yearned to return so that my daughter, Emelie, could see them, too. I'll post pictures for you, Sweetie! I have a friend and my brother-in-law in that neck of the woods so I would not only establish an epic beginning to our journey, but also meet up with Mike and take TB2K friend, Vicki, to dinner. She also enjoys fishing and has a bass/perch outing in mind.

From NY I plan to head to Dayton, OH, to meet up with Bruce, a fellow Timebomb2000 member. In the early days of the late 1990's when everyone was worried about what would happen during the rollover into the year 2000 (Y2K - remember that?) I discovered Timebomb, and have been a member at the site ever since. If you're interested the link is here: http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=2&f=9. It's a great site for news and views.

From Dayton we'll head to Charlottesville, VA, to visit with a good friend I'd fallen out of touch with, Steve. We were disc golf buddies when I lived in Virginia and loved to camp together. The wonders of Facebook have reconnected us. As I was deconstructing the possessions of my life I found a four-page letter he'd written to me in the days before email. I don't think I've had such comprehensive written correspondence since I received that letter, although Linda Camba (Earl) did write a very nice letter after I sent her flowers when she was laid off. After Charlottesville, I'm heading to Leesberg, VA, to see my sister, Karen and nephew, Eric. This leg of our journey will include a ride and camping on the Blueridge Parkway and Skyline Drive - one of the most scenic rides in America. My youngest brother, Donny, and I have camped there and in Shenendoah Valley in the early 90's.

From Leesberg we're going to the North Carolina coast - specifically to visit Fred, and go to the outer banks. Donny and I have camped there, too, but were evacuated by park rangers three times in one weekend because of hurricane Bob. The mosquitoes had their way with us despite the Deet. Ever since then I've had netting and better repellent to ward skeeters off! (Note to self: always make new mistakes!) From NC we plan to head to South Carolina, but without a specific destination in mind. Emma and I went to Myrtle Beach in 2005, but that's all I know about SC beaches. I'm hoping I can find a place to put the camper on the beach for a few days, or so. From SC I'd like to experience Savannah, GA, meet people and play some music.

From GA, we are going to head to Pensacola, FL, to visit with my sister, Cyndi. Going to Pensacola is like stepping back in time. I first went to Pensacola in 1986 for Christmas with Cyn's family on a cross country pedal-to-the-metal ride with Kellie Rucker from San Diego, California. Including a very short hotel stay, we made the trip in 32 hours. I think I still remember correctly that I-10 is 847 miles through Texas. BTW, Kellie is still writing and performing. You can hear and buy her music on MySpace. I may actually go to MS and AL on the way to Pensacola. How quickly time evaporates is the mitigating factor in our wanderings, but I'm looking forward to meeting up with Timebombers, Doc and his lady in MS, and Firedance in AL.

From Pensacola, I'll be heading back to Connecticut for Christmas with Emma and her kitty, Dolly. Dave has a family Christmas with Mom in Venice, FL, in mind, but it's too hard to make all the agendas align with the stars to make that happen for Em and me. New Year's Eve should find me back in Pensacola, and shortly thereafter on my way to Key West via Mom's house. Dad's twin brother and his wife are in Taquesta, FL, and I hope to see them on the way to Key West, too. I haven't been to Key West since 1975, and expect it's substantially different these days. When I got out of the army, fellow 2nd Cav soldier, Denny Chamblee and I converted his Dodge van and went to the Keys expecting to stay about three weeks. Three MONTHS later I bid Denny and his van "adieu" and headed for CT to start college. I'm also hoping to reconnect with Denny on this trip. That would be nice!

After Key West, we plan to head for friends in Alabama, Misssissippi, Texas, Arizona and then to California. All for now. Thanks for your comments on my blog and your nice email messages!!

Doug and Duppy's Traveling Circus

2010-08-23T17:57:00.002-04:00

I've never done anything even remotely similar to creating a blog, but this is going to be a sort of documentary and story of our travels and experiences as we wind our way around America. The story doesn't really begin with getting in the truck and turning the key. It really began when I decided my life had to be small enough to fit in either the camper, or a sailboat. Actually DOING it was an experience I'll never forget. Taking fifty-eight years of memories, and stuff, and then deciding what to do with it made me a little weepy at times, but more often made me laugh. Through it all I realized what a really blessed life I've had.

My first "apartment" was a berth on the Ringling Brother's, Barnum and Bailey Circus train where my uncle showed me the ropes of life when I was fifteen years old. Prior to that I was the new kid in school every year as my Dad was career navy and we moved a lot. I was born in Massachusetts, moved to Bainbridge, Maryland (Dad's submarine school), then to Groton, CT. From CT we moved to San Diego, which I still feel is partly a permanent home - I also lived in Southern California as an adult for a handful of years during which I worked in hospital administration. The family then treked to Key West, Florida, for Dad's next duty assignment - my brothers and sisters (two of each) thought we'd died and gone to heaven. Key West High School was one of the few schools I returned to for consecutive years. There are several intra-city moves not detailed here, but I was the new kid almost every year.

After Key West Dad received orders back to Groton. He wrote me a letter telling how much it would mean to him if I left the circus, and did my senior year of high school at "home;" it didn't work out and I dropped out of high school, but followed Dad's advice and joined the U.S. Army. I was very fortunate to have orders to Vietnam recinded when I was a third of the way there, and instead the army cut orders for me to join the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Nurnberg, Germany. I loved the unit and the soldiers I served with, and they loved me back. I became a seventeen-year-old corporal, and by the time I was almost nineteen, I had three stripes as an acting platoon leader. Because I didn't re-enlist I couldn't keep them, but it didn't matter. 2nd Cav NCO's and officers made me a man - Dad was right. I was the first in my family to graduate from college. Dad retired from the navy as I was getting out of the army, and we went to college together. THAT was the experience of a lifetime, and sowed the seeds of friendship that lasted Dad's whole life. We shared friends, school work, commuting, and classes together. Writing poetry with my father, both of us writing together, gave us a glimpse into each other's souls. A beautiful thing when you have as great a Pop as my brothers, sisters and I did.

Originally I wanted to be a veterinarian, but by the time I graduated from college I was playing guitar for a local band, Matrix, and having a good time. My girlfriend was the lead singer and harmonica player - really much more professional than the rest of us. I got an offer to help a friend set up a medical practice in Los Angeles after a year and a half of being a guitar player, and turned my eye to health care administration. After five years I decided it wasn't for me, and became certified to teach science and English to grades 7 - 12. I taught for twenty-two years before I realized that education has become a federally-mandated industry, and further, that I didn't want to perform in the PC game any more. I LOVED being a teacher, but... Not so much anymore.

That brings me to the point of this blog. I have been shopping for travel trailers and sailboats with my brother, Dave, for two years. I saw a camper on ebay that I thought I wanted to track, and ended up winning the darn thing by accident about the same time I knew I didn't want to work in the current school system. I don't believe in coincidence, and decided that Duppy and I need to hit the road. The hardest part of such a major life-shift is not having my daughter, family and friends around - they are such an important part of me - Since my daughter, Em, was born, my life totally settled down to the business of being "Dad." I have a circle of friends that I value more then just words can tell. And until now I played bluegrass with the Breezy Corner Basement Boys instead of rock music with Matrix - gonna miss the boyz especially. To all of the wonderful educators I worked with for so long, I thank you for many happy years together!

Since I'm semi-retired (I'd really like to be a teacher's aide somewhere down the road!) it seems like a really good time to get back out and around America. Duppy is my ten-year-old papillion who goes everywhere with me, and loves having it be summer permanently - meaning he has me all to himself. He used to get so bummed out when I had to go back to school in September. Join us on our ride down the road!! This is kind of a long introduction, but this is how we got to where we are. Some pics of my previous life -

1976 - recently discharged Sgt.Pascoe

1971 - 17 year-old Pvt. Pascoe

My Family