Exciting News

Meet Trent, our handsome boy.

Exciting News - we adopted a dog! Our niece, Jenny, is involved with the Leader Dog program helping to raise and train puppies for the program. If the dog doesn’t make it to become a leader dog for the blind, she gets an opportunity to adopt. If she doesn’t want to keep the dog, a family member or friend can apply to adopt. She knew that we were interested so asked us if we wanted to adopt her latest dog, Trent, if he didn’t pass the program. Having a dog would be a big change for us and could impact our travels, so we thought seriously about it. Our last dog, Chance, came from the same program and he was such a wonderful dog. It was so hard when we lost him that we weren’t sure if we wanted to get another dog. Even though it was a difficult decision, we focused on the joy and happiness a dog can bring and decided to adopt Trent if he didn’t succeed.

Jenny thought Trent had a good chance of succeeding but he had one issue; he gets distracted easily. It would depend on how well he did overcoming that behavior. She called us just before we left Alabama to tell us that Trent was being repurposed, meaning that we could adopt him. Since we were still traveling, Jenny picked him up for us and kept him for 2 weeks. Our daughter Katie planned to meet us for our first weekend in Indiana so she was able to bring Trent to us. We have to really thank Jenny for putting us at the top of her list to get Trent as well as everything that she did for us. She spent a long day driving to Michigan and back to pick him up and bring him home, as well as taking care of him for a couple weeks. Thank you so much Jenny!

Katie and Trent arrived on a Friday evening and even though Trent seemed a bit confused and uncertain, he quickly made friends with us. Jenny sent his bed, food, and toys which helped to make the transition easier. He was used to sleeping in the same room as her and our bedroom in the RV is too small for that. We were afraid of stepping on him at night since there is just enough room to walk around the bed.

Katie came with a car loaded with stuff and went back just as full. We sent one of our recliners back to her house for storage and made room for the dog bed where it had been. We had Katie bring us a storage bin that we had at her house and have it behind the dog bed. It will come in handy to store his stuff and some of ours.

Trent in his bed. He looks so relaxed and comfortable.

On the first night, Trent ended up sleeping on the air mattress with Katie instead of in his bed. We were a little worried about that but the second night, he went to his dog bed easily and was still sleeping there when I got up in the morning. I think he likes the small quarters that living in an RV provides.

On Saturday, Katie and I headed out early to spend the day wedding dress shopping with Kim. Another thing that Katie brought along was my wedding dress so we headed to Kim’s first so she could try it on before we went shopping. I didn’t think she would want to wear mine but it was fun to see her try it on.

Kim trying on my dress. It fit better than I expected but isn’t the style that she wants. You can definitely tell it is from the 80’s!

My dress really got wrinkled in storage and it is also quite yellowed.

Kim had appointments at two bridal shops not far from her house. She lives near the largest bridal district in the country - we learned this as we shopped that day. I never saw so many bridal shops in one place. It was pretty neat to walk around and check out the various window displays. Kim’s friend Ashley also joined us for the shopping and we started out with mimosa’s at a bar/restaurant near the bridal shops.

Kim and Ashely enjoying mimosas. I took the picture and totally forgot to have Ashely get a picture of Katie, Kim and I.

Wedding dress shopping was a lot of fun. Kim tried on many dresses and and selected her favorite one at each shop. At the first shop, we all got to look through the dresses and help her pick what to try on. They gave us time in between each dress and talked with Kim about what she liked, didn’t like and felt about each dress. We liked that shop better than the next one. At the second one, we didn’t get to look at the dresses. They interviewed Kim about styles she liked and they picked out ones they thought she would like. She picked her top dress at each shop but seemed to favor one at the first shop the best. She wanted to try on some more, so she and I went again on Thursday evening to a 3rd shop. We got to browse through the dresses again which we both enjoyed . She found another one that she really likes there so now she has to think about which one she likes the best. Of course, she looked great in all of the dresses she tried and will be a beautiful bride in whichever one that she chooses. I am so glad that we were able to stay near her and help shop. It is sometimes hard when you are traveling to be there for those special family moments.

While the girls spent the day shopping, Greg went to the campground to help Tim. Tim spent the day bonding with Trent while Greg worked. He buffed out and waxed the front and back ends of the RV. He finished the work that Tim had started in Alabama. He was able to remove the oxidation and bring the color back out. I think it took him much longer than he anticipated and we are so happy that he was willing to help us get that work done. It looks fantastic. After a day of work and a day of shopping, we all met back at Kim and Greg’s house for dinner. Greg picked up some gourmet pizza’s on his way home and they were all delicious. The weather was perfect for eating and relaxing on their deck. All in all, a terrific day.

Trent’s first campfire with us. He didn’t go near the fire but we didn’t like him laying on the gravel. Tim tried to create some cushion with a tarp and our entry rug. Just the entry rug here provided little comfort.

We spent the following week bonding and working with Trent. He is a really good dog and knows his commands very well. I definitely see how distractions impact him. He will be walking with you, heeling right at your side with a loose leash and then all of a sudden he sees something and changes direction quickly towards it. Sometimes it is hard to get his attention back to you. Weekends at the campground when it is very busy and crowded are particularly challenging. Kids playing are a very big distraction. He wants to be right in the middle of them. Also, there are many geese here and he clearly wants to go check them out. Sometimes, something as simple as a large rock or stick on the road will distract him. We walk him 3-4 times during the day and keep working on it. He is definitely better when it is quiet here and also when you have treats readily available. He is really motivated by food. Definitely a work in progress and I see him getting better each day.

Since we are focusing on Trent, we didn’t do much touring of the area. We did go out a couple of times to check out local eateries. We found a local brewery, Lil’ Charilie’s ,Restaurant and Brewery, that we liked as well as a winery, Ertel’s Cellars Winery, that we enjoyed. Both places had good food and good drinks. On our second weekend here Kim and Greg had us over for a picnic with his family. The weather was perfect for a cookout and we had a very enjoyable visit getting to know Greg’s parents, his sister and his nephew. His sister brought her dog so Trent got to meet a new friend too. We weren’t sure how he would do with another dog as it was our first experience. It worked out wonderfully. They got along with no issues, especially when Tim had treats to offer both of them. We enjoyed getting to know Greg’s family and are looking forward to future family gatherings.

Meeting the family

Last night, we met Kim and Greg half way at Heist and Co, a restaurant in Harrison, OH. It was a pretty neat place for a small town. The restaurant was built in an old bank and they kept the vault in place. The vault was open to give the feel of being in a bank and there were some comfy seats inside the vault. We ordered a variety of items from the menu and all of the food and drinks were excellent. We sat outside in their courtyard. I love the warm weather and being outside.

We have one more weekend here and then we head to our next location. We plan to spend a little more time with Kim and Greg before we leave. More to come on that as well as how Trent does with traveling and changing locations.

Trent likes being outside with us. We bought him a cot so he didn’t have to lay on the hard rocks. Do you think he is spoiled already?

Trent joined me while I was writing this blog.