We are loved

Is it wrong to equate food with love? How about money and love? Either way, we are definitely loved. Tonight was supposed to be ground beef for dinner, but the human was distressed at the empty meat freezer at the grocery store. Rather than resort to something out of our freezer at home, he opted to spend $5/lb (sale price!) for fresh ground buffalo. (BTW, at 1lb for each of us, that's 3lbs total!) We love him, too. :) What a nice precursor to our upcoming summer sojourn--Montana, here we come! We leave exactly seven weeks from today...

Wabbit du jour

Even though the human has declared a moratorium on our catching our own dinner, he does provide. Apparently, you can purchase wabbits weddy to eat! Our buddy Wally warned us about the canned kind, but someone named Aunt Jeni has prepared a raw variety--organic, too. Just our style!

If you're wondering why the food looks green, it's the veggies mixed in. Here's the full ingredient list:

muscle and heart meat; liver; finely ground, real, raw bones; pureed squash, leafy greens (collard and kale), celery, apples; whole eggs (including shells); ground organic flax seeds; raw, unpasteurized organic honey; unfiltered, unpasteurized organic apple cider vinegar; powdered organic alfalfa; powdered organic kelp; fresh garlic; fresh parsley; and Grapefruit Seed Extract.

Sounds delicious, doesn't it? It was!

Our Padma

A little bird has told us that all is not well in the Rushdie household. Padma Lakshmi, aka Mrs. Salman Rushdie, may have lost patience with her husband, postcolonial guru and self-orbiting intellectual. Even though Mr. Rushdie authored our human's favorite novel, Midnight's Children, our human is not beyond coveting the man's wife. We'll give him that: the Top Chef host, cookbook author, and super model is HOT HOT HOT. We apologize for the juvenile behavior--at times, it just cannot be contained. Silly humans.

And stay tuned... the human got inked! Yup, Narra is now art, body art to be exact. Picture forthcoming.

Where is our art?

Under the cover of pelting sleet, someone absconded with our monument, aka, "rabbit on a fence." Narra had been poking around the area where rabbit hung, but the human--standing in the doorway (he has been very sick this week)--didn't know why (yet again). She must have been the first to notice that something was amiss. Can our existential question be resolved so simply, so brutally? Is that the answer?

Super Hero Narra

We could call this "midlife crisis, stage 1:" the human has decided to get a tattoo (tattooS even). We might consider this a questionable decision if not for the fact that we are--of course--the subject of the aforementioned tattoos. :) In fact, a right bicep (the lightning bolt will be an arm band) will soon be adorned with "Super Hero Narra," a` la comic book art.

The design is still in progress but will soon be unleashed. We think the world needs a new super hero (still working on those super powers, though).

Elmer Fudd's Revenge

It was a wild night: shrouded moon, deer stampeding through the woods, and a piercing scream from the underbrush. Have you ever heard a rabbit scream? Depending on your proclivities, it can be quite exhilarating. Buko, especially, loves the chase. But all of us on this night connected with our lupine selves. Escape foiled, mortality inevitable. Poor wabbit.

The human didn't really know what had happened (as is so often the case). Since we emerged from the underbrush with empty, blood-free jowls, he assumed the critter got away. The light of morning revealed the tragedy. Not only that, rigor mortis had cemented the carcass in place. Add below-freezing temperatures, the rabbit still hangs, a small monument to what we once were.

Another NC attraction!

We'd like to congratulate our friends Amy and Jason on the birth of their new baby Sharon Rae! Welcome, Baby Rae!!! We know the baby will have the best of everything, including our new friend Savannah the GSD to watch over her.

We can't wait to visit! Asheville--and beer--here we come!!!

Ever Advancing

What a great weekend for us! Not only was the weather in Winston-Salem, North Carolina relatively warm--not to mention sunny--Buko and Narra did great at the Obedience/Rally trial! In fact, we've been focused on agility for so long that we forgot what it was like to do well! :) Buko qualified both days in Rally, as did Narra. In addition, Narra qualified in Open B for the first time with a pretty awesome performance. To commemorate their success, Buko and Narra now have new titles: Rally Advanced (RA)!

Of course, no trip would be complete without some exploring. Between turns in the ring, we headed north to check out Pilot Mountain State Park and also Hanging Rock State Park. Again, weather was incredibly good, so we could hardly go wrong. Pilot Mountain involved a little climbing, so the boys guarded the van while Narra and her human checked out the summit. Hanging Rock, on the other hand, was just right for everyone--we all enjoyed the lake and trails. Also, our trial site bordered historic Bethabara, so we walked the Wagon Road Trail (is that redundant?). Correction, our bad: it's Wagon Trail road (no less redundant).

We should mention, btw, that there were dogs EVERYWHERE! The state parks were teeming with them. Mostly little ones, though: a jack russell, a fluffy one (like a shih-tzu?), a cute terrier mix (who was being carried); some bigger ones also: border collie, cattle dog mix, boxers, american bulldogs, and plenty of labs, of course ... We were, however, the only shepherds we saw. :) We could go on and on (like Narra did, showing off her heeling and other moves when she had an audience). So, yeah, North Carolina's got it going on. No wonder our human likes it there. Good times.

Here's Buko posing like a (Moravian?) pilgrim...

Hey Porter!

Each roadtrip brings its own epiphanies... this one brought a few, actually. Taking off felt a little self-indulgent, but our return trip to Savannah--this time for an agility trial--proved truly satisfying, if not particularly warm. For one, we realize the human's job is a pretty sweet deal. What other job lets you just take off for five days to play? The human agrees. (His mood hasn't changed, but at least he knows his complaints are baseless.) Not to mention that we needed those couple extra days to come home through Asheville to pick up some new growlers of Pisgah Brewing Co. organic beer! The human and his friends sure dig their porter and pale ale. Now that's indulgent--and we love it!

But "play" is what we're talkin' about. Our fun is easy, but the human had a special treat this trip: a reunion with his best buddies (minus one, unfortunately) from college. Although we had to wait in the hotel, we hear they painted the town red and more! They trolled River Street, bar hopping, listening to live music, basically connecting with their inner frat boys (embarrassing, isn't it?). As the evening wore on, we fear the sounds of the "Cousins" singing along with Johnny Cash out of an Acura SUV.

For us, we just love being on the go. On the road--and on this trip, in particular--we were warmed by the outpouring of love shown to special boy Jacks. Especially in the South, his name honors many a street, plaza, and park. Among our favorites are "Jackson Mountain" and the ever-popular "Jackson Love Highway." We ride that road every day!

Speaking of the road, this picture of ours was taken at a "hike" stop in Woods Bay State Natural Area in South Carolina.

Our joy

Hard to say if our greater joy is the trail or the hotel... The trail is definitely the mood enhancer, however. It sure makes the human happier. Who knows how grumpy he would've been if we didn't get out to hike a bit on the way home.

Much of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah's Skyline Drive were closed due to winter weather, but enough of both roadways was open for us to check them out. From Asheville, we headed north to Grandfather Mtn (which was closed) and on to Boone, NC (home of the Appalachian State Mountaineers!). We picked up the Parkway there, had to hop the interstate for a bit, but then got on Skyline Drive outside Harrisonburg, VA. Yeah, it was cold, but skies were clear and the views were revitalizing. Our pictures are posted on Jackson's website.

Ring of fire

Okay, it's been five days since we got home, so the fallout from the agility trial has subsided for the most part. Let's just say it wasn't pretty.

On the last day, a nice lady said to Narra, "Are you going to be on fire again today, girl?" The human smiled and answered, "That's the only way she knows how to do it!" Yeah, he thought he was being smart, but the statement was prophetic--and not in a good way. Our first run was jumpers, and, again, we knocked more bars than we left up. But we sure were fast! :) The human was determined to do well in standard which would be our very last run of the trial. He walked the course very deliberately, planned his strategy decisively, and even battled nerves with some success. Narra, on the other hand, had other ideas. At the start line, she bolted early and took the first jump without her handler. He was surprised and unprepared, so called her back--big no-no, not allowed. The judge blew her whistle and excused the team from the ring. WHAA...?

You can imagine, there were no rewards, praise, or play after that. The human marched Narra to the van and drove us out of there like a bat out of hell. He was pissed! Spitting fire for almost two hours as we drove out of Asheville, he spewed bad language for miles! There was talk yet again of "quitting" agility...

Ironically, his anger brought us home in time to make Narra's agility class. Guess we're not quitting after all. :)

Sister spirit... and organic beer!

A definite highlight of our southern jaunt was visiting an old friend--and making some new ones. The classy lady sitting front and center is Savannah, a 7-year old German Shepherd girl who lives with our friends in Asheville. We didn't actually get to meet Savannah, not in that sniffing way, because of Jackson's "inappropriateness," but we did bark greetings through the window. Savannah has a pretty good life: she goes to work at the Pisgah Brewing Co. (one of only two organic breweries on the east coast) with her human every day (he owns it!). And she will soon assume expanded protection duties as her other human is expecting a baby later this month. You will recognize her new charge as the baby strolling around town in Clemson paraphernalia. :) We look forward to meeting you, baby Rae! Incidentally, the other human in the photo, Savannah's "uncle," is a former vegan chef now working with "exceptional" (in the euphemistic sense) high school students. And all the humans get to hang out in that party-ready gold room. Of course, Savannah hangs out there, too (and Simone the cat, too!).

Almost forgot to mention, our own human was pretty happy: not only did he get to catch up with friends, he brought home two growlers of beer: a pale ale and a porter. If you don't know what a "growler" is, it's a refillable glass jug, not unlike old-fashioned moonshine jugs. (We just learned that.) YEE HAW!

Chill, dog

Perhaps it was the size of the venue or the colosseum-style setting, but the human had quite the meltdown this morning. After a flawed jumpers run (yes, we can admit that), he packed up our stuff from the trial in a sulking snit and said we were heading home. His thoughts went something like "we suck, we quit, we're going home." Speak for yourself. At least he knew better than to take it out on us.

So we're not having a spectacular agility trial, let's just say Team Narra has been the entertainment... And it is all about having fun, isn't it? The only thing radical about our performance is leaving less bars up than we take down. That is, we're redefining the norm! Luckily, the human calmed down, and we're back in the game--win or lose, Narra always has a great time.

BTW, there's an awesome t-shirt that says "Great Dog! Too bad about the handler." We're not saying, we're just saying...

Down from the Mountain

We have descended from the high country--unfortunately, without any epiphanies or new vision. Art didn't really happen up there for the human, but we sure enjoyed the walks!

We will compensate for a lack of productivity in the studio with radical success in the agility ring! Narra is ready to go!!!

Okay, they're not the Rockies, but it's still a nice view, huh?
"Hardly a Road"--that's what it's called, but we don't care!
Narra imagines vanquishing her competition in agility!

Better Late than Never

(Somehow we just know this title is going to get used again--we didn't use it already, did we?)

We made it! The ride was actually pretty nice: weather wasn't too bad, and the scenery was great. Not bad for January! A little blustery today, but we managed. Yes, these Blue Ridge Mountains are beautiful--and actually blue! At least at dusk. Which tends to be the most beautiful time of day here, at least the human thinks so. He's been making sure to get out of the studio for us to walk just as the sun's going down. Spectacular (the views, not the human)! Even though there is no sign of the snow the website claimed was here.

Speaking of the studio, it looks pretty nice, too. At least in pictures. Dogs are not allowed in any of the studios, so we only get to see it in pictures. He put these together for us: the left side is the studio interior, and on the right is the view from the studio. How does he get any work done looking out onto that? Well, not like we got anything special going on, just hangin', listening to our ipod, waiting to go on walks...
While we do like it here, we're feeling a bit travel weary, even though it's been a while since we've been on the road. We suspect our human's reasons for taking to the road are not what they appear. At the risk of intruding on his emotional life once again, we think he needs to deal with where he is--wherever that might be. Yes, we are very precocious, not to mention prescient (perhaps). What would he do without us? If only he'd listen... ;)

Are we there yet?

So, we're told we're going on a roadtrip. And we've watched our human go through all the pre-drive rituals... so how come we haven't left yet??? As far as we can tell, the food's on board and bags are packed--what're we waiting for? The human seems to be practicing something called "procrastination." Apparently, he's quite good at it. We don't find it a talent worth cultivating, however.

Whenever we get going, we're supposed to end up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Human is looking forward to some concentrated, solitary studio time, and we're looking forward to new trails--and SNOW! Yes, it just snowed where we're heading. We've never been to Penland before, but the "photo of the 'week'" (which we would've missed had we left on time!) is very appealing. Tsamba visited there, and he loved it. The human thinks it's pretty great, too. We say, let's get the flock outta here!

After Penland, we're off to Asheville for an agility trial! Go, Narra!

Human pain

Here we are, back so soon! We promised to do better in 2007, and we're good to our word. Actually, this auspicious start to a blogging new year is tainted by the sadness of our human. We haven't seen him like this before. We'll call it unrequited love--not to be melodramatic or anything, because it certainly wasn't love (we don't think)--and now he's struggling with feelings he hasn't experienced in a long, long time. Well, our hopes for him in the coming year aren't completely dashed; we do hope he'll get back on that horse, so to speak. We just wish it didn't hurt so much.

And just so this entry isn't too sappy (and in case our human checks in here), take a look at this site: Unrequited Love: Agony and Rapture. You humans do entertain! Incidentally, this site has a page for you "adored ones," that is, you sad humans who don't know a good butt sniff when it's waved in your face.

Catching up

We've let an embarrassing amount of time pass since we last blogged, but, then again, not that much has happened in the last several months. Actually, that's not really true, but we don't think anyone would be interested in the minutiae of post-sabbatical blues. As it's New Year's Eve, though, we're feeling sentimental and wanting to look back--it hasn't been all that bad. The human's coming around (we think), though he still complains about his job a lot. We're actually hoping the new year brings him something special: he is quite smitten with someone at the moment, and it's been years since that's happened (way long before any of us)! Also, we're kinda sad for him that he's alone tonight. We love him and all, but he needs another human, too. (He probably won't like us writing that... did not mean it to sound like Sleepless in Seattle) Anyway, the next few little posts summarize some of our fall highlights... We'll try to be better in 2007!

Human talent, too

Okay, so it's not that special, but we're proud of our human for contributing to the Canine Partners for Life benefit auction. And he made a painting of us no less! :)

Doing what comes naturally

Why does Narra get to do all the fun stuff? Like chase sheep! Buko and Jacks watched from the van... Not fair. We packed up the van and went up to Raspberry Ridge Sheep Farm in Bangor, PA to try herding with shepherd Carolyn Wilki. The first step was a herding instinct test that Narra passed with flying colors! Carolyn's written assessment of Narra commented on her beautiful tending trot, ability to read sheep, and her attentiveness to her human. Narra and human then did a seminar with Carolyn where they spent a day learning some formal herding stuff. Again, Narra did great. In fact, she impressed everyone when she could be called off the sheep so reliably and consistently. We were told that's unusual for a fist-time herder! Of course, one other dog was able to do the same thing--another GSD bitch, of course! :) What now? Bangor is a little far from home, but we like Carolyn and her farm, so, hopefully, more lessons are in store.

Far Above Cayuga's Waters

With sabbatical over, the human has been pretty insufferable; in fact, we hear a lot of people refer to him as being unusually bitchy. While we don't normally subscribe to the use of the word "bitch" as negative, we understand what they're saying. Even as months have passed, his moodiness continues (beyond normal, that is). Thankfully, he has taken time for some little roadtrips. Usually, we go somewhere where Narra is entered in an agility trial. Back at the end of September, we ventured back up to the Finger Lakes for a weekend of dog shows known as the Wine Country Cluster. Pretty nice. It was up in Romulus, NY at Sampson State Park. Ironically, Buko ended up doing obedience, and Narra sat out the agility trial. Bad weather made for horrible agility courses: way too muddy for delicate competitors such as ourselves. The obedience ring, on the other hand, was just wet grass, so Buko gave it a go. Valorous attempt, but he's feeling too old for this stuff. He didn't really want to do the retrieve over the high jump, but he did try his best. He's what you call "retired" now--apparently, our human would like to be retired, too.

After the trials, we went to Ithaca, a place that is super sentimental to our person. We walked around the Arts quad and looked out over West Campus from the top of Libe slope. We even got to watch the sun set on Cayuga lake. School was still in session, so students stopped to visit with us. They say we're beautiful. :) Although one girl did tell Jackson he stinks. Ha, stinky is as stinky does. Another girl laughed at us while we took this picture. Ah, those were the days--at least, that's what we're told.

BTW, in October, Narra and Buko competed in rally obedience at the advanced level for the first time. Rally's not as demanding as conventional obedience, and jumps are only 16" so Buko's happy with this event. Also, humans actually get to talk to us, like in agility, so it's much more fun all the way around. Oh, almost forgot to mention, both Narra and Buko earned qualifying scores! That means they each have one leg toward their Advanced Rally titles (RA). Better yet, Buko got a third place! Yes, he beat Narra even. Well, long story short: Narra went first, and her human made all kinds of mistakes which he was then able to correct when it was Buko's turn.

An "Excellent" Adventure!

It's official: Narra is now a "Companion Dog Excellent"! She finished her CDX title at a big show up in Burlington, VT (thank you, Woodstock Dog Club!), with no less than a 192.5 out of 200. Not enough for a placement, but when fourth place went to a 196, you know competition was tough. We'll take it!

Although we were entered through the entire weekend, the super performance on Friday liberated us. Rather than kicking it with the dog show crowd, we decided to escape for the mountains. Unfortunately, having just come from Montana, we weren't terribly excited by the Green Mountains. We went to the White Mountains, too, but they also fell short. So, what else to do but make the pilgrimage to Katahdin? Not quite Montana's Crazies, but the solitude and open expanses of Maine were welcome.

The only problem: what's with Baxter State Park not allowing dogs?!?! We drove all the way up to the north entrance of the park only to be turned away. Being the law abiding, respectful pack that we are, we did not force the issue. Afterall, we figure access to the park was lost because of irresponsible behavior. We don't want people in the parks thinking dogs don't belong there--because we know they do!

Regardless, Buko was just happy not having to compete. Luckily, though, he will have plenty more chances! And all the while, Jacks was home making sure the air conditioning would be operating well for us when we got back. (Our pictures here.)

Gone and back again

Well, we're clearly not motivated to write/blog. Have just returned from an amazing trip to Montana (via Colorado and Wyoming, returning through South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin). Over the course of travel, we realize that we are much more visual beings than verbal ones. Took tons of pictures but didn't really write (or paint, for that matter). BUT big skies, open land, and solitude do wonders for clearing the mind, and--dare we say--spirit. We could also comment on beauty, but I'm not prepared to concede that argument just yet (despite what we experienced as unquestionable evidence of it). In any case, all our pictures are linked on Narra's webpage.

Speaking of which, this trek was strictly two for the road: just Narra and her human. The boys were given a reprieve from climbing elevations and fallen trees. While they may have felt left out, we think they eventually appreciated the comfort of couches.

Converted, conflicted

We've been home for a couple weeks now. Everyday distractions seem to hinder blogging, huh? Not that that there's anything interesting to report from here anyhow. Yeah, yeah, greener pastures, we know. Better silence than whining about work, no?

Anyway, northern Minnesota feels like a dream now--what happened to all that beautiful snow? Where's our cabin on the frozen lake? On the other hand, as best I recall, our trip didn't end without some adventure. We left the Gunflint Trail with an icy tear and reluctant van. Not as much reluctant as stuck really. Yes, really--stuck. At least it was a nice opportunity to play around the South Brule river. But when we tired of that, it was only by the grace of Bud's towing that we got back on the road (thank you, Bud!). Special thanks to the two women in a minivan who bothered to stop for a frantic motorist (whose van wasn't even visible from the road) and send help from town.

So, back on asphalt, we left the Gunflint Trail and Grand Marais and headed west to Ely. We just wanted to check out another part of the Superior National Forest, the Boundary Waters, and the International Wolf Center. We spent most of our time along the Echo Trail and decided that we should actually take a hike. We hadn't done any real hiking up to this point because of Jacks's foot, but he was starting to feel better and doing pretty well with the booties. Of course, we wanted to take it easy and thought a snow-packed access road, Moose River portage, would be just what the doctor ordered. The one-and-a-half-mile road ended up being a lot more work than we expected (we were forewarned that what looked innocently snow packed was in fact bottomless and waiting to swallow us up). Narra couldn't have cared less, Buko endured, and Jacks was just happy to be along, wet booties and all. We persevered with hopes of actually standing on the banks of the Moose River. The access road ended at a trail that claimed to be only another three quarters of a mile to the river, so we went for it. As if the access road wasn't bad enough, that little trail was a real challenge. Aside from snow-camouflaged streams--we couldn't see the walking planks--a number of trees had fallen across the trail. Again, Narra couldn't have cared less as she bounded happily over wayward birches. Buko will always try, and Jacks does what he can. To make a long story short(er), the boys reached their limit just shy of the river. We could hear Moose River in the distance, but it wasn't in sight. So close, but unfortunately, Buko got hung up on a tree; literally, he tried so hard to make it over but just couldn't. And Jacks looked on, stupefied and not without fear. Buko's eyes pleaded for his couch, and so, well, here we are.

Looking back on it, we miss winter. We love snow, icy trails, and the blazing whiteness of sun on fresh powder. A far cry from a history of beachcombing and tropical breezes. I'm not sure if we're actually converted, but snowshoes (and skijoring) are definitely in our future. At this moment, though, it's impossible not to be inspired by the freshness of spring. We'll definitely go back to the Boundary Waters and, next time, we want to actually see the water, even be on it.

BTW, speaking of spring, the picture above is from the Buchanan State Forest. Our ride home brought us through local roads--couldn't stand turnpikes anymore--and through forests and parks closer by. We forget some time that it's not so bad around here either.

Booty Call

28 March 2006:
First, let me say that we really like it here. Not just the north country, but Gunflint Lodge, too. That said, the lodge is a lot like the Catskills resort (which I believe wasn't actually in the Catskills) in Dirty Dancing. Kids, group activities, all the "family" stuff--but it's all rather endearing. If only we had a talent show! But it's much cooler here than in the Catskills (no pun intended). There's even a kind of hip, young staff. I imagine they go snowboarding on days off. Overheard them at breakfast talking about last night's activities. Those were the days... Nuff said.

On to the drama... (Which may or may not be as interesting as Dirty Dancing...) Unfortunately, our star is Jackson and his awful, recurring, gotta-be-painful sebaceous cysts. Looks like another one burst in his right, front paw (between toes), and it is very raw. Poor guy started limping last night and wasn't any better today. Suffice it to say he couldn't do any hiking. But a guy's gotta go, right? He's been having trouble in general with the crunchy snow (melts during the day, freezes at night), and it must be hard to pee or poop in comfort (and we all want that, don't we?). Long story short, drove into Grand Marais looking for booties. Got a set of black, XL fleecy ones with a rugged-ish sole. He adjusted to them pretty quickly and was soon all dapper on the frozen lakes. Tomorrow, however, the boy will rest.

In the meantime, the girl will work. Perhaps watching the sled dog team will inspire her. Even so, she dragged her human up a rather steep (and icy) trail today at Honeymoon Bluffs. Buko and Jacks watched the van. Who's got a better deal? More of a workout tomorrow!

Here's a preview of our Gunflint adventures.

Cabin Fever

27 March 2006:
Well, our agility trial came and went without incident. After the initial shock of being in a completely new place without one familiar face, we got down to it. Unfortunately, as my German buddy Bernard would say, we came up "dinks." In other words, double NQ. Been a while since that happened. But Narra garnered new fans as she's prone to do, and, as usual, she looked pretty amazing. Hey, you might as well look good, right?

Another new experience for us was that this trial had only one ring--so the day went very long. Lucky novice folks, we got to close the place down. The venue was pretty cool, though: Camp Bandy. Agility and obedience both indoors and out, plus herding. Wouldn't it be nice to own a place like that some day (in Wisconsin even!). Of course, it would just be for us--no sharing (even for money).

Anyway, despite the length of the day, we decided to drive on, to at least cut down some of the long drive to Grand Marais. There's never a good hotel when you need one, then lo and behold, you've driven six hours and made it north of Duluth to Two Harbors. Totally cut down the remaining drive north.

To make a long (uneventful) story short, we're here in our great little cabin at the Gunflint Lodge about an hour northwest of Grand Marais. Since we arrived in town fairly early, we had most of the day to explore the Gunflint Trail. Our weather karma has returned, it seems, as the day was amazingly beautiful. We had a great time in the cold--not too cold--and snow. Don't know what it is, but the Northwoods definitely owns a part of us. We walk out our door onto frozen Gunflint Lake, and the night sky has more stars than we've ever seen. We hear howling, too; the romantic wants to believe they're wolves, but it's probably just the sled dogs. How sad not to be able to tell the difference! Anyway, it's not so "rustic" a cabin, but it's a good place to think and make art. And, when all is said and done, isn't the wilderness much more fun with a sauna and whirlpool tub anyway? (Not to mention that Buko and Narra have appropriated the king bed.) At least we built a fire.:)

On the road again...

25 March 2006:
It looked like some kind of George W. Bush, post-apocalyptic wasteland... it was, in fact, Indiana. (We were driving around Roush lake in a cold, annoying spittle; our soundtrack: Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska.) Who would've ever thought we'd visit this state so much? We're talking four trips in four months. Crazy. Not so crazy: the van's done! (For the time being anyway.) Sportsmobile installed a house battery yesterday, complete with isolator and wiring for the ceiling fan and lights. We've got a little power now, can run 12-volt stuff without a problem. Really, we were just looking forward to the lights staying on, plus, more importantly, being able to run the ceiling fan without running the van.

Speaking of running, we're in Amherst, Wisconsin tonight because Narra is entered in the Wisconsin Rapids Kennel Club agility trial tomorrow. We're staying at the poetically named (but somewhat Bates-esque) Tomorrow River Motel, a small, family-run outfit looks like. They have a "supper club," too. Weather wasn't so bad today, temps in the low 40s. We probably could've camped tonight, but we opted for tv instead--so we could watch the Sweet Sixteen. Duly inspired by hoops heroics, Buko has decided his new nickname is now "Big Baby," to match his personality. But while we have sincere affection for the Bayou Bengals, true academic ties bind: GO BRUINS!

Savannah Smiles

The new ride took us back to the south: Savannah and Jekyll Island. Van was full with dogs, parents, and gear, but it all fit just fine.We finally got to visit friends Scott, Natasha (left), and Annalycia (right). We like snow, but warm, sunny beaches aren't bad either.

(Thanks for the picture, Scott!)

Rock and Roll!

It might not be the ultimate adventure mobile, but our tricked out ride is ready to roll! Good thing because we're going nuts stuck in the house. Illness, work commitments (misguided as they are), and other distractions have us trapped in suburbia. Our maiden voyage awaits, however--this weekend, in fact. Had to cancel an earlier planned trip to Savannah--sucked, we had to miss an agility trial--but we're going to try again. Nothing fancy, but the pack and parents (!) will load up the new ride and test it out. No adventure, we suspect, but at least we'll see if all the gear fits!

On a related note, just because we have a monster 4x4 doesn't mean we want to tear up national parks--and we don't want anyone else to either. W's "America" has always been a frightening place, and now he even wants to eliminate places we can go to hide (why stop at civil liberties?). Proposed changes to the National Park Service Management Policies seriously endanger the future of our natural lands and resources. If W gets his way, our national parks will become more about recreation than preservation (even more so than they already are). When did we stop protecting our resources and start consuming them? Uh, duh, where do we live?

Together again

Seems like it's been a while... Home for the holidays is always good. The pack is together again but not quite acclimated to being "home." That is, we're ready to hit the road! Unfortunately, work does call--as does the studio (very loudly). Looks like we're staying put for a little while at least. So, we had to make the best of a 60-degree, sunny day and find a trail somewhere.


About an hour from us in Lancaster County is the Kelly's Run-Pinnacle Trail System, along Lake Aldred and the Susequehanna River. We've never been there before, so today was a good time to explore it. A number of trails cross at Pinnacle Overlook, so we parked there to check some out. We hiked a section of the Pine Tree Trail, came around to the Conestoga Trail, then swung back on the Fire Line Trail. A lot of decent elevations--we could've really pushed ourselves aerobically, but we're still hauling holiday pot bellies, so why be fanatical about it? Actually, if it were just the young one, we would've done the more challenging stuff. Incidentally, in the picture above, Jackson has a new harness! Just like Buko's and Narra's. He's not really physically able to hike as much as the other two, but he deserves his own gear at least. Also, a previous post described the dogs' bungee lines as mushing lines--technically, they are skijoring lines. If we ever get any snow, it's an activity we'd like to try.

Oh, Mike Kelley (for art's sake)

Okay, back east, just in time to catch the closing of the Mike Kelley exhibition at Gagosian. Very opportune since his installation/musical "Day is Done" recreates photographs from his high school yearbook. Not the same as our current project, but a similar sentiment to my "tourism of the past."

So, thought I was going to miss the exhibition and was happy to have gotten back in time to see it. Or so it would seem. I'm told I operate on brinkmanship when it comes to time, deadlines, etc. Sometimes it works out (most of the time it does), sometimes it doesn't. This wasn't the former: I literally pulled up to the gallery door as they were ushering people out. I parked where I was, ran to the door, and pleaded (whined) my case to the guard. As it turns out, he was going to let me sneak in--then I ran into the second guard. While the second guy was also sympathetic, he was clearly afraid of some woman inside who had threatened him should he let anyone by. I was the one who then felt sorry for him. I dropped my head, snuck a peak through the doors as people exited, and spent the next hour sulking my way out of Manhattan.

In total, I spent nearly six hours driving (back and forth), $45+ in gas, and $22 in tolls, all for the possibility of seeing Mike Kelley's work. Yes, all my fault, but the rush of nearly seeing art: priceless.

Gettin' Tricked Out!

(I hope that's the right expression...) Eastward travel brings us to Huntington, IN, home of Sportsmobile, Inc. They have specialized in van conversions since 1961; they followed Volkswagen in innovating a "pop top" for vans, and now they do so much more.

We'd been looking forward to meeting these folks for a long time... they're gonna pimp my ride! Nothing fancy, just a high top and lots of storage space. (The picture is of their "Ultimate Adventure Mobile." Cool, huh?)

Blame the weather

Okay, maybe the weather did affect my initial response to Madison. Ironically, we spent the "stormy" day going around to the old, familiar places. (Fghting my way through pelting snow certainly did feel familiar for Wisconsin!) The next day, when the snow and wind let up a bit, we did more touristy things, like the capitol, State St., and Frank Lloyd Wright's Monona Terrace, not to mention Vilas Park (which happens to be an old, familiar place as well). Dogs didn't seem to mind either way, but I was definitely more appreciative of the city in better weather. Still, it was a bit big for me, a bit jarring contrasted with my memories of an intimate locale where we walked everywhere. My memories seemed violated somehow. Even Eagle Heights, for as much as it was the same, seemed very distant and apathetic.

I should point out, however, that this city seems to have it all. Under other circumstances, I can't see anyone not wanting to live here. Of course, I'm also biased by the university. UW-M will always be to me the epitome of an institution of higher learning. My childhood at this school formed the basis for everything I believe about scholarship, intellectual pursuits in general, and the privilege of learning. I'm perfectly happy living with what, at times, feel like delusions.

We would also like to acknowledge and applaud Madison's commitment to off-leash dog parks! There are a number of them around the city, and from what I could gather, they are well maintained and managed. I was very happy to pay a day-use fee (in lieu of an annual fee) for this privilege. We can only hope people appreciate these parks and use them responsibly. A friend of mine hates these places because she thinks "pet people" don't mind their dogs responsibly; I hope that's not the case--it wasn't our experience at least.

Anyway, Madison marked our last project site. So, our work being done and weather not really getting better, we headed home. Time to get back to the studio regardless. And there will still be spring for more travel west... (Besides, this hotel thing is not in our budget, and it's making me broke.)

Incidentally, the picture of Madison above was taken during an earlier drive through the city (on the way to Oshkosh, I couldn't wait, so we stopped ahead of schedule), that's why the weather looks so nice. We have more pictures of Madison and southern/central parts of Wisconsin here.

Mad City

Perhaps I'm just getting tired, or maybe the incessant wet snow today just got to me, but Madison hasn't been that fun. The city has grown so much since we lived here (over thirty years ago!), and I much prefer the tiny, rural towns we've frequented over the last week or so. Perhaps I also expected some sort of epiphany being here again--who knows what I expected. The place is still beautiful, no question about it, but it's not that idyllic place of my imagination. Then again, they never are, are they?

London calling

Call me crazy, but I think I belong up here. I don't know what it is, but as soon as I saw frozen Lake Superior, I felt an immediate affinity with northern Wisconsin. Funny thing is, we never really spent any time up here when I was a kid. But I've felt very much at home (other than getting stuck in the snow--in my 4x4 nonetheless! Was told I had to be "a northerner" to drive in the stuff...). Did I read too much Jack London way back when? There's just something about driving around up here listening to "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"... (Okay, yes, I'm mixing up my geography--but this will do until we make it to Denali.)


More pictures? Yup.

Northwoods

(I'm actually writing as I'm posting!) Greetings from northern Wisconsin! Temps have continued to be prohibitively cold. Since we've already determined I'm a wimp, I'm at a hotel (again) with internet to boot. We spent the day in the Peshtigo River State Forest (picture left shows Narra at the Seymour Rapids) and eastern Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. We head even further north in the morning. Will continue in Chequamegon, hike a part of the North Country Trail (Copper Falls State Forest) and end up in the Apostle Islands. More later...

BRRR!

6 Dec:
Okay, I feel like a total wimp, but, come on, it's -4 degrees out there (-17 wind chill)! I tried my best: had two heaters running in the van, but they couldn't overcome the frigid air. Even my power cord froze up, couldn't roll it up to put it away. Truly nosehair-freezing weather.

So here we sit in another hotel--and so much for my proud Wisconsin-ness. I guess I only absorbed that wilderness ethos intellectually. I must've left the state before I could physically develop the bodily defenses and stamina to withstand extreme cold. I guess my inner mountain man will have to stay inside. On the bright side, we got to watch Michigan St. defeat BC--go Big 10!

Reminiscing

6 Dec:
While this blog isn't supposed to be about my sabbatical project, I can't really get away from writing about it. Especially at this point where we're now visiting what I've been calling "project sites." The "project" itself has been loosely conceived and is more about discovery than anything else. What I've come to understand about what I'm doing, however, is that I've undertaken (or constructed?) a kind of tourism around my past, my childhood specifically. At base, I'm responding to a long-felt urge to re-visit these places--being here/there is both a return and an escape. The poles of both are undefined: coming from where, going to where? The familiar places are running rivers.

What I know at this very moment is that I have developed--or, more accurately, deepened--a fascination with bobbing-head dolls. In addition to my "real" German Shepherds, my bobbing-head shepherd has witnessed all moments of these past months' wandering. I like the way he laughs all the time and agrees with everything I say. Sometimes he agrees even when I'm not saying anything, maybe like he understands what I'm thinking or where I'm at or maybe he's just picking up a vibe. Also, he never gets distracted. And I know he'll never share my secrets (my other shepherds won't either).

I also like that my bobbing-head German Shepherd is a kind of barometer for the road. His state of calmness or agitation reflects, in a way, the quality of the journey. I tell the real German Shepherds when the road is going to get bumpy--and they brace themselves.

Incidentally, for some pictures from southern Illinois, our first project site, go here.

Talk about art!

(Remembering back to late November, just before Thanksgiving...)

Not only was our cabin at Mohawk Trail State Forest a complete dream, our whole time up there was near perfect: live on the mountain, hike the mountain (okay, just little Thumper "Mountain"), and then come down from the mountain to see art. Who could ask for more?! Actually, the art part was a little disappointing, but maybe just because I had set my expectations too high. Revelation it wasn't, but still thought provoking, I suppose. I'm speaking specifically of Mass MoCA. Didn't make it to the Rockwell Museum, but did get to see Winslow Homer at the Clark Institute (not that I'm necessarily equating Homer with Rockwell)--always nice to see solid painting .

The big draw for me at Mass MoCA was the exhibition "Becoming Animal," curated by someone whose name I forget. For obvious reasons, I was very curious about the show and what the work was like. After looking at it, though, I don't think I could tell you the point. Some individual pieces were visually curious (Mark Dion, Motohiko Odani), and others (Ann-Sofi Siden) seemed conceptually complex but not engaging enough for me to bother. All in all, not a waste of time, but I don't feel better off for having seen it.

Neo Rauch (in a show on the "New Leipzig School"), on the other hand, was extremely satisfying. Granted, I always want to look at painting, and even better when a painter's work validates the practice. I was also struck by how Rauch's work fits my current thinking about painting as indelibly and inescapably nostalgic, an expression of sentimentality. Better yet, Rauch's paintings fit my criteria with actual sincerity (ie, non-ironic) and avoidance of the saccharine. The question remains: can sentimentality be subversive?

On a related note, I also enjoyed the work of Paul Shambroom, part of a little show in one of the side galleries. Kind of funny, deadpan stuff. What I really liked was the quality of his photographs printed on canvas to look like way uptight realist painting. Too funny, too cool.

Updates

Clearly, one of the consequences of sporadic internet access is the loss of desire for internet access. On the other hand, when access becomes available, the previously deprived user may become somewhat ravenous... In other words, I've not been too good about keeping this thing current. When I do have the opportunity to update it, however, I feel a little overwhelmed by the amount of writing I feel morally obliged to offer. Anyway, all guilt aside, here's what's going on:

Thanksgiving in Denver has been postponed until spring, so I shared in a Rockwellian feast with family and friends back home (thanks, George and Pam!). Also decided to keep to this side of the Mississippi for 2005 and plan a big, wild west adventure for spring 2006 (provided departmental searches finish expediently--God willing). That said, I'm able to beef up our plans for the great white north and recreate more leisurely in frozen Wisconsin. Have also added the Berkshires and the Adirondacks to our itinerary. The snow pictures below are the western/central Adirondacks: Moose River Plains, to be exact. Below that, Mohawk Trail State Forest is in the Berkshires, just east of North Adams--and Mass MoCA (more on that in another update).

The picture above, incidentally, shows the dogs sporting their mushing attire. We've found the mushing gear (harnesses, lines, and belt for me) to be a great way for everyone to get out freely and safely. (See the Howling Dog link to the right, if you're interested.)

More images of the Berkshires and Adirondacks here.

Snow!

We couldn't wait, so we had to go look for it...

Mohawk Trail State Forest

(Nov. 20, 2005)
I’ve got a cabin for the night and am thinking I will stay two. This place is my complete fantasy of getting away from the world. There are other campers here—in close-by cabins (but not too close)—but I’m quite content. If I had only remembered to bring my books! What was I thinking? Anyway, got my fire started, the dogs are settled in, and I’m looking forward to exploring some trails in the morning. Will also check out Mass MoCA tomorrow and perhaps the Norman Rockwell Museum—how’s that for range? Had thought to go to the western Adirondacks at some point, but I might save that for another trip.

SE coast: Jekyll Island, GA to the Outer Banks

[transcription of tape-recorded commentary]

“It’s Tuesday, November 8th just past noon. I am somewhere in Savannah, GA, east side of town, I think. On coastal highway route 17 in Georgia. I’m on my way from Jekyll Island in south Georgia to Cape Hatteras in North Carolina. Almost completely forgot the whole purpose of a roadtrip. Was a little uptight about my ten-hour drive between Jekyll Island and Hatteras, but then I realized I don’t have to be there any particular time. And I don’t have to do all ten hours right now. So I got off I-95 and decided to take the “journey.” And I’m on the back highway, so I find myself in Savannah, and we’ll see where this leads. I saw a sign for Skidaway Island State Park, so I think we’ll go there and let the dogs run around for a bit. Maybe I’ll eat some lunch, then we’ll keep moving and see what the road has in store. Okay, so that’s where we’re at. Later.”

“Had some bad luck finding Skidaway. Just ran into Savannah traffic everywhere, I really needed to get out of the city. Got a little lost, circled around. Anyway, made my way out, and we’ve now entered the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. Found my way to the coastal highway route 17 north, and I just need to pull over and let the dogs run around for a while. I think we’re all feeling a bit restless. We actually haven’t gotten that far from Jekyll Island, but it’s a nice day and a beautiful drive. So, I think we’re alright.”

View more images (lots of them!)...

Our "camp"

Couldn't resist... here's our campsite at the national:

First place!

Well, the national turned out to be a lot of fun! As you can see, we earned a blue ribbon in agility (Novice A, standard class). Even though our other runs didn't turn out as well, Narra did great. We certainly got noticed! To top it off, she also earned a blue ribbon in obedience on Friday (Open A). I ended up taking Buko in the ring also--felt bad that he wasn't doing anything--but we weren't as successful. He worked really well, though; we keep getting closer!

By the way, sorry for the whining, ranting previous post. All's well that ends well, I guess. We did end up "camping" at the show site, and it was fine (fun even).

Lots more to update from the last ten days, but it will have to wait a little longer... Just wanted to get this picture up for now.

But Mousie...

The best laid schemes indeed... After leaving almost twenty-four hours later than planned, we thought passing up Shenandoah was going to be the worst of it. As it turns out, we arrived at the national show site only to find no "camp site" waiting for us. So, after a little searching--and help from a friend (thanks, Donna)--I write from our room at the Super 8 in Concord, NC. Could be worse, I suppose, but not at all what we planned. I'm hoping we're through with the challenges and that the actual competition will bring squeals of glee.

Not that this situation is so awful, but it does prompt me to comment on "camping." At the show, camping is really rv parking--and I think that's what people expected, if not wanted. Me, I'm new to all this, and the sight of rvs tightly packed against one another does not come close to my image of camping. It does, however, smack of the kind of regulation we see nature subjected to these days.

I'm specifically talking about the way nature is packaged and presented to us as consumers, a reality that first struck me (ironically) at Acadia. Why are we coerced into receiving and appreciating nature in one, particular way? We all follow the same worn paths--if not paved roads--and all stop to admire the same "lookouts." I don't mind paying (entrance fees, taxes, whatever) to protect our natural lands, but does our money have to pay for the regimentation with which we're allowed to enjoy these lands? I'm happy to support preservation efforts, but our national parks seem to be going the way of canned, easy entertainment. There's no longer an experience to be had, just an idea of what the experience should be.

So, no pictures today. No parks, no nature, just hotel. (And Trader Joe's sushi for dinner. Yum, now that's camping.)