road trip

i took a road trip with my dogs last weekend.  i don't do that enough. 

but travel, we did and we had a great time. me and sam and hope. six hours in the car and 6000 feet of elevation above sea level. they were great on the windy mountain roads ... me, not so much. but at the end of all that was a wonderful log cabin with all the necessary conveniences for a restful stay, and backed up to a river surrounded by beautiful trees. the rocky shore and the sound of the rushing water were so wonderful and peaceful.

i find that traveling with my pups is pretty comparable to traveling with my kids when they were little. packing their toys, and their snacks, their medications (if needed) and their food. in the case of dogs add the beds, leashes and personal hygiene accessories (if you get my drift) .. ok, poop bags! 

once in the car they paced for awhile, sat for awhile, slept for awhile and let us know when it was time for another potty break at the next rest stop. so, it was familiar routines all around.

but what really made this special was how very happy they were to be out in a new world filled with new smells and lots of room to run and explore. sam's grin was on his face every minute and when he climbed over river rocks and went right into the water like he had been doing it his whole life, it lit up my heart. and, now i know that i have to make this happen for him and hope more regularly. it was good for them it was good for me.

so this weeks tidbit with regards to dog parenting is to make a point of giving your dogs more adventure and share those moments with them. i was so happy to share this with them and i got some really awesome images as well. i already know which ones are going to be framed and put up on a wall in my home and they will remind me to go out and do it again as soon as possible.