Spring RV Trip

 

     

     Our longest RV adventure (so far) just ended.  I put my Etsy shop on vacation mode and off we went. We traveled through New Mexico, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and finally - Ohio!  

       

     The trip started out great in New Mexico's Route 66 RV Park.  It was a quick overnight stop. No time to visit the nearby casino.  But the park is convenient, and the people are friendly.

From there it was three more quick overnight stops. There were a couple of windy nights, but the drive itself was uneventful.  As we traveled east, we met colder weather. Spring flowers were scarce, and the trees were bare.  

By the time we reached Ohio, I realized that I had not packed nearly enough warm clothes.  Still, it was great to see family and friends.  

The KOA campground in Ohio was large, with two ponds, lots of wooded areas to walk, and even a covered bridge.

On the second day there, Tikaan got to see snow for the first time!

We bought some warmer clothes.  Had great dinners and visits with our loved ones.  All too soon we had to leave and make the trip back in reverse.  We left a day early to avoid some very scary weather that was forecast. (Like tornados and severe t-storms)   

Except for some heavy rainfall for a few hours, we escaped the bad weather.  We were tired but happy campers.     

But we'll all be ready to go off again in a few months!

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My Etsy shop, Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry, is now up and open again.  As a Thank You for visiting and reading my blog, here's a coupon code for 20% off:  SPRING2022 

Use the coupon when you check out.  Good on items from Desert Dabbler until May 30, 2022.  

Merry Christmas to All!

      Tikaan visiting Santa

Hope your Holidays are happy, too!

Merry Christmas!

A Pomsky Pup for Me

     I've been wanting a dog for a long time.  I had a great Shepherd mix when I was a kid.  But when I married and began working, a cat seemed like a much better fit.  So for years we had cats and even a wonderfully fun ferret, but no dogs.
     For last six or seven years we've been petless.  Our last cat lived a nice long life, but we never got another one.  I've been thinking about a dog for quite a while, and always talking myself out of getting one.  We travel a bit.  I can't handle a large, energetic dog now. And on and on.  Lots of valid, logical reasons to not get a dog. ... But I wanted one.
     Then I discovered a type of dog that I had never known about --- a Pomsky
 

      A Pomsky is a mix of a Pomeranian and a Siberian Husky.  He has the look of a Husky, but the smaller size of a Pomeranian.  I found out about them while looking for huskies.  I really like their wolf-like appearance and their medium dog size. It looked like a compromise that could work.
      A search on the internet showed me puppies that were available around the U.S.  Interesting, but not practical. Finally I found some in Arizona, about two hours south of Phoenix.  First I contacted the breeder about their newest batch of puppies.  She said she would contact me when they were old enough for visitors.  Then a day or so later I saw a slightly older puppy on her website.  She had named him Nike. He looked adorable.
      All of the research I read advised to not buy a puppy you had not met first.  That seemed smart, although lots of people buy a pup and have it shipped.  I decided we should make a visit first and see how the puppy acted.  I wanted a friendly, happy puppy, and only seeing him in person would let me know if he was the dog for us.
       So last Friday we drove to meet our potential buddy.  I had not puppy proofed the house or bought any of the essentials we would need.  In my mind this was going to be a meet and greet only. If he looked like the dog for us, I planned to put down a deposit and pick him up a few days later after buying supplies and preparing for him properly.
       But fate had other ideas.  It was pretty much love at first sight, on both sides.  He was cute and cuddly and very friendly.  For lots of reasons the seller couldn't keep him until next week. We talked her into keeping him overnight to give us time to buy a few things.  She did better than that.  She was planning a trip to Phoenix the next day and offered to meet us half way.   Super!   
       So that's how we came to bring Tikaan (our name for him) into our lives.  He's a joy.  He's energetic and still needs lots of training.  Kinda like a furry toddler.  If there's something to get into, he'll find it. 
       But I've fallen in love with him.  He keeps us on our toes and makes us laugh. In his quiet moments he gives great puppy kisses and snuggles like a baby.  All in all, it's been a match made in heaven.