September 1, 2009

Oh dear....it's been a whole month since my last blog. Not much has happened.....well, unless you count the time I got in sooooooo much trouble with my daddy. Oh, he was mad. I mean, he was really, really, really mad.....but, it wasn't all my fault. I mean, ya gotta remember I'm a dog. D O G. Dog. And sometimes, a dog's gotta do what a dog's gotta do, right?

So here's what happened.....Mommy had given Daddy some huckleberry taffey. Daddy loves taffey and when he was younger, could eat it by the boatload. Well, he still could now, except now he has dentures, and it tends to stick to them. Soooo....you can see where this is going, can't you?.....he took them out and put them on the table next to where he sits and commenced to eat taffy.......suck on it, actually, or gum it to death...whichever you prefer.....when....ta da!! Nature calls....and off he goes into the bathroom.....And there I was, sitting right next to his chair...and his dentures on the table next to his chair....and the urge was just too great. I tried, honestly, I really tried to ignore the urge.....I looked at them first....then I sniffed......then licked.....then grabbed the lowers and ran into the kitchen to hide under the table and CHEWCHOMPGRIND!! Oh, they made the most wonderful noise, and I'm so into noises with my chewing. So when Daddy came out to see what I had, it was just too late!! All he could find were a couple of teeth. I'd eaten the rest. He found the rest the next day.....outside.....in a brown pile. Sick man, looking at my droppings.....but I didn't get sick or anything....I just had to spend a whole lot of time in my kennel and get yelled at a lot. Sometimes life just throws you a curve.....or a denture.....and you've got to go with it, ya know? Tonight it was the butter......but that's another story for another day.

Hope you are all well out there in computer land. I'll be back after this weekend's camping trip, OK?

Love to all, Juni

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Well, all you friends and neighbors, we are home. I cannot tell you how excited I was when we came into Middlebury, about six miles from my house. I ran from side to side in my space in the truck, tried to get into Mommy's lap, and was just too excited for words. When we finally got here and they let me out of the truck, I ran around in circle, leaped up onto the porch....who needs steps, anyhow.....leaped down, jumped up at the door and barked and barked. When Mommy finally got the door unlocked, I just ran from room to room to room, looking at everything to make sure it was all right for them to come in. It was. It was perfect. Auntie Em must have been keeping it clean, because it was perfect. All the plants were alive and looking happy and there were new books for Mommy to read. Aunt Luci must have left those for her. What good friends we have, all over this country. We didn't get to see all of them, and we are sorry about that, but maybe on the next trip we can visit a few more.

Anyhow, it's been wonderful. Auntie Mart has a new tub at her house...I don't think she'll let me try it out, but it has those jet things in it....oh, I know I'd enjoy them...... and Aunt Luci....haven't heard from her yet. Mommy called but so far she's ignoring her......she has to get Mommy back to swimming again and get some of her tubbiness off of her. Ha...that's funny. Auntie Mart got a new tub, and Mommy got some new tubbiness!! They must be related!! Auntie Em is still working and taking care of other people's homes and dogs....I think she needs one of her own. I know she can always borrow me, and I LOVE going to her house 'cause she has this great swimming pond near her that we go to when it's nice weather, but still, she needs someone to crawl in bed next to her at night and lick her all over. That's real love. Good thing Daddy doesn't read this, Mommy says. His heart couldn't take it......

I may not be done with my blog yet, so check in again in a few days. I have some other pictures to share with you, and I may have more news. Who knows. This has been such fun, this blogging thing. Mommy is going to get her own wifi card, though, for the next trip. I can't go on that one, I have to stay with Auntie Em or someone. Mommy and Daddy are going to Colombia, SA for Christmas, did I tell you? I'll miss them, but it'll be such a fun trip for them. Did I spell that right, Uncle Al? Uncle Charlie?

Hello, and much love to you all. It's been a great summer.....best one I've ever had. I LOVE traveling and meeting new friends and I had just the best time with everyone. Thank you for putting up with my long hair and artistic endeavors in your lawns. I did my best, honest. I love, love, love you all. Juni Wanda Peck

Friday, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana...whew!

Soybeans, corn, and more soybeans. Crossing the Mississippi River.
Flat, boring, back to mostly deciduous trees. Hot now......but clear with gorgeous clouds.

Thursday, Badlands in the rain

Here's Daddy with his new Babe....in Wall, S. Dakota... Mommy says she's cute, but somewhat stiff. Below are the Badlands. Too tired for more.....

Friday, in Fremont, Indiana

I'm sooooo excited!! Here we are in Yogi Bear's Campground once again!! Except this time, it was all full so we get to set up in the parking lot!! How cool! We do have water and electricity, but we can't use the dump station until 7 tomorrow morning, so I guess we'll just have to spend our time out on the lawn, oh, you know, throwing the frisbe, or one of my balls, or just chasing each other!! What fun!! I can't wait. Right now Daddy is really tired and is taking a nap. We went out for supper.....to an Applebees.....and then came home. Daddy thought he might be able to make it to Toledo today, buy he was way too tired. And there aren't a lot of campgrounds here in this state.....or in western Ohio!! So tomorrow we are going to drive right through to New York and stay there overnight somewhere. I hope it's as cool as this place.....even if I am the only one who likes it here. But I have lawn behind us and I can run and jump and play!! What could be better?

I'm sorry I haven't been blogging but the last place we were in said they had it and they didn't. It meaning wifi. I'll tell ya what it did have, though. It had an entire campground....except for us.....of people with HUGE big campers or buses who were there for the dumb races. Nascar something or other. And they stayed up really late, drinking and laughing and making all kinds of noise. Daddy slept right through it all, but not Mommy! Oh no, she didn't sleep much at all......'course it didn't help that her back is giving her fits. She says she's sittin' too much and it hurts her back. She says she'll be glad to get home. I know Daddy will be happy not to have to drive all day and I'll be glad to get out in my yard, and dig holes in my driveway, and help trim all the bushes, and go see my friends Kudjo and Harley, and just be able to crawl up in my Daddy's lap when he's in his recliner and take a nap while we wait for Mommy to come home from swimming. We've all had such a great time and seen so much, but oh, it's gonna be good to get home.

So.....can't remember anything from the last two days until I send some pictures, so I'll say goodnight, and do the photo thing. Love to you all. Juni

Badlands Pictures

Sorry...not enough power to upload.....maybe I'll try again tomorrow morning or from tomorrow's campground. Next trip, Mommy says she's getting a card and her own service. This is tooo frustrating. If we had our own card, we could communicate from the truck!! As long as we had cell service, that is.....bye!

The Badlands Trip

Hi all you wonderful people out there......I am in a good mood this evening!! I didn't get into one bit of trouble today, not one bit. I was just the best girl, wee weed when I was told to, shee sheed when I was supposed to, didn't eat one bit of map or other paper products, ate all my meals at the appropropriate times, sat in the back in my space all but that one time when Daddy had to buzz me because he didn't want me on his lap and I really was being insistant.....until I got buzzed.....not zapped, mind you, just buzzed....but I know that where there's a buzz there's a zap if I don't do as I'm told......I'm no dumbie....

Anyhow, it was a slow day today. In the first place, it was raining when we got up, then we got into some pretty heavy fog. When we got out of the fog, we got to Deadwood. Daddy was really excited to see it because it's in all the westerns he reads......and then was really disappointed because it's just a big casino place. It is in a neat spot, though....in a gulch, with homes built all along the sides of the hills, but, alas, no cowboys and Imyuns. So sad. So on to Sturgis....the motorcycle capital of the world.....we have seen more motorcycles in South Dakota than we knew had been made. There are people from all over the country converging on Sturgis, the home of the Harley Davison, for a jamboree next week. The locals say they begin coming in this week, then the festivities are next week, and they'll be gone by the end of the third week. They stay as far as 150 miles away because there just isn't enough room in the city itself. You just can't believe it. Motorcycles and black leather and tatoos. Everywhere you look. It's weird and more than a little intimidating to us small town Vermonters!! They come on their bikes, bring tents or stay in motels, or they come in big campers and drag trailers with the bikes in them behind. It is a sight to see. AND hear when they all get started on a run to somewhere. They mostly travel in gangs.....and I mean like a lot of them from the same place, together to go see the touristy things. The town of Wall was full of them. One of the clerks told Mommy that by next Monday, there will be no room for cars in the main streets. So huge parking lots have been made behind all the stores so there's room for everyone to park....and the main streets are full of motorcycles. Just motorcycles. We'll be home by then.......

The Badlands were awesome.....especially the prairie dogs....and I did whine a little when I saw them, but I didn't beg to go out and play because I already knew what THAT answer would be. So I just looked and drooled on the window. We didn't get going as early as we thought we would, Uncle Gale, but it wouldn't have made any difference anyhow since it misted or rained all day. But we did see some great colors, and Daddy was impressed by the formations and the land. Mommy has seen it before, but it was a first for Daddy.

We're in a KOA campground in Kennebec, SD tonight. It's not very nice but mostly that's because it rained all day so it's sort of muddy. The town itself is only two hundred strong, has a post office, one gas station, one restaurant and bar, and this KOA. There are lots of little towns like this along Rt. 90 in SD.

So, that does it for today. Some pictures are coming, but not a lot because it takes so darn long to download them. We have wifi here, but it's not strong, so it takes a long time.

Anyhow, hope all is well with all of you. I miss you and can't wait to see you all again, soon and someday!! Love to all, Juni

Mt. Rushmore, and Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse sculpture inside, real one outside.

Black Hills in the background

Relative who helped make the faces....and if you believe that, I have this dinosaur bone.......

Mt. Rushmore campground

campground.....and......

Sitting Pretty

Got it!

All tired out.

Mt. Rushmore on Tuesday

Good evening, friends and relatives,

I'm in trouble. I ate another map....my third one. Now, don't get me wrong....I do like the taste of paper but I didn't eat the map because I was hungry. I WAS hungry, actually, but I had food in my space, and water...so that wasn't the reason. No, I ate it becasue I was mad. Yes, friends, a mad-on. A good old-fashioned Juni mad-on. Wanna know why? They had the audacity to leave me in the truck....alone.....by myself....with no one to scritch me, or talk to me or pat my paw. Alone. Yes, OK, I knew Daddy was right outside the door putting fuel in the truck, and I knew Mommy had just gone into the store for a minute, but couldn't I have helped? I've done the heavy lookin' on before.....I KNOW HOW TO DO THESE THINGS! IT DOESN'T TAKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST! But no, they leave me in the truck, alone, without attention, or any loving, or much of anything to do. Soooo, I search, and I find, and I eat......MAPS! Third one! Did ya get that? Third one......you'd think they'd learn......sigh.....



So, we left Buffalo, Wyoming this morning and got to Gillette where we saw a HUGE coal strip-mining operation. Really ugly....and the trains that take the coal away have over 120 cars to them, with two or three engines that pull them, and always one in the back pushing. Long. Very long.



From there, we headed to South Dakota and Mt. Rushmore. Along the way, Daddy kept finding things to add to our....You Know You're In the West When.....list....like....



You Know You're In the West When

* you can park your forklift at the motel

*you skirt your fifth wheel and both slide outs

*you use 12 foot fences around cemeteries to keep the antelope out

*you see four trees on a thousand acre ranch

*you can count 120 cars on a coal train, with three engines pullin' and one or two pushin'

*you see a herd of antelope mixed in with a herd on black angus

*you can fill up with fuel, lose ten bucks at the slot machines, eat lunch, take a shower, do your laundry, shop for momentos, talk to the locals over a beer (boy, are they intrigued with the GPS, 'specially when there's one on a Harley!), get four sets of directions and sixteen free phamphlets all at the same establishment. Mommy says it's mind boggling.



We did stop at the Mt. Rushmore place. Mommy says it was really interesting, the history of it, even though she doesn't like the part about carving up a mountain. Daddy was more impressed than he thought he would be. Me? I had to stay in the truck.....they took all the maps out this time. See? I knew they'd get it one of these days.



After that, we went to see the Crazy Horse Mountain thing.....but it's not done yet. It probably won't be done for years and years, but it had an interesting story to it, too. Mommy says to google it.....she doesn't want to have me spend time pawing the story. Too long.



After that, we came to our campground. It's a HUGE one, which is great because there are lots of kids, and I HAVE NEW FRIENDS! I played with them a little. They love me. Everyone loves me. I'm such a good girl......when I'm not eating maps.



OK.....pictures next......enjoy and talk to you tomorrow. I love you all. Juni

Tuesday Morning in Wyoming

Good Morning,

Long, hard night

Rain on the roof

But me? Not a whimper

Not even a woof

'Cause I'm a good girl

I didn't lose my head

I just crawled so quietly

Into Mommy's bed

There's not much wiggle room

In a bed made for one

But when it is hailing

Juni's will will be done.

Amen.

Big Horn Mountains and Forest, Wyoming

Elephant's Head, falls,

more elephant's head, me

leaving Greybull.......

Hello and greetings and how is everyone today? I'm fine.....and all over my mad from yesterday. I guess that's just how it's going to go for me.....we saw lots of animals to play with today, but once again, Mommy had that death grip on my collar, so all I could do was look, whine, and dream. Sigh. Life just isn't fair at times, but you must feel that way, too. Am I right? I really am looking forward to getting home and playing with my friends Harley and Cudjo....Koojo.....I don't even know how he spells it.....I just call him Kudzu when I can't remember....Koojo....he's got weird eyes, each is a different color. Uh oh....digressing again.

So, we left Greybull this morning after a restless night. It was some hot last night, and the noise of the air conditioner bothered Daddy, so we didn't put it on....until early this morning when Mommy was having hot flashes on her hot flashes. She didn't sleep very well, so was somewhat cranky today. They did stop in Sheridan and pick up a small fan, so that should help on other hot nights. It's not hot today, though. It was in the 50s most of the day, and when we got here to our campground, it rained, and thundered, and hailed! I got up in Daddy's lap so I wouldn't be so scared, but I still shook and shivered a little. He says I'm a wuss.....kinda like Mommy coming over those high mountains.......

So, mountains. Wow, were they ever steep!! And all colors, and so rocky! It took all morning to go over them....'course, we had to stop and look and take pictures every five minutes or so. I don't know what we're going to do with all those pictures. Mommy must have some sort of plan. She usually does. Anyhow, we did stop at a place called Shell Falls. I'll put some pictures in later. We saw a dolomite.....a huge rock that was made under water with all the shells of little sea animals. And this is at the top of a mountain!! How did it get there? It's a wonder, for sure. Then there was Elephant's Head which is a monocline......a HUGE part of the mountain that was pushed up from down below. HUGE!! How did that happen? And Mommy says it happened 3-400 million years ago. She must know...she's pretty old. At the top of the Big Horns were the most beautiful meadows and in the meadows.......you guessed it.....big black cows.....or hundreds of sheep......cowboys on horses....herds of horses.....some antelope.....whine, look, dream.......we were at 9000 feet above sea level. That's high! Daddy said he hasn't been that high since the 60s!! Then we saw a mule deer, and when he saw us, he went BOING-DE-BOING-DE-BOING....all four hoofs off the ground, across the road, over the guard rail....and gone. Disappeared. Think anyone would let me go after him? Nah. Never happen. So, down the mountains we went, one hairpin turn after another. Daddy said that poor little Auzzie in our GPS was gonna get sick and throw up in her mouth. Darn good thing we got that Ujoint thing fixed before we ventured onto this U road!!

When we got to this area, we went to see Daddy's friend Putter. We saw him on the way west and now again on the way back east. Daddy wants to go looking for deer tonight just before it gets dark, so had to ask permission. We're even staying in the same campground that we did on the way out. It's a nice one and has good wifi......Mommy did the laundry while Daddy watched a little TV, and I shivered and shook with the storm. I'm all better now, had my dinner, and am waiting patiently for my evening cookie. I'm such a good girl, a great traveler, and I do wee wee on command.

Hope all is well at your houses. I'll try to write again tomorrow....we're going to Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands. I think those are the last of the big things that we want to see, so after that, we'll be homeward bound. We're all ready. It's been a fabulous summer, to be sure, but we'll all be sooooooo much more comfortable on our queen sized bed!!

Love to you all,

Juni

Sunday in Yellowstone....and out of it.

by the truck....

In the river.....

dusting.......and all over the place.....

OH GIVE ME A HOME......WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM......

Saturday in the Tetons

The second picture is in Idaho, looking back at the Tetons. The Lake is Jackson Lake....surrounded by Tetons.

More Tetons.....

Sunday, in Wyoming

Hi, friends and relatives all over the place,

I'm sorry I didn't blog yesterday, but we had a very long day and we were all terribly tired when we got back to the camper....'specially Daddy, who does all the driving. Mommy keeps offering, but Daddy says if she drives, he'll just go to sleep and miss all the sights. So I guess it's a good thing that he drives. We do try to stop every couple of hours and get out to walk. I usually have to wee wee and there are always a million new smells to get to. I had no idea there were so many smells in the world. It's great, but I'd do better if Mommy would let me off the chain. I could go to so many spots farther away.....and she doesn't want me to. I think she's squelching my creativity, but she doesn't care. She says she's afraid I'd run after something......and I might, but I'd come right back! Oh well.....

So, where to start. The big tiring trip was down to Jackson, to see the Tetons. Oh my......once they came into view, Mommy started with the teary thing again. She gets all salty on her face when she does that, and I have to clean her up. I don't mind, but geesh, they're just mountains, ya know? I'll put some pictures in later so you can see.

Some funny things happened on Saturday.....I'm sure they must have....but sometimes I forget and if Mommy doesn't write them down in her book, then none of us remember. There was one time when we were going though a heavily wooded area when Daddy said he should have done something to start a legend way long ago when he was young....like whoever it was that started the legend of Big Foot.....Daddy said that if he got all naked and streaked through the woods in an area with a lot of tourists, he could have started his own legend of Big D.....k......I'm not supposed to say that word. Anyhow, Mommy just about lost it....I thought she was going to throw up, or something, but she was just laughing hard. Took her a long time to get over that one. Daddy's gonna be mad when he learns that I told you that story, so don't mention it to him, OK? God, I'm gonna get in a pile of trouble.....but it was a pretty dull day, funny-wise, so I had to tell you something. Right? Right!

Now I'm mad. I had just pawed a whole story of what happened today when Mommy accidentally hit a button and she lost it all for me. Now I have to start all over again......this is the bad thing about a Netbook...it's too small for my paws and Mommy's fingers. We keep hitting things that we shouldn't when we shouldn't.



Ok, so this was the worst day of our trip....for me. Mommy and Daddy would probably pick the day the bottom fell off of the camper....or when the U joint froze up, making turning an EVENT. But for me? It was today. We were on our way out of Yellowstone Park, going to the north of Yellowstone Lake, when, KAZAM! There were about a gazillion of these big brown hairy things all over the place! They were in the meadows, on the hills, in the river, in the white dusty spots, along the roadway, in the trees, next to all the cars.....I mean they were EVERYWHERE! And you know what they wanted? They wanted to PLAY! They wanted to run and chase and swim and look in windows and scratch their backs on trees, and smell each other's whooo-hooos....and ya know what? I KNOW HOW TO DO ALL THAT! I CAN PLAY LIKE THAT! I WANTED TO GET OUT OF THE TRUCK AND JOIN THE FUN! BUT WOULD THEY LET ME? Oh no, Mommy had a death grip on my collar, and no matter how hard I tried to get out of the small opening at the top of the window, I just couldn't. So, know what I did? I barked, and growled, and whined, and yipped, and cried, and know where it got me? Nowhere. It just wasn't fair. They wanted me to come out to play, I know they did. It took us about an hour to get through all of them, and from then on, I just pouted. I wouldn't eat, or drink or wee wee or anything THEY wanted me to do. Nope. They spoiled what could have been the greatest day of this trip. See if I wee wee on command anymore. Ha.....I'll show 'em.



Well, that's it for today. I may get over my mad by tomorrow, but who knows. Hope all is well at your houses. Sleep well.....I love you all.

Juni

Friday in Yellowstone Park

Driving south from Great Falls to Yellowstone National Park was awesome. Mommy just couldn't take it all in, and tears kept coming to her eyes. What a wussie she is....geeeeshhh. But there is a lot of beautiful country out there. I spent a lot of time today looking out of the window. When we got to Madison Valley, I got out and went for a walk. It was windy, but not too hot today. Yesterday, it was in the 90s again in Great Falls, but it was nice today.

Friday in Wyoming

So, here we are in Yellowstone National Park complete with a gazillion people and Old Faithful!!

I hate how these pictures go....I can never figure out how to put the right captions with the right pictures.....I get all left-pawed and it just doesn't work. Anyhow....up in the left hand corner are some elk and in the next picture is a buffalo. Daddy got all excited over the elk, had to get those big black things that he puts on his eyes, and look to see if there was a bull there. No luck for him. All cows. Tsk Tsk. He didn't care about the buffalo.

The smokey things are mud somethings.....they smell like rotten eggs....and Daddy's farts.....I'm glad he doesn't read these blogs....he'd probably beat me!! The park is full of trees that have been burned in that fire several years ago. It really looks awful....and sorta sad, but it'll come back. Nature is good like that....even those art spots in Uncle Gale's lawn will be green again someday.

Great Falls

Good Morning, friends and relatives,

It promises to be another scorcher, and I'm going to have to stay inside. Yuck. I like it better out. Yesterday, I found some really good new tastes outside.....little grey mushrooms growing in Uncle Gale's lawn. They made me sick, though, and I threw up all my breakfast. Mommy says I can't eat anymore of them. Oh well.....easy come, easy projectile vomiting.....mommy keeps saying No, no, no......Daddy says she's a nag, but she says she just reminds me incessantly. Words are too big.....digress......

So, yesterday Mommy and Auntie Sue went looking for a Montana saphire necklace for Mommy. They came home empty necked. Mommy says they're too expensive, and Daddy says bad's he needs a new gun, she doesn't need to be spending money on jewelry!! I don't know where that's going, but I'll be we leave here with a saphire on her neck and him empty-gunned. That's just what I think.

Daddy and Uncle Gale and I napped in the afternoon....for a long time. Too hot to do anything else and Daddy is tired. You can tell because he's a little snippy with Mommy. You can tell she doesn't like it because she gets quiet. You can tell the storm may blow in 'cause the wind gets stronger and then it rains.......we need to be starting home soon. We've been gone a longgggggg time and Daddy says I'm getting bad habits, like sleeping on the sofa, and begging at the table, and biting at Uncle Gale's feet, and whining to go out all the time.

Oh well......tomorrow we're off to Yellowstone National Park....if we can get in. They say it's pretty crowded, but we're gonna try. No sense in being all the way out here and not trying!!

Talk at you later. Love to all, Juni

Great Falls, Montana

Here's Mommy and the Great Falls Indian. She's touching his butt, of all things. I guess she's having fun, 'cause she's smiling, but I don't get it. I'm more into sniffing......Anyhow, that's Great Falls beyond the trees.....it's in a valley of sorts....nice little town. I haven't seen much of it because it's too hot to go out and I have to stay in the house with the air conditioner on.

Great Falls and Applebees

If Mommy looks tired, it's because she is. Auntie Sue and Uncle Gale look great. Uncle Gale plays with me a lot.....I think he should have a doggie.

Other Side of the Divide....but western Montana

Vast.....huge......rolling......buttes.......wicked long highways.........green, yellow, brown, all shades, all intensities.....awesome.

Continental Divide

This is the Continental Divide, going from west to east. Mommy says the rivers run in different directions from here, but you couldn't prove it by me. It looks like they all run down to me....and they all look cold, and are running way to fast to swim in, so what's the point?

Thursday Morning in Great Falls, Montana

This is western Montana, I think. The landscapes begin to run together after awhile, and things look different from the back seat to the front. But the fields of hay and grains are beginning to become golden now and they are vast...all with the mountains in the background. The valleys are HUGE and just go on and on and on......and then BLOOP....there's a town, complete with houses, a post office, one gas station, and a bar. BLOOP.