Traveling Adventures with My Humans!

"Golden Fall Leaves"
(C) Allen Pearson Photography

Barks! WOOF! This Spring to Fall seasons have been incredibly pawsome with outdoor fun, long walks, travel, railfanning, trips to the garden centers, and short local day trips! I love going to places with my humans. Sometimes it's just me and Dad but on the really long trips- Mom comes along! Barks!

"Josh and Aimee"
(C) Josh Photography, Used by Permission

Paws, I think one of the funnest trips I've taken was our trip near the end of last month. Dad never tells me when we are going or where for that matter. He doesn't even pack my stuff until the last minute! Growl! I think that's probably because I get so excited to be going somewhere that I get underfoot! Barks, but I just can't help it! It's too fun and exciting!

Barkingly, our trip was through West Virginia which was one of the most beautiful rides I have ever taken. The hills, the mountains, the trees, some of the leaves were changing to fall colors. Paws, and oh, and, of course- I can't forget this, we drove by this huge railyard in Cumberland, MD, which was full of trains moving and building trains to take stuff somewhere. So cool!

Our first stop was in Parkersburg, WV. A quaint West Virginia town with restaurants, stores, and our hotel! We stayed here a few days so we can visit a few of Dad's friends. Our hotel was really nice. They even gave ME a letter of welcome- how nice is that!?

"Miss Georgia!"
(C) Debby Photography, Used by Permission

The first day there, we met up with two friends that Mom and Dad met on their trip to South Africa this summer- one of two trips that they decided to take without me! WOOF! That's ok! I got to have tons of fun with my uncle Lon! Just don't tell my humans that- it might hurt their feelings. Barks.

Josh and Aimee were really cool to meet! Dad and Josh have a great sense of humor and had fun joking with each other. Barks, Mom loved chatting with Aimee about her baby and life! She even got to hold the baby. Now I see why Dad nicknames Josh "West Virginia Mountain Man!" His beard, love for his family, and the mountains remind Dad of his family from the hills of West Virginia.

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! Little did I know that I would be seeing my sweetheart girlfriend Georgia and her pawsome parents! She is a hot young Golden Retriever who is the mostest sweetest girlfriend ever! I could have spent the entire weekend... er ... fall season.... oh..the rest of my life chasing her to and from and over the West Virginia Mountains! WOOF! BARKS! BARK!

Georgia is dog to my Dad's friends Debby and Doug who he met in his college years. Funny, neither of them looks very old. Actually, they were quite young... I'm guessing neither of them aged as fast as Dad. Well, Dad is always saying he went to college in the stone age hundreds of years ago back in the day when Moses taught a Bible class and used the original tablets to write on.

"Doug and Debbie"
(C) Debbie Photography, Used by Permission

WOOF! Dad and Mom had a pawsome time visiting with Debby and Doug and I had an even more fun time dreaming about spending my life with Georgia. Barks!

I can see why Dad enjoyed Debby and Doug in college and even today- their sense of humor and the laughs they shared are priceless! WOOF!

After a pawsomely grand day of pawtying with Dad's friends, we loaded up our car and headed to another unknown destination. Paws, I'm hoping Dad and Mom know where they are going as they won't tell me and I keep seeing them push a bunch of buttons on the dashboard of the car and they say "ready!" Arf?

We're off and I soon see a sign which says welcome to Ohio! WOOF! The mountains aren't as numerous and the hills seem to be less hilly. Barks. The scenery along the way is very beautiful so great to see! I love looking out the windows! Sometimes Dad lets me sniff! Which basically means he'll roll the window down enough for me to stick my nose out and take a few sniffs. He doesn't allow me to stick my head all the way out the window because I could get hurt. I could get debris or bugs or whatever in my eyes and face and that would not be good.

Somehow, railfanning, railroading, and watching for trains has come into our travels! Why am I not surprised!? Barks! I wonder where we will be stopping?! As I look out the window I see flat land with farms, some small towns, and rows upon rows of what was this past season crops and some cows ...but no trains or railroad tracks anywhere yet! WOOF!

Deshler, Ohio, is our next stop. Appawrently, this is a railfan location with a small park where Dad says he will see several trains and we can be off. Right! He will take all day to watch trains if Mom will let him. Most times she does but I am thinking she will be in more of a hurry today because she wants to get to the Booth Brothers Fan Retreat.

"Crossroads Park, Deshler, Ohio"
Allen Pearson Photography

Barks, now this is too funny! Dad gets out of the car, looks around at the crossroad intersection of railroads where CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern cross paths! He determines a place to photograph and video so he can be prepared for trains coming from any direction. WOOF! He sets up the tripod and adds the camera for video. He sits down on the bench and waits. I, being the smartest Plott Hound/Black Labrador Retriever you have ever met, stay in the car with Mom. Yup. Inside. Curled up. Not moving. With my blanket and pillow. Why? It's cold. Windy. And, like really cold. Why go outside to see a train go by in the cold wind when I can stay here and be warm. Woof! Don't tell Dad as he would be disappointed in me. Bark.

As we sit there, no trains come by. Dad is disappointed but decides to pack it all in since it's cold and he doesn't know if any trains will be by soon.... or not. Barks. So we head out and stop to get fuel and a few snacks. I hear Dad say, "As soon as I leave, the trains will come!" WOOF! Well, yup, you guessed it. They did. He grabs his camera and photographs!

We finished fueling and headed out. Barkingly, we see another train go by. We happened to get turned around since the GPS Lady was asleep and had to make a few U-turns but I think it was really Dad trying to see more trains! If it was, he was successful! WOOFs!

"The Booth Brothers"
(C) Allen Pearson Photography 

We arrive safe and sound in Shipshewana, IN. WOOF! A pawsitively beautiful little town. We check into our room and settle in for the week. Mom is pawsitively happy because she is going to have a few days of music, laughter, fellowship, and most importantly devotions with the Booth Brothers. One of mom's favorite Southern Gospel music groups- Dad says she's become a groupie because she will drive almost ANYWHERE to here them!

Another interesting part of this trip was all the horses. Dad and I would be out walking and I'd hear these loud "clop! clop! clop! clop!" noises. At first, it was a bit concerning as we don't have these noises at home. So I looked around and I saw it. A horse pulled a carriage. WOOF! Not only did I see one, I saw two, then three, then four..... barks. Dad explained it is a mode of transportation for the Amish in the Shipshewana, Indiana area.

Barks! What I didn't like nor understand is why the horses were allowed to do their business anywhere along the way that they pawlease- basically, whenever they need to go they go! WOOF! And barkingly, no one picks it up either. Barks. If I did that and no one picked it up, Dad and I would be in huge trouble. Barks. Dad was told by someone there that the horse's business is fertilizer too so it helps the environment. WOOF! Barks.

Our return trip was uneventful though incredibly beautiful as we drove through the hills and mountains going around curves where you often wondered if you would catch up with yourself going around the curve!

"A Horse-drawn Buggy in Shipshewana, Indiana"
(C) Allen Pearson Photography