July 27, 2009-
My goodness!! We are finally moved in and YES! we are indeed home. How do I know this??
I know because I can find a place to take a nap in every room! I have birds to chase in the backyard. My food has gotten better-I now have lamb liver in my plate!! It is cool when it is supposed to be and the porch is warm when it gets too cold for me inside. I have three canine neighbors next door-there is Chloe, Shiloh and Bear. We all sniff our welcomes through the fence and Carol gives them dog biscuits almost every day-that way they don't say hello (bark, bark, bark!!) every time she comes outside.
Our backyard contains a plethora of rocks from the previous owner-Bob. Another way to know this is home, as Carol and Barney fell in love, walking across the rocky bed of the Paluxy river, eyeing more stones than each other (I hear the conversation went something like "You like rocks?" "Yeah! sure do!" "Cool......look at the picture on this one...." and the rest is history.) So this is the perfect place for them too. There are rocks all over the front yard, the side yard and all IN the yard-crystals, agates, sandstones and petrified wood-every shovel full reveals perfectly selected nuggets-all one of a kind.
There is also a metal canopy, supported by cedar tree trunks with several shelves that carefully display Barney's delicate collection of stones from EVERYWHERE!! and beside the canopy is of all things-a FORGE-hand built, from stone by- you guessed it -BOB! He was an iron worker as well.
So, just when I was wondering if this was really HOME-the new treadmill arrived yesterday. It filled up the last bit of space in the living room (I was so glad to see that MY chair wasn't sacrificed for the new arrival-whew!!).
Speaking of new arrival-seems I am supposed to be excited about this new kid coming to town pretty soon-they all call him Bryce-hear he is so special-we'll see......but for now...a nap is truly in order.
later
here at home-finally
jackson-texas dog, once again-YES!!!!

PS.

The PIG I was speaking about came from this wonderful Irish woman, name Ann, who spends half of her year in Lajitas and the other half near Boston. This ham, was so wonderful, she even cooked it for Steven Spielburg in Florida many years ago. We spent a wonderfully peaceful last night with her, Terry, Earl and Sue Beech-eating pig and apple pie!!Yummmm..I heard, Carol got the recipe!!

March 23, 2009-

Oh, my!! All the stuff went back into the van-I don't know how they squeeze everything it in??!

We left a little late, but we were ready!! I had to have the pink stuff again this morning-TOO much pig I guess, maybe it is the water-it has bothered Carol too. Anyway, I had a bit of chicken in the car and now I am waiting for Carol to fix my plate. They keep talking about HOME and that we will find it soon-I can not wait.

Barney just declared that we have driven 2880 miles in the last two weeks!! and we only have 150 more to go tomorrow!!

I do plan a few more posts after we do find HOME-I want you all to see the great backyard I have been promised and the grass I finally get to pee on-this rock and dirt stuff is not for me.

So until then-wish us luck and send many prayers that HOME is truely near!!

love
Jackson
soon-to-be-HOME

March 21, 2009-

I KNEW it must be a special day when all these bees flew at me!!! Spring! I see the subtle changes, but the desert seems different.

I am having social issues with the presence of "Thor"-this other-dog-makes me nervous-I try to escape into the brush above, but Carol is always watching me. She screams "Barney" and he comes running after me-never a ounce of privacy!!

We all went for great pizza this evening-Terry said it was the best-I got some BACON!!
Now we are gathered on his wonderful outdoor porch-watching the sunset and the vulchers glide in circles.

Seems I live in fear that "Thor" will attack me if I lay down-he is older and more than twice my age!! I wish they would put me in my crate so I can relax-well, as long as I keep busy here.......

Carol has started re-packing and putting things in order-I even overheard her making another motel reservation in Abilene-I think she has gotten used to constant clean sheets! I know I have.
So, with the car filling up, guess THIS isn't home, so we must be leaving soon.

We are going to Lajitas tomorrow night to break bread with Ann, she is leaving to go back to Boston for the summer-she will return in January-she has leftover cornbeef-n-cabbage-yum!

Hope this day has been a blessing-
the DAWG!!

March 19, 2009-

Well, I am still lovin this sunshine-I think I am better suited to be a desert dog than a gorge dog-those pine cone seeds just ate at my paws!!

Everything goes pretty slow around here-that subtle breeze just rocks me to sleep and the quails have the cutest voices. Carol said the vultures from the high rocks were really eyeing me this morning.

Dinner is at the Starlight in Terlingua tonight-wonder what my treat will be!!

We are sitting outside of Terry's while he is in Alpine-the spoon chimes are playing a big tune as some pretty impressive thunderheads are firing up over the Chiso Mountains. Thought I would send ya some more pictures of his house and our surroundings.

Love to all-
desert dawg...Jack!!

March 18,2009-

Told ya those hot springs would be a good thing!! Carol and Barney took off for "just a few minutes" with their towels around their necks and their water shoes on. I got to lay on the bed and wait............. of course that wasn't a bad thing-after all we had been on the road for the last 5 hours and I was grateful to just be still.
We were in Truth or Consequences, N. Mexico-a funky little town that has a strange smell-I haven't been able to keep my nose out of the air since we got here!! It was hemp shakes for them and a plate of chicken for me and off they go. It looked like a neat place-several rock tubs with steam floating out of them, right next to the Rio Grande river-quite a sound, quite a sound.
This was Sunday and on Monday, car loaded at the last minute and off we go to El Paso and the Texas border-is this HOME??
The drive to Ft. Davis, our next bed, was beautiful, as always, except instead of the pale yellow grass, we were met with a brilliant gold-very dry for March and did it ever stick one little poodles tummy and toes!!
We were forced to stay at the Hotel Limpia because they "would accept pets"-nice room, but because of spring break-breakfast took over a hour!! We were on the road to Presido at noon-the skies were blue and the breeze slithered. All they talk about was this road to Lajitas and how peaceful it is-and how right they were-mountains and the big river-hadn't we just seen and smelled this river the day before, only a few miles up a bit-right??
I stretched out on Carols lap and let the sun bake my johnson-the warmness just sent me to sleep....oh, yeah!
Before I knew it, we were pulling into Lajitas and Carol went in to the Thirsty Goat to order dinner and when she returned, I knew puerco was on the menu!!-YES!!!!
The hill that leads to Larry's Flintstone house was as exciting as a roller coaster!! Carol held onto me with one hand and white knuckled the hand rest with the other-and Barney made it-WOW!! he saved our lives once again. I know this because Carol always says "thanks for not killing us."
Being grateful for our blessings-one more time-unlock the house and pull the table for a dinner of pork and pepper tacos-hit the spot!!
The rest of the evening was devoted to sitting on the star-lite porch- they looked up at the sky most of the time while I kept watch-I smelled things in the air but I could never see them!! Carol used her spotlight and lit up the mountains-we act like we want to see the glow of eyes from way up above, but we secretly are scared at what they might be attached to!!!
All three of us cuddled up for a good nights sleep-knowing we didn't have to wake early and drive 300+ miles.
Carol got up early to watch the sun come up-and I was able to watch all the wildlife that I KNEW were out there late last night.
Now we are over at Terry's and they are having dinner. It is one wonderful night-cool and starry. I met Thor, he is a big blond dog who smells different and who doesn't like it when I want to play. Thor is older than I am, blind in one eye and has cheated death many times, so he gets a little frustrated with me-I tend to be too curious sometimes.
I see Terry bringing in the plates so I know there are pork chop bones to be had somewhere-things a quite a bit slower here and I hear we don't have to drive anywhere till next Monday when we start towards Ft. Worth-we should be in our new home by Tuesday-YEAH!!HOME!!
I hear it is a special place and that many familiar faces are working real hard to make it special-sounds too good to be true!!
So, I will send pictures when I can-until then-Happy Trails!!
Love you all
Jackson the Desert Dog

March 15, 2009-

Boy, did we sleep good!!! And on Sunday's, check-out time is NOON!! Plus, there was BACON in the breakfast room!! Carol said it was the only REAL food there-so she got plenty!!

I'm not going to go on this morning (and I might not go on tomorrow if those hot springs are any good (Carol says we might just stay an extra night so she can sleep late and soak some more)-this new place has a kitchen and I overheard them talking about "PIG" and sweet taters!!!
I know I will get frest chicken out of the deal.

Barney was checking the map and he realized I gave ya'll the wrong web address for where we are going today-and it is so cool, I wanted it to be right so you could get a vision and maybe you might want to go there some day.
It is www.riverbendhotsprings.com -so try it out-real funky and lots of rocks!!!

I see a plate coming at me and I smell BACON-just a little, but I love the pig!! and Carol has her tye-dye on-we must be going to New Mexico!!

later-love & peace, man!!
Jackson (90% dog/10% PIG)

March 14, 2009-

Greetings from Benson, AZ!!
I wrote this long, great piece and then it just DISAPPEARED!!! Ever wonder where all those words go??
So, I will not have time to write it again-
Just look for pictures from Lake Havasu, London Bridge, and Saguaro cactus and lots and lots of rocks and Mountains.!!
We are off to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico tomorrow to stay at the Riverfron Hot Springs Inn (www.riverfronthotsprings.com) for 2 days of rest and soaking!!

good night and good biscuits!!
Jackson

March 13, 2009-



Well, this will be quick, cause I am one tired little poodlewa.

Seems I picked up a "bug" yesterday and I had Carol and Barney up last night with more than usual visits to the grassy knoll!! Could of been that bite of a Carl Jr burger or maybe some kind of foreign germ hidden on the lawn of one of the "pet areas"-who knows, but it wasn't pretty!!

Carol made me drink some kind of pink stuff that left me feeling better but left my lips looking real "dolled up". I slept through the night. We left Tulare, CA in the same traffic that we arrived in, only to pass endless orchards through Bakersfield, CA. The traffic thinned out as we headed east and the flowers turned into the mountains of the Mohave Desert, that sunshine sure felt good on my face!!

We stopped at a rest area just about an hour before Needles,, CA, where we are tonight and I ate my first meal-and it tasted so good-I think I will be allright-I even asked for a biscuit and wished I had asked for another-it would of made that last hour go by faster!!

Well, I hear we have a 350 mile drive to Benson, AZ tomorrow so I better make my bed and lie in it!! We are supposed to visit a Native American artifact museum, and Barney is really looking forward to it!!

Well, here's to the Pink Stuff!! It made my day!!
later
Jack