Two years

Wow, it is the 2nd Anniversary of our return to SoCal.  Do you believe two years have gone by already?  If you don't know what I'm talking about; here is a short summary.

December 06, 2011 my son, myself and our four dogs packed up and headed from Southern California to Connecticut.  A lot happened on that trip; which you can read about in book number one of two.  PBJ and me.    It can also be found on  Amazon.  The book covers our trip from right before we head out to our arrival in Connecticut.  After we landed a whole lot happened; it was a very trying time for everyone.  We lost our little Jessie in Oklahoma during the trip and then three weeks later we lost Tilley to an inoperable tumor on her spleen that had ruptured.  It was a very sad and dark time.

On top of that I got a huge dose of poison ivy all over my face (yes charming); dealt with ticks and loads more.  When I look back, there was many lessons to learn but not a whole lot of happy.  It was a rough time and we got through it.  So here we are 2 years after our arrival back home.  That day I remember well; it was a very happy one.  In fact from the moment we got into the car to come back home, was good.  I am working on a second book that is titled And Back Again but it has been placed on the back burner for a bit as I needed time away from it.  It is almost finished and then will head off to the editor.

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you must wade through the crap to come out on the other side.  I can now look back without getting too sad, although I miss Jessie and Tilley every single day.  There was much to be learned from the whole ordeal and having had two years now to dissect it all, it's pretty clear.  It would be wonderful if life was just great all the time but that would not be reality.  Life is about experience and sometimes those experiences are horrific, sad, unbearable etc. etc.  Going through it and coming out with life lessons on the other side is what it is all about.  It is what makes us who we are.

We, Luke, Elsa and I, spent three and a half months in Connecticut.  The one good thing about that time was the dog beach where Elsa did most of her dog/dog socializing.  We hit the beach at least three times a week and met some wonderful people and dogs there.  We left Connecticut just a week before the beach was to close for the season.  It was funny that we arrived at the opening and left at the close of the beach; just long enough to get in some great beach moments.

Two years?  Where does the time go?  When we arrived back home in SoCal, little Miss Elsa was only eight months old.  She will be three years old in July, crazy.  Luke and Elsa have been across the Country and back again.  Plus they drove to Oregon and back just last year; they are amazing travelers.  Traveling with my dogs is something that I really enjoy; leaving them behind?  Not so much.  But road trips can be hard on old dogs; so great care must be taken when contemplating travel with them.  Road trips with dogs are all about the dogs; it is the way of it.

What will the next two years bring?