Photos from the hike

I'm not showing many photos, but here are a few from the hike a few days ago.  I have just about completely recovered.

Wow! What a hike!

Jeannie and her 3 girls, AAA,  (Ara, Autumn. & Arianna) picked Rocky and me up a little after Noon and drove about an hour to Hidden Falls, a regional park.  Rocky was wearing his pack, and you've never seen a more excited puppy!  It was a very beautiful place to hike and I understood that we were going to be doing a 3 to 4 mile hike.
 
We finally returned to our car (the last one in the parking lot) just before dark, and I don't mind saying I didn't think I could make it the last quarter of a mile, but I did - sheer willpower and determination!  I am very proud of myself for hiking a little over 8 miles for the day.  Rocky did probably 3 or 4 times as many miles as the rest of us because he kept us all in check, running back and forth!  He had his pack on and was so good he didn't need the leash most of the time.  I wasn't sure i'd ever be able to walk again, especially the first time I had to get up in the middle of the night!  This morning I have taken it easy, while Rocky is doing what a dog does every chance they get - napping!

The trail had a lot of ups and downs, but the most trying part for me was the fact that my eyesight isn't so good and I had to be constantly looking down so that I didn't trip over a small rock or other obstruction.  I wish I could hike every week or two and get myself back in shape.

We stopped to get burgers and fries on the way home, and ordered two plain burgers, no bun and no salt for Rocky - he scarfed them down so fast we thought he might have inhaled them.

On another note I'm expecting delivery of my weed trimmer today but I won't be trying it out!  Since it has a special kind of battery that runs it, I'm sure I can just charge it today and hope I have the strength to try it out in a day or so.

So there you have it:  8+ miles!  Gypsy's back on the trail, at least for a day!

I am scheduled for an echocardiogram tomorrow morning, so I don't want to   nap today in order to be up early in the morning.   I would sure love to stay in bed all day long though.

By the way, today is Rocky's first birthday.  Happy birthday, Rocky!

Pros and Cons

I'm continually finding things to like as well as to dislike about where I live.  One good thing is the neighborhood list called "NextDoor", which is a compilation of things for sale, notices, lost and found pets, and much more.  It comprises neighborhoods in the surrounding area of Sacramento, and I'm finding it so interesting and informative.  Some day I will find a topic for which I could get involved, and get to know some of the people who are my neighbors.   (It's online, so I hear about things as soon as they happen.)

I am desperately waiting for my weed trimmer to arrive (probably tomorrow).  I went out in the back yard this morning to clean up  after the dog, and some of the grass and weeds are so high it will take me quite a while to whack them all down, and then I should rake them all up to make the back yard look more tidy.  There are a lot of tiny little insects that fly around when the grass is disturbed, so once I get it trimmed I will need to find a non-toxic insect spray, if there is such a thing!

The task of getting things fixed up and in order is a monumental one and I am slow-moving these days, but I will eventually make some headway that I can actually see.

I mentioned to my niece next door that I would pay her 18 yr old to help me with the back yard, but after nearly a week I haven't heard anything from him so I will just assume he doesn't want to do it.  Fine with me, I'll do it myself.

My kids have been telling me I shouldn't try to use a weed trimmer myself, but no one is jumping up to do it, so I just told them I'm not dead yet and I will take care of it myself.  I remember when my mom was at this stage, and I was probably guilty of listening to her say what she needed done and then not responding quickly enough.  I guess this is "payback".  I figure the weed trimming will take me quite a while, but I will just do it in small increments and not worry that when I reach the back of the yard it will be time to start all over at the beginning!  It will be much easier after the initial trimming is done.  I think the exercise will be better for me than if I sit down and watch somebody else do the work!

Jeannie & the girls are going on a hike locally - hope it is easy enough for me to keep up!  I'm taking Rocky's new collar and will let Ara handle it.  She's made Rocky her "pet"project for the time she is here, and he sure loves the attention.  She is really keeping his  behavior on track!

Enjoy the day!

 

Freedom!

Just an afternoon of freedom, but welcome as can be.  Unfortunately I will be working around the house while I'd rather sit and eat chocolates, but at least I can clean the floors without having puppy paw prints before it dries.

Ara, Autumn, and Arianna are taking Rocky on a hike up in the foothills, or maybe the mountains, and I'm delighted for him to be able to get out on the trail.  We both need a break from each other.

Well, I did get the living room floor clean and a few other things done, and I think I'll go outside and work for a while in the fresh air.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and take care with the weather.
 

Impatience

I guess I'm just like my mother because I remember her impatience.  When she wanted something done, she wanted it done now and not later.  It's one of the traits I disliked about her, and now I've become her!

I need a weed trimmer and have been looking at a lot of web sites to find one I like.  I found a Ryobi trimmer that I think I can handle - it is run on a battery so I won't have to be concerned about an electric cord or gasoline.  I could pick it up right away - if I could have found someone willing to drive me to pick it up; otherwise, it will be delivered next Wednesday which seems so far in the future.  My back yard is so full of high weeds I don't even like to walk through it, and it will take me several sessions to get it all trimmed.  I will be in no hurry and just work until I feel like stopping.  Yes, I could have someone else do it for me - I was even going to pay my great-nephew who lives next door, but he didn't get back to me.  So I'm going to do it myself and be damned if I'll accept help from anyone.  I have been the "doer" all my life and I'm not quitting now!  When you get someone to do a job for you it is almost always at their choice of time, and I'm going to do it at my own time; when I feel like stopping I will stop until I feel like continuing!

Am I alone in feeling like this, or does anyone think the same way I do.  Getting old isn't easy, and from what I can see it is having to sit around and wait for others to do things for you, when it's convenient for them.  I'm not blaming anyone for doing things at their convenience, but  I can do it as well.

I am delighted to find a neighborhood group in my immediate area, which has an online site.  I joined it right away and so far I've just read the emails on various topics - for sale items, for rent or give away; a patriotic display in someone's yard who honors the fallen who died in the service of our country, etc.  I'm waiting to see if there might be some activity I can get involved in.  When I'm not trimming the grass and weeds in my yard, of course!

Warmer weather ahead!

By warmer I mean to say our temps will rise into the 70's for the next 3 days.  The 60's have been just fine for me as I prefer wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt anyway.

The computer is working very well and I'm please beyond what I thought I would be.  Donald worked his magic and  my computer experience isnt much different than before, except everything works faster and better.  It's a bit annoying that when I leave the computer long enough for the screen to go dark, I have to tap my fingerprint in the designated spot for it to go back on.

I've been going through desk drawers looking for things I can discard.  I stuffed a lot of papers and other things into the drawers before I moved, so I have a real job ahead of me.

I have ordered a special collar for Rocky that should arrive today.  I'll talk more about it after it gets here and I have a chance to use it.  I'm about ready to throw up my hands on a dog that can behave beautifully until someone comes to the door or inside the house, and then it's like he has springs on his feet and keeps jumping higher and higher.  All the experts say things like "Turn your back on the dog", but all it does for Rocky is that he is trying to jump up on your back rather than the front.   He's 5 days away from being a year, so I guess he has a little more maturing to do.

A friend of my granddaughters has been over with them a couple of times, and compares her family's 6 month old female black lab - it sounds like they would make a fantastic pair.  I'd sure like for Chloe to bring her lab by sometime and see how they would react to each other - in the back yard of course where they could run and not knock things over!  It sounds like her lab is as "bad" as mine!

I notice I'm yelling at him more often, which you can imagine does nothing to solve the problem.  I'm just tired and frustrated with a dog with so much energy!  And to tell the truth, I'm tired of being isolated much of the time.  Rocky and I do go out on several walks a day, and he enjoys it except when a van or truck, or even a noisy car drives by.  It scares him! 

I think I'm  accomplishing a lot (for me) but I also seem to go from one thing after another because I get bored.  At least I can see progress in a few areas.

One thing I've noticed in this area is the sound and sight of many different birds.  In the mobile home park it was mostly jays and a hummer now and then.  Here I see a lot more varieties, and hear a mourning dove every day.  I haven't heard one of them since I lived in North Carolina! 

Rocky is stretched out on the floor napping, so I think I'll try to stretch out on the couch! 

New computer

I finally got a new computer - a MacbookPro with a "15" screen.  It will take a little getting used to the newer computer but so far I really like it.  I don't  care so much for all the extra security crap I will have to go through, but it is what it is and I will have to deal with it.

It looks like a nice day ahead from my window, but looking at the forecast it seems we might have more rain.  If the weeds in my back yard grow any higher even Rocky won't be able to wade through them.  I think I will buy a weed eater, and I can cut the grass (weeds) a little at a time.  There are so many things I need to buy though, and it will get down to what I can afford.

I would like to take Rocky for a long walk, but I find he is terrified of the traffic, mostly vans and trucks.  We had a lot of that kind of vehicles at the other place and he wasn't as bothered, but I think it was  because all the traffic was slower there.  Once in a while some younger hotshot would drive too fast, but that wasn't an ordinary thing.  The cars here are going the speed limit, but it frightens Rocky no less.

I'll try to post more regularly now, but it mainly depends on how tired I am at the end of the day.  So far I love this new computer, but there are some things I don't like about it - all the security as I mentioned, but so far I think it will be just fine.  

Have a great day and I'm going to have one as well.

Springer Fever

Every year during the springtime, many backpackers get "Springer Fever", which is an acute desire to head for Springer Mtn, GA, the southern terminus of the approx. 2300 mile long Appalachian Trail, referred to as the "AT".  Most backpackers get this fever in early spring, but mine came a little late this year, in May!  Many folks attempt to do a thruhike, or the entire 2300 miles in one go, although most are section hikers, doing a stretch at a time.  I've been watching youtube videos featuring some of the current hikers and long to be out there too, although I'm too far past my prime now.  There is, however, a trail legend from years back known as Grandma Gatewood, a woman in her 80's who hiked the entire trail with a minimum of equipment she threw together, wrapped and tied it in a shower curtain, and slung it over her back.  I myself have only hiked about 800 miles of it, and that was back when I was a youngster of 55 yrs old.  I am thankful that I was able to hike back when almost no one had a cell phone, GPS, and all the technology they require today.  I usually stopped in a town now and then to do laundry and replenish my food supply, and called home from a payphone!

On another note, I still have no new computer.  I'm ready to order a refurbished one in hopes it has the regular stuff such as a disk drive, and no dumb Touch Bar that I would absolutely never ever use!  If I didn't know better I would just swear off the Mac, but I do prefer the operating system to Windows.  And Windows tries to bring new features in that don't make much sense to me either.  

I'm enjoying this beautiful day because tomorrow is going to be rainy!  And I just cleaned my floors from all Rocky's puppy paw prints!  

Plugging along! (Correction)

I'm just checking in, so you don't think I've "checked out"!  Not much is new - the same old routine:  throw the ball to Rocky in the backyard; walk Rocky several times a day; look at my floors and wonder if I can ever get them clean from the dirt Rocky brings in, and so on.

Not much rain yesterday or this morning, although the forecast calls for it.  It's a blessedly cool morning in the upper 50's and will get just a little warmer later on.  I love sweatshirt weather, so I'm happy with it.

I ordered a big bag of dog food (32#), which they deliver to the door.  It is difficult for me to even push the box into the house, but I managed.  Along with the food I got a couple of treats that have the word "calming" in their descriptions!  I'm not so sure he is any more calm after eating one, but  if I thought the vet would do it I'd ask for a doggie prescription for Prozac!  I still haven't figured out if he's just going into his "terrible two's", or if its a reaction from the move.  Probably a little of both.  I feel bad for him without other doggie interaction but I can't do anything about it.  I sometimes feel bad for myself without much people interaction.  I guess this is what growing old looks like.

If I said all this in a past post, I apologize.  You know how the old folks repeat themselves :-)

At 10 AM I'm already looking forward to my dinner this evening - greens and cornbread!

I don't know if I mentioned it but last week my granddaughter's class (Arianna) had their trip to Yosemite NP for a week.  They ended up being evacuated a couple of days early  because of snow.  I haven't had a chance to talk to Jeanne about it yet, but I'm relieved they are out of that place.  I get a bad feeling thinking about Yosemite, and I don't know why as I've been in so many other national parks and always liked them.  I was in Yosemite once and that was in the 1980's.  I didn't think I'd ever lose the desire to go camping, but I just can't get into it now.

I'm trying to get up the initiative to tackle the living room floor.  It's difficult because I know by the end of the day it will be just as bad as ever.

Enjoy the weekend, wherever you are. 

Correction:  The evacuation from Yosemite was because of the rain.

A fine day!

From my point of view it's a fine day here in Sacramento and will be in the 60's for at least the next five days, as well as some rain for those days.  To me it's better than the normal Sacramento weather in the 90's and above.  It's been trying to rain off and on all day but Rocky and I have been able to walk between the drops.  I'm just sorry I didn't get the grass in the back yard (mostly weeds) cut before now.  I don't think I could handle doing this yard with a mower, but I'm thinking of getting a weed-eater and doing a little at a time.  My tomato plants are in the ground and hopefully this weather will give them a chance to take hold and flourish!

The floors I cleaned yesterday have been tracked on with wet paws, just as I figured.  I'm not going to stress over it, and I'm certainly not going to worry about how they look from now on.

Rocky has been very "mouthy" the past couple of days and I won't stand for it.  I hope it's just a short phase to see how far he can push me, but it had better stop soon.

Nothing much going on here today as I've spent much of my time washing, drying and folding laundry!  I like my new washer but if I had my choice I wouldn't buy a gas dryer, but that's more because I've always had electric and am used to it. 

Jeannie is away on a school field trip this week, and I'll be glad when she returns and can help me hang pictures.  That will get rid of a lot of boxes, and my rooms will look a little more spacious. 

Enjoy the week, whatever it brings.  

Things are So-So

I just wrote a long post and then read it over and deleted it.  It sounded like I was a "Debbie Downer" which I guess I am right now.  I feel better just writing it though.

I'm so happy we are getting some cooler weather, and even won't mind the rain that's expected the rest of the week.  Wouldn't you know it, I just got a chance to clean the floors, so wet paws coming in and out are going to make a mess again. 

I hope tomorrow is a better day and I can write in a more positive manner.  

Gardening Started!

It's not much, but it's a start.  I had 3 tomato plants I've been wanting to set into the ground, and when I found a tiny tomato on one of them I figured I'd better do it soon.  Now I have the plants in a small part of the gardening space, and bought some wire "cage" sort of things to put over them, plus stakes to hold them up as they grow.  I know it's not much but I feel like I've accomplished a lot.  I really need to have the rest of the garden area tilled in order to be able to plant seeds.  

Ara drove me to Home Depot and I was stunned to find that I couldn't locate a thing.  I don't think it's that they have moved the merchandise around, although they have done some of that, but the quantity on the shelves and in the aisles was just overwhelming to me and i couldn't find anything I was looking for.  I definitely would like to get a bird feeder as there are a lot of birds around - many more varieties than I ever saw when I was living in the mobile home park.  Of course, there are a lot more trees here. I also hope to attract hummingbirds.  There is an Ace Hardware closer to me than Home Depot, so tomorrow I will see what I can find there.

Some photos of the new sofa, with recliners on either side, and I have ordered a reclining chair to match.  The other photos are of the back yard.  These were taken with my phone and are not the quality of an actual camera, in my opinion.  They seem to enlarge slightly when you click on a picture.

 

For all the work I've been doing I am sad that I don't seem to be progressing at all.  There are still boxes to be unloaded, items to discard or to donate, and just a lot more than I ever expected.  I should have weeded out more before I packed and moved here, but it all happened so fast I just wasn't able to do it.  I'm really noticing a lot more aches and pains also, and I guess it's mostly age taking its toll.  How I hate to admit that!

I'm happy to see some cooler weather returning towards the middle of this week - I love it when temps are in the 60's.  Weather patterns seem to be so different all over the country, so it's anyone's guess what the summer will be like.  

Here's to a great week ahead!

Happy Mother's Day

To all the mothers who are reading this, and to everyone who has ever "mothered" a child, I wish you a very happy day.

When I look back on the younger years of my four children, it makes me so happy and I can't recall the tough times but only the good ones!

I sometimes think it might be more difficult to raise a dog than a kid.  This morning was the second full box of Kleenex I've lost while taking a shower.  It could be worse, I suppose.

I'm ready to walk down to Jeannie's house - it is so nice to be only 3 blocks away.

Enjoy the day!

A Day of Mostly Rest

Not because I wanted to rest.  I took a benadryl this morning because the allergies were acting up again - it was really awful.  I just took another one this evening (and gave one to Rocky) and hope I can get some sleep tonight, as well as to get something for the allergies that doesn't contain the antihistimine.  I think that is the part I'm allergic to.

I did finish (mostly) putting all the clean laundry away and plan to stay away from the laundry room for a while.  I had bought a set of really high quality sheets at Costco, washed them, and put them on the bed last night.  I got a wonderful night's sleep and the fitted sheet didn't pull away from the mattress as the cheaper ones from Target and Walmart do. 

I think Ara's Steven had to go back to work and I believe he might have left today.  Every time I see him I like him more!  He's extremely helpful, easy going, and fun to be around.  He and Ara are both musical, performing at times with groups in the Pittsburgh area, and he played music for us out on the deck yesterday evening.  Ara sang with him in some of the songs, and when he played one of my favorite bluegrass songs I even sang along!  Ara will be here for another week, I believe, and I'm making a list of places she might drive me.

It topped 80 degrees today and I'm unhappy about it.  It will be that way until later into next week, but won't go down very much.  Fortunately the mornings are cool and nights are great for sleeping.

I tried to take a couple of photos today, and when I get several of them together I will try to post them.

I hope I can buy a new computer this weekend.  The one I'm using is so difficult - the font changes the print size in the middle of a word or sentence, and it's just generally such a nuisance to use.

I need to go chase Rocky down - he went out into the yard and I'm surprised he is still out there.   He just walked in with a squeaky ball in his mouth.  It's too late to play, Rocky!

Another Busy Day!

I spent the morning doing one load of laundry after another, and probably accomplished 6 or 7 loads - I lost count!  I still have a couple more to do, but everything will be clean and I won't have to do it again for a while.

I had an appointment for Rocky to be groomed at 11am, and Ara & Steven took me to drop him off and then it was off to Costco!  What fun!  I always love shopping at Costco and haven't been able to go in a while.  I was so impressed when I picked Rocky up and he looks beautiful.  His black coat is so soft and shiny, and his nails are wonderfully trimmed and smoothed off.  While there I bought a harness for him and it makes such a difference when walking him.  When he wants to pull toward another dog however, it's harder to hold him back with the harness.  We went for a short walk and passed a corner yard with two big dogs, and they all wanted to get together and play.  I could hardly hold Rocky back, which could be a problem now that we are on city streets.  It was much safer taking him out in the mobile home park, but I hope he eventually settles down and will be more compliant.  Hah, big chance! 

I am totally worn out and will probably be asleep before long.   Good night to everyone.

 

Accomplishments today

I am so happy to have the new washing machine, which was delivered this morning.  Ara and her fiance Steve, are in town and they came over this morning.  Steve got together the pieces needed to hook up the dryer and figured it out.  I remarked to Ara, "The male mind is a beautiful thing!"   A man might not know a thing about things like getting an appliance or other equipment working, but it seems they can figure it out so quickly.  I know some women's minds are excellent with mechanical things as well, but I've always marveled at how men seem to be born knowing how things work.  One of my brothers told me he thinks men will take a stab at anything and if it works, then "Eureka!"  Whatever it is, I love and appreciate it, and also women whose minds can figure things like that out.

Rocky has a two-hour appointment with a groomer tomorrow, so Ara is going to take me shopping at Costco.  It's so difficult to go places that I can't take the dog, and there are a lot of things I need.  On my list is Omega 3 for my aching joints and muscles, and I thank every one who recommended it.  I've taken it in the past, but then I've never been this old and needed it this badly!

I'm feeling so comfortable in my new place, but still have a lot to do in getting it presentable.  It's coming together slowly.

I hope to post pictures soon, and apologize for the time it is taking me. 

Slowly but Surely!

I'm working my best to get things done in my move, and Jeannie has been an exceptional help.  She finds a place to put everything away, and I search to find things I need, haha.  Next thing I need to do is to clean the floors.  There is hardwood everywhere except the kitchen and bathrooms, and it isn't in the best of shape; the former tenants had a big dog and the floors show it.  So I'm going to live with trying to keep them clean and waxed, and not complain about scratches - Rocky is busy adding his to the former doggie tenant.

Speaking of the boy, he loves the backyard but I'm sure he misses the play with other dogs.  For some reason, I hurt so bad all over I can barely take him for a walk anymore, and limit the distance when I do.  Additionally, there is broken and cracked pavement along the way, whereas I did have to walk in the streets of the mobile home park, but they were maintained  and in excellent condition.  

My new washing machine can't get here too soon!  The dirty laundry pile on the floor of my closet continues to rise, as my stacks of clean clothes continue to recede!

My Alarm System!

I hope you can make out the details of Rocky's face.  It's such a beautiful face but very difficult to photograph because of his color.  I have an appointment for him to be groomed, bathed, and pampered for two hours on Thursday, and since Ara is in town for a couple of weeks, she will take me to Costco while Rocky is being taken care of.

I'm sorry I haven't posted any pictures of my new place yet -- I've taken lots of photos but am no longer good with framing pictures.  I always had a good eye for composition, but using a phone to take a picture is completely foreign to me.  I will eventually get some together that pass my now-very-loose standards and do a blog with all pictures.

Making Progress

Jeannie was here yesterday afternoon and evening and sure got me straightened out!  Nearly everything has a place and is in it!

Rocky and I have both had allergic symptoms the past few days, but I sure can't take the Benadryl any more and I'm going to try to skip giving Rocky a dose today.  It calms him down a bit but I don't like the idea of drugs to modify behavior.  And he is still a puppy!

Speaking of Rocky, I know he is a retriever but didn't realize he can be a hunter as well.  We were working in the living room last night after dark, and he was out in the back yard - Jeannie saw that he had brought something up on the deck and it was a possum!  We thouht it was dead, but as soon as we restrained Rocky the possum was gone!  I'm glad he didn't kill it.  I hated to yell at him because he was so proud of himself, but I don't want him catching animals and hurting them.  Instinct takes over I suppose.

I took a lot of photos of the house but have to learn how to get them from my phone to the computer.  Maybe by the time I'm ready to post this I will be able to include pictures.   (Not yet!)
  
The washing machine that was here didn't work  (and wasn't actually the landlady's machine) so I bought a new one that will be delivered later this week.  I have mounds of laundry to wash and it's piling up on the floor of my closet.  Soon I'll be turning my clothes inside out to be able to wear them another day!  The dryer that was left here is a gas dryer, but somehow the connections weren't in place to operate it, so Donald and I made a trip to Home Depot to get the things needed to operate the dryer.  This is an annoying situation to me to not be able to keep up with the laundry. 

I didn't get this posted earlier today but I have been so busy with putting things away, and then looking for them.  I mainly have to search for the things my daughter has put away!  

I walked Rocky down to my daughter's house for dinner this evening - Donald's tamales and Donald's special rice!  His cooking is divine!  We celebrated Cinco de Mayo although I turned down a marguerita in favor of a beer!

I still have too much to do and too few hours in the day to do it, but I'll get there eventually.  Now I need to get all my pictures hung to make the place my own.

I'll try to post more often once I get settled in, but for now I just try to write when I can.  I'm also desperately needing a replacement computer - the new Macbook Pro looks so different to me and I'm not sure I would like all the changes.  Whatever happened to "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

The first few days

I had hoped to be fully unpacked by now but am nowhere near that point.  I really love the place, but am surprised to find that my mobile home probably had much more storage space, especially in the kitchen.

Rocky is very happy with the back yard.  I went out to check out the garden space that needs to be rototilled, pulled a few weeds, and about half an hour later I'm itching like crazy.  Rocky has had allergies that show up in his eyes, and several other people in the family have had itchy eyes.  I think I'm getting it now which is surprising because I haven't been bothered by springtime allergies for several years.  I just took a Benadryl and hope it works quickly!  I'm also giving Rocky a small dose of children't Benadryl.

After several days of unpacking boxes and trying to put things away where I will be able to find them quickly, I've hit a point where I need a break.  So no unboxing today.  Also, I quickly forget where I've put things so it's really difficult to find anything I look for. 

Sorry for no pictures yet, but I have to have a little more order in the place to take photos that I would post!

I've had to buy a new washing machine which won't be delivered until next week.  My laundry is stacking up like a mountain!  There is a gas dryer here that needs to be hooked up, but I understand it needs some kind of hose or whatever in order to work.  

I'm anxious to get pictures hung - that alone will empty quite a few boxes.  I don't have the eyesight to hang them straight, so I need to wait for Jeannie to have time to do it. 

That's about it for today.  I'll try to get some photos that won't show the mess!

Short update

I finally got internet hooked up at my new place.  I will try to post some photos soon - the back yard is HUGE, and Rocky loves it.  I'm sure he misses the dog park though.

I'll post as soon as I can get the time to sit down and relax.  Moving isn't as easy as it's always been for me - I must have passed the "magic age"!