The A-Dog goes on the ‘DL’

Posted on November 2, 2017 by liv2rv

Hello everyone, it’s me again! For those new to the blog, I’m Makena, who occasionally takes over this blog. Today I have a lot to write about, and it’s not good news for me…

Keeping my peeps informed!

But before I get to the bad news, I will do a brief summer recap. I again enjoyed my time out in Wyoming, with 100 acres to roam around, off leash! What dog wouldn’t love this?

My parents were excited about the Eclipse, and I was prepared with my glasses. But I ended up staying in the 5th wheel….no dogs allowed by the cabins…sigh.

IMG_1035 (1) I spent the summer doing a lot of playing with my football….maybe too much playing, which I will get to later. The weather was good all summer, until the end. My parents promised me when we ventured out on this crazy journey that we would always have warm weather. But once again, we ended up with quite a bit of snow. But I didn’t let it stop me. I made my mom put on her boots and winter coat (had to dust it off!) and get out and play with me. October in Wyoming!

Hurry Up! I’m ready!

And away I go in the snow!

We made a quick stop in Minnesota on the way home, so I could see how my cousin Simon was doing. He is now 6 months old, and has grown a lot since I last saw him. Compare the photos from May (bottom) and October:

He still can’t throw a football, and he’s not eating solid food, so I’m still not that interested in him yet. I did try to teach him how to rub my belly. But apparently, Grandpa Gary has been teaching Simon the “pull my finger,” trick, as he was only interested in “pulling my paw!”

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

When we got back to Wisconsin, my parents dropped me off at my grandparents house, so I would be well taken care of while they helped out remodel their friends business. However, after two weeks, they picked me up and took me in to see the doctor. And that’s where we get to the bad news. For the last few weeks, I have been unable to jump up on the couch or the bed at night. I still wanted to play and play, and my parents didn’t think too much of this at first. But I wasn’t getting any better, and was having trouble going up steps. So they decided to have me checked out.

My doctor in Wisconsin retired, so they tried out a new clinic, Kuenzi Family Pet Hospital, and were happy with the visit. I was not. They were concerned I may have torn a ligament in my knee, but they could never figure out which leg I was favoring. Dr. Alex did a thorough examination, and put me through a lot of range of motion tests, and said my legs and neck were fine, (that’s the good news) but he was concerned about my back, and took me in another room for x-rays.

The bad news: I ruptured a disc in my spine, and the two vertebrae are now just “bone on bone.” Dr. Alex said in humans, this would be an extremely painful injury. But I’m one tough dog, and haven’t displayed much pain. Here are two of my x-rays:

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Yes, I’m a lean, mean, machine!

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Now for those reading this that are not Radiologic Technologists (Happy Rad Tech week, by the way!), here is the above image blown up, and I have added some markings. The arrow on the top left points to the microchip that was inserted in me when I was a puppy. The other 3 arrows point to the disc spaces in between my vertebrae. This is how they should look. The circle shows the two vertebrae that are rubbing together. The disc is gone. And there is narrowing at the disc space below that level.

So this is where “the ugly” comes into play. Since the vertebrae appear to be starting to fuse together, Dr. Alex said wants to hold off on considering surgery. However, for the next 6 weeks, I have to be completely non-weight bearing! In other words, I have to stay in my crate….ugh! No playing, no jumping, no walking. My parents carry me out to go potty, and then carry me back in.

I’m not happy, and I don’t understand why I’ve been put “in jail.”

My parents friends, Dave and Angie, let them borrow a bigger crate that I can stay in during the day (at night I’m back in the little crate in the bedroom). They call it “The Taj Mahal.”

I call it “a bigger jail.” But I am happy they put my dog bed in it, and set it in front of the electric fireplace. I’m on pain meds and anti-inflammatory pills, which are making me feel better. I have learned that they will let me out, “on good behavior,” for an hour or two at night, as long as I don’t run around. I heard the word “NO” for several days, before I complied with their rules, and just laid down on a blanket outside the crate.

Freedom!

The worst part of all of this, even worse than being stuck in a crate for 6 weeks, is that I am not allowed to play football, until February, at the earliest. It’s going to be a long winter for me….

Quote for the Day: “Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation, and almost as good for the soul as prayer.” – Dean Koontz

Summer 2017 ‘a bear-y good time’

Posted on October 19, 2017 by liv2rv

We have finished our summer work camping job at Luton’s Teton Cabins, just east of Grand Teton National Park. Dan feels the summer flew by, but I think it was just the right amount of time. There was snow when we arrived in May, and snow when we left in October…a lot of snow! We were the last ones to leave, as Dan was busy steam cleaning the carpets in the cabins. Although the weather was supposed to be 50s, we ended up with about 7 inches of snow! It was pretty though!

It did make for an interesting drive over Togowotee Pass, at 9600 feet and a steep grade! And this is after they had “cleared” the pass! Normally we like to leave early in the morning when we are in travel mode, but we had to wait until late morning for the road to improve.

We had another hard working crew this summer, and six of us will be coming back next summer. Last summer, with my broken foot, we did not get to do as much hiking as we had planned. This summer, we did many hikes, and even got our bicycles out. The Tetons and Jackson Hole are very bicycle friendly areas, with miles of paved paths.

Dan and Al had a great summer fishing (and catching!) trout. After a slow start due to the spring flooding, they were able to get enough to have a pot luck fish fry for everyone. Al brought his inflatable Sea Eagle boat, and they floated down the river many times. The boat folds up into a small bag, and is strong enough to hold both the guys, and all their gear.

The highlight of the summer, for me, was seeing (and experiencing) the Solar Eclipse. You can read about that here.

A close second was watching a grizzly and her two cubs, feasting on berries. (a special thanks to our co-workers Karen and Al for texting us when they spotted them in the park – about 2 miles from us).

We also had a bull moose run right across the road on our way back from the grocery store. I have learned to always carry my camera in September, as the wildlife is very active.

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After we left Wyoming, we had a long travel day and stopped at the Cabela’s in Rapid City, South Dakota, which lets you stay overnight in their parking lot. We were woken up very early to an alarm going off. We though it may have been our carbon monoxide detector. We both woke up in a panic, and started searching, only to discover it was our temperature gauge, which has an alarm clock. We have had this for over 8 years, and never knew it had an alarm clock! Apparently when we packed it up and put it away for travel, a button must have been pressed to set the alarm.

And 10 minutes later…we discovered it has a snooze feature!

Since we were up early, we just got on the road (it was 5 am), and watched the sunrise as we traveled east.

We are now back in Wisconsin. Originally, we planned to be here a few weeks, then head down to Amazon in Kentucky. However, our friend Mike’s bar and grill that we had helped remodel is not yet open. He was very busy this summer with his landscaping business, and did not finish the remodeling. So we are back helping him out, probably through Thanksgiving, and then we will head south for the winter.

Quote for the day: “You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.” Joyce Meyer

My 31 day Sugar Detox (yes I survived!)

Posted on September 23, 2017 by liv2rv

Instead of the usual RV related topics, I decided to share my experience on my recent sugar detox.

I have always had a sweet tooth, which I know was inherited from my mom. Although desserts were for special occasions, there was always Hershey bars, candy and ice cream in the house growing up. And real Kool-Aid, the kind in the tiny packets you mixed with 1 full cup of sugar! Of course, I have a mouth full of cavities to go along with the sweet tooth. Halloweeen was a time I look forward to, not because you could dress up in a costume. It was the bags of fun-size candies, like Dots and Mild Duds, that were always on sale in October!

But after exercising and doing a lot of walking without seeing any results, I realized it was time to face reality, and change my eating habits. I have met others that gave up sugar, and they all stated the same thing: ‘the pounds just melted away.’ I was very skeptical.

I decided to start with small changes, such as giving up my beloved Diet Pepsi, and stop putting in Splenda and flavored cream in my daily cup of instant coffee. I quickly discovered instant coffee tastes horrible all by itself. So I splurged and bought a small 5 cup coffee maker, and now have “real” coffee. What a difference in taste that makes, even without sugar and cream!

The Diet Pepsi habit proved to be a lot harder to break than I expected. That’s when I knew I needed to just go all in on cleaning up my eating habits. I purchased “The Sugar Detox” book by Brooke Alpert, MS, RD, CDN and Patricia Farris, MD, FAAD, which offers an easy to follow plan on kicking your sugar habit. I chose this book over others, because you eat “real food,” not just supplements and shakes. You start out with a 3-day sugar detox. Absolutely no sugar for the first three days, along with no fruit, dairy, grains or pasta. You are allowed protein, nuts and specific vegetables. You can also have 1 cup of coffee (black) and unsweetened tea as well. No alcohol of any kind during the first three days.

After the 3 days are up, you progress on a four week plan. Each week, more categories of food are allowed, which provides natural sugars. No processed foods of any kind are allowed during the entire 31 days. The focus of the book is on sugar. This is not a “low carb” diet. Good carbohydrates, such as those found in beans and whole grains, are okay.

The book provides some recipes and has a daily meal plan, including snacks, that help out with keeping you on track. The first three days are the hardest, and by the third day I felt lethargic and had a bad headache. According to the book, this is normal. I did not have any cravings, and I feel that is due to the fact I already stopped drinking diet soda, and had been drinking coffee without additives for a week prior to starting this. Otherwise I would have been miserable!

WEEK ONE

Once the three day detox is up, week one begins. You can add in foods with natural sugar, in limited amounts. One apple per day is the only allowed fruit during week one. One serving of dairy is also allowed, such as 1 ounce of cheese (who eats just one ounce?!), 5 ounces plain yogurt, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese or 1/2 cup of low or full-fat milk. Skim milk, along with other fat-free products are never recommended, as they generally have higher amounts of sugar to replace the fat that was removed. One glass of red wine is permitted, but only three times per week. More approved vegetables are allowed in week one (the book contains detailed lists of what can be eaten each week), as well as a one ounce serving of seeds, such as pumpkin, chia or flax. I mixed chia seeds in a cup of plain yogurt for one breakfast. It did take some getting used to the taste! No flavored yogurts allowed.

Dan and I did go for a 6 1/2 mile hike with multiple elevation changes up to 600 feet during week one. I was surprised at how exhausted I was during the hike, and had to stop and rest several times. This was not normal for me, as I have no problem hiking or walking a long distance. It made me look forward to starting week two, when more food choices would be added back in.

all smiles at the beginning!

a perfect day for a hike

For the first 10 days, we had been eating a lot of chicken, shrimp, pork, lean beef and fish, along with vegetables and salads (they provide a recipe for sugar free salad dressing). I never felt hungry, and did not have any cravings for sweet things. By the way, Dan was not doing the sugar detox, but did eat whatever I made for dinner, and had “healthier” sides to go along with his sandwich for lunch. But he stills drinks one can of Mt. Dew at lunch and a sugar bomb cafe mocha for breakfast! (he has since switched to regular coffee, which saves 20 grams of sugar.)

WEEK TWO

More vegetables, such as peas and cooked carrots (raw was okay prior to this) are allowed. Two servings of dairy per day is allowed as well. But the big addition was more fruit! In addition to one daily apple, you can have 1/2 cup of berries or cantelope. Red wine remains at a maximum three servings for the week.

This may sound very restrictive, and at first it is. But knowing that you start to add foods back in, it really makes it easy to follow. I would always look forward to Saturdays, when a new week started!

WEEK THREE

Hello Chocolate!!

Starting the third week, you can add in 1 ounce of dark chocolate (62% cocoa or higher). I discovered I did not even need this much chocolate. Just one bite was plenty satisfying.

Also added in week three were grains: quinoa, barley, oatmeal. One serving per day. No rice, cereal or bread yet.

Red wine is increased to a maximum 4 glasses per week.

Dairy was increased to two servings per day. I have been trying out different brands of plain 2% fat Greek yogurt. There is certainly a difference in creaminess and tartness. Greek style has almost double the protein and about 1/3 the sugar than regular plain yogurt. I have been trying out Fage brand lately, which I really enjoy. I put 1/2 cup of blueberries and one tablespoon of chia seeds in it.

Energy wise, I am feeling better. However, my sleep has been poor this week. I wake up after 4 hours, and I cannot get back to sleep. I am not sure if this is related to this sugar detox or not.

WEEK FOUR

The finish line is in view! Added in this week, is whole grain bread, cereal and brown rice, limited to one serving per day. Wine is increased to a maximum 5 glasses per week.

My energy level was back to normal, and I had no sugar cravings.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I never felt starved or deprived on this sugar detox. The fact you continue adding in foods, makes it easier to follow than a very restrictive diet.

I think the biggest help for me was quitting diet soda and drinking black coffee before I started this. Otherwise, it would have been more of a struggle at the beginning. In just 31 days, I ended up losing 8 pounds, and 3% body fat. And I stopped exercising during this time. So yes, the weight does “just fall off!”

My goals are to continue to avoid diet and regular soda, although to be honest, water does get boring!

Making simple changes: brown rice instead of white, whole grain pasta (Barilla brand tastes good) instead of white, and whole grain bread instead of my favorite white bread, which stays soft and squishy for 2 weeks.

If you’re interested in cutting down on sugar, I would definitely recommend this. It’s only 31 days out of your life, and it gets easier each week!

Quote for the day: “If God hadn’t meant for us to eat sugar, he would not have invented dentists. ” – Ralph Nader

Winding down in Wyoming

Posted on September 8, 2017 by liv2rv

Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and the flooding in the southern states afterward. And now we have been reading about Hurricane Irma, soon to be hitting Florida. Add in all the forest fires raging in California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana and it has been a devastating month for millions of Americans. Our only impact here in Wyoming has been hazy skies and poor air quality. If only there was some way for the rain in the South to make its way to the northwest, it would solve some of these problems.

Our season will be coming to a close at the end of September, but we have been keeping busy. Labor Day weekend means the end of families with school-age children. Now our visitors are what those of us in the tourism industry refer to as the “newlyweds and nearly-dead’s.” Luton’s Teton Cabins continues to be full, until the last week of September. At that time, we will start winding down, and begin fall cleaning. All the linens and curtains will be removed from the cabins and cleaned. Joanne will strip and wax the linoleum, and Dan will shampoo the carpeting. As with our Spring cleaning, it is an efficient process. The cabins are open this year until October 10, but all of us work campers will be done by October 1st. Brad and Joanne, the owners, will handle the cleaning of the few cabins that are rented after the 1st.

In the meantime, we have been out on a few hikes. Tom and Ellen, our friends working in West Yellowstone, Montana, came down for a visit. Next year, they will be working at a gift store in Skagway, Alaska. We will miss seeing them in the summer, but are looking forward to hearing about their adventures in Alaska. That is definitely on our list of states to visit…hopefully soon!

We did a short hike out to Taggart Lake with them.

Tom, Ellen and Dan

Here’s our Sound of Music photo!

The “hills are alive!”

We also went hiking on our off day with co-workers Karen and Al. Last year the trails to Hidden Falls by Jenny Lake were closed for renovation. Most of the trails have now opened, so we were finally able to do that hike.

We made the short trek over to see Hidden Falls.

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There was a group of people learning how to rock climb. It was entertaining to watch, but not something I would want to try.

Then we had a lengthy upward hike to see Inspiration Point, which overlooks Jenny Lake.

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On the way back down, we saw a two-toned bird, later identified as a Stellar’s Jay. That was our “wildlife” highlight!

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After we leave Wyoming, we will head back to Wisconsin for a few weeks, and then head down to Kentucky to work at Amazon for our fourth season. I’m not looking forward to working there again (too boring), but it is a great weight loss program for us!

Take care and stay safe everyone!

Quote for the Day: “Most anyplace one lives is essentially dangerous. There are floods in the Midwest, and tornadoes. There are hurricanes along the Gulf. In New York you get mugged.” – John Gregory Dunne

Cousins come a callin’

Posted on August 9, 2017 by liv2rv

First off, thank you for all the wonderful comments, e-mails and telephone calls from our last blog post. It really meant a lot.

Dan’s cousins, Roni and Jodi, made a long road trip from the Twin Cities to come out and visit with us for two days. We tried to pack as much as we could in the short amount of time they had, and we think we succeeded. The only thing they were not able to check off their list was seeing a grizzly bear.

We spent the first day on a quick tour of Grand Teton National Park, trying to stop at some of the highlights: Colter Bay, Jackson Lake Lodge, Signal Mountain, String Lake, Jenny Lake, Lupine Meadows, The Chapel of Transfiguration, Schwabacher Landing, etc…

Dan, Jodi, Roni

After seeing some of the highlights, we stopped in Moose for a little pizza at Dornan’s. While sitting outside we were briefly entertained by a fox walking near the deck.

DSC04474 (2) The next morning we headed up to Yellowstone, making a few stops in the Tetons to view a herd of Elk,

P1000307 (2) followed by a mama and baby moose!

P1000363 (2) And no morning is complete without a stop at Oxbow Bend, with the low-lying clouds covering parts of Mt Moran.

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Yellowstone was pretty busy, but Roni said she had “positive vibes”, especially after our wonderful start to the day. She was right, and we never had issues finding parking spots! Our wildlife sightings continued, with an Osprey in a nest,

P1000516 (2) and a lone buffalo taking a nap along the side of the road!

P1000500 (2) The cousins were impressed with the view of the Lower Falls.

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I think Roni and Jodi may have a new future career in the park service!

P1000472 (2) No stop to Yellowstone is complete without a visit to Old Faithful. It was Roni’s first time seeing the geyser go off. Despite its name, it did not erupt until 25 minutes after its scheduled time. The crowd of thousands was growing very restless, and a lot of cheers erupted when it finally went off. Roni said it was worth the wait!

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Although their visit was very short, we had a wonderful time and are thankful Roni and Jodi decided to venture out west to see us! Our door is always open for our family and friends to visit!

Quote for the day: “Nobody will understand the craziness of your family better than your cousins.” – unknown

Don’t Take Life For Granted

Posted on July 28, 2017 by liv2rv

A few weeks ago my brother-in-law John, suffered a stroke. He is only 67 years young. Fortunately, my sister LuAnn realized his behavior was very erratic, and called 911. They live in the Dallas area, which has many excellent hospitals. The paramedics recognized his symptoms, and took him to Baylor University Hospital, a certified stroke facility. My sister was very impressed by how quickly the hospital staff treated him. When a stroke is suspected, timing is critical.

By clicking this LINK, you can learn more about the signs of a stroke. Please take a moment to do so, as you can help save a life. Remember to think F.A.S.T.

John is at home, and going through daily outpatient rehabilitation. It has been a slow process, and his long-term prognosis is not fully known at this time. My sister is remaining positive and just trying to take things one day at a time. If you are a praying person, I know they would appreciate keeping them in your prayers.

And if that isn’t enough for my sister to deal with, she is also trying to teach her daughter Alicia how to drive!

It has been a while since I have seen John, LuAnn and Alicia, so I do not have a recent picture. The one below is from a breast cancer walk that I participated in down in Dallas in October 2009 with John, LuAnn and Alicia. That little girl just to my sisters left in the pink head scarf is Alicia, now all grown up! (Watch out Dallas, she has a learners permit!) My sister has beaten cancer, so I know she has the strength to get through this.

Alicia, LuAnn and John

Two Sundays ago I learned from my sister Margie that her brother-in-law, David (a/k/a Lumpy), had suffered a heart attack. He is only 58, and is recovering after having a stent put in his artery . Please keep him and his family in your prayers as well.

And here is the link for recognizing symptoms of a heart attack.

Hearing things like these give me a lot of mixed emotions. I have debated writing about this for a while now, but it keeps gnawing at me, so I decided to post a blog. Normally I like to keep personal matters to myself. I feel very blessed that we have been able to fulfill our dreams and live the RV lifestyle. The number one reason we are out here doing this, is because life is not guaranteed. After working in a hospital, and seeing how quickly life can change, I just wanted to get out and live life. If I die tomorrow, I can die happy.

But, I just wish we were more mobile, so we could go and help out when needed. I would love to be able to drive down to Dallas and help my sister out. We would also be able to attend more events with family and friends, such as weddings, graduations, funerals, class reunions, baptisms, etc., which we have been missing.

I don’t have any regrets about what we are doing, and I certainly don’t want to go back to a stationary life living in a house full of stuff. I just need to start looking into other sources of income that we can do on the road. I need to find a ‘work from the RV’ job, so we can be more mobile.

I have been spending a lot more time pondering the value of life. Fortunately, cleaning cabins doesn’t require a lot of thought, so I just quietly scrub the toilets while I think about things. I am thankful that we do not have television out here in Moran, Wyoming. There is just too much ‘noise’ going on in the world right now. We spend too much time worrying about things beyond our control. Too much time on social media. Sometimes we forget what is really important in our lives.

So take some time and hug your loved ones. Give them a call, write a letter (yes, snail mail) and plan a get together. Just try to enjoy life! Don’t take it for granted.

Quote for the day: “I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine.” – Neal Armstrong

Wildflowers, wildlife and wild scenery

Posted on July 8, 2017 by liv2rv

Busy, busy, busy is how the last few weeks have been at Luton’s Teton Cabins. The cabins have been at full occupancy through the 4th of July. We have a day or two reprieve until they fill back up again. The families have now taken over the cabins, with a few couples in the smaller cabins. Some cabins look like a tornado has gone through, with stuff everywhere! We have to be careful where we step when making the beds. We have met some wonderful guests from around the country, and a few international tourists as well. Our group of 9 work campers has been doing a great job, and our guests have left many wonderful reviews.

We did receive one puzzling note from a guest that checked out this week. They stated the cabin was great, but were disappointed by the mosquitoes. They felt for the amount of money that they paid to rent the cabin, we should have done something about them (the owners did spray their fields, but the cabins sit on 100 aces). The more I thought about this guests note, the more amused I became. I didn’t realize that mosquitoes should only bite people who stay in budget motels! Mosquitoes don’t discriminate. They go after everyone!

The Tetons received over 600 inches of snow this winter (normal snowfall is 400 inches). Between the snow melt and the spring rains, it has created a bumper crop of mosquitoes this year. But it has also rejuvenated the wildflowers. We have gone on several hikes so far, and I always take time to stop and photograph the flowers. I’m not really sure what they are, and just refer to them as yellow, purple, and blue flowers!

We have seen plenty of elk, buffalo and moose. I am still in search of the elusive porcupine. I was talking with one park ranger, and she gave me some areas to try, after 6 pm. Once the mosquitoes settle down in a few weeks, I plan on heading out on some trails in the evening to look for a porcupine.

On one of our hikes, we did see a bear, but it quickly ran off when it spotted us. The only other animals that we found were long deceased. It’s the circle of life…

someone’s dinner

Even though it’s July, there is still plenty of snow on the mountains this year. It just makes for a peaceful setting.
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Always nice to watch the sunset from the cabins.

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Quote for the day: “Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.” – Victor Kiam

Just plugging along

Posted on June 12, 2017 by liv2rv

We have been pretty busy at work so far this season at Luton’s Teton Cabins. It took about a week to complete spring cleaning all the cabins and the lodge. Every log gets wiped down with a damp rag, and then oiled with Old English Wood Oil. It is a tedious process, but the wood looks fantastic when we are done. Many guests this year have commented on how nice the cabins look, and they are surprised to find out they are over 25 years old. Brad and Joanne, the owners, are very particular about cleaning, and it shows. We have already received several 5 star reviews on Trip Advisor this year, and the season is just getting started!

We have a fantastic group of work campers this year, which really makes for a pleasant work environment. And, based on our first pot luck, they are all good cooks as well! Karen and Al are back again along with Jodi and Ken who worked here a few years ago. Joining our experienced crew this year are Shawn, Erin and Melissa.

Dan, Joanne, Karen, Brad, Shawn, Erin, Jodi, Ken, Melissa and Al (standing)

We have managed to get out and do a few things on our days off, when the weather has been co-operating. We had a few days of snow early in the season and it’s forecast again for tomorrow – ugh!!! We have also had some wind, rain, hail and flood warnings. This year the Tetons received over 600 inches of snow, and the snow melt has caused the rivers to be near flood stage. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the road to the cabins does not get closed.

Snow Day!

We went up to Yellowstone National Park with Karen and Al for a day. There was a lot of snow in the park.

P1000101 P1000094 With all the snow, we knew the waterfalls would be spectacular, and we were not disappointed! It was a bit windy out, as you can tell by Dan’s hair!

And no visit to Yellowstone would be complete without getting caught up in a buffalo jam!

And to top off the day, we met up with Tom and Ellen at the Old Faithful Cafeteria for dinner. They are working out in West Yellowstone again. It was great catching up with them, and we plan to get together later in the summer.

And to continue with our crazy weather, last night it was raining to the East, which resulted in one of the nicest rainbows I have seen. Melissa and I went out to take some pictures, and half of our guests were standing outside taking pictures as well. No rain…no rainbows! Thanks Melissa for the photo!

We are looking forward to a great summer and expect to be busy as the cabins are near capcity all summer. Hopefully the crazy weather will settle down soon so we can get out and explore the area more on our days off. We should have more time to explore since I won’t be sidelined by a broken foot like last year.
Quote for the day: “In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside 24 hours.” – Mark Twain

Ready for a good summer!

Posted on June 1, 2017 by liv2rv

Hello everyone, it’s time for your favorite dog blogger to post again! My parents have been very busy with work, so I thought I would get you caught up on what I have been up to.

Keeping my peeps informed!

While my parents were busy working in Wisconsin, I was back at my grandparents house, keeping them busy. I really enjoy my time there, because they spend all day playing with me, taking me for walks, and lot’s of cuddling time. It’s a good time!

After we left Wisconsin, we stopped in Minnesota and I met my newest cousin, Simon. Right now, other than being cute, he’s not very exciting. He just sleeps a lot, and he’s not eating real food yet. Hopefully by the time I see him again, he will be sitting in a high chair, tossing some food onto the floor for me. Then I will be more interested in him.

Simon’s pretty boring right now

Once he gets bigger, I will have to teach him how to throw my football. Gary and Julia spent some time tossing the ball to me, and I enjoyed my time at their house.

But it was time to move on, and I really enjoy traveling. I was excited when we arrived back at Luton’s Teton Cabins, as it is my favorite work camping job for my parents. They walk to work, so I know they are close by. With a 45 minute lunch, I get to play every day when they come home. I have them well trained already! They even surprised me with a new football! I have acres and acres of playing field!

Yes, this place is a dog’s dream! What’s not to love about this view?

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And the fact I can walk around off-leash is a bonus! Lot’s of trails right on the property for me to check out. There are 4 other dogs with me this year. Casey and Honey are back, and they have already stuck their noses in my butt….sigh. I also met the two new dogs, Lilly and Molly. I also heard there are two cats that like to walk on a leash, but I have not met them yet. I think I would like them. Cats are usually more polite to me.

Happy to be back!

When I am not out playing, walking, or marking my spots (need to let the elk, bison, horses and bears know I am around!), I spend most of my day waiting for my parents to reappear from the bushes. I am not allowed to go beyond those bushes where the cabins are. So I just sit in the window and wait.

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I know it’s going to be a great summer again! My parents said it should be very busy, as they are already booked full for most of the summer. Hopefully they won’t be too tired to go for regular walks on the property.

Take care everyone and have a great summer!

Quote for the day: “Ever wonder where you would end up if you took your dog for a walk and never once pulled back on the leash?” – Robert Brault

Settled in for summer!

Posted on May 14, 2017 by liv2rv

After we left Wisconsin, we stopped in Minnesota for a few days to visit Dan’s brother Gary and his wife Julia. We originally planned to stay at a local county campground, but it was booked up solid for the weekend. Julia had met us out at the campground, and Dan rode with her to a private campground a few miles away, to check for availability. They had not been answering the telephone. I stayed behind with Makena in the truck/fifth wheel. They were able to get a spot for us. Turns out there was a Harley festival going on, so everything was pretty booked up and the gal in the office was too busy to answer the telephone. I drove the fifth wheel all by myself, to the campground. I have driven it a few times before, but never by myself. Now I just need to stop looking in the rear view mirror! I met up with Dan at the campground, and he had me back into our spot. Never did that before! But he provided excellent guidance, and I feel a little more confidant now.

Gary and Julia are now grandparents for the first time! Their daughter Carmen and husband Luke stopped over with Simon, who is now two months old! Welcome to the world Simon!

napping with Uncle Dan

We had a nice time visiting with everyone, and headed towards Custer, SD to visit with friends and former co-workers. The best part of working for Amazon, is the people we meet. And we have been able to meet up with fellow Amazon Camperforce everywhere we go. Although I forgot to bring the camera along for a few meals, we met up with Linda and two of her co-workers in Keystone, where she will be working this summer at a gas station/convenience store. The next day we met up with Bob for a good meal at the Alpine Inn in Hill City. We were joined by our friends and former co-workers at Crazy Horse Phil and Rudee, and both Margaret’s that we had worked with. They have both since retired. Bob will be working this summer at Crazy Horse and has been very impressed with the fact it is more than just a mountain carving. You can look back in our blog to the summer of 2014 to read more about our Crazy Horse experience (or type Crazy Horse in the search box on our site).

The next night we managed another get together, and our friends Chery and Dick also joined in. We were happy that Bob could join us again, as it is always nice to meet fellow work campers.

Dick, Phil, Jonell, Bob, Rudee and Cheryl

We hope they all have a wonderful summer, and will certainly meet up with them again! Since we had a long drive from Custer to Moran, WY, we left very early and had a pleasant day of driving. We knew we were getting close to our summer “home”, when snow started appearing out our window! Yes, 65 degrees, sunny and snow!

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We arrived late afternoon to Luton’s Teton Cabins, and were met with hugs from the owners, Brad and Joanne. Wonderful people to work for! Co-workers Karen and Al had arrived a few hours before us, and we met another new co-worker, Melissa. There will be two additional couples coming this week. Dan and I start on Monday, May 15th, and we are excited to get back to work again.

Most of the snow at the lower elevations (we are at 6800 feet) has melted, but the Tetons are exceptionally beautiful this time of year.

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We have already seen a moose, fox and Makena has been keeping an eye on a gopher that is just outside of our fifth wheel. We are looking forward to another great summer! I will post more on our jobs once we get started for the season. This is our view for the summer, from the cabins.

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Quote for the Day: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neal Donald Walsch

Liv2RV

Living and working around the country in a RV