I’m having a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that this time next week we’ll be 3/4 of the way through the huge state of Nebraska en route to the cabin. I am so not ready! Somehow it just seems off and way too soon since we’ve been trekking to the cabin in September for the past three years.

There is a pile of stuff on the bed in the spare room just waiting to be loaded but there seems like so much still to do.

The kitty beds have been washed and ready to pop into their crates.

Alex got a bath this weekend (and looks great I might add) and the girls will get theirs at the groomers on Wednesday.

The roof rack and pod were put on the truck this weekend and Rick vacuumed and cleaned it. It also had a check up, new spark plugs, lube & oil change, new front shocks (which we will need on those washboarded dirt roads that lead to the cabin) and a few things I can’t remember now so it should be good to go. Big Red has never failed us but she is getting up there in years and miles.

Our neighbors who look after the cabin for us went over this past weekend and have found no sign of pack rats (and here) this time. Thanks goodness. I don’t want to have to fumigate the cabin again! Pesky vermin!

I have so much to do before we go yet I have trouble getting started. I just need to focus on one thing at a time.

wow! i heard mommy and daddy talking this weekend about how they should get a ‘berner’ phone for the cabin. my own phone! (since i am a bernese mountain dog better known as berners.) i’ve always wanted my own phone so i could call up and bark at my friends. right now i can only bark across the street to finn and molly.

i could even call that stupid dog tucker at the end of the street if i had my own phone. i think tucker has a crush on me.

i know mommy gets tired of my barking so i’m sure that’s why she decided to get me my own berner phone! i think it was supposed to be a surprise but i was listening closely to their conversation. after all, they were talking about the cabin and the cabin is my mostest favorite place on earth. it has long walks to take where i never have to be on a leash, a pond to swim in, cow and elk poo to eat, chipmunks to chase and maybe even a snow bank still left to slide on. gosh, so many things to do. now i can keep in touch with finn and molly super long distance! i am so excited it makes my hair stand on end!

 

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a little bit later on ...

i guess i was wrong. i am not getting my own phone after all. after mommy read this post she told me that they were talking about a ‘burner’ phone not a berner phone which i guess is one they can just buy a few minutes on and then throw away. she said their normal phones don’t work at the cabin and they need a different one. i am so disappointed! oh well. my paws are too big anyway for all those little numbers.

It would be hard to beat Saturday for gloriousity, it really would. Sunday tried its hardest.

We started the day by walking the dogs to Green Turtle Pond. They love being off leash. The trees are fully leafed out and lush. Instead of walking from our house we drove to the access road and parked. Two reason for this: it’s a long walk and it was pretty warm; we usually take the wooded path through the woods to get to the access road rather than walking the dogs along the busy roadside but right now the ticks are really bad.

Bella the water dog! There’s nothing she loves better than wading. We can’t get her to swim though.

We had company on the pond in the form of two Canadian geese who were not bothered by us at all. In fact, they glided up pretty close to inspect us.

Alex was wondering if he could somehow get closer to them.

Everyone finally just decided it was okay to share the pond. Standing at the edge and looking at that serene water made me want to go home and get the canoe. When we return from our cabin trip we will for sure be putting the canoe on the water again … soon.

After showering and making sure we had not picked up any ticks ourselves, we took Mia to Warwick for the opening day of the farmer’s market.

They still don’t have much at this time of year but we bought some beef jerky from a new vendor, some maple sugar (for sprinkling on popcorn), and some kale for making kale chips (which didn’t come out quite right).

Wild asparagus.

Exotic mushrooms.

Tomatoes. Really? This early?

Another new vendor was selling this:

They were also selling huge ostrich bones for dogs. I’m not sure how this will go over in Warwick, NY!

Yesterday was a glorious day! We’ve been waiting and waiting for weather like this: sunny and warm with a touch of breeze. Ah, YES.

The first thing I did was wash the sheets and put them on the line to dry. Nothing like fresh breeze-blown sheets!

We did some chores around the house and yard while Bella and Alex practiced being Siamese twins.

After a trip to the grocery store for supplies for dinner (BBQ ribs, coleslaw and corn) and a quick lunch we pulled Mia out and gave her a wash.

She was so shiny after her bath that I was compelled to grab the camera and started taking photos. The reflection of the trees on her hood was too good to pass up.

 

 

 

While taking these photos I realized that my reflection was there as well. I had fun snapping some silly shots. Can you find me?

 

 

After her bath we couldn’t just put her back in the garage on such a perfect ‘tops down’ day now could we? No! So we went for an hour’s drive.

We have several favorite routes that take us along wooded two-lane roads. And there is no such thing as a straight road where we live, so the little roads are perfect for Mia’s cornering abilities.

I like to shoot straight from the passenger seat on the sports setting for realism. Here is a sampling of our drive.

 

 

 

 

Read the sign!

 

The beautiful Warwick Valley (NY) in the distance.

 

A glimpse of Greenwood Lake, the largest lake in New Jersey which is shared with New York State. Our house is less than ten minutes away.

Today is supposed to be cloudy with some rain moving in later. We are planning on taking the dogs down to Green Turtle Pond then off to the opening day of the Warwick Farmer’s Market. I hope you enjoyed our Saturday!

Looking back several years on my blog in the month of May we have always been traveling. Some of it due to it being the time of year when Rick’s company has training for salespeople in various places/countries and some was just for fun. It’s fun to look back and see what I was doing on a particular day years ago. Do you ever look at the sidebar on the blog under “On This Day …?” Lately our trip to San Miguel, Mexico and Lyon, France have been showing up. Last year this time we were in Panama.

This year however there has been no travel. Rick’s company decided to do the training right here in New Jersey so all the salespeople could see the factory where the cameras are made and since their hotel was just over the river from Manhattan in Weehawken they got to sample the city as well.

It feels strange not to be going somewhere. But, that changes at the end of this month.

We decided that after always taking our Colorado cabin vacation in the fall, this year we would switch it up and go in June instead. So, on the 26th you will find us all packed into our Suburban heading west. Hopefully this way we will get to see some moose and the wildflowers in bloom. Here too! Hopefully we won’t be too early for the flowers but since everything is ahead of schedule there (and here) this year it should work out.

Did I just say we were leaving on the 26th? Ack! Today is the 10th! Must. start. planning. NOW. I just finished up the cabin laundry. I had all the clothes done as soon as we got back last year but I just left all the linens and towels in the spare room. You know how is. You have the best of intentions to do them soon but then you forget. Or at least I do. Out of sight, out of mind.

Last weekend we made this tasty asparagus tart. It was easy: puff pastry, gruyere cheese, asparagus spears. Next time I might try spreading the puff pastry with a little dijon mustard under the cheese like I do with my tomato tart.

We also enjoyed a fire in our little outdoor fire pit after dinner.

And in case you’ve been wondering about Bella’s adorable but quirky little “do” you’ll be glad to know it’s been kept due to popular demand. Somehow it just suits her silly persona. No matter what we do it doesn’t stay down for long!

Looking forward to the weekend we have no set plans as yet. Well, maybe one thing is on our agenda: the Warwick Farmer’s Market has its opening day on Sunday. I’m sure we’ll hop into Mia and take a look at what goods are available. Even if the offerings are sparse at this time of year it’s a lovely drive and always enjoyable.