Yesterday after another long day on the road, we finally pulled into our driveway. Home. The Suburban still bore the traces of Colorado/Wyoming red dirt roads. Even the torrential downpours we passed through in the Chicago area, the rain in Ohio yesterday, and brief showers on and off through Pennsylvania could not erase where we’ve been.

We took a circuitous route home, one that took us to to St. Paul, Minnesota to visit friends who also happen to be Hailey’s breeders. I promised them I would bring her back to visit. Since four years have passed and I’ve never made good on my promise, we decided it was time. Even though it added a day to our journey it was worth it to see them again. The dogs loved being in a real home with other dogs instead of a motel room and felt right at home under their hospitality.

The poor dogs and cats were certain that we were now homeless gypsies roaming the highways and byways of this vast land. They took it all in stride, and I’m so proud of what good travelers they all were. Much better I’m thinking than taking children on a long car trip. No “are we there yets” from them (maybe Rick heard a couple of those from me), no whining or crying. Well, maybe a few mews out of Sam on the very first day, but after that he resigned himself to sleep in his crate. Each new motel room was fully explored. The kitties liked the motel in Council Bluffs, Iowa the best—it was slightly below ground level with a great window sill for sitting on and watching the world go by.

Our time at the cabin was wonderful and everybody enjoyed it. It’s like living in another world; one where time is suspended for awhile. Since coming home I feel disoriented. The house seems so big after our one room cabin. I wander from room to room trying to remember my daily patterns before they were changed. It’s a very odd feeling. I need to get over it fast because we have a kitchen to put back together! It looks lovely, but as yet all its cabinets and drawers are empty of all the “stuff” (a word I borrowed from Letty) that lies waiting in the room downstairs where it was carried about a month ago. Next week they start gutting our master bedroom. Oh, the fun of it all!

I am working on the moose photos and post, so stay tuned for more cabin before we really get back to life in New Jersey again. Thank you all for staying with me and commenting on my vacation posts. It was great to see you all there even if I had limited time and internet access to reply. I wasn’t ignoring you, really I wasn’t.

It’s good to be home again. At least I think it is ... until we need to move out of our bedroom next week ...

Welcome Home Lynne!
Hope you are refreshed from your trip out west and ready to settle back in to being a “Jersey Girl”....
Regards….Susan

I’m so glad you had a genuine retreat. You’ve had quite a year. Sounds like the trip was healing and restorative, as it should have been.

Glad you’re back on my coast again, though. Welcome home!

That sounds like a wonderful trip.  I was visiting Iowa for a week during the same time you were passing through.  I saw many flooded cornfields and rivers overflowing their banks,and it was much worse in other parts of the state.  Those poor people.

Your photographs are absolutely gorgeous!  Thanks for sharing them.