“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” - Winnie The Pooh

 

Today, after 14 years with her, we had to say goodbye to Morgan. 

This is Morgan on the day we got her. She was such a tiny thing. From the day we got her until today, all she ever wanted was to be petted. She was the most loving dog to everyone who walked in the door. 

She loved all the grandkids so much. When they were babies, she just wanted to cuddle up with them. 

Morgan had two best dog friends in life. First, she had Dexter. She loved him so much. They were always together. They even shared a kennel. 

When Dexter died, Morgan was heartbroken. 

So along came Otis, her new best friend. 

They have been together for 10 years.

Otis is going to be lost without her....

Morgan has traveled all over the country with us. She loved going with us on our camping adventures.     

She also loved going on hikes with us. She would get so excited when she saw the leash come out. 

This is one of my favorite photos of Morgan and Otis. We were in White Sands National Park, and I let go of the leashes and just let the dogs run. It was pure joy! 

 

On one of our many camping trips, Oliver and Morgan sat by each other for a long time, looking off into the woods, hoping to spot a squirrel. Oliver and Morgan have always had a special bond...

Today has been so hard for us. We are heartbroken. Morgan loved everyone, and everyone loved Morgan. She was the best dog. 

I hope she is in doggy heaven, reunited with Dexter, and they are having a great time playing together. 

Give your pets an extra hug today...

Sharon  

"When you see the ocean and the infinite, it empties your mind." - Ilaiyaraaja

 

We finally got to go on a winter vacation again; the last time was in 2018! It has been way too long. Since Rick had never seen the ocean, we decided to go east. We packed the camper van and took three days to get to Hunting Island, South Carolina. 

We stayed at Hunting Island State Park, just outside of Beaufort, South Carolina. 

Our first day there was the warmest day. When we got there, it was 68 degrees and sunny. Rick was finally able to see the ocean and dip his feet in. It was a little too chilly to go swimming. 

The campsite was great, lots of room and quiet. 

We loved the campgrounds! We met several people who told us it was the best SC state campgrounds on the coast. I was glad that all my research was correct. 

There was a beautiful hiking trail that we went on a couple of times. 

We also went to the lighthouse that is being fixed, so we were unable to go up in it. 

They have a trail that went into the marsh. The Marsh was endless.

We also visited the nature center at the park. 

 

We hiked out to an island that's been devastated by erosion and hurricane damage over the years. 

We took the bikes to the beach. It was a very windy day, but we had a lot of fun biking in the sand. 

We went to Port Royal Cypress Wetlands and Rockery. It was pretty with all the Spanish moss in the trees. We even got to see an alligator 

We hopped on the Spanish Moss Bike trail in Port Royal and biked to Beaufort. We biked a total of 17.58 miles that day. It was so fun, and the trail was great. 

The next day, it rained intermittently. We visited the historic district in Beaufort, where we explored the shops and saw some of the beautiful historic homes. 

    ,

Since Rick was unable to make pizza for two weeks, we had to stop at a local pizza place for lunch. 

We went to a local seafood restaurant, The Seaside Bar & Grill 

It was so good!! 

On our last day, we did a 5-mile hike on the beach. 

We went to a local fish company and got 6 pounds of local caught shrimp to bring home. The shrimp is so good! 

We took one last bike ride before we had to pack up for home. 

The trip was a much-needed getaway from the stress and sadness of the last two years. It was also great to get away from all the awful things happening within our government. We did our best to stay off the news and pretend that all was right in the world. 

We had such a great time. We spent 10 days in the camper van. It was the longest trip we have taken with her. We are excited to take even longer trips with her. We are already planning next winter's getaway. 

Travel now...

Sharon