I was happy to finally meet Stacey and Dustin's new puppy, "Deisel".
And yes, she is wearing a sweater! (Mom bought it and made me bring it). I thought that was a "lonely old lady thing" to do to your ugly toy poodle, but hey, thats just me talking.
But she is really cute, as you can see. She is really spunky and playful. I brought Maxine along for the trip and by the end of the first day, Diesel was chasing her around the living room.
But for most of the weekend, Stacey, Dustin, and I went backpacking along the Buffalo River in Arkansas with three of their friends. No toilets, no showers,no city lights, nothing that weighs more than ten pounds and doesn't fit in a backpack. It was a blast! This place was out in the middle of nowhere. We had to drive almost 20 minutes on this mud road through the woods just to get there. By the time we got to the trailhead, it was almost ten at night. I must say, hiking in the dark is a very cool experience. The moonlight was so bright out there we barely needed a flashlight....Luckily it was a clear night.
The scenery was amazing. The trails we were on passed a ton of lookout points and clifftops. I really didn't think Arkansas had that kind of landscape.
All three days put together, we covered about 14 miles. Maxine did so well. We got her her own backpack so she caried all her food and a few other things. She was a trooper. I didnt think she was tired until the ride home on sunday when she slept the whole 8 hour ride home and most of monday.
All in all, it was a great trip. I haven't been on a trip like that in so long. It feels good to be self sufficient. I like not having to rely on so much modern technology and comforts. It was also a blast to spend some time with Stacey and Dustin. I wish it was easier to come down there more often.
