Home to the Hills of Vermont

Thanks again for reading my canine communications!

Very big and very wet kisses, Mookie "The Bloggin Dog"

A Bit About Spinogaroni

I just wanted to make a brief mention of the diet of my human companions.  I think it is no strange coincidence that a favorite dish created  by the family on this trip included ...dog...hot dog that is.  So, in one pot combine:  Annie's macaroni & cheese, hot dogs and frozen spinach. And you get: Spinogaroni...

Nearing the End of our Journey in Niagara Falls

 This shall be the last of many scenic stops along this grand adventure.  We all grow a bit anxious to head home to the sweet green hills of Vermont.  This is clearly a marvel of the world...

As was this strange, but delicious looking, black squirrel that roamed near the falls:

Thanks for reading my canine communications!

Very big and very wet kisses, Mookie "The Bloggin Dog"

Homes from the Past in Michigan

 

Dave spent part of his youth in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  In fact, here he is on that street.  As it was on the way home, we decided to make a stop here and stomp around in Dave’s old stomping grounds.  Pictured here is Dave’s home when he was 6 – 9 years old.   

And this was Fox Hills Elementary School where he went to 1^st through 4^th grades. 

But, the real reason for stopping here, especially for Anika and Caleb was to visit Greenfield Village at the Henry Ford Museum.  For you Vermonters, this museum is a historical period reenactment museum, much like the Shelburne Museum, one of Anika and Caleb’s favorite museums.  Henry Ford spent some of his fortune to bring famous houses (Henry Ford, Noah Webster, Robert Frost) and laboratories and workshops (Thomas Edison, The Wright Brothers); as well as period craftsman, (Blacksmith, Tin Smith, Pottery Shop); and according to the family a

lot more.  Here are some pictures of the highlights:

The rides were all restored vehicles of the time period and included trains, Model T's, and horse drawn carts.

 

 

Pretty girls in pretty surroundings.

 And pretty meaningful houses:

The Cotswold Cottage and Robert Frost's Home.

We keep heading back east and next will cross into Canada to get to Niagara Falls.

Until then, big wet kisses, Mookie “The Bloggin’ Dog”



South Dakota – Where: “Objects in Mirror ARE Closer Than They Appear”

We started on our eastward swing that would take us on a northerly route towards home.  But, along the way we will make a few brief stops.  One of which was Mount Rushmore.  This iconic sculpture has been seen in pictures the world over, even by us canine types.  But, it is a different view from up close.  It is very impressive indeed.

It will be interesting to see if Crazy Horse’s mountainside sculpture turns out as impressive.  It has taken them a long time to get to even this point. 

While in South Dakota, we stayed at the very beautiful Custer State Park.  Unfortunately, the family was in need of some culture.  As soon as we arrived they ran down to what they said was a very nice theater right in the park called The Black Hills Playhouse.  They watched The  39 Steps, a more humorous version of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie of the same name but similar plot.  (Hey, I read the theater journals too you know.)

Custer State Park was created in hopes of preserving the bison that had been decimated in the early westward expansion of this country.  (Yes, I read history books too!)  So, even though the family had seen massive herds of these big fuzzy creatures they were really hoping to get a close up view.

Their first day (of just 2 in the park), they had close up views of these prairie dogs.  (They don’t look much like dogs to me – more like chew toys.)

They got a close up view this antelope mother and youngin’.

They got a close up view of this delicious, I mean cute, little bunny.

They got close up views of these wild burros. 

In fact, they got a real close up view of these burros.

From now on this warning on our car mirror will take on a whole new meaning.  Sorry, bad joke - I am sure I just made an ass of myself…  (I am such a punny puppy!)

So, where are all these bison? 

By the way, what did the Dad buffalo say to his son when he finally left home?  "Bye (bi) son!"  Ha-Ha  (I am such a comical canine!)  But I digress…where are the bison?! 

Well when the family started heading back to camp they finally saw this one lone buffalo grazing road-side.

So, we were all resigned to the fact that perhaps this would all we would see on our visit to this renowned “bison preserve”.  And then we started heading out of the park the next morning and found these…

And all of these!

And there were these posers.  I bet these guys were hired by the state park's marketing team.

Ah well, we had finally had our close encounters of the bison kind.  By day…

...or night…

We had plenty of objects to see in South Dakota that were "closer than they appear" here in my blog.

Next, we have a long stretch of driving towards the windy city and then a stop in Michigan.

Until then, big wet kisses,

Mookie “The Bloggin’ Dog”