It's been a while, been a looooong wet winter. We haven't made it back to Jekyll yet but we're still hoping. Dad's also interested in checking out a state park up in Winder. It's got dog-friendly cabins and looks like it might be nice. To date though, circumstances have conspired to keep us from any major expeditions and that's actually turned out to be a bit of a learning experience for us.
Dad's been taking us on a lot of shorter local trips. Lil and I love to lounge on the loveseat dad put in the van for us. There's room enough for a luxurious sprawl for both of us and Lil seems to understand that my sharing the loveseat with her in no way indicates that I have given up my rights to the front seat. Unfortunately, there aren't too many places where we can just stop and run or swim so we usually try to get over to the park in Pooler but being as how that's 25 or so miles away, the opportunities are fewer than we'd like.
Dad was talking to one of his coworkers a while back who asked why we didn't just go to the park in Ellabell. Well, we just never thought of it. To be truthful, when one is planning a fun outing, Ellabell just doesn't jump out but as it happens, there's a lovely park over there and it's only 5 miles away. It also seems to be much more dog-friendly with fewer restrictions and lots and lots of room to run and swim in the several acres of interconnected ponds. As it's just down the road from us, we can go pretty much any time we please and we do. Dad's got to work the night shift tonight but still had time to take us both for an hour or so. Unfortunately, he wouldn't let me bring home any of the geese that were sharing our pond. I just want to go on record as saying that I would very much like to bring home a goose or duck some day. In spite of that, I'm so glad we discovered this gem. We're not going to give up on doing some big trips now and then too but life just always seems to get in the way of the bigger plans and scaling down our ambitions a bit has resulted in a lot more opportunities to address our original goal of making some happy memories together while we're still able.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Jekyll Island
I apologize for being slow to post this but Dad has been having a lot of trouble with his back lately and Lilly and I have been busy looking after him. In a way, it's great 'cause he hasn't been going to that stinky old mill lately although I hear him occasionally grumbling about having to go to "another damned doctor". I'm not entirely sure what a "damned doctor" is but I think it's kind of like a Vet for humans. That's not the only thing that confuses me lately. For a few days there, the only way he could get around was by putting these strange-looking chew sticks up under his armpits and hobbling around like that. Eventually, he put them up in favor of his shillelagh ( which is just a different type of chew stick ) in order to move about. In the past, whenever the shillelagh came off it's hanger on the wall, it meant that we were going for a walk, ride or both but it's significance has definitely changed radically of late. It's kind of got me wondering but at the same time, it's made me feel extremely fortunate to have four legs instead of two.
Fortunately, before this all happened, Dad and I were able to check out Jekyll Island which is down near Brunswick, Ga. It's a pretty good ride from here but then most everything is. If you're looking for miles and miles of secluded, leash-free beach absolutely littered with "driftwood" that is actually the eroded carcasses of huge trees to explore, this one is definitely a keeper! The island is actually a state park so there's a small parking fee to get in but once you're there, it's like stepping back in time. It is, by no means, primitive but it does lack the over-development and commercialization that is so prevalent nowdays. It has pretty much all of the amenities that humans find so necessary to their survival but is free of strip-zoning and garish shops, bars and tattoo parlors that are so common in seaside getaways.
The south beaches (south of the convention center) are much more human-oriented but some allow dogs with certain restrictions but Driftwood Beach on the northern end of the island is a whole different story. We entered by the fishing pier up by the campground and walked for miles without hardly ever seeing another human or dog. Part of that is due, I'm sure, to the fact that we went on a week day fairly early in the year (about mid June) but I'm sure that this area never becomes as congested as some of the more "civilized" beaches. There are no Tiki bars or seaside eateries here. You're on your own but if you're up being self-sufficient, the payoff is worth it. Leashes are not required here and there's tons of room and stuff to explore. That being said, one must keep in mind that the other dogs there are not on leashes either and some of them are extremely large. Everyone we saw there (no more than a dozen humans is the course of an afternoon) seemed to be there for the same reason though, to get away from it all and we never did come within a couple hundred yards from any other party.
At first, Dad was a little disappointed that dogs were not allowed on the fishing pier which he described as awesome but later realized that it wasn't really a necessity. Not far south of the pier is an area where the woods are fairly close to the water and it would be possible, late in the day, to fish from the shady edge of the beach. This shade has other benefits as well. On most beaches, the sun is always a factor to be kept in mind but here it's possible to thread your way along while shielded from the worst of the afternoon sun. Even then it's a good idea to bring fresh water with you. Once it gets warm, we never leave the house without a big cooler of water which we left at the van. In retrospect, it would have been better to have had a smaller, more portable source of water with us as well. The beach was so nice that we had wandered much further than we'd planned and were both quite thirsty when we finally got back. We were never in any danger but it would have been nice to have.
Here's a few shots that Dad took with his phone. You wouldn't believe how many little critters hang out in those root systems and little pools! Notice how we're the only ones there. You'd have to walk about 3/4 of a mile before you might see someone else. Then again, you may not.
Yeah, we're definitely coming back here and next time we'll bring Miss Lilly too. She'll love it here. Beach access is quite informal on the north end. Dad says it reminds him somewhat of Vermont where you'll be driving on a wooded road, spot a couple of vehicles parked on the shoulder and, upon further investigation, find yourself a brand new swimming hole.
The rest of the island bears further exploration as well. Like I said, it quiet and relaxed but not empty. Following the road past the campground, there's what looks to be a village square filled with shops with food and merchandise all presented in good taste. We were too tired to do any further exploring but I'm guessing that this area is as dog-friendly as the rest of the island as there were several dogs with their humans on leashes milling around the shops. Really could have used an ice cream about then but we just didn't have it in us. As it was, I slept most of the way home.
Speaking of sleep, we really never got much of a chance to check out overnight accommodations either. Dad had done some research online and surmised that most of the dog-friendliness in that industry is pretty high-priced with a lot of places requiring $110.00+ in the way of a non-refundable deposit per pet. Most places also put a size restriction of generally around 10-15 pounds as well. There are a couple of lower-end establishments on the north end of the island that may prove serviceable as long as lower-end does not equate with nasty. I have no particular preference as to whether my water and food are presented in Waterford crystal or plastic bowls so long as they are clean and Dad's not much fussier either. I'll let you know if we find anything worthwhile. Meanwhile, Dad's talking about digging out his old Love Beads and buying an old VW bus to bring to the campground. I have no idea what he's talking about but I'm thinking that "campground" sounds like it might be fun.
By way of a summary for this adventure, if you're looking for the typical busy beach scene and just want to be able to bring your dog along for the ride, this is probably not what you're looking for but if you are looking for a place to take your dog(s) where you can share hours of uninterrupted solitude in a largely-unspoiled natural setting, you might be as pleased with this gem as we were. Like I said, some self-sufficiency is required but with just a little pre-planning you can both enjoy a day of beach-combing or surf casting or both without the complications and distractions of modern everyday life.
Fortunately, before this all happened, Dad and I were able to check out Jekyll Island which is down near Brunswick, Ga. It's a pretty good ride from here but then most everything is. If you're looking for miles and miles of secluded, leash-free beach absolutely littered with "driftwood" that is actually the eroded carcasses of huge trees to explore, this one is definitely a keeper! The island is actually a state park so there's a small parking fee to get in but once you're there, it's like stepping back in time. It is, by no means, primitive but it does lack the over-development and commercialization that is so prevalent nowdays. It has pretty much all of the amenities that humans find so necessary to their survival but is free of strip-zoning and garish shops, bars and tattoo parlors that are so common in seaside getaways.
The south beaches (south of the convention center) are much more human-oriented but some allow dogs with certain restrictions but Driftwood Beach on the northern end of the island is a whole different story. We entered by the fishing pier up by the campground and walked for miles without hardly ever seeing another human or dog. Part of that is due, I'm sure, to the fact that we went on a week day fairly early in the year (about mid June) but I'm sure that this area never becomes as congested as some of the more "civilized" beaches. There are no Tiki bars or seaside eateries here. You're on your own but if you're up being self-sufficient, the payoff is worth it. Leashes are not required here and there's tons of room and stuff to explore. That being said, one must keep in mind that the other dogs there are not on leashes either and some of them are extremely large. Everyone we saw there (no more than a dozen humans is the course of an afternoon) seemed to be there for the same reason though, to get away from it all and we never did come within a couple hundred yards from any other party.
At first, Dad was a little disappointed that dogs were not allowed on the fishing pier which he described as awesome but later realized that it wasn't really a necessity. Not far south of the pier is an area where the woods are fairly close to the water and it would be possible, late in the day, to fish from the shady edge of the beach. This shade has other benefits as well. On most beaches, the sun is always a factor to be kept in mind but here it's possible to thread your way along while shielded from the worst of the afternoon sun. Even then it's a good idea to bring fresh water with you. Once it gets warm, we never leave the house without a big cooler of water which we left at the van. In retrospect, it would have been better to have had a smaller, more portable source of water with us as well. The beach was so nice that we had wandered much further than we'd planned and were both quite thirsty when we finally got back. We were never in any danger but it would have been nice to have.
Here's a few shots that Dad took with his phone. You wouldn't believe how many little critters hang out in those root systems and little pools! Notice how we're the only ones there. You'd have to walk about 3/4 of a mile before you might see someone else. Then again, you may not.
The rest of the island bears further exploration as well. Like I said, it quiet and relaxed but not empty. Following the road past the campground, there's what looks to be a village square filled with shops with food and merchandise all presented in good taste. We were too tired to do any further exploring but I'm guessing that this area is as dog-friendly as the rest of the island as there were several dogs with their humans on leashes milling around the shops. Really could have used an ice cream about then but we just didn't have it in us. As it was, I slept most of the way home.
Speaking of sleep, we really never got much of a chance to check out overnight accommodations either. Dad had done some research online and surmised that most of the dog-friendliness in that industry is pretty high-priced with a lot of places requiring $110.00+ in the way of a non-refundable deposit per pet. Most places also put a size restriction of generally around 10-15 pounds as well. There are a couple of lower-end establishments on the north end of the island that may prove serviceable as long as lower-end does not equate with nasty. I have no particular preference as to whether my water and food are presented in Waterford crystal or plastic bowls so long as they are clean and Dad's not much fussier either. I'll let you know if we find anything worthwhile. Meanwhile, Dad's talking about digging out his old Love Beads and buying an old VW bus to bring to the campground. I have no idea what he's talking about but I'm thinking that "campground" sounds like it might be fun.
By way of a summary for this adventure, if you're looking for the typical busy beach scene and just want to be able to bring your dog along for the ride, this is probably not what you're looking for but if you are looking for a place to take your dog(s) where you can share hours of uninterrupted solitude in a largely-unspoiled natural setting, you might be as pleased with this gem as we were. Like I said, some self-sufficiency is required but with just a little pre-planning you can both enjoy a day of beach-combing or surf casting or both without the complications and distractions of modern everyday life.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
'Gators!
Dad and I took a ride to Magnolia Springs
State Park a little while back to reconnoiter its potential as a day or overnight trip with Miss
Lilly. Lil’s not quite so adventurous as
me and doesn’t seem to enjoy riding just for the sake of riding so there’s got
to be some kind of payoff at the end to make it all worth the worry. When Lil was young, she had no use for riding
whatsoever until, one day when Mom was babysitting a friend’s dogs which, for some reason, entailed
a lot of swimming and sunbathing in their pool and invited dad and us to join
her that Lil’s attitude changed dramatically.
That was a bittersweet experience for all of us. First, we had been promised a pizza and that,
I’m sorry to say, never happened for whatever reason. Lil, however, discovered their “cement
pond”. Now Miss Lilly loves to swim! I’ve seen her dive six feet out and eight
feet down into the water without hardly leaving a ripple and she fell right in
love with that big old cement pond. Me,
not so much. Here I am doing what comes naturally for my breed, pottering
around at the edges of the water when, overcome by concern for my missing
pizza, I lost my footing and fell into the deep end with a loud splash and more
than just a little ripple. Now I’m a
great swimmer too but I usually prefer to initiate the activity myself and like to do it with just a little more
style. Point is, that despite my embarrassment and the dearth
of pizza (Did I mention that we were promised pizza?), I wouldn’t have stayed
at the house for anything. Lil though,
like I say, has to have that end reward.
I
digress.
With our original objective in mind, we set off to explore the park. To say the least, it was a disappointment on
many levels. We could have lived with
the fact that it is kind of run down. A
lot of the park fixtures like benches and the observation deck are decades old
and evidently still sporting their original paintjob. The advertised crystal clear water was not in
evidence anywhere. I’m sure that
wherever it first comes out of the ground that it is clear but it quickly turns into the blackwater that is so
prevalent in this part of the country. At
the far end of the spring, we could see evidence of a well-kept lodge and
manicured grounds but this was not open to the public, not even dogs. Another thing that looked to be a great feature of this park was the
abundance of squirrels in need of learning respect for little red dogs. Again, this turned out to be a source of
disappointment. Dad wouldn’t let me
tutor any of them, not because of the leash requirement (for some reason, dad
drops the leash quite a lot ) but because of the ‘gators. Yeah, the ‘gators. I guess the sign saying not to feed the fish
or the ‘gators should have been a tipoff but even though ‘gators are all around
here, you usually think of them being in or close to the water. It wasn’t until we’d reached the point of no
return on the trail and were, by then, some distance from the water that we
noticed the profusion of ‘gator tracks on the soft sand path. “Gators didn’t only live here, they
abounded! With me having lost a good
deal of my interest in enlightening a few squirrels and dad having fond
remembrances of his revolver which he left at the house, we hightailed it out
of there, never to return. I’m not
saying it’s a terrible place but definitely not what we had in mind for sitting
outside the cabin (which actually looked pretty decent) by the fire relaxing with
a pizza and maybe a cold beer.
That’s the difference between me and Lil.
The destination today was a disappointment but the day was not. We had a nice ride, had and survived an
adventure and were happy to spend time together which, of course, was the point
all along. Dad says that before our next
long adventure, he’s going to take me and Lil in to town for ice cream so Lil
knows she’s not being excluded and meanwhile, we’ll keep on the lookout for a
better day/overnight trip. Dad’s been
looking online for some affordable beachfront cabins but says all he’s found so
far is a new oxymoron. I have absolutely
no idea what he’s talking about and just wag my tail and look at him sweetly
when he gets like that.
Our next planned adventure is Jekyll Island which claims to be the most dog-friendly place in Georgia. We'll see ya soon.
Hi Y'all
Chances are that if you're here, you've arrived via Cocopuff's Corner, my original blog combining my thoughtful dissertations on quality-of-life issues, noteworthy events from around the shelter and the community at large and my dad's sometimes maniacal rants. With that in mind, I'll not go into a prolonged introduction but if you did just happen to stumble here, please check out my profile and follow the link above to get an idea of who I am and what I'm all about.
It is my intention to use this blog to explore one specific quality-of-life issue that, in my mind, deserves special attention. Over the years, I've staunchly promoted the concept that the human/canine relationship can and should (for oh so many reasons) be more than just keeping a dawg around the yard and maybe tossing it some scraps and the odd bowl of Kibbles now and then. We see a lot of that around here but it is, by no means, the worst of what we see. Given proper nurturing, the relationship can be so much more rewarding, a symbiosis of two completely different species that even has scientists baffled because nowhere else in nature does this exist. For you who have already partaken of the fruit, no further explanation is necessary. You and your dog(s) have formed a superlative bond that could not be replicated in any other manner and the rewards for all concerned are just endless. The first and most important part of developing this relationship is inclusion. Most folk don't raise their human children by mostly ignoring them and neglecting them, It does happen though and we all know what the outcome is, and it ain't pretty. No less so with your dog.
Okay, you get it. You've accepted your pooch into the family and y'all share good times ( and even sometimes bad times, like going to the Vet) together but it's always a challenge to find activities that are compatible for both species in today's busy (and dangerous) world. I say activities because there's more to life for me, just like for you, than just sitting around with a good movie and a bowl of popcorn or a box of Cheeze-its. Yeah, that stuff's great but when I get old, I don't want that and the fact that I used to chase a ball around the yard to be the only remembrances of my life. Just like humans, dogs are all different but we all have one commonality, we need to be enlivened by things that interest and invigorate us and the challenge is always to seek out safe avenues that are mutually rewarding.
That's what this blog is all about. When I was younger, Dad had a few less responsibilities and we had more time to pursue what I've just described but with the constant addition of more and more tasks over the years, that has considerably diminished. A lot of our time together lately has consisted of me and Lil along with a few friends just hanging out with him while he worked on the "books" or paid bills and replied to correspondence. Now I'd rather do that than see him go off to the mill for the day (or night) but I also love to go out and do stuff. Fortunately, Dad has shed some of those responsibilities and although he will always have a lot in his bowl, he has recognized this gap and has made plans to remedy it. This necessitates proactively seeking out venues where we can get out and about together and share activities that are both safe and mutually rewarding and it falls upon me to take point on this venture to identify venues that would also be of value to our far-less-adventurous Miss Lilly as well. The Cocopuff Chronicles are basically a diary of our new adventures that may hopefully benefit others who wish to include their best friend(s) in the human world but even more so, they are intended to encourage an exchange of information between folks involved in similar pursuits. I would strongly encourage you all to share your thoughts and experiences either by replying to a specific post or emailing me at Cocopuff's blog. Not all replies can be published but I will doggedly try to pass on whatever information that is consistent with the theme of this blog. I'd love to hear from you!
Drooly yours
It is my intention to use this blog to explore one specific quality-of-life issue that, in my mind, deserves special attention. Over the years, I've staunchly promoted the concept that the human/canine relationship can and should (for oh so many reasons) be more than just keeping a dawg around the yard and maybe tossing it some scraps and the odd bowl of Kibbles now and then. We see a lot of that around here but it is, by no means, the worst of what we see. Given proper nurturing, the relationship can be so much more rewarding, a symbiosis of two completely different species that even has scientists baffled because nowhere else in nature does this exist. For you who have already partaken of the fruit, no further explanation is necessary. You and your dog(s) have formed a superlative bond that could not be replicated in any other manner and the rewards for all concerned are just endless. The first and most important part of developing this relationship is inclusion. Most folk don't raise their human children by mostly ignoring them and neglecting them, It does happen though and we all know what the outcome is, and it ain't pretty. No less so with your dog.
Okay, you get it. You've accepted your pooch into the family and y'all share good times ( and even sometimes bad times, like going to the Vet) together but it's always a challenge to find activities that are compatible for both species in today's busy (and dangerous) world. I say activities because there's more to life for me, just like for you, than just sitting around with a good movie and a bowl of popcorn or a box of Cheeze-its. Yeah, that stuff's great but when I get old, I don't want that and the fact that I used to chase a ball around the yard to be the only remembrances of my life. Just like humans, dogs are all different but we all have one commonality, we need to be enlivened by things that interest and invigorate us and the challenge is always to seek out safe avenues that are mutually rewarding.
That's what this blog is all about. When I was younger, Dad had a few less responsibilities and we had more time to pursue what I've just described but with the constant addition of more and more tasks over the years, that has considerably diminished. A lot of our time together lately has consisted of me and Lil along with a few friends just hanging out with him while he worked on the "books" or paid bills and replied to correspondence. Now I'd rather do that than see him go off to the mill for the day (or night) but I also love to go out and do stuff. Fortunately, Dad has shed some of those responsibilities and although he will always have a lot in his bowl, he has recognized this gap and has made plans to remedy it. This necessitates proactively seeking out venues where we can get out and about together and share activities that are both safe and mutually rewarding and it falls upon me to take point on this venture to identify venues that would also be of value to our far-less-adventurous Miss Lilly as well. The Cocopuff Chronicles are basically a diary of our new adventures that may hopefully benefit others who wish to include their best friend(s) in the human world but even more so, they are intended to encourage an exchange of information between folks involved in similar pursuits. I would strongly encourage you all to share your thoughts and experiences either by replying to a specific post or emailing me at Cocopuff's blog. Not all replies can be published but I will doggedly try to pass on whatever information that is consistent with the theme of this blog. I'd love to hear from you!
Drooly yours
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