Chaplin... Another sad day.

Roger here...  Nine years ago we visited a local kennel near Indianapolis, Wildaire Whippets, to find a playmate for our whippet, Jasper.  We came home with a nine-month-old whippet whose nickname was AWOL.  (I can't remember for sure, but his AKC name was something like "Catch me if you can" -- also appropriate! -- D.)  The name was appropriate.  He was an escape artist during his first few years.  We renamed him "Chaplin," due to the black eyebrows over each eye that reminded us of Charlie Chaplin.  Within a year, the spots disapeared.  (You can see them in the professional photo below of Jasper and Chaplin taken in the fall -- D.  In the photo below, you can see that Chaplin even lunched at Sloppy Joe's in Key West.  At least he didn't have a boring life. -- D.)

The breeders intended to keep him as a show dog.  He was a handsome boy.  However, his personality did not lend itself to the show ring.  He was a quiet, submissive, easily-frightened dog who was also a little stubborn.  He would never do anything unless it was his idea.  Good news for us, because he was also a loving dog.  He was a perfect fit in our family.

When he was younger, despite our efforts, he did escape a few times.  One time neighbors brought him back in the bed of a truck after we scoured the neighborhood with pictures.  Another, very notable time, he bolted (there was no catching a dog that runs at 35 mph) at Lake Cumberland State Park in Kentucky.   We tramped through the forest and along the roads for four hours.  People had seen him chasing the wild turkeys, but we could not locate him.  A very kind park ranger befriended him and brought him to us.

Chaplin was the most gentle dog I have ever known.  He did not bark.  He was never aggressive in any situations.  When he wanted attention, he would stand next to you, quietly begging to be petted and occasionally licking your hand.  He spent countless nights snuggling next to me on the couch while I watched TV.  If I became tense (while watching a Purdue basketball game), he would hop down and seek Dianne.

He loved playing with other dogs, especially when he was younger.  He ran like the wind.  He hopped around in a manner that reminded me of Tigger.  He was a chick magnet whenever people were around.  He always seemed to find ladies and girls who wanted to pet him.

When our granddaughter, Kaia, was a toddler, he reluctantly allowed her to play with him.  She used to dress him up and on one occasion put pink lipstick, a skirt, and a pink ponytail elastic with a bow on his head.  Poor little guy.  (Needless to say, the ponytail holder was removed from his head immediately after these photos! -- D.)

This has not been a good year for our boys.  We lost Jasper in January due to a tumor on one of his kidneys.  On September 11th, of all days, Chaplin lost his battle with subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive type of skin cancer.

Unlike the unexpected loss of Jasper, we knew that disease would eventually claim Chaplin.  We first discovered the disease 2 1/2 years ago at Stone Mountain State Park in North Carolina, when we could not stop the bleeding from a sore on his stomach.  We had that tumor removed, but the local vet in Indiana did not recognize the disease.  Over the past two years, vets in Texas diagnosed the disease and removed multiple tumors on two occasions.  His last tumor was in an inoperable place.  We knew that when it inevitably started to bleed (With this disease the blood does not clot and the wounds never heal), that we would lose him.  

We truly miss our gentle, quiet dog that has been our constant companion for the past nine years.


Bandido, Mr. Energy, does draw our attention away from our loss.  BUT, things are not the same around here.  We miss our quiet, loving boy.

I guess we're no longer "Traveling with Whippets," but we're keeping the name, for now at least.  Jasper and Chaplin both will be traveling with us in spirit.  -- D.

Oubache (Wabash) State Park - with pictures this time

Roger here....   The sunset photo segues a goodbye to the Indy area and an arrival at Oubache (pronounced Wabash) State Park just outside Bluffton, IN (near Fort Wayne), where we spent eight nights.  


This particular state park was a very pleasant surprise to us.  Lots of hiking trails, biking trails, and unique nature viewing.  We had scheduled a time to visit my brother in Ohio in early September, and needed a place to stay for eight days, including Labor Day.  Oubache State park more than filled the bill.  The only drawback was a pesky tree branch that partially blocked our satellite reception.  We were able to get TV, but not internet.  Oh well --- a small price to pay for eight activity-filled and relaxing days in one of our favorite campgrounds.

I'll start with the relaxing part.  Our campsite was surrounded by trees that allowed dappled sunlight to penetrate all day long.  It was also huge.  

Three trees located just behind the motor home provided a perfect setting for the hammock that we only drag out of the bay for worthy settings. 
  

Here is a shot of Dianne enjoying a good book while resting on the hammock.

Here is a shot of Dianne ten minutes later.

(Photo used under protest....D.)

Oubache has lots of hiking trails.  Bandido drug us along on all of them, including a six-miler on the last day of our visit.  




Several of the trails led to the lake.  A good place for Bandido to cool off.

Most of the trails provided a healthy environment for an abundant growth of various types of fungus.  Right after taking this picture, we noticed that the forest surrounding us was filled with hundreds of red fungi.  Dianne took a picture that we did not think would capture the view because of the dark shade.  We were wrong.  We love this picture.

I mentioned the unique wildlife.  Here are a couple of examples.  Have you ever seen a coal-black squirrel?  Before Oubache I had only seen squirrels in various shades of brown.  This guy in the picture above hung around our campsite.  Sorry about the fuzzy picture; with his constant movement, this was the clearest picture we were able to get.   He was an active little bugger.


The big surprise at Oubache is its bison (buffalo) area.  Several of the hikes led to the huge enclosure where a dozen or so bison, including this little guy who was born in early August, make their home.

Bandido showed off his herding prowess by attempting to reign in the bull (on the other side of the fence).  

When we weren't relaxing and hiking, we were biking.  Oubache has an outstanding six-mile paved bike trail that winds along the Wabash River into the quaint town of Bluffton.  Half of the trail meanders through the woods in the state park.  The other half is part of a public parkway that skirts the river. 

This covered bridge, near Bluffton was fun to ride our bikes through.  (We are evidently in Amish country.)

 The wooden sculptures on which the mile-markers were displayed added to the atmosphere.  

Manicured gardens and interesting old houses provided additional scenery along the way.

Back at the campground...  A really nice extended  family (grandparents, parents, and kids) occupied several of the sites near us over the Labor Day weekend.  Before departing on Monday, they offered us a load of their very burnable firewood.  We spent the last two nights and the chilly day in the middle huddled next to the fire.  We even used it to grill the chicken for our chicken burritos.

In a side note...  during our stay the daily high temperatures certainly ran the gamut.  During the first few days it was in the lower eighties (perfect).  Then it broiled to nearly 100 degrees for three days in a row (hiking and biking only in the morning). (There was such a demand for power with the crowds and heat on Saturday that the electricity was out part of the hot afternoon.  We were sure glad when it came back on! -- D.)   During the last two days the temperature never made it out of the 50s!   Brrr!  Great campfire weather.

The pet picture of the day is a special one.   

During our last hike (in the chilly weather) we met a lady walking four greyhounds -- an unexpected surprise.  An hour later, during the same hike, we met a man walking two whippets.  It is amazing to see how normally sedate Chaplin perks up when he sees other sighthounds.  After talking with the owner for a few minutes, we determined that his older whippet, Dyson, was found through the same breeder Wildaire Whippets where Chaplin was born in Mt. Comfort, IN.  It is a small world!  Here is a picture of Dyson and Chaplin:

Right now we are visiting my brother in Ohio for a few days.  From there we have an appointment for motor home maintenance back near Indianapolis on the 13th, so we'll be heading back to the Hoosier state, at least for a couple of days, before starting our long trek south.

Mackinac Island

Roger here....  The opening picture is along the bike, pedestrian and horse-only road on Mackinac Island.  Pretty, huh?


Yesterday, we traveled from Sault Ste. Marie to St. Ignace, a short, hour-long drive.  We are still in the Upper Peninsula, but just a bridge away from the "mitten" of Michigan.  We are staying at Straits State Park and will write about our campsite in a future post.


The main purpose of our stop here was a visit to Mackinac Island.  Since the weather forecast was mid-seventies and sunny, after taking the boys for a long walk, we did that today.

The drive to the ferry dock was a short one.  It took more time to unload our bikes (which we took with us) from the car rack, than it did to drive to Shepler's Ferry Service.  Dianne snapped a quick photo of the St. Ignace Lighthouse as we left the harbor.

Shepler's Ferry Service was extremely well-organized and customer-friendly.  An agent met us in the parking lot to make sure that our bicycles made it to the ferry -- an amazing absence of hassles.  The boat left on time and took us on a quick side trip underneath the Mackinac Bridge.  The fifth largest suspension bridge in the world is pretty impressive from this angle.

We encountered a parasailer along the way.

On the way into the harbor at Mackinac Island we were able to take a pic of the Grand Hotel ($10, just to walk on the grounds -- not for us), really nice houses on the hill, and yet another light house.

Our main activity was to be an 8.2 mile bike ride around the perimeter of the island.  Since no motor vehicles are allowed on the island and the ride was billed as flat, the trip fit Dianne's criteria for the perfect ride.  But first, lunch.

We searched the main street for quite a while to find an open space to park the bikes.  As you can see, the hundreds of bikes allowed for very few open spaces.  It reminded me of trying to find a space to park our car when we visited our daughter in Chicago.

When we finally snagged a space, we were in front of the Chippewa Hotel and the Pink Pony Bar & Grill -- love the mural behind the bar.  The menu looked good, so in we went.  

We picked well.  Our whitefish sandwiches were delicious.  Our table was right by the street so we had a view of the street traffic --  The Grand Hotel Carriage, and an actual beer wagon pulled by horses, heaped with boxes of various brands of beer.

The main street experience on Mackinac Island was reminiscent of the Main Street area of Disney World (including the crowds).  The difference...  these buildings were more than facades.  


Okey Dokey... on to the bike ride.  I already laid out Dianne's bike riding criteria: flat, no cars, etc.  The ride had other attributes -- perfect weather, no wind, beautiful landscaping and amazing seascapes (as seen in the opening photo).  Dianne was happy.  I was happy.

I REALLY enjoyed all the cairns that hundreds of people have erected along the rocky coast over the years.  This is usually Dianne's domain, but after a few miles I decided that we must leave our mark.

As we neared the end of our ride and re-entered the town area we passed some amazing Victorian houses.  (Our last house was a 1902 Victorian house, so these magnificent houses had an impact on us.)  Here are a few shots:

Before I leave this part of the blog we did, indeed, buy some fudge :-).  We also bought some American Spoon Mango-Habanero salsa and some Sour Cherry Preserves that we sampled in one of the shops (thanks, Steve).


Back at the campsite.  Bob and Linda, our friends and neighbors at Retama Village, are also staying at Straits State Park.  We had a delicious dinner at their place last night.  More about that in the next post.  


We took the pet picture of the day at the Aune-Osborne Campground in Sault Ste. Marie.  Dianne ran into a couple walking FOUR whippets.  (It is hard to have just one.)  Dianne took Chaplin to meet the four female whippets the next day.  He was very excited to meet the pretty girls!