Guest writer…

This week we’re on the road again and since I posted one picture of Diesel last week that garnered way more likes than I ever have, I decided he can write this week’s post.

Hello from Utah everyone! From what I understand, it’s another state, but still part of the same country as Illinois. It feels like a different planet to me! The trees are different – dad calls them aspen, pine, and spruce. The birds are different, bigger than back home. Even the hummingbirds are twice as big as the ones in our backyard… and there are A LOT of them. The deer here are kind of funny looking. I see deer in our backyard all the time, but these Utah deer have big ears. There are also herds of tiny deer they call antelope. Not only do they look different, they smell different too. It seems my nose never stops working here.

The dogs here are different too. They look the same as back home, but they just seem “to know something” that I don’t. They’re friendlier and more confident than I’m used to, preferring to be outside all the time, and even riding in the beds of pick-up trucks. I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready for that (and you can bet mom will never let me). Dad says it’s “NFL season” with mom (No Fun Lady), and I have to admit, there’s plenty I don’t get to do because she wants to keep me safe.

One really cool thing I was allowed to do was go to this huge dog park at the base of the Olympic Park. I don’t know what the Olympics are, but it’s a pretty big deal in Park City. I got to run free in over 100 acres of thick grass and there was a huge pond to swim in. Dad and I spent 45 minutes watching one dog try and catch a duck. He never succeeded, but boy, was he tired when they finally got him out of that pond. Some said he looked like Katie Ledecky.

It was a long two-day drive to get out here and I understand we passed through a few different states. None of that means too much to me. My dad’s truck has a huge moonroof that gives me great views and the sun comes in for my long travel naps. About once an hour I’ll wake up to check on mom and dad and investigate new sights that we may be passing.

Rest stops are awesome! The windows come down and new smells fill the truck. This is always followed by a walk somewhere new, and my parental figures usually have to beg me to get back in the truck. Leaving one stop in Iowa, before I got back to sleep, dad said, “Check out this wind farm!” I wasn’t sure what that was but I did not like it. I usually don’t set foot in the front seats but that warranted a visit to mom’s lap (and now that I’m 60 pounds, I’m more than a lap dog). Those things were scary! I thought it was an alien invasion.

Back home there doesn’t seem to be much to driving. The roads are straight and I’ve sure never seen a mountain in Illinois. The last few days have shown me that not every state is like that. I keep hearing the term elevation come from the front seat and more than once, I’ve done a face plant into the truck door going around curves.

We rode the Rockies for over 4 hours down to a place called Zion National Park. The ride down was cool but once we got there….wow. All the rocks turned different colors and they went straight up. The moonroof really came in handy, and mom and dad said a lot of things like amazing, beautiful, made by God… and then mom kept saying, “Keep your eyes on the road!” …and “Watch the turn!”

This was the view from our hotel room.

I have learned a new skill while we’ve been on the road. Did you know that when we enter national parks, we have to pay to get in? In order to pay, dad usually rolls down my window as well so I can say hi. The rangers all love me and I’ve learned that if I drop a toy out of the window, they’ll come pick it up and maybe even give me a treat! So now, every time my window goes down, I drop out a toy (ha ha). So if you see an extra toy or two on the road, it’s probably mine.

Dad says even though I’m writing, I need to tie this into him having Lou Gehrig’s disease. I’ve learned how to Google and found that Lou Gehrig was a huge dog lover. He shared much of his time with his best friend, Afra of Cosalta. I’m sure Afra loved his dad much as I do mine! Because dad’s left hand doesn’t work that great anymore, I always return the ball to my dad’s right hand (and only chew on the fingers of his right hand as well). Good boy, Afra.

This trip has been amazing. I’ve learned so much! And mom and dad, as well as tons of new people, keep telling me how good I am. We start back tomorrow and I’m going to be sad to leave all my new friends. I keep hearing mom and dad talk about coming back. I hope that happens soon.

Dad says it’s time to wrap it up so mom can edit it from the road tomorrow. He says to pick out some of my favorite songs to bring this week to a close so – happy listening!

My name may not be Boo, but there are three of us.

I Love My Dog by Cat Stevens (that’s funny). Enough said.

Dad’s about as much of a kid as I can imagine.

One final thought.

Thanks for following and keeping up with my dad. I know he appreciates it. I had fun writing this week. There are so many more lessons to be learned, places to see, and stories to tell. Maybe he’ll let me write again.

May God bless you as much as he’s blessed us.

Diesel