How Do They Know?

The dogs know something's up. Paddy has gone off his food. Oakly is clinging to me and as much as he loves visiting our neighbour, Sarah, she said he doesn't stay long now - he's anxious to get home. Boo has always been a home body (so no changes there) but she's lost her appetite as well. Perhaps the packing has unsettled them?

In between spells of heavy rain, we managed to get out to the rig with some kitchen bits 'n pieces. Items such as; bowls, platters, serving dishes, tea towels etc. We found places for everything, although I'm sure we'll rearrange it once we're on the road.

Before we headed back home we sat and enjoyed time with the dogs. They were both settled. Oakly likes to sit on the step and catch any new smells wafting by. It's a good spot to watch the world pass by too. Boo prefers to sit up on top of a lounge chair. She's got a good view from there, plus it's nice and comfy.

And Paddy likes his own space in the back of the truck. It's spacious, cosy and safe. All things that Paddy loves.

The new NZMCA Travel Directory arrived in the mail the other day. We had a quick look through to see if there were any new places to stay in the Nelson region that were dog-friendly. We saw a POP site out at Spring Grove we hadn't noticed before. So we decided to drive out and check it out, as we'd considered spending the last night in Nelson there.

It's only a coin donation(max. 3 nights) and dogs are allowed. There's a large, flat, grassy area in the front of the hall which would be great for parking - if the weather was fine.

Behind the hall there's a small gravel area where a couple of large vehicles could park on. There's water available too. It looked like an ideal place to stay and one we'll keep in mind.

Two - Dog Rule

This morning Bernie and I went to the Richmond Motorhome and Caravan Park to enquire about staying two nights. It’s only 10 minutes from home and we thought we could stay there for a few days when we leave the house to begin our new lifestyle. We wanted to be out of the house but close enough to pop back for a few days to ensure everything was top notch for the tenant.

The hostess ‘Rose’ welcomed us warmly and explained their campground had recently made a rule - only two dogs allowed.

Eeek. That’s us out. I really hope this won’t be a new trend.

You might be thinking … three dogs are a lot. And we agree, at times they are. But we love them to bits and when we got the third one we were living on a 5-acre lifestyle property on the West Coast. We hadn’t imagined we’d end up ‘living on the road’. Still, no regrets, they’re family.

We’ll make it work. It’ll just mean sometimes we’ll need a plan B.

So what is this plan B? We’re not completely sure yet, but it’ll go something like this – find a place to freedom camp, search for a spot that allows three dogs and/or throw the problem out there on the Facebook group ‘Motorhoming with Pets in N.Z.’. That group is amazing!

Here’s a brief summary of each of our dogs; Paddy, Oakly & Boo.

PADDY

Paddy (an Irish Water Spaniel) is our ‘special’ boy. Paddy joined our family when he was 8 weeks old with all the worries of the world on his shoulders. To look at Paddy, he appears confident, extra LARGE and snuggly. And he is all of these things when he’s at home with us. Paddy adores running flat out over wide-open places, swimming in rivers or the sea. He loves the back of the truck and going for drives. Unfortunately Paddy is extremely anxious around people, it takes him months to let someone new near him.

OAKLY

Oakly is a happy go lucky, friendly bichon/foxie cross. He loves life, loves people, and adventures. Nothing worries him. His favourite things are cats, linen cupboards, going for walks and meeting people and dogs. He has been known to jump in people’s cars at the beach wanting to go for a ride with them. Oakly has that special ability to read people’s emotions. If someone is anxious or unwell he will snuggle quietly beside them and lie with that person for however long it takes.

BOO

Boo’s the smallest and the youngest of the three dogs. She’s the boss. Boo needs to know where everyone is and relaxes once we’re altogether. When she was a pup she could escape from any enclosure. We came out of the supermarket once and she was sitting on the bonnet of the truck waiting for our return. Many times we would come home to find Boo sitting on the dog proof fence, waiting for us and mocking us. Perhaps one of her greatest escapes was running away from a rural ‘Doggy Day Care’. She managed to run across numerous farm paddocks, swim across a river, run miles along the beach and navigate her way through town to find her way home.

Each of our dogs has their own unique personality. We love them dearly. To us they are family. I’m grateful we have an opportunity to enjoy life on the road with them and hopeful not too many places will have restrictions on the number of dogs allowed.

First To Resign

Bernie won! He was the first to resign. And here he is on his last day of work.

This is the happy face of a man who is about to begin an early retirement.

I went to resign yesterday but the principal was away. This morning when I tried to do the same he was busy organising the school production. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get an opportunity.

Renting the house proved easier than we thought. Around 50 people were interested in the property. Many seemed to be potentially excellent tenants with outstanding references. One offered to pay a years rent up front.

A lady, Jay, from Masterton rang and asked if she could view the property earlier than the proposed weekend we had set aside for viewing. We agreed. So she flew to Nelson the following Monday and liked the place. And we liked her. So Jay and her dog Bentley, are soon to be our new tenants.