St. Francisville, LA

We left Captain Ted and Cajun Encounters and headed north to spend the night with my cousin, Lee Ann. Now, before we move on to our visit with Lee Ann and her family, I want to interject and say we really did enjoy our swamp adventure with Captain Ted and Cajun Encounters. We chose this particular company over others from a video review Kelly Ripa gave from a tour she took with her family. This company was on top of their game and they really delivered the goods. Brian and I give Cajun Encounters “two thumbs up” even with chatty Captain Ted as our guide.

 

Ferry across the Muddy Mississippi

We said goodbye to Lee Ann and Bubba, boarded the ferry to cross the Mississippi River and headed north to St. Francisville, LA.

Yummo!!

Lunch was at The Magnolia Café which is a little hole in the wall with great food. Brian ordered the muffuletta and knowing I was soon leaving the state, once again ordered the red beans and rice. Both dishes were fantastic and if you’re ever in St. Francisville make sure your stop includes The Magnolia Café.

Rosedown

While in St. Francisville, we toured the Rosedown Plantation and Gardens. The Rosedown was built in 1835 at a cost of $13,109.20 and included 3500 acres with 450 slaves. The plantation was quite self sufficient in it’s day as the grounds included vegetable and herb gardens, a greenhouse, a kitchen (which in 1835 was a separate structure from the main house), and an orchard. The owner of Rosedown even built a doctor’s office on the plantation when his youngest son passed away from yellow fever in 1844. A local doctor was hired to take care of the family, slaves and visiting guests. In the gardens of Rosedown is a Loblolly Pine, one of the oldest trees at Rosedown and one of the oldest pines in the state. They estimate it to be over 300 years old and has a lightening rod at the top to protect it from lightning strikes.

Formal  Gardens at Rosedown

We were told by our guide that the movie, Big Valley, is due to film at the plantation in a couple of weeks. They will be filming the outdoor scenes at Rosedown with the indoor scenes filmed at another plantation in St. Francisville. In fact, as we were leaving, a crew was installing the wrought iron gates for the movie. I can only imagine what it would be like to live in such a beautiful house back in 1835.

I want to finish our “adventure” in St. Francisville saying how much we appreciate the staff at Rosedown. Since we had our little dog, Emma, with us and she wasn’t allowed inside the house, they were kind enough to watch her in their office while we toured the home. And since Brian and I were the only 2 people in our specific time slot for the home tour, we were able to learn so much more than had we been in a large group. Our guide, Sasha, answered every question we had and told us many stories about the family, property and every day life on the plantation. A big thank you to the wonderful staff at Rosedown.

We’re now heading to Mississippi to visit my mother and her husband. See you there!!!

Cajun Encounters

Ready for my gator tour!

We donned our mosquito spray and headed out the next morning to our scheduled Swamp Tour. We climbed into the boat and settled down for what was to be a fun adventure and took off. Our guide, “Captain Ted”, was the most long winded individual we’ve come across in a while. He had stories he told of his dead grandpa, his baby sister, his girlfriend, of his childhood growing up in the swamp, how chicken is the worst food you can ever eat, “Chicken eat their own poop.” Then he got off onto a tangent about how you need a threesome in order to mate alligators held in captivity. We looked around the boat at all the young children and their parents who were sitting with their mouths wide open, as these young kids were trying to decipher what Captain Ted had just said. He even went in to details about how he’s neighbors with Brad Pitt and with Captain Ted being the president of his homeowners association, went to welcome Brad and his family to the neighborhood only to get the door slammed in his face. He went on to say, they became good friends after Captain Ted told Brad he was a professional photographer and if the Paparazzi didn’t take a picture of Captain Ted, his girlfriend or any of his friends, Captain Ted wouldn’t take pictures of Brad and his family. Yeah right, Captain Ted. We never thought Captain Ted would stop talking and couldn’t wait to leave his clutches.

And according to the "Captain", Louisiana is the only location where cypress trees grow. When I inquired about the cypress trees growing in swamp areas along the Natchez Trace in Mississippi, he was quick to point out those are not cypress trees in Mississippi but some other type of tree. I didn't argue with him at the time but have since confirmed what I already knew. "Captain", those are bald cypress trees growing in Mississippi.

Cindy

In between his stories, we did learn that alligators grow a foot a year for the first so many years and then something or another after that. Both Brian and I eventually tuned him out figuring he was full of nothing but hot air. Here’s a picture of Cindy. An 11 foot alligator who Captain Ted determined was about 60 years old. Did you know alligators like marshmallows and hot dogs?? Neither did we until our Swamp Tour with Captain Ted.

One could only imagine the beauty and serenity of the swamp if not for Captain Ted’s constant rambling.


We’ll miss you Captain Ted… NOT!

The Big Easy

Louisiana has got to have the worst roads in the world!!! The minute we hit the state line, we were in for a ride! They need to add to their vacation brochures, “Come to The Big Easy, and don’t forget to pack your kidney belt and sports bra!!!” The highways in Louisiana are constructed of concrete, which makes for a rough ride, and the surface streets don’t seem to be any better. Without offending anyone here, I’m not sure what the state spends their tax dollars on but it’s certainly not their roads!

We’re bouncing along on the 90 when I had just dozed off. “What was that?” Whatever the noise was, I could hear it through my pillow and it was loud enough to wake me up. Brian looked in the rear view mirror. We didn’t leave anything laying in the middle of the road so we kept going. At one point, while stopped for gas, I even joked the trailer wasn’t level. Now, I realize the trailer wouldn‘t be level at that particular spot but we’ve been having a time trying to level the trailer when we set up. We’re both convinced the bubbles on this thing aren’t level to begin with which Brian says is another reason to trade her in! We pulled in to Lake Ponchatrain Landing RV Park in New Orleans and backed the trailer into our spot. As I reached to put the blocks under the tires to help level the trailer, Brian made the comment, “The tires shouldn’t be touching each other like that. Something’s definitely wrong here.” He crawled under the trailer to see what the problem was and learned we had broken a leaf spring on one of the axles. Great! Another item to add to his list of reasons to trade this thing in. They just keep adding up!

After $370 later and sitting around until late the next afternoon waiting for the mobile RV repairman, we decided it was too late to go to the French Quarter so we opted for the RV park’s bar instead, where I might add, Nate the bartender, part owner, full time operator, cook, chauffer, tour guide and all-around good guy, made one heck of a margarita. I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the sign hanging over his bar. Maybe he's got something here…

So we lost a day in the Big Easy but what the heck, it’s New Orleans! We boarded the shuttle the next morning and off we go to the French Quarter. On the way, Nate the bartender, part owner, full time operator, cook, chauffer, tour guide and all-around good guy, put on his tour guide hat and started to relay where and what to do and the areas we needed to avoid. One of them being the cemeteries unless we go in a group due to the high volume of muggings. We looked at one another and realized two does not constitute a “group” so figured we’d stay away from that area all together. I asked Nate questions about a few houses I’d seen that were vacant and obviously ravaged by a hurricane or two. Yes, those were the remnants of hurricane Katrina and yes, the ninth ward was the hardest hit but only because of the levee break. “And what ward does the RV Park sit?” He gave a little laugh and almost like I was pulling fingernails, tells us, “The ninth ward.” Great. That explains the seedy area we drove through, just before the sun set, to get to the rv park. And that also explains the high fence and electric gates as you enter the park.

We stepped off the shuttle and we’re standing in the middle of the French Quarter. We decided the first thing we would do is take a carriage ride so we can get a feel for the area and learn a little about it’s history. We were shown a building which was built for Napoleon (he died but a few months before completion) and our driver even pointed out the house where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie live when they’re in New Orleans. As I jump off the carriage, Brian looked at me and asked, “Are you hungry?” One thing I’ve learned on this trip is if Brian asks me if I’m hungry, it actually means, he’s the hungry one. So off to look for a restaurant we go. We happened on the best little restaurant in the French Quarter by the name of The Gumbo Shop. We both opted for the creole platter complete with shrimp creole, red beans and rice and French bread. And I’m happy to report, I’m back in the land of sweet tea!!! Brian hates the stuff but I can’t get enough of it! Yeah I know, I can make it at home but it’s just not the same.

We roamed around the French Quarter a bit, took the ferry from New Orleans to Crescent City and back, then headed to Bourbon Street. Nate the bartender, part owner, full time operator, cook, chauffer, tour guide and all-around good guy suggested we take the ferry to the other side of the river to see a different view of New Orleans. Next time we’ll know not to waste our time with the ferry and I suggest, if you‘re ever in New Orleans to stay clear of the ferry as well, Bourbon street is much more fun We wandered into The Absinthe Bar bellied up to the bar and ordered our drinks. The bottle of Zinfandel was rancid when the bartender opened it so she ran to the neighboring bar and returned with my daiquiri in hand. Back out on Bourbon Street we walked up one side then down the other, can’t imagine what that place must look like at Mardi Gras but we were told by Nate the bartender, part owner, full time owner… awhhh, you get the picture… that store owners will actually smear Vaseline on the top of their posts to keep people from climbing up the poles to the 2nd story balconies. Yes, whatever happens in New Orleans, stays in New Orleans, oh yeah, that’s Vegas.

Tomorrow??? The Swamp Tour! Can’t wait!!!

We pulled in to the Spring Creek RV Park just on the outskirts of Tyler, Texas. The description in the Woodall’s book says, “good paved/gravel interior roads.” Apparently what Woodall’s didn’t know was a huge storm swept through this area a couple of weeks ago dumping a bunch of rain causing a nearby dam to break and wiped out the road to the rv park. What all this equates to is the county road leading to the rv park now is home to huge potholes and is impossible to avoid. Other than the fact you’ve got 39 sites all vying for one washer and one dryer, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Spring Creek.

Right off the bat we met the young couple next to us. Their oldest came over while we were setting up. “I’m Lane, what’s your name?” Lane had a younger sister, Brooklyn. She was only 21 months old but she could talk up a storm and had that cute little southern drawl to match her cute little blonde curls. The morning we left, the family came over to bid us farewell and wish us well on our travels.

Of all places, you’re probably wondering why Tyler, Texas. Those of you who know me, know I love to work on our family history, and it just so happens, some of my Lowery’s migrated (ok, were banished) to that area. I have a husband (lucky girl), who might not always understand, but is loving enough to let me spend a couple of days in the local library, “hunting for dead people” or “time for a self pedicure“, as he calls it. (Brian threw his humor in there.)

I entered the genealogy department of the Tyler Library and heard, “How can I help you?” That was all I needed to hear as I asked question after question for the next 4 hours. I’m sure she was sorry she ever addressed me in the first place but by the end of my time in the library we became the best of friends. Anne was a wealth of Smith County information and whenever I needed a book, she knew exactly where it was.

The next day we headed over to the Troup Library where I saw that southern hospitality surface again. “What surname you searching?” And as soon as I told the young man on the other side of the counter, he picked up the phone and started dialing. “You need to talk to Barbara. She’s a Lowery!” As it turned out, Barbara’s mother-in-law was a Lowery and in the short time we spoke, we exchanged email addresses and vowed to keep in touch.

We then headed over to Tyler’s rose garden which is the only thing Tyler is famous for. The 14-acre rose garden is one of only 24 throughout the country and is a trial garden for the All-America Rose Selection (AARS). Roses in the AARS trial garden are evaluated over a 2 year period and must be varieties not previously introduced in the U.S. After this 2 year test period, the “best of the best” are recommended as new introductions into the rose market. The area which I enjoyed the most was the David Austin antique roses and the area which housed their perennial garden. We took pictures and notes of the different rose bushes and plants to store away for our next house.




While I was off playing at the libraries, Brian worked on our hot water heater. Earlier, he accidentally ran all the water out of the tank which fried the heating element. It took him a couple of trips to the rv center for parts but I think he’s got it fixed. Which brings me to the fact he’s driving me crazy with wanting a different 5th wheel. When we first started looking we decided we wanted a trailer with 2 slides, one in the main living area and the other in the bedroom. For those of you who’ve seen the inside of the bedroom area in a 5th wheel, you’ll totally understand, but we found this 5th wheel which has everything we were looking for with the exception of the bedroom slide. So yeah, I guess you can say we settled. You see, every time we pass by an rv center with 5th wheels for sale, he whacks me on the arm and points to the rv lot. Do you realize how many rv lots there are in Texas??? It’s a huge state and I swear, it must be the rv capitol of the world! My left arm is starting to show the wear and tear of his ranting! We did find a brand new 5th wheel in Tyler we both liked but I wasn’t willing to part with the money they wanted for it so we’re still in our 1 slide, postage stamp bedroom, home on wheels.

See ya in The Big Easy!

Ok, I’m totally convinced. They say everything is bigger in Texas and at this point in time, I’d say I’d have to agree. We pulled in to McKinney State Park just outside of Austin and set up camp when Emma decided she needed to relieve herself. So, off we go outside into the wild-blue-yonder. Our first sighting of Texas wildlife, were 2 white-tailed deer grazing only 100 feet from our trailer. Quietly, we stood and watched until they ran back in to the woods. But we’re still wondering what-in-God’s-green-earth we saw next. It was long and skinny and the body had the appearance of bark. It had to be at least 6 to 8 inches and it had pincers on it’s butt! Which by the way, curled up in attack mode when Brian poked it with a stick. It reminded me of a praying mantis, but it wasn’t the same green color as the praying mantis we’re used to seeing and the pincers on the butt… well, have never seen anything quite like that before. Does anyone have any idea what this thing is???

Then to top off the evening, Brian took Emma out for her nightly tinkle when he runs back hollering, “get your camera!” Expecting to see more deer, I grab my camera and tip toe out to where him and Emma are standing only to find Brian, not looking toward the meadow where we’d seen the previous deer sighting but standing there gazing skyward, his neck contorted like some freak show. I stand beside him to follow his gaze and there in the sky, hovering 20 feet above our heads is a HUGE spider busy spinning it’s web from one tree, across the road, and connecting to another tree. Other than the tarantulas we saw the other day, this has got to be the biggest spider I’ve ever seen!! I swear, that thing had to be on steroids!


After the spider episode, we thought we’d call it an evening so retired to the 5th wheel where Brian clobbered me in a game called Blokus and I spanked him in a game of Cribbage. All’s fair in love and war…

The next morning we drove to the downtown area of Austin where we walked around the grounds of the state capitol and let Emma chase the squirrels. Maybe it’s the fact we just left an area of the United States where the average rain fall is less than 9 inches a year but all this “green” is really amazing! The grounds around the state capitol are well manicured and the trees must be well over a hundred years old. We weren’t able to go on the tour of the inside of the capitol because we had Emma with us but I went in to take a peek. The capitol itself was completed in 1888 and is the largest, but not the tallest, state capitol building in the United States.



Lunch was BBQ… Texas style! We stopped and ate at The Iron Works Barbecue in downtown Austin. It’s a simple place with a very casual system where you stand in line, order your BBQ platter or sandwich, go to the cashier counter, sit down and pig out. This place is not for amateur eaters. It’s a lot of meat, and trust me, even hours later, I was still feeling it. Brian had the brisket which he says was fantastic. I had the beef ribs. Beef is really not my favorite but as I was getting ready to order, I guy walked by me with a plate full of the yummy looking ribs, I pointed and said, “I’ll have what he’s got.” I should have stayed with my gut feelings and ordered the chicken as the ribs, even though very tasty, were tough. The BBQ sauce made up for anything lacking in the ribs though. It was out-of-this world YUMMY! If you ever decide to go to The Iron Works, and I highly recommend you do, just keep in mind they don’t have air conditioning which can be a bummer on a hot, humid, summer day. We were lucky, it was raining the day we visited so were able to grab a table in their outdoor seating area and really enjoy ourselves.


Oh… and here’s another thing we ran across that’s “bigger in Texas.”

We're off to Tyler, TX. See ya'll there!

San Antonio

After a wonderful time in Fredericksburg, we pulled up camp and moved on down to San Antonio where we again played “Tourista” and spent our time on the River Walk and toured the Alamo. We started this leg of our adventure at the IMAX theater where we watched a 42 minute movie depicting the historical events of the 13 day siege of the Alamo. Had I stayed awake in history class we could have skipped the $11.50 per person admission fee and saved ourselves the agony of watching a badly directed with even worse acting rendition of the Alamo. I’m not even sure I would call it a “B” movie but none the less, I learned something before touring the Alamo.


I suppose the actual grounds of the Alamo is not exactly what I had pictured before arriving. I was somewhat disappointed to find most of the property which the actual fort sat has now been handed over to commercial buildings. Even though there was a small scale mock-up of the Alamo, it was hard to imagine just how large the fort was back in 1836 compared to what’s left today. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed touring the Alamo and walking through it’s beautifully manicured grounds but I think visiting the Alamo is something you only want to do once. Brian and I were also surprised to learn that most of the defenders of the Alamo weren’t actually Texans at all but men who were from the Northern and Southern states. Kind of makes one wonder why they even bothered to defend the Alamo at all.

After touring the Alamo we wandered over to the River Walk for bit. My cousin lives in San Antonio so we were able to meet her and her husband for dinner. My cousin’s husband, Paul, hates going anywhere near the downtown area so meeting us at the River Walk was a bit of a stretch for him. It was decided we would eat at a local Mexican restaurant so we hopped the city bus, paid our $1.10 fare and rode the 10 blocks or so to his favorite eatery. Even though Brian & I would have preferred to eat somewhere on the River Walk, we really enjoyed Paul’s pick. La Margarita is well known for it’s fajita’s and they definitely lived up to their reputation. The fajita’s were served on a sizzling hot cast iron skillet which both heavy smoke and smell would follow the waiter all the way from the kitchen to your table “en fuego.” The waiter talked me in to trying the Passion Fruit margarita which I’ll have to say is my new, favorite margarita.

After dinner we bid our farewells to Paul and Kay and we walked back down to the River Walk where we hopped a boat for the river tour. Our navigator and tour guide was quite comical and very interesting with all his knowledge of River Walk trivia (I wonder if the tour guides have a River Walk school they attend with a River Walk graduation and a River Walk diploma.) We learned the River Walk is a 2 ½ mile stretch of beautifully landscaped waterfront that features various businesses. In the beginning, Spanish Explorers used the waterway to supply water to their missions. The last flood which was seen at the River Walk was back in 1921 when over 50 people were killed. Since then, various gates and an upstream dam have been constructed and there has been no flooding of the river since the tragic 1921 episode.

With all that being said, San Antonio was a wonderful experience, however spring or fall would be the ideal time to visit. We’re on our way to Austin, TX… blog ya soon!

We spent the 4th of July weekend in Fredericksburg located in the Hill Country of Texas. Fredericksburg is a town of only about 11,000 people but swells to at least double that figure every weekend and the 4th of July weekend was no exception. We stayed in Fredericksburg only 2 nights but Brian and I fell in love with the little town and it’s people. Fredericksburg descends from German settlers and there’s still a strong German influence today. Yes, we had lunch at a local German restaurant which included sausage, sauerkraut, German potato salad and warm beer.

We stayed at the Fredericksburg RV Park which we would highly recommend to anyone. Brian and I both give it two-thumbs-up. It was the cleanest RV park we‘ve yet to come across and the owners could make anyone feel right at home. As I was checking in I asked if there was an RV store close by. I know, stupid question in a small town but thought I’d give it a shot anyway. Sure enough, there wasn’t an RV store within miles of Fredericksburg. As I explained to the gentleman across the counter that a pipe to our water line broke, he told me to go ahead, get set up and he’d mosey on over to take a look at it.

As promised, the minute we finished setting up, he drove over. “Do you own this park?” I asked as he lay under our 5th wheel. “No, my wife does, I just get to work here.” He went so far as to drive to the hardware store, buy exactly what we needed and even installed it for us when he returned. Now that’s southern hospitality.

The next day we were walking through the stores on Main Street when I ran in to the local 5&Dime. “Where you from?” the owner asked. “Phoenix.” “Yeah, you ain’t from around here. Who you sending post cards to?” When I explained our trip and I’ve been sending post cards to my mother-in-law at each of our stops he told me he had just the right postcard. Not finding what he was looking for on the rack, he ran to the back room of his store. Finally finding his treasure, he gave me, free of charge, a postcard sporting a picture of his store making sure I knew his 5&Dime was only one of a handful of 5&Dime stores still left in the country. Yep, there’s more of that southern hospitality we hear so much about.

The afternoon of the 4th was spent with the locals and other tourist who lined Main Street to watch the annual 4th of July parade. This year’s parade was dedicated to the Vietnam Vets. It was your typical, small town parade complete with walking bands, old cars, local politicians, Fredericksburg’s fire truck, a queen and her court and even a clown or two.

After the parade ended we drove out of town to visit the Fredericksburg Wildseed Farm where they harvest wild seeds from various flowers and sell in pretty little packages. Of course, we had to buy a few packets and will save them for our new house, whenever and wherever that will be. Craig, you would have love it.

Until our next adventure. Love to all,
B&D

Duck vs Spider Smack Down

Thought you’d get a kick out of this one…

A couple of days after visiting Carlsbad I downloaded my photos and I came across these two of a formation called “The Witches Finger.” The first photo above was taken walking towards the large stone resembling her finger.

As I walked away from the witches finger, I turned around to snap another photo. Do you see a form of a witch? Yeah, it gave me chills too.

As we were driving through Texas on our way to San Antonio we renamed Highway 285 to the “Spider Highway.” As we were cruising along, we kept noticing these large black spots on the road. As Brian slowed so I could take a closer look, I surprised him with a big, “Ewwwww!” As it turned out, those large black spots were actually tarantulas!! There were dozens of them crossing the road and it was almost impossible to dodge them all. Brian wanted to catch a couple but I wouldn’t have them any where near me let alone in the same vehicle so he settled for a picture. The Duck wins!

I'm way behind on my blogging. We've had a lot going on the last few days so keep checking back as we try to catch up.

Give yourself a hug for us, B & D

We’ve been on the road a week now and have naturally fallen into our own jobs. Brian’s job has become pilot and out of necessity, I’ve become the navigator. Emma? Well, she’s become the co-pilot letting us know when we need to touch down for a potty break.

I fell into the role of navigator after hearing Brian exclaim, “Uh-Oh” “WHAT?? No Uh-Oh!” Just about then I heard the truck sputter and Brian went in to full speed shutting down the air conditioning and radio. “What in the world is going on?” As he looks at me with a sheepish grin he tells me, “We’re running out of gas.” Great! We’re 2 miles from Casa Grande, it’s 108 degrees out and we’re running out of gas. As we literally coast into the gas station, I proceeded to let him know that if we run out of gas, I’m not the one who will be walking in that God forsaken heat to the nearest gas station.

And so my role of navigator began. Since we’re only averaging 6 to 7 miles per gallon, I’ve become fairly proficient at telling him what, when and even where to go… take that anyway you want. ;o)

After spending a couple of days visiting Brian’s mom, we headed toward Bisbee. After living in AZ for the last 25 years, neither one of us have ever been to Bisbee and let me tell you, it’s no big whoop. I think we could have lived another 25 years without seeing Bisbee and never lived to regret it. After walking around the town for a couple of hours in the scorching heat, we did learn there are quite a few characters who call Bisbee their home. A picture is worth a thousand words…

We bid farewell to Bisbee and moved on towards New Mexico landing at Carlsbad Caverns. I remember visiting the caverns when I was but 5 or 6 but Brian had never had the pleasure. Even though it was cloudy and raining, we headed to the caverns the night of the 1st for the bat flight. Every evening thousands upon thousands of Mexican free tail bats exit the cave in search of food only to return the next morning. We learned the bats exit the cavern, circle 7 times, then fly off for the night. Why do they circle 7 times before leaving the cave entrance??? No one really knows but one can only guess maybe it’s a correlation between the way the water in the toilet circles 7 times before it’s flushed down the pipes.

We realize some of you may or may not have been through the caverns but we were truly amazed by all the formations, the vastness of the cavern itself and how nice the park is kept. Park rangers were polite in answering every question, the road to the cavern recently paved and the path inside the cavern is well maintained and easy to hike. But word to the wise, make sure you wear comfortable tennis or hiking shoes. The caverns is not a path you want to wear flip-flops.

I need to back up a bit here… On our way to Carlsbad we stopped at our first “largest ball of twine.” As we were coming up on the White Sands National Park we decided to take a peek. Pulling in we forked over the moola for an “America the Beautiful” park pass and drove on. It was really weird driving through the large mounds of white sand, your mind playing tricks on you making you think it was going to be cold outside only to step out of the car onto the hot ground. What was really mind boggling was the kids with their sleds sledding down the mountains of the hot, white sand. To each his own. I’ll take the slopes of Telluride any day!

We’re now in Fredericksburg, TX for the 4th of July weekend. We’re heading to the town parade tomorrow with a concert and fireworks in the town park tomorrow night. We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday tomorrow and have a hot dog for us!!