About the author:

Poppy is a 10 year old lady dog of mixed heritage who has spent ten human years on this earth. She is mostly Queensland Heeler but also has some Blue Tick Hound. While at home she is a diligent watchdog. During her morning and evening walks she likes to spend time with her nose to the ground. Poppy also likes sticks.

Hello. I am Poppy. They tell me I am a good girl.

Things are mostly back to normal upon returning from a road trip with my humans. I am not a huge fan of the van. It makes me nervous because unlike my own four paws, I am not sure where it is taking me. It might be the beach, but it could be the vet.

On this occasion I knew it would be camping. The humans spent the previous day taking those things out of the garage that smell like camping and putting them in the van. I like how the camping things smell. Smokey and piney. 

We made a few stops on the way up. These were busy places with lots of cars, people and city smells. Eventually I could smell the wild air of the mountains. I started to relax.

We parked and went for a hike. We had the whole trail to ourselves. I was very alert as there was a lot of large animal scat along the trail.

After the hike we drove a little further before arriving at a campground where the humans set up camp. Once they finished and moved my bed from the van to the tent I could try out my new home. I then felt comfortable enough to eat dinner and rest by the fire (after a short walk around the campground.) When I was ready for bed I informed the humans and they let me into the tent. I liked having the humans close to me. The tent felt like a cave.

The next morning we did another walk. After that, I nervously watched as the humans packed everything into the van. I know it’s silly, but I worry that I might get left behind. It’s always a bit of a relief when my bed is back in the van and the humans say “Okay Poppy!”

Off we went.

We stopped again for a hike, then drove some more until we arrived at another campground. This campground had a dog next to our campsite named Remy. Remy was cool. We played a little, but I worried that Remy wanted to eat my kibble.

When camping and hiking, scents and sounds are always very intense. My humans don’t seem to notice that much. They pick up on a few things, but are mostly unaware. They often just plod on down the trail without paying any attention to who and what have passed there before.

The evenings were quite cool. The humans would wrap a sleeping bag around me and put a blanket on top.

Every morning I would go for a walk. Then later in the day we would go for a hike – which is a long walk. Hikes usually have food, like cheese.

The humans also made a big deal about the leaves.

On one hike a lady with a rather dumb Labradoodle fell and scraped up her shin. My humans fixed her up. We had to spend some time there on the trail with the lady. The Labradoodle and I didn’t have that much in common.

I really enjoyed drinking the creek and lake water. It’s great being able to stand in the nice, cold clean water while drinking. It’s refreshing and feels good on the paws – so much walking and hiking. I also like the wind in my face and looking out over the clean, wild country. During those times I imagined what it would be like to run free in those places – scary, I think. Even when I am not physically attached to my humans, I stay close. I need their protection and they need mine. It’s all about being part of a team. 

After a few nights, we moved campsites again. There was more driving with stops for hikes. By our last night, I felt I had the routine down.

Side bar: On this day I met a strange human from a foreign land. I quickly surrendered to her safe touch and soothing voice. A dog knows.

The humans also made a big deal about all the rocks.

On the final day, while we were still driving I recognized the familiar scents of home. The humans rolled down the windows and asked me silly, excited questions.

Although the van makes me nervous, I enjoyed being included on this camping adventure. It was nice to have the humans to myself with no cats around. But it’s good to be home. I like the home life. 

After being home for a day, I remembered to check on one of the stuffed Curious George toys I buried in the yard so long ago. It was still there! Phew! I decided to move it to a new location. You can’t be too careful.

It’s been a good day. Time for a nap.

Human Footnote: The above road trip started in Atascadero, California. Our first night was spent in Tamarack Flat Campground (Yosemite National Park.) We hiked up to the Crane Flat Fire Lookout and visited Saddlebag Lakes. After driving over Tioga Pass we headed south on highway 395 and spent two nights at East Fork Campground (Inyo National Forest.) We hiked into Little Lakes Valley. Our final night was spent at Whitney Portal Campground. On our way to Whitney Portal we took a side trip to the Sierra Overlook on White Mountain Road. On the way home we did a hike to Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills. We returned home via Red Rock Canyon and the Tehachapi Pass. Total distance was 800 miles. The van is a 2008 Honda Odyssey with 175,000 miles on it. We hope she has lots more road trips in her! Thanks for reading!

In Memoriam: Honey (July 15, 2007 – February 11, 2023)