Travel Blog

Blog 90: Pups and Birds

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-03-25T11:01:14-04:00

Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow) ...Here are a few pups and bird shots from the Island and a few pics from a Saturday trip to the Venice Rookery. ...BERT (our motorhome--Big Expensive Road Traveler) is getting serviced, stuff is being sorted and plans are being prepped. ...April 23 - May 5: Chatfield State Park (near Denver) to visit family May 6 - ?: We will probably stay in Colorado at least for a month, maybe more.

Blog 89: Aerospace, Airboats, and Alligators

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-03-18T12:43:43-04:00

Before dawn on Sunday, Jan and I drove the easy hour from Auntie’s place in Apopka to Gatorland located south of the Orlando area on the Orange Blossom Trail. Gatorland is a kind of touristy place, with alligators constantly swimming about, but a boardwalk above the ponds go through a rookery hosting all sorts of birds. A nice thing for photographers is that for a few dollars more, they will let you into the park two-and-a-half hours before anyone else. ...While Jan and the Kids stayed with Auntie, I participated in a client’s national meeting in Orlando, and one afternoon the entire group went to the Kennedy Space Center. ...On the way back from the Space Center, our buses took a short detour to Cocoa to eat fried alligator and fish and go out for airboat rides on the river. ...We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning and our tentative date of departure is April 13.

Blog 88: This and That

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-03-12T13:31:26-04:00

I took my camera to our monthly Boat Club meeting and took a few action shots. ...Jan, the Pups, and I headed out at 5:15 Saturday morning to drive the 70 miles to the Venice Rookery. ... If you like watching birds in action, this is a great place to go this time of year. ...From there we drove to Auntie’s in Apopka, dropped off our bags and the Pups, loaded up Auntie, and headed to the Raptor Center. Along with seeing some of the other birds of prey, we got to see a master falconer fly a pair of Harris Hawks. ...We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13.

Blog 87: NYC Pilgrimage and Racing Ducks

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-03-04T09:14:01-05:00

A couple of RV friends from Oregon spent the weekend with us, and we had the chance to do a couple of boat and car rides around the Island. ...I had a quick trip to New York, where I had an engagement with a long-time client that went very well. Luckily, I had a free half-day, so I walked the few block from my mid-town hotel to the B&H Photo/Video Superstore. ... Anyone into photography, video, or anything to do with electronics will walk around in awe at the hundreds of displays and thousands of pieces of equipment. ...You’ll note that Ozzie and Harriet, the osprey pair, are still at it. ...We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning and our tentative date of departure is April 13.

Blog 86: Baby Eagles and the Osprey Opera

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-02-26T07:55:19-05:00

As mentioned in last week’s blog, a pair of ospreys has a nest of sorts three houses down from us. There is always a commotion going on with the piercing osprey calls starting around dawn and continuing sporadically throughout the day. Ozzie and Harriet “own” the nest but have a feud going on with another pair of ospreys, Bud and Jean. The result is that several times a day, Bud or Jean (I get them mixed up) strafes the nest like a fighter jet, causing feathers to fly and cries to crescendo. ...I had taken a few nice photos from our house deck and walking along the street, however, neighbors Steve and Barb opened a whole new picture-taking dimension for me when they brought me up to their spare bedroom and opened up the window. ...We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning and our tentative date of departure is April 13.

Blog 85: Janny’s Awesome New Chest

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-02-19T09:41:13-05:00

I spent most of the week on business--the first part in San Francisco for a keynote speech for a global sales force summit. ...For the third year in a row, Jan is donating a piece of her art to raise funds for the Calusa Land Trust. ...Yes, I know I am biased, but it is really cool…makes you want to grab your sunglasses, charter a boat, and head for Cuba! ...Years ago when I was dating a famous Italian model, this beauty painted her self-portrait for me, which I hung in our foyer. One time I came home from a business trip and it was gone--painted over by Jan in my absence. ...We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13.

Blog 84: Birds and Pups

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-02-12T10:31:56-05:00

The seas were as calm as a therapists’ dialogue and the waterways were as vacant as a Detroit neighborhood as we relentlessly but casually powered ahead at a steady 8 knots. ...He knows it is his responsibility to hunt for dolphins and bring them to the boat, and he takes his role seriously. ... Coaxed by Jerry’s persistent barks and striking presence, these mammals of the sea rose in our wake, frolicked back and forth, enjoying their play. They stayed with us for over 20 minutes, and Jerry dutifully tracked their movement, beckoning them to stay close as he stood like a meerkat willing them into position. ...We stopped at Frits Park for a nice walk, cruised through Pineland, then strolled along the boardwalk reaching out into the waters of the Sound by Captain Cons Restaurant. ...We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13.

Blog 83: Hanging on the Island

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-02-05T16:09:07-05:00

Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading (Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow) ...Except for a Sarasota business trip, I stayed home, working on business projects and preparing for next week. However, I did have some time for some early morning and late afternoon walks. ...We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13. ...See you next week after a trip to Chicago and Cupertino.

Blog 82: Dash to Denver, Birds and Pups

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-01-29T15:21:30-05:00

Thursday evening, I guided my rental car down and around Denver to Parker, ending up at Grandson Austie’s place. I took him and his Mom and Dad out for an Italian dinner (I had the stuffed sole special) and got caught up over all that had happened since we were last face-to-face. While having a bathtub conversation with Austie, I continued my education, learning such things as it was OK for boys to take their shirts off but not girls, and that if you cough too loud you will probably throw up. ...After a week on the road it was nice to spend Friday night and Saturday just hanging at home. We had time for a few golf cart rides, a few pics, and watching old British TV shows such as “The Grand”--a simple life we lead on the Island! ...We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13.

Blog 81: Chilly Business and Chili Business

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-01-22T17:42:22-05:00

Business took me first to Chicago to start a consulting engagement with a new client--I can tell it is going to be a great relationship. ...Some friends from Michigan who are staying in Southwest Florida came over to visit, and we took them as our guests to a Pine Island Boat Club outing--the first ever Chili Cook-Off. ... Twenty people brought their favorite chili and all of the 140 attendees served as the judges, walking around tasting the various chili and casting their votes. ...If people liked the chili, they put money in a bowl by their favorite chili chef, and the cook with the most money wins. ...And here is a picture of Commodore Ron putting the official apron on the first annual Pine Island Boat Club Chili Champ… ...We are pleased to announce that Motoring Across America 2012 is already in the planning stages and our tentative date of departure is April 13.

Blog 80: Pelicans, Pups, and a Burmese Python

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-01-15T15:47:17-05:00

Jan was asked by a good friend to donate a piece of artwork for an auction to raise money for the Harry-Anna Trust Fund. http://www.floridaelks.org/whoweare.aspx ...Jan gladly concurred with the request and with a little searching found an old shelf she had rescued at the curb along with some other knick-knacks discarded by others. ...I’m glad I obeyed her command, putting up the shade, opening the window, and setting up my tripod as the skies quickly shifted over 10 minutes, starting out as a teasing violet, morphing into pleasing pink, and then easing into to a bold orange that shouted, “Wake up”! ...Early in the week we received an e-mail alerting its readers that a Burmese Python had been found a few streets from our home. ... Here is the picture (not sure whom to credit) of this ominous looking fellow taken right before he/she was released upon the lot where we keep BERT our motorhome! Needless to say, it was the talk of the area--depending on the day or the mood of Pine Islanders, one could see citizens stalking around with shotguns or wielding razor-sharpened machetes.

Blog 79: New Year's on the Islands (Virgin, That Is)

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-01-08T18:50:13-05:00

While a large part of the U.S. mainland was “enjoying” cold temperatures and snow (including a freeze-threatening, very chilly Southwest Florida), we were “stuck” with ongoing temperatures in the mid 80s, sunny skies, and soft breezes. ...After a few minutes at headquarters, our group, now expanded to 14, took an open taxi through the park to the Reef Bay trailhead. ...After snacking by a rocky pool carved with hieroglyphs, we visited the remains of an old sugar mill, then went down to the beach, boarded a dinghy, and then climbed aboard a trawler to return us to the park headquarters. ...For example, on this day, six cruise ships were docked in the harbors spewing out 20,000 folks or so for a daylong exploration of the island, filling the downtown and the most popular beaches. ...*Most yacht clubs around the U.S. and many around the world “reciprocate,” meaning that if you are a member of one yacht club, you can show your credentials and be allowed in to enjoy the amenities of another yacht club. ...By 8:30 we were on the dock, boarding the powerboat we had hired (along with a captain) for the day to explore the nearby British Virgin Islands.

Blog 78: Christmas on the Island

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2012-01-02T08:50:25-05:00

We were fortunate to have a “boatload and a half” of relatives down to spend the Christmas holiday with us on Pine Island--a total of 16 people and 5 dogs. The weather was magnificent, so we were able to spend a lot of time on the lanai, on the boat, or on the golf cart. ...Here is a picture of Jerry observing the activities, Mitzy checking out the opening of presents, Millie just being Millie, and Jessie, the pup, awaiting the next opportunity for mishief. ...Here are a few shots of birds and one of a dolphin that followed us forever on a boat ride on Pine Island Sound. ...Yes, it was great seeing everyone, but it is always good to get back to normal (whatever that means). ...See you next week with pics and a report back from our mystery trip.

Blog 77: Baby Schnauzers, Birds, and Haiku Fran

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-12-26T07:53:33-05:00

One morning I took some photos for Jan S., our good friend and Schnauzer breeder. Her Teacup Schnauzers had just opened their eyes and were getting mobile! With Jan and my Jan’s help, I took scores of images of these adorable youngsters that weighed just two ounces at birth. ...One evening I took out a boatload of family for a cruise on Pine Island Sound. ...Lot’s of birds on the Island, here are shots of hawks, ospreys, pelicans, a vulture, a woodpecker, an anhinga, a frigate bird, and a mockingbird. ...Here is a candid shot I took of our neighbor and friend, Fran, as she was bicycling home.

Blog 76: Birds of Prey and The Lost Pictures

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-12-18T19:55:26-05:00

We drove the golf cart down to the Monroe Canal Saturday early evening to watch the Annual Boat Parade sponsored by the Pine Island Boat Club. Twenty or so well-decorated boats and crews made their route bordered by throngs of Islanders along the path in the 70-degree temperature. ...While downloading Jan’s boat parade images, I came across a surprise--some images I had taken a while back. Here is a shot from our Motoring Across America tour of Mitzy resting on the dash in the coach. ...One is a blur (intentional ☺) and the other is a one-handed shot of a hawk flying across the bike path. ...Here are a few walkaround shots from morning Pup walks and late afternoon golf cart rides--a couple out kayaking Pine Island Sound, a squirrel, a couple of hawk shots, a young eagle, a posing pelican, a Night Heron, and five Great Egrets imitating a weather vane.

Blog 75: Pelicans and Poker Runs

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-12-11T18:06:05-05:00

Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading ...The first Sunday of every December is the Calusa Land Trust’s Annual Poker Run, a fundraiser to acquire and manage environmentally critical lands on Pine Island (www.calusalandtrust.org). ... Here is a shot of me and my crew aboard Rough Draft as we headed from one stop on the water to the next. ...More and more birds to view and sights to see during my walks around the Island. Here is a Wood Stork in flight, frangipani blooms with birds in the background, a duck cruising on the Sound (can a duck expert tell me what kind he/she is?), a hawk scouting prey, a few pelican shots, and a flock of crows. ...Here is a shot of Jerry and Jan on the golf cart.

Blog 74: The Pot Roast Caper

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-12-04T13:43:57-05:00

Our long-time friend Patrick has an interesting description of his ideal camping experience--he envisions traveling along the scenic highways of America, taking in the great vistas of our land while inhaling the all-American smells of a bubbling, cooking pot roast that will be his evening meal. So when Jamers brought up the idea of a Pot Roast Caper, Jan and I were all for it. ... Jamers told us when Friz and Patrick would be flying into Punta Gorda, so Jan phoned them saying that she had to go to Bonita Springs (where they have a home) anyway to shop for a rug, so why don’t they let us pick them up at the airport and drive them to Bonita? ... Our plan was quickly formulated: Jamers, Jan, and I (along with the Pups) would drive BERT (our motor home) to the Punta Gorda rest stop, a mile from the Punta Gorda airport. ... At the rest stop we would unhook the car, Jan and I would drive to the airport to pick them up, tell them we needed to go to the bathroom, drive up to our coach, tell them to go in and be surprised by seeing Jamers sitting in the coach and smelling the cooking meats and veggies. ...(2) As we got ready to pull out, Jan smelled not the delectable odor of cooking pot roast but the metallic smell of burning wires--somehow the pot roast cooker got fried in the fix-the-jack melee.

Blog 73: T-Day Holiday

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-11-27T10:42:58-05:00

Pups Across America! - Jerry, Mitzy, and Jessie Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading ...Tuesday we drove to Apopka to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with relatives and friends. On an early morning walk we ran across a pair of Sandhill Cranes. ...We had a marvelous T-day as I hope all of you did. ...Here are shots of Mitzy and Jerry plus their rambunctious cousin, Jessie.

Blog 72: Foggy Morning and Island Eagle

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-11-20T08:01:39-05:00

Choice steak grilled to perfection, delicate mushroom sauce to entice the flavor, plump baked potatoes, a light, but complex Greek salad, and warm homemade rolls, all complimented with an appropriate selection of red wines. ...The air was as thick as Campbell’s Mushroom Soup, producing that eerie feeling one gets in the surreal lighting when the air and water brew up a fog. Here I photographed a bug-eyed osprey sitting above her nest, a juvenile brown pelican trying to dry its wings atop a channel marker, a cormorant attempting the same feat atop a piling, an egret flying overhead, and finally these morning glories. ...I walked behind the eagles’ nest and there was an adult on a branch by the nest--great light, nice bird, sun at my back--this looked like a great opportunity. ... However, I stood still for a few minutes and here she came back flying toward me on her way to the nest. ...We will he headed for Apopka to enjoy the T-Day holiday with family and friends--might be some interesting photos!

Blog 71: Triple Dipping

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-11-14T17:18:35-05:00

I spent the week at home on Pine Island, enjoying the nice weather and reconnecting with friends while re-establishing my base of work (my office is the top floor of our home). ...I’m normally not much good at multitasking, but this situation works pretty well: Around sunrise each morning at the St. James City post office, I let Jerry and Mitzy off the leash and they can run to their hearts content. At the same time I get my morning health walk in, and since I carry my camera, I get the chance for a shot every now and then. ...When we get back home and the light is right and my work allows, I go back out walking through our neighborhood. ...Here is a shot of Fluffy Mitzy and that handsome boy Jerry.

Blog 70: Alaska Finale

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-11-06T13:50:56-05:00

Tides: For those of us from Florida and others on the sea, we are used to the rising and ebbing of tides and plan our boating accordingly. ...Each day the boat captains would take into consideration the tides, winds, and weather and concur with our photo leader as to where to hunt the eagles. ... Another way to think of it is that China Poot Bay connects to Kachemak Bay, which connects to Cook Inlet, which connects to the Gulf of Alaska, which connects to the Pacific Ocean. ...We drove slowly up the Spit* because the front desk clerk had told me that the combination of high tides (over 20 feet) and high winds was causing waves to toss rocks upon the road. As the skies lightened up and the wind went down, we enjoyed nice weather the first 75 miles or so of our trip west, north, east, and back west. ...*If you are not familiar with the term, a spit is a deposit of sand that connects to land and extends into the sea--a big sandbar.

Blog 69: North to Alaska

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-10-30T11:13:50-04:00

Basically it was all day on planes, but things went smoothly, and I was in my hotel (the Lands Inn) in Homer by 8:00 p.m. ...Nice group of people--six of the ten participants had been on past photo workshops with our leader, Artie Morris, a world-famous bird photographer. ...We then spent the remainder of the morning looking at past Homer eagle slides, discussing what to expect, and recommendations as to what to shoot. ... No worries, though, as there was room for the six of us and our gear to fit inside the cabin, and the ship and its captain were well-made for these waters. ...At 9:30 a.m. we headed for the boats, stopping to shoot eagles and the occasional otter and other bird species. ...Hence, I don’t have time to finish all the shots from the entire week as I usually do, but next week I will publish the pics from Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Blog 68: Return to the Island

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-10-23T07:51:25-04:00

While Janny stayed in Apopka and helped Auntie with remodeling, I flew to Seattle on Sunday to run a services account management session for a client of my business partner Service Strategies. Upon my return to Orlando/Apopka, we packed up on Thursday and returned to Pine Island. Between unpacking, re-setting up my office, staying abreast of my consulting business, and preparing for next week’s trip to Alaska, I didn’t have much time for pictures. ...Nonetheless, I’ve selected a few of my favorites from our Motoring Across America ’11 for you to look at. ...Alas, Motoring Across America, at least our summer trip is over. However, I plan to keep posting the blog as long as I have something of interest to share.

Blog 67: Big Trip Back

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-10-16T08:19:40-04:00

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week ...Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading ...After a wonderful stay, we finally left Michigan, taking the last of the Indian Summer weather with us. We headed south and east on back roads until hooking up to I-69. Normally we avoid interstates, but to save time we took them the entire trip back, going through Louisville, Nashville, Chatanooga, Atlanta, near Tampa then over to Auntie’s place. ...On Saturday, Auntie, Jan, and I went to the Avian Raptor Center to view the birds of prey and watch the Harris Hawks during the falconry session.

Blog 66: Marooned in Michigan!

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-10-09T16:14:28-04:00

Early in the week I took a quick trip to Vegas to participate in my business partner’s, Service Strategies, executive summit. ... You gotta love Vegas--as I opened my room door, the multi-, multi-sound system cranks up, a personal welcome greets me on the widescreen TV, and the drapes automatically open to a view of the city and the mountains. ...Late Saturday morning, we took off in Jamers’ convertible with Mers at the wheel, neighbor Dave riding shotgun, with the Alexander’s in the back. ...After a hugely enjoyable tour, we stopped for ice cream (Jan had a cone and Dave and I had malts) at the diner on the property. ...Because I have to fly to Seattle out of Orlando, we will have to beeline to Apopka, Florida once back on the road. ...Note that since we will be back on the Island (hopefully) on October 20 and Motoring Across America will be officially completed for 2011, I will be in Alaska the following week and will be posting pictures of eagles at that time.

Blog 65: Turkey Attack, Art Prize, and Pictures in the Attic

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-10-02T13:38:54-04:00

The lower level of Jamers’ house is completely glass, and sitting in the office provides an eye-level view of numerous critter activities. ...I’d be willing to wager that at least half of all those reading this blog have a shoe box or two of old prints, slides, or negatives shoved onto the shelf in a closet, buried in a box in the basement, or trapped in a trunk in the attic; memories of the past just sitting there--what a waste. ... 2 Sit down and leisurely go through them--memories will come flowing back as you view yourself at the county fair sitting on a pony at age nine, walking on water in Cancun with your old buddies, or seeing old classmates you haven’t thought about for twenty years wearing funny clothes. ...Here is a pic of Miitzy in Jamers’ garden, plus a couple of “blurs” I took of the Kids on the trail that I then painted. ...We still are not 100 percent certain when BERT will be ready to travel, but here is what things look like as of now: ...Note that since we will be back on the Island (hopefully) on October 20 and Motoring Across America will be officially completed for 2011, I will be in Alaska the following week and will be posting pictures of eagles at that time.

Blog 64: Back Home in SW Michigan

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-09-25T14:21:18-04:00

Since BERT, our coach, is in for work 30 miles to the north, we spent the week staying with our good friend, Jamers. I took over her office and worked in style with a picture-window view of her woods that had wild turkeys, deer, a large assortment of birds, and squirrels and chipmunks. ...Every year Jamers hosts a banquet for 50 or so of her friends that includes intricately prepared grilled pork ribs and chicken (special sauces), baked beans (to die for), a bar full of libations (the good stuff), and catered appetizers and side dishes--all just wonderful food. It was a delightful affair and afforded us the opportunity to re-connect with longtime friends--some I had not seen in a decade or more. It was especially nice as, our daughter-in-law, Kelly, and our grandson, Austin, flew in from Denver to attend, bringing her mom and dad, who live in the area, to “Ribarama.” ... Here is a shot of Jamers along with her trusted sous chef, Patrick, one of Patrick taking a “smoking” break (smoking ribs that is), Jamers and Cody, and Kim.

Blog 63: The UP, Shipwrecks, and the Big Rivalry

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-09-18T19:37:48-04:00

After breakfast, we all loaded up in our car and took the South Boundary Road east and north for 36 miles to the park Visitor Center (you guessed it--this is a big park (60,000 acres). ... From there we turned east, leaving the park to go through Silver City and into Ontonagon, where we first fueled up the car and then we fueled up ourselves at a local café (I had the meatloaf plate special and Jan had a taco salad). ...At Wakefield we turned east on 28 and drove it a couple hundred miles through the middle of the Upper Peninsula, driving through 26 small towns and one bigger one (Marquette) before settling in on Lake Superior at the Tourist Park Campground in Munising. ...My plan was for us to drive the entire 52 miles to the end of the park, and then slowly work our way back with the morning sun behind us. ...We stopped at Munising Falls, then drove out to Sand Point to view the old coast guard station, which is now the park headquarters, and looked at the remains of a few wrecks that were torn up by the shore. ...Jan got us back on 131 south and we drove to Grand Rapids, stopped for fuel, and then continued on another 30 miles to the small town of Wayland.

Blog 62: Devils Tower, Teddy Roosevelt, Porcupine Mountains

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-09-12T08:15:20-04:00

He ominously told us that our dogs had been barking non-stop for the two and a half hours we had been gone (actually it had been 65 minutes, but no sense arguing with an official of the law no matter what their lowly rank), and it was against regulations to leave them unattended. ... I really wish we had heard them though, as I guess they started to howl like the big savage canines they are and it set off coyotes from all around to start howling--could have loved to have recorded that. ...Soon we were in North Dakota, and we stopped for lunch in the coach at the tiny visitor center at Bowman, where I got my official state map and other information on what North Dakota had to offer. ...At Highway 5 we went east to Bottineau, north on a county road for six miles, and east again on 43 for six miles to the entrance of Lake Metigoshe State Park. ...We were on the road at 8:00 a.m., back heading east on Highway 2 driving the 100 miles of Midwest prairie through Duluth and on into Wisconsin. ... So at Wakefield we turned east on 28 for just a couple of miles, and then turned north on County Road 5-9 for 16 miles through a canopy of just-starting-to-change-color trees.

Blog 61: Postcards, Devils Tower, and Dakota Daughters

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-09-05T08:39:43-04:00

The Pups and I took a big walk down to the marina, by the swim beach, and back to the coach under overcast skies. ...A little after 8:00 a.m. we pulled out of Boyd Lake State Park and drove five miles to an RV service facility where we are getting some warranty work done. ...Friday at 1:00 I got the call that our coach work was complete, and by 1:30 we were on the road, heading back to Loveland. We caught the beginnings of the holiday weekend rush-hour traffic, but by 4:30 we had picked up the coach and set up our campsite at the Loveland RV Resort (we got the last space available). ...It is one of the most enjoyable places we have camped, with a great view of the tower from our campsite. That evening there was a dramatic performance, “Dakota Daughters” at the amphitheater, about a three minute walk from our campsite.

Blog 60: Up and Down, Over and Around

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-08-28T10:49:08-04:00

A seasoned veteran of Highway One in California, Jan took the driving challenges in stride, applying the engine brake, hugging the center line, slowing down for yahoos walking on the side of this very, very busy stretch of road. Like a flash, however, mountains turned to plains as we made it to the east side of the mountain ranges, complete with stores galore and malls for all. By early PM we were set up at Boyd Lake State Park with a view of the lake on one side and the mountains on the other. ...All went well, but by the time I got to my room on the Magnificent Mile, it was 1:00 a.m. ...I had a two-hour session with the senior team of my Chicago client, and I was very pleased with the outcome; a fun group who is getting serious about services and I shared a few things I’ve learned over the years. ...At 2:00 we picked up Austie from pre-school and we took him back to camp up at Boyd State Park.

Blog 59: Strolling through a Bouquet of Flowers

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-08-22T08:26:44-04:00

After making our best guess that no big rains were close by, Jan and I walked about 50 feet to the trailhead of the Willow Creek Trail and started on our way. ...We first drove south on 129 for just a few miles and then turned left at 209, a dirt road that took us through some ranches before ending at Pearl Lake State Park. ...Back at Walden we found the sign to go back to 14 east (later I went into town to retrace our earlier steps and felt exonerated from my navigation error--there was no sign indicating the 14 turn). ...I had a 7:00 a.m. phone call with my Chicago client, and since there was no AT&T or Verizon signal at our campground, I left at 6:30 driving the 20 miles on 14 north to the entrance to the Owl Creek ranch that had four bars on each device (iPhone and MacBook). ...From there we headed back into the state park and drove the minutes of narrow, rough, steep, dirt road through the forest up to the Agnes Lake trailhead (we really have to get a Jeep). ...All of us were in the car and out of the campground by 6:05 a.m., and by 6:10 we saw a moose, a big bull about 50 yards parallel to the road we were on.

Blog 58: Waterfalls and Meteor Showers

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-08-14T16:46:25-04:00

I took the Pups out early, and then got to work on the computer, finishing up an article for the Professional Services Journal that was due. ...After a few miles our road turned into Harvey Gap Road, and we wound our way south and east to the town of Silt (blog readers may remember our attempt to find Silt the back way). ... After driving around old town and a few neighborhoods, we headed back west on 6, north on 13, then north on 325 back to camp. ...I had a 6:30 a.m. call with a prospective client from Boca, so I took the Pups out early for a run, and then the three of us headed down to the golf course. Back at the bus, Jan was ready, and the two of us got back in the car and drove back to Rifle Falls State Park. ...We went back inside and saw that we could check things out just as well--and whole lot warmer--by looking through our bedroom window at the eastern sky.

Blog 57: Rainbows and Marmots, Eagles and Cowboys

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-08-07T19:13:36-04:00

The Kids seemed to have as much fun as I did on our walk, including a rabbit chase that I was able to at least catch a glimpse of with my camera. ...My “what it takes to build a services business” session went very well, and by noon I was back in my rental car arriving at Logan airport in time for lunch. ...Upon returning I helped Jan get our motor home, BERT, ready to roll, and then headed down to the visitor center to put on a selling webinar (over the phone and Internet) for a couple hundred people in cooperation with my friend Hank from the Professional Services Journal. ...About three miles from the Vega Park entrance, as we turned a corner, Jan and I both saw a large animal of some sort on the side of the road. ...Back at our campsite we had another cup of coffee, then leaving the Kids to finish their breakfast, Jan and I took off in the car once again. ...The first shot (18 megapixels) was what I saw in my camera, the 35mm equivalent of 640mm (or about 13X if you were looking through binoculars or a spotting scope).

Blog 56: Home on the Western Slope

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-07-31T14:13:16-04:00

Jan did most of the camp host duties, Mitzy got a summer haircut as you will see in the pics, the young hawks were out and about playing, and I was lucky enough to photograph a hummingbird nest right before the two young ones left the next day. ...It was a pleasant hike with a great view of the canyon, but since it was not a long trail and it was still early, we walked part of the Coke Ovens Trail, spent some time admiring the view from the Artist Points lookout, and then slowly drove back through the park looking for Desert Bighorn Sheep. ...Leaving the Monument we decided to stop at Dinosaur Hill, the location of the 1900 dig that led to excavating over six tons of dinosaur bones that were re-assembled as the very impressive display at the Chicago Field Museum that is still there today. ...What I observed was a lot of chasing each other from tree to tree, screaming at decibel levels ranging from loud to alarming, and, the most fun to watch, lots of hopping up and down one after another, each hop two to three feet, complete with the spreading of wings coupled with ferocious looks (my assumption is that this was training time--practicing the skills required for capturing prey). ...Just as I was ready to give up, I located that big rectangular shape positioned in what appeared to be a perfect location (eye level, warm sunshine in his face, great background, and the possibility for me to get close). ...We drove east on I-70 exiting at the Cameo exit past Palisade, where we headed north past the power plant onto dirt roads that headed off the beaten path into the 30,000-acre Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property of rugged canyons called the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Canyon.

Blog 55: Panoramas and Parks, Passes, and Pugs

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-07-24T16:35:31-04:00

For example, early this evening the winds came up and the camper’s tent across from us came down, and within ten minutes of the occurrence they were packed up in their car and out of the campground. ...This is one big park and looks like a great place to camp (loop D) as there is lot’s to do, and it is close to Austie’s place. ...Now, shooting out of a moving vehicle at 30 to 75 mph on curvy roads hanging partly out the window, trying to frame shot when the car is in the one-right position while keeping other cars and poles and trees out of the image is a challenge. ... Oh no, our dogs love to peer out the window, so when I anticipate an upcoming photo op I have to sneak the window down in hopes that both dogs won’t be on my lap, feet on the door and heads pointing at the desired image. ...Then it was back on to 82 through El Jebel, Carbondale, then on to Glenwood Springs where we picked up I-70 west and headed back to camp at Highline State Park. ...Here is a rearview mirror shot of Mitzy hanging out the window as she loves to do, plus a shot of Hanna Pug from one of our walks.

Blog 54: Gateway, Getaway and Gotaway

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-07-17T15:54:17-04:00

Leaving Janny to run the camp host show, Mers and I left Highline State Park, drove through Fruita and Grand Junction on I-70, took 50 east, then took 141 south for the 42 miles to Gateway (you may have guessed by now—another scenic byway!). We passed through a dozen miles of road construction, but the following scenery was worth the wait, as once again we were surrounded by red rock structures that looked as though they had been carefully sculpted by hand--a really big hand. The town of Gateway is similar to many others in Western Colorado, however, after passing through this rustic village we came upon a large, pristine, very modern compound--a conference center complete with lodging, restaurants, and our main destination, a world-class auto museum. ...He shared some facts and folklore, such as how the Sundance Kid went from being an enforcer for the land barons, to how he robbed his first bank at Telluride riding a thoroughbred horse that he “exchanged” for another after the robbery. ...Loading up the Kids, we took off heading the same way we had gone to Grand Mesa a few days earlier, exiting I-70 at exit 49 and heading east on 65. ...The reservoir here holds back an enticing body of crystal blue water, and within minutes of our arrival we knew we wanted to camp at this modern park as well.

Blog 53: Tallest Mesa, Most Arches, Deepest Canyon

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-07-11T07:46:03-04:00

I started the day with an early morning hike with the Pups and was able to get a few decent pics as the clouds freshened the light and added some interest to the scene. ...The prudent return from our passage would be to retrace our tracks back to Highway 65 and continue south for 30 miles or so, then take Highway 50 west on back to Grand Junction. ...So sharing that information and mentally preparing for oven-like temperatures, we got in the car a little after 8:00 and made our way to I-70, and then headed west for our 108-mile trek into Utah and into Arches National Park. ...After stopping for a wonderful breakfast in downtown Grand Junction at the Dream Café, we picked up Highway 50 and headed east/southeast through Delta, Olathe, and Montrose. ...The weather was quite warm but not super hot, so we trounced out for a few short hikes to get a better view of the deepest canyon in the world. ...Jan took Jamers and Jo out exploring the Colorado Monument before taking Jo to the Grand Junction airport for her flight back to LA.

Blog 52: Big Horns and Flat Tires

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-07-03T15:07:09-04:00

By 6:00 a.m. all the Alexanders were entering the Colorado National Monument in our car, only about 15 minutes away from our campground. Jan was driving, and I was in the co-pilot seat, camera on my lap along with one to two pups depending on their mood and what we were sighting. ...We had a great time winding up and down the monument road, enjoying the canyons and rock formations--during our first half-hour in the park we only saw two other vehicles. ...Mid-afternoon I got tired of work, so we took a road trip 70 miles north on highway 139 through the desert, up through the mountains, then back down through the desert culminating at the town of Rangely. ...The momma Great Horned Owl and her “daughter” (we think she is a female as she is almost as big as her mother and female owls are larger than males) were both sitting in a tree about ten yards from our coach. ...Jan decided to go for a shorter walk, so she took the Pups her way and I headed out on the big trail.

Blog 51: Midsummer's Eve in Sweden

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-06-27T14:44:14-04:00

The whole family left our motorcoach BERT (Big Expensive Road Traveler) early to drive the half hour to the Grand Junction airport, where I arrived in ample time to catch my 6:35 a.m. flight--on to Salt Lake City, then Atlanta, before touching down in Copenhagen at 9:30 a.m. ...Within 30 minutes I was in Lund, Sweden, where I walked to quarter mile to the Grand Hotel, my Swedish home for many days over the last several months. ...This was all day at our clients, sharing findings from a study we had done and making recommendations as to how to best build their services business. ...Several years ago I was in Sweden at the summer solstice and was introduced to their habits of wearing traditional garb complete with crowns of wildflowers around their heads, dancing a strange dance around a maypole to traditional music, staying outside all day--rain or shine, hot or cold--eating very nasty herring and drinking a very-hard-to-describe snaps. ...The good news is that I made it to Salt Lake in time for my last flight to Grand Junction. ...Also, I diligently worked trying to capture a butterfly in flight and after a hundred or more shots I finally got one that was acceptable--quick little buggers!

Blog 50: Playing Host

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-06-20T17:11:41-04:00

Our plan, which proved successful, was to skirt through Denver before the normal rush hour traffic--Parker Road to I-225 South to I-25 North to West 6, then on to I-70 West across most of Colorado. ... After fueling up at Loma, we traveled north and a tad west a few miles to Highline Lake State Park, where we checked in at the visitor center and were greeted and welcomed by the head ranger, Alan. ...It is very attractive to the desert dwellers within a couple hundred miles who are looking to boat on the lake, relax by the beach on the large lawn, or hang out in the shady campground. ... When on duty wearing our official state park shirts, we have a walkie-talkie to coordinate with the rangers and the visitor center, and a golf cart to patrol the 31-site campground. ...Although our core tasks are relatively straightforward--be ambassadors to campers; help register, document, and assist changes as required; keep the camp sites tidy; and sell firewood, ice, and worms--the procedures are a little complicated (well, the paperwork side of things, anyway). ...Keri, another volunteer at the visitor center, is a fellow photographer, and she was kind enough to take me around to where the owls hang out, the hawks and falcons nest, and where the bats reside.

Blog 49: On to Colorado

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-06-12T15:23:14-04:00

Lots of old store fronts and homes (at least by American standards), and a drive right along the river, where we viewed an old yellow Lab walking in the water, folks strolling along enjoying the view, and a tugboat pushing along some commerce up to the dock. ...After thinking through our travel options, I decided to get a little off the beaten bath and take a leisurely ride across beautiful south Missouri—driving through the Ozarks, passing through Mark Twain National Forest, and setting up camp at Branson for a couple of days in this popular resort area. ...As I mentioned, I wanted to stay at a campground for a couple days since I had five phone calls scheduled, and it looked like this park in Columbia would work fine…I could work in peace while Jan could take the car and check out this college town of 100,000 people. ...However, as we started heading west on I-70, further and further away from Kansas City, the AT&T signal waned in and out—not at all what their signal map showed! ...We turned right at the Papa’s Bait and Tackle store and drove for four miles on a washboard dirt road until checking in and setting up camp at Bonny Lake State Park. ...After my 7 a.m. call, we broke camp and were back on the road, this time turning right at Papa’s joint, north on 385, then east on 36 through farm and ranch country for about 150 miles until merging onto I-70 West, then south on I-225 to our campground at Cherry Creek State Park right in Denver.

Blog 48: The 2011 Journey Begins!

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-06-05T10:10:35-04:00

The motorhome is in motion, the Pups are settled on the sofa, I’m in the navigator chair mulling over maps, and Jan is cruising in the captain’s chair--Motoring Across America 2011 has begun! We’ve spent the last several weeks (maybe months) in “P&P&P mode” (pondering, planning, and prepping, that is). ...After much deliberation, we traded our old faithful coach BALY (Big A** Land Yacht) for BERT (Big Expensive Road Traveler). ...After a 500-mile day, we spent the night at Dandy’s RV Park and Sales, just off I-65 on the outskirts of Clanton. ...While at Auntie’s in Apopka, right before launch, I had the chance to take a few pup pics. Here is an image of Jessie Jane and one with her family...what a cutie she is.

BLOG 47: ROYAL WEDDING AND '11 TRIP SET!

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-05-01T18:45:05-04:00

Early in the week I captured images of a cranky Osprey and a good-looking mystery bird. If you know what it is, please let me know. ...Friday morning Jan hosted a distinguished group of ladies to celebrate the royal wedding. ... Note the bridal veils and tailored hats. ...Check out “Princess Mitzy” who attended the royal party as well. ...We are pleased to announce that our motorhome, BALY (along with Mitzy, Jerry, Jan, and yours truly), will be heading off the Island on June 1.

BLOG 46: SPRINGTIME IN SWEDEN

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-04-25T09:15:05-04:00

I spent a couple of days in DC for work the week of April 10, but I had time for a few photos. ...The staff at the Grand Hotel where I stay was kind enough to give me a room on the top floor with a small patio. Here is a shot of my “avian roommate” and a couple other photos taken off the patio. ...In Sweden they take their time off seriously, and “officially” everyone is off from midday Thursday until Tuesday morning. Friday, my last morning there, I was out at dawn trying to capture some of the budding trees and flowers. ...Nothing like lukewarm scallop, smoked cottage cheese, white dead nettle, and mustard-glazed wild boar with carrots and sage to get your attention.

BLOG 45: SNAKE AND SCHNAUZERS

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-04-10T07:19:22-04:00

Early in the week I facilitated a business trends session for a group of senior services executive in Las Vegas. ...Speaking of eagles, check out this marvelous, real-time close up action of an active eagle nest in Iowa. ...Also go to www.npr.org and search for “Eagle Cam” and you’ll see several cool postings. ...While looking for birds on the south end of Buchanan Lake I heard rustling and felt movement zip my right leg—I almost stepped on a Black Racer. We both jumped back, and in a nano-second multiple thoughts went through my mind, “Yikes!”, “What was that?”, “Am I in Trouble?”, “Poisonous?”, “It was pretty fast”, “Wear boots next time”, “Watch your step”, “I’m going to live.”, “No worries” “Better take a picture.” ...As my pulse rate started to settle back to normal, this black beauty signaled his displeasure with me with some cobra-like moves that would have made Michael Jackson proud and a lacing tongue routine reminiscent of the cowboy lariat performer in a Wild West show.

BLOG 44: RIVER CHURCH, DING DARLING, AND MORE EAGLES

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-04-03T07:41:29-04:00

About 30 family and friends attended a tree-planting dedication for Uncle Brad at a replica river church being build by friends of the family. Here are a couple pics. If anyone wants to see more, click here. ...Wednesday I went to Ding Darling with some family and friends. Here are a few pics from this excursion. ...Here is a close-up pic of a few-weeks-old eagle behind the St.

BLOG 43: SWEDES AND RAPTORS

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-03-27T17:40:51-04:00

From Orlando I flew to JFK in New York, then another flight to Copenhagen, and finally a 30-minute train ride to Lund. ...Here for a couple of hours I photographed a few of the twenty “permanent” inhabitants of the center--those birds unable to be released back into the wild. The Center is a non-profit, totally volunteer outfit committed to taking birds that have been injured or abused and rehabbing them back into the wild. ...While shooting one of the owls, we heard a loud, primal scream followed by a high-speed swoop of wings--a red-shouldered hawk was attacking the owl! He/she must have seen the owl as a violation of territory (owls and hawks share the same geography, but owls rule the night and hawks are in charge during the day). ..."While I was gone, I found out what Jerry and Mitzy do--here they are caught just leaving the Ragged Ass Saloon on PIne Island.

BLOG 42: SUNRISE CRUISE, SUPER MOON, AND BIG BALLOON

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-03-20T17:45:01-04:00

f=d&source=s_d&saddr=fort+myers,+FL&daddr=San+Jose,+CA&hl=en&geocode=FfSAlgEdTLoe-ykpVKiJAULbiDGKJboKUwgpxg%3BFfrAOQId1Ae8-Cn1P_mK5MqPgDF7cZ_KCoyduQ&mra=ls&sll=40.044438,-77.783203&sspn=53.921038,118.564453&ie=UTF8&ll=31.952162,-101.777344&spn=36.879517,70.488281&z=3&output=embed">
View Larger Map ...Most of my week was spent going/being/returning from the San Jose area where I taught a class on services account management. ...We drove off to a new development where we walk our Pups and watched the “once-in-twenty years” big golden moon rise in the East. ...While we were waiting for the moon to launch, Auntie and I observed that a big balloon appeared to have been “relocated” from its original place of promotion to hanging on a sign in the development. ... Reluctantly I agreed to assist her and we cut the balloon and about 30 feet of cord free and tied it to the back of our car (it was too big to fit inside).

BLOG 41: COLD COPENHAGEN, SNOWY SWEDEN, AND THE DATE STREET BLOCK PARTY

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-03-13T13:41:55-04:00

After breakfast we took the 30-minute train ride from Copenhagen over the bridge to Sweden to Malmo and beyond to Lund. ... The young woman behind the desk was very gracious, giving me a complimentary upgrade when I asked if there was a room with a view for photographs. ...It was indeed a nice, spacious fifth-floor room with windows that opened up providing a view of the city. Interestingly, though, was that the elevator only went to the fourth floor, so there you had to get off, walk down the hallway and take stairs up the remaining flight--no big deal once I first found the stairway! ...Wednesday morning was brisk, but I wandered out in the streets of this college town in an attempt to capture some nice images. ...Friday after a quick breakfast, I retraced my tracks, taking the train to Copenhagen, then flying back home arriving around 10:00 that night.

BLOG 40: BIRDS, PUPS, AND A GOOD-LOOKING GATO

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-03-06T18:53:44-05:00

As I’ve mentioned in the past, there is an active eagle’s nest at the Saint James Preserve, and it boasts two young ones. ... Here is a shot of one of them—his brown and white chest reminds me of the mail of a knight—such a regal young fellow. ...Here is one of the parents taking a break from the nest and checking me out as I take a few photos. ...Don doesn’t see so well, and might be a tad addle-pated, but he is definitely now the head of the household (the Kids tiptoe around him). ...I’m very happy to report that Jan’s painted table (picture in last week’s blog) that she donated to the Calusa Land Trust brought $700 at the Duck Race live auction! ...Here is a very unfeminine shot of Mitzy getting a bath and one of the Kids out in the early morning light.

BLOG 39: FOGGY MORNINGS AND GORGEOUS DAYS

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-02-28T07:43:02-05:00

Each day would start with fog at sunrise then burn off to sunny blue skies and light warm winds. ...The Great Egret in full breeding plumage landed in our backyard and posed for me for several minutes. ...Here is a pic of a table that Jan painted to be auctioned off at the upcoming Duck Race next Saturday, a major fundraiser for the Calusa Land Trust. Monies from her table and other donations will go to buy and preserve environmentally sensitive land on and around Pine Island. ...Here as some shots of the Kids, including Misty Mitzy and Foggy Jerry. Come back next week for some more pics from the Island.

BLOG 38: MORE BIRDS AND PUPS GONE WILD!

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-02-20T15:56:27-05:00

We took our good friends, Friz, Kim, and Phil out for a sunset cruise, and as we were leaving the canal we had some eagles flying overhead--special treat. ...I drove down to Naples to have lunch with my good friend and business colleague, Carla, whom I hadn’t seen in 15 years. ...This 12-second video depicts what I put up with/tolerate/enjoy/laugh at whenever I turn the corner in our car to take the Kids out walking on St. ...

BLOG 37: CATS, BIRDS, AND TAIL

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-02-13T19:10:31-05:00

Here is a Little Blue Heron taken up at Bookelia and a Night Heron shot in mangroves on a canal taken on a neighborhood walk. ...Here are a couple of cats taken on Date Street. ...Here are pics of our good friends Milt and Linda and a black-and-white shot of neighbor Susan. ...My only contribution this week is a shot of Winston’s tail! ...Here is a shot, taken by Jan and painted by me, of me and the Kids taking a walk on the California coast. Come back next week for some more pup pics and Pine Island action.

BLOG 36: BIRTHDAY GIRL AND BIG BLUE BIRDS

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-02-06T09:41:38-05:00

By 6:50 I was trying my luck at making flash blurs of all the birds that had hung out for the night--great blue herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, green egrets, tri-colored herons, ibis, glossy ibis, and probably some others in the mix. At about 7:00 a big blue (probably a male) tried to land on another big blue (probably a female) and the noise she erupted with sent several hundred roosting birds into flight! ...Tuesday morning was a gorgeous day with low tide just around dawn and a gentle wind out of the east--perfect for bird photography! So Jan and I along with the Kids left early by car and made the trek to Ding Darling on Sanibel Island, one of the most famous national wildlife refuges on the planet. ...We just had two appliances repaired, a flat on Jan’s bike, the golf cart quit running, there is an electrical problem in the motor home, tire and break issues with our car, one boat engine isn’t cooling properly, and now our AV system receiver broke! ...Here is a shot of a just-bathed Mitzy under her towel with her morning chicken strip snack and an action photo of the two Kids behind the post office.

BLOG 35: PRAIRIEDOGESE, DOLPHINS, AND CHILLY WATERS

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-01-23T13:05:43-05:00

Our good friend from the North, Mers, visited us this last week and thus gave us a good excuse to go out on the boat! ...We cruised on glass-like waters around the barrier islands to Barnacle Phil’s on Upper Captiva for a light but tasty outdoor lunch, including a hamburger for the Kids. ...Using all of my abundant knowledge and skills proved of no avail in removing Rough Draft off the shoal, so for the safety of the ship, I reluctantly called for a crew overboard, heave-ho. With Friz remaining on board to monitor water depth, wind direction, and crew morale (it only took them a few moments to start whining about the cold waters (the woosies). ...He was excited about this article as it explains that prairie dogs have their own language--he is waiting for Berlitz or Rosetta Stone to publish a program, because he is going to sign up and learn their language! ...My favorite is Rag Top Jerry--he has wanted to ride in a convertible forever and Uncle Patrick was kind enough to fulfill his wish.

BLOG 34: PINE ISLAND NATURE

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-01-16T10:41:20-05:00

A chilly week on the Island but I had some beautiful morning walks with the Pups. Here is blurred (intentionally) Anhinga on Laratonda, a sunrise, and shots of leaves from a few trips to the St. ...I had a quick trip to Vegas to teach a class on relationship skills to some senior services professionals. ...This week I just took one pup shot I like, that of Mitzy walking the trail. ...Here is the painted version of one of my all time favorite photos--Janny holding Jerry. Come back next week for some more pup pics and Pine Island action.

BLOG 33: WOODPECKERS, BIKING PUPS, AND A MEMORIAL AT SEA

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-01-09T17:02:12-05:00

One of my favorite places to walk the Kids in the morning is behind the St. ... It borders one of our Calusa Land Trust preserves that is the home to nesting eagles as well as all sorts of other critters. ...I took a couple of shots of some other regular canine visitors to this location (see a shot of both Kimoni and Ginger along with “Biking Pup” under Pups Across America below). ...Several dolphins escorted the boat over to the waters of Picnic Island for this celebration of a damn good man. ...Out behind the Pine Island post office I got a few quick shots of Kimonee and his cousin Ginger. ...Casper was over to our place one day and our pup, Pelé had to check him out, of course.

BLOG 32: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2011-01-02T13:08:26-05:00

After walking the Pups in the chilly Wekiwa State Park in Apopka, Florida, we did a few odd jobs around the motorhome before heading over to Aunties. ...Jan and I worked in the morning but then hopped in our car and took the Pups for a walk before depositing them over at their grandmother’s place. ...It was a lot of fun, as I had the chance to catch up with some folks that I hadn’t talked to in a couple years. ...Here are some pics, including a balancing heron, a school of mullet, friends Ed, John, and MH (more boat club pics are below, under the Pups Across America section). ...Mid-morning our fellow boat clubbers met again by the water to enjoy breakfast and a conversation that ranged from watching the New Year’s Eve ball drop to the antics of one colorful boat club member known for his “carefree” captaining and “frugal” lifestyle. ...We’ve updated Jan’s website to include another shot from Dee’s home, plus a wonderful painting, “Three Gossips,” that she did for me, plus a table she painted for Geoff and Sharon, plus six more pieces.

BLOG 30: FBI SHAKEDOWN AND CHRISTMAS PARTY

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-12-13T16:28:35-05:00

We were out on the run cruising to our first stop and minding our own business, when an FBI boat screamed up upon our stern and demanded that we stop and be boarded! At first we were shook with terror at the sound of their bullhorn and the thought of being bossed around by the Feds. ... Take a look at this pic and see if you spot any irregularities—these chicks were way too hot to be working for the government! ...In the middle of the week I had a couple of short business trips—a fast flight to D.C. to teach a course on leadership and an easy drive up to Venice to consult with a Canadian client. ...Note: If you’d like to see more pics of the party, click here and open up “PIBC Xmas Party” folder. ...Here are a couple of pics of The Kids: Jerry in his authentic bomber jacket and Mitzy in her fashionable wool sweater.

BLOG 31: CHRISTMAS STORY

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-12-27T15:27:27-05:00

The day after I returned I drove to Venice (Florida) to help strategize services with a long-term Canadian client over lunch. ...The next day Jan and I were off to the airport to go visit our grandson (and his parents) in Parker, Colorado, outside of Denver. ...Note: If you’d like to see more pics of Christmas in Colorado, click here, http://gallery.me.com/jamesalexander4, and open up the folder. ...Upon our return, we loaded up our motor home, BALY, along with Nancy and the Kids, and headed north. ...Note: If you’d like to see more pics of Christmas in Apopka click here, http://gallery.me.com/jamesalexander4, and open up the folder. ...Here are a couple of pics of the Kids all decked out for the holidays.

BLOG 29: SUNSET CRUISES AND MORNING HIKES

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-12-05T13:34:59-05:00

The weather the first part of the week here in SW Florida was magnificent, and we took advantage of it by taking several boat rides. One late afternoon we went out to see the sunset and were rewarded by playful dolphins that followed our boat. ...I had a business trip in NY/NJ mid-week to work with a long-time client help his salespeople be more effective in working with customer executives. ...Our perfect weather took a drop in temperature later in the week as you can tell by Mitzy’s fashionable coat. ... Jude’s Trail I was lucky enough to capture this shot of the sun striking the face of this mostly hidden heron. ...Here is a shot of Jerry, as first mate on our boat cruise, keeping a watchful eye for dolphins.

BLOG 28: BIG BIRDS, PERFECT PIES, AND MEGA MANATEES

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-11-28T17:20:00-05:00

This past week I carried my longest lens while walking in the morning in an attempt to capture some big birds in flight. ... I’ve also thrown in a great white egret image from the neighborhood just for fun. ...One photo shows the six-foot-plus creature back under a dock while the other shows a manatee getting a drink of fresh water. ...Jed, the Little One’s mortal enemy, makes fierce sounds as he races back and forth on his property keeping pace with our boat. ...I’ve also added a shot of both Jerry and Mitzy wearing their stylish life preserver vests. ...This week I’ve added a painted version of Mitchell, the Dachshund from last week’s pup shoot.

BLOG 27: AUNTIE ROCKS TO LED ZEPPELIN

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-11-21T10:35:59-05:00

Janny’s cousin is James Dylan, the lead singer for the Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Experience. ... The whole band is excellent, but James is just outstanding—a rare combination of deep talent and splendid stage presence. Check out the five pics of the concert including one backstage shot of Auntie and James. ...In the middle of the week, I flew to Minneapolis to share my experiences during a half-day workshop for 50 or so services leaders. ...Just for fun I included a shot of Billie the Goat, and an eagle that hangs out where I walk the pups in the morning on Pine Island. ...Tuesday morning before flying off to Minneapolis, I did a dog photography shoot (with the help of Auntie and Jan) of Mitchell, the Dachshund—what a chowhound this low-to-the-ground guy is!

BLOG 26: HAWKS, DOLPHINS, SOCCER, LACROSSE AND PUPS

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-11-14T13:29:55-05:00

...Jan and I took Mitzy and Jerry out on the boat late afternoon hunting for dolphin (Jerry stands on the bow and when he spots one, he barks to get him to follow our wake). It was a beautiful afternoon and we did see a few dolphins, but they appeared to be too busy eating fish to follow us along. ... As we motored over I was sure he/she would be done having fun by the time we got close, but I was sure wrong. ...While waiting for the lacrosse game to start, I spotted a hawk across the road and took this photo. ...I had to include a shot each of Mitzy and Jerry—if they read this and they aren’t in it, there is the devil to pay!

BLOG 25: PAINTERLY PUPS

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-11-08T08:45:08-05:00

This week our good friend Donna was down from the North Country and we spent some time with her on the boat and just hanging out. I flew out to Massachusetts to do a two-day account management workshop in the middle of the week then hunkered down and enjoyed the cold front moving across Florida. ...I’ve been experimenting with an iPad app that gives a painterly effect to photos. I really like the look for certain subjects in certain settings in certain light. Here is one of my favorites: a photo I took of Sweat Pea on Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterrey with the app applied. ...(Go to my Photo Gallery to see a full-size image.)

BLOG 24: NINJAS, DOLPHINS, HOCKEY, AND MORE

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-11-01T10:13:05-04:00

Here is a shot of us that I took with a timer. Of course, Mitzy didn’t miss the opportunity to get in a pic with Jan while I was adjusting the camera. ...I didn’t take this image, but I just had to include this shot of Grandson Austie, now enrolled in Ninja Karate. ...Mitzy has now teamed up with Janny in an attempt to squash my card playing prowess—they are doing a pretty good job of it here. ...Auntie, Nancy, her neighbor, Mark, and his Yorky terrier, Baxter, joined our good friend Donna and us for a pontoon ride to the annual Pine Island Boat Club to Chicklet Island (actually it is a sandbar only visible at low tide). ...A perfect blend of a really low tide that made it easy to investigate sea critters, all sorts of birds hanging around, dolphins and manatees within 30 feet of the beach, lots of Florida sunshine mitigated by a gentle breeze, and laid-back friends all enjoying a magnificent point in time.

WEEK TWENTY-THREE: PARTY, PAINTING, PUPS, AND CHEER

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-10-01T15:04:37-04:00

We decided to have a small gathering of family and friends at our campgrounds (Moreen’s neighbor Del was kind enough to let us stay at his nursery—we had our own spacious campground in a beautiful setting). ...There was only a three-hour time limit to complete this project, however, Jan was fortunate to have two competent assistants—Aunt Moreen and yours truly. ...Sally’s pet parents are Todd and Heather, the son and daughter-in-law of Anne and Pete, longtime friends of the Gourdies and now friends of ours. Ann is also an accomplished photographer, so we thought it would be fun to work together on a shoot of Sally. ...Mid-afternoon I had the chance to take a few photos of Niece Taylor, one of the lead Apopka Pop Warner cheerleaders. Here are a few shots of Taylor in action (she’s the cute one on top), and her teammates.

WEEK TWENTY-TWO: HOMEWARD BOUND

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-09-27T09:58:52-04:00

...We took 36 east past Longmont, I-25 south for just a few miles, and then east on 52 and south on 79 to the Bennet exit on I-70. ...So if you have not done so, please sign up (right side of the home page) to be alerted via e-mail when I add new posts, pics, or videos. ... • State Parks We Camped At: 10 (Florida—Lake Manatee, Anastasia; Texas—Palo Duro Canyon; Colorado—John Martin Reservoir, Cherry Creek State; California—Salt Point; Oregon—Devil’s Lake, Fort Stevens, Stub Stewart, Clyde Holliday) • National Campgrounds We Stayed At: 4 (Cottonwood Campground at Canyon de Chelly Park; Jumbo Rocks Campground, Joshua Tree National Park; Flagg Ranch Campground, Yellowstone National Park, WY; Bluebell Campground, Siuslaw National Forest; Coos Bay, OR) ...Grizzly bear, blue whale, rattle snake, mountain goat, woodstork, elk, bison, pronghorn, mule deer, roseate spoonbill, dusky quail, black bear, vulture, coyote, great horned owl, wild turkey, alligator, raven, humpbacked whale, bald eagle, gopher, risso dolphin, black-tail deer, California condors, sea otter, magpies, little blue heron, squirrel, bluebirds, peregrine falcon, common quail, trout, yellow-bellied marmot, black-footed albatross, red-tail hawk, mouflon sheep, great white egret, prairie dog, great blue heron, tri-colored heron, minke whale, cattle egret, seal, white-tail deer, sea lion.

WEEK TWENTY-ONE: WONDERFUL WYOMING

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-09-05T15:01:21-04:00

...This section of the highway was a scenic byway, so we twisted and turned at 10,000 feet of elevation our way through the Bridger-Teton and then the Shoshone National Forests. ...With the Big Thompson River flanking our moves, we twisted and turned our way the 30 miles into Estes Park and set up our rig at the Estes Park Campground at Mary’s Lake. ...Soon we were down in Moraine Park, watching a herd of elk slowly make their way across the meadow with the herd’s bull bugling every now and then to make his presence known and to attract females. ...A wonderful distraction here are the sounds of the night we heard last night—two owls hooting the latest news back and forth, a coyote singing/praying, wailing into the darkness, a bull elk loudly bugling to potential mates...tough on sleep, but sure worth the next-day blurry eyes. ...By 6:30, just in time for sunrise, Jan and I were at the Fern Lake Trailhead in Moraine Park starting our hike on the Pool Trail.

WEEK TWENTY: TALL MOUNTAINS AND BIG GRIZZLY

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-08-29T14:06:44-04:00

...We awoke to a gorgeous morning, and by 7:00 a.m. the four of us were in the car heading backing into Hell’s Canyon on the Idaho side, making the same trip that we had taken on Thursday. ...After thinking through our options, we: (1) Got out our air compressor and filled the flat tire and confirmed that it was only slowly leaking air; (2) Found, then sprayed our never-used rusted tire jack with WD 40; (3) Filled the mini-spare tire up the recommended 60 pounds (it had less than 20 in it); and (4) Drove separately to a flat-tire-changing place we had confirmed existed 20 miles from camp in Halfway. ...Up I-86 through American Falls and Chubbuck, at Pocatello we took I-15 north wheeling past Blackfoot and at Idaho Falls we turned off onto Highway 26 slowly making our way through the stoplights and 20 miles of road construction. ...Oblivious for the most part of the humans viewing them, they meandered about minding their own business, which appeared to be eating, resting, sniffing, or just walking back and forth across the road for their own hidden enjoyment as they glanced at the traffic backup they caused. ...Back at camp we took the pups out for a nice walk down to the Snake River, then Jan and I stopped at the Visitor Center to report our grizzly sighting the day before.

WEEK NINEEEN: FANCY SHEEP AND WILD GOATS

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-08-22T08:36:42-04:00

...Mid-morning we packed up and followed Gary, Kathie, and Madeline in their motor home for the half-hour drive up 97, turning at Terrabonne and on to the Crooked River Ranch RV Park. ...It was a good day for spotting and photographing critters because along with lots of cattle, horses, mules and dogs, we saw coyotes, quail, and deer along our way that I shot as drive-bys out the passenger window as Jan drove the car. ...After about ten miles, I asked Jan to stop the car so that I could get out and shoot a waterfall alongside the road. ...At Cornucopia (there was no sign of humanity at all, but there was a sign saying “Cornucopia,” and it was on the map so it must be a town :’>>>) we turned around and switched our clothes from washers to dryers. ...We drove down to Brownlee Dam, the place we were told had the best possibilities (in fact there is a sign by the road stating to watch for them, as they sometimes cross the road there to go down to the water); however, no luck today.

WEEK EIGHTEEN: WATERFALLS AND 2,000 MOTORHOMES

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-08-15T13:47:28-04:00

...We were only about 30 miles from Hood River, so we decided to continue heading east on I-84 and have lunch there for the second day in a row. ...Along with our normal business updates and discussions, Suzanne and David seemed to take great pleasure in teasing me about my hiking “directional misfortune” that I outlined in last week’s blog. ...It was getting time to start planning the next leg or two of our journey, so I pulled out the maps (paper and electronic) and looked at our options. ...Since the Little Ones didn’t like the gravel we were parked on, I quit trying to coax them to do what they didn’t want to do and loaded them in the car to find a place more to their liking. ...Mid-afternoon we loaded up the Little Ones and drove down to Bend, and then on to the quaint town of Sisters—mountain background, great scenery, very nice tour.

WEEK SEVENTEEN: STATE PARKS AND CHAMPION ROSES

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-08-08T14:16:43-04:00

...As we came into the outskirts of Lincoln City, we saw the words that I had hoped for but never expected, “Vacancy” on the sign for Devil’s Lake State Park. ...Sadly, the campground could not accommodate us for another day, so late morning we were back on 101 heading north through Neots, Otis, Neskowin, Cloverdale, Hebo, Beaver, and on to Tillamook were we stopped for a healthy lunch of foot-long hot dogs, curly fries, and diet root beers at the roadside A&W. ...In the chilly mist I headed up Barberchair Trail, then turned left on Boomscooter Trail, then it was all uphill to Skidder Row, which made a half-mile loop complete with nice views of the Coast Range. ...We discussed the situation, consulted our maps, and both agreed that if we followed the service road for awhile it had to lead us to one of the other trails that we could use to guide us back—no brainer. ...Although we had no reservation, it looked as though there would be ample camping sites available at several of the National Forest campgrounds around the village Government Camp on a first-come basis.

WEEK SIXTEEN: CLASSIC CARS AND ANCIENT FORESTS

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-08-01T14:04:37-04:00

...Jan and I took the car north on Highway 101 about fifteen minutes to the town of Fortuna to participate in the final day of their annual AutoXpo. ...After this meal the six of us plus the pups moved into Mary and Henry’s coach were we had Jamieson’s Irish Whisky and 1800 Gold Tequila for night caps, while we watched a Wanda Sykes comedy special on their HD flat screen the size of the Monterey Aquarium. ...After morning chores, the four of us hopped into the car and drove north on Highway 101 for fifteen minutes and stopped just over the state line at the Oregon welcome center. ...Two miles north of downtown, we turned west on Horsfall Dunes and Beach Road, entering the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, and soon we were among the dunes and trees of Bluebell Campground, a part of the Siuslaw National Forest. ...Strategically located right on the Avenue of the Giants in the Humboldt Redwood State Park, this is a great place to set up base to see all the many sights of Humboldt County.

WEEK FIFTEEN: WILD COASTS AND GIANT TREES

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-07-25T13:38:20-04:00

...During my past visits to Las Vegas when I came from Florida, because of the three-hour time change I would be up and out around 3:30 or 4:00 a.m in the hope of getting some exercise and some interesting pics. ...The ranger at the park station was a pleasant, helpful young woman, who said we could scout around and try to fit into one of their campsites, or we could easily pull into the large overflow lot and dry camp for $5 less ($30 instead of $35). ...It was a gorgeous day when we pulled out of our campground heading north on 101, also called the Redwood Highway in this part of the state. ...South of Redcrest but before reaching the state park visitor center, we turned west on Mattole Road and were soon in the 10,000-acre Rockefeller Forest, home of many of the tallest redwoods on the planet, including the “Champion Coast Redwood” which is 370 feet tall, 17 feet in diameter, 52 feet in circumference, 1,000 years old, and weighing over 1,000,000 pounds. ... Luckily we were not driving the motor home, as it would have been quite a challenging experience, as now we were confronted with 10-mile-an-hour curves, loose gravel, one-lane bridges, big-time bumpy roads, and really steep inclines.

WEEK FOURTEEN: BANGKOK AND BACK

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-07-18T14:02:36-04:00

It included everything: Miso soup, lettuce salad, fried rice, pasta, beef cakes, pork sausages, chicken sausages, fried chicken chunks, real crispy bacon, some other kind of meat, fried potatoes, eggs-how-you-like-them, Corn Flakes, Cocoa Puffs, white bread and rolls, juices, fresh fruits, and several things that I’m not sure what they were. ...By the time one is putting his/her shoes back on after visiting the temple, the photographer has processed the image, imposed it on a button with the title of “Bangkok 2010,” and shoves it (politely) into your hand as you head for the exit. ...In order to “tropicalize” our discussion and make it more relevant, I shared a success story of an Asia-Pacific business similar to my client’s and fed back to them what I had learned about their issues from earlier telephone focus groups. ...I met with the Aussies at the Witches Brew, a bar close to our hotel for a couple of cold pints, and then we walked to another restaurant where we met up with the rest of our colleagues and the whole gang feasted on Thai food. ...On a four-lane road there will be six to eight lines of vehicles moving back and forth with motorbikes zipping this way and that in every direction, the vehicles coming within centimeters of each other but almost never touching. ...I thought that I had allowed very ample time, but after a crazy long line at passport control, a thorough security check, then another passport/mini-interview at the gate followed by another hand bag check of every piece of luggage of every traveler, the time was being eaten up.

WEEK THIRTEEN: MARVELOUS MONTEREY

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-07-11T07:52:40-04:00

Besides the substantial green fees and the vitally necessary accessories purchased for the occasion, there is airfare for eight (you have to take the wives because you can’t leave them home on a holiday), rental cars, lodging at the exclusive Pebble Beach Lodge, dining charges from exquisite restaurants, and fees for deluxe spa packages (you can’t be out playing golf and expect the wives to sit around doing nothing, can you?). ...After about an hour on the Internet, I made up my mind that we needed to try it again, as Humpbacks seemed to love this area and there were Blue whale sightings all over the place. ...Once we found a nearby parking lot and I fed enough dollar bills into the machine to keep us legal till 2:12 PM (I don’t think there is a free parking place in the county), we strolled our way down along the water toward the wharf. ...Unlike many places that have to go out for hours to spot whales, in Monterey Bay (Morro Bay, as well) when the whales are in the area they are close—three to four miles out. ...We stopped for a glass of wine and some appetizers at a restaurant overlooking the Pacific (no parking fee), then Jan drove us on a stretch as pretty as 17 Mile Drive, going past the lighthouse and along a state beach. ...I talked with another ranger as to which trail led to the highest probability of seeing one or a few of the park’s 26 California condors, and she recommended the Condor Gulch Trail that started directly across the road from where we parked.

WEEK TWELVE: A ROCK, A WHALE, AND A MARIACHI BAND

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-07-04T15:43:30-04:00

...From our campground exit, Jan turned BALY right, heading north on the Pacific Coach Highway (CA 1) driving along the edge of the Santa Monica Mountains to our right. ... Through Santa Maria, by Nipoma, past Pismo Beach, and up to San Luis Obispo, where we turned on CA 1 again for the last dozen miles to Morro Bay. ...It was a pretty drive there and back complete with small mountains, wildflowers in full color, some old gangster-looking cars that looked they had pulled over for a picnic lunch, plus some dinosaurs on display that made me think of BP executives pondering the fate of the small people :<<< ...Humpbacks are a normal visitor to the Morro Bay waters this time of year, but in the last few weeks they had been seeing blue whales, and Jan and I both wanted to take our chances at sighting one ourselves. ... About a mile out we were in ten-foot waves and the captain told us that we may have to turn around for safety reasons and if that were the case we’d all get rain checks.

WEEK ELEVEN: COWBOYS AND SURFERS

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-06-27T15:26:16-04:00

...At 9:00 I had my weekly marketing call and at 10:30 I gave an electronic keynote presentation (done in the privacy and comfort of our motor home) to the North American services management team of a very large organization. ...At noon I had a phone call to firm up a proposal for a new client--it should be fun, as services are poised to become a much more significant part of this company’s strategic direction. ...With several slow downs and a crawl or two, we turned west on I-10, the Santa Monica Freeway, for four miles, then slid over onto the California 1, the North Pacific Highway, for the remaining 20 miles going through Santa Monica and a few miles past Malibu to our camping destination. ...After a missed exit or two on my part, we re-traced our steps, this time a little later in the day and into a lot heavier traffic--it took two-and-a-half hours to make it back. ...Not being able to hear what numbers were being called, Jo and I walked across the drive and stood in line at the Pick-Up-Your-Order counter until the sliding window opened and we were handed our order served on paper plates with plastic utensils--all this added to the special ambience.

WEEK TEN: CALIFORNIA DREAMING

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-06-20T10:46:39-04:00

At sunrise I took the Skull trail hike, walking from the campground to this prominent point and then back returning in a circle out among the boulders. After breakfast we took a car tour--first over to Key’s View to take a look at the San Andreas fault, then back to Barker Dam where we took an hour hike to first view the hieroglyphs and then walk down to the old dam. ...Since there was no Verizon or AT&T signal, we drove to the town of 29 Palms (no, I don’t know how it got its name). ... Turns out they had no food, but since we were there I sat down and did work for an hour while Jan went out for groceries and cash. ...In the Element we drove the 20 minutes into Carlsbad where we met our host for the photo shoot, scoped out the shoot site, and I got a much-needed haircut. ...Jumbo Rocks Campground in Joshua Tree National Park near Joshua Tree, California, is a great place to camp, especially if you are self-contained like we are.

WEEK NINE: HOT AND DRY

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-06-13T15:53:13-04:00

Not another soul around (except for some horses and sheep) as I started on the three-mile hike: 1.5 miles down 600 feet of elevation to the canyon floor and 1.5 miles back up. ...By 12:30 we said goodbye to this wonderful place and were in the coach heading south on 191, retracing some of our Sunday journey. ...Little did we know that the first 90 miles or so of our trip was composed mainly of hairpin curves going up and down from 5,000 to 7,000 feet then 7,000 to 5,000. ...The gauges seemed to be within acceptable operating parameters, but because of the driving conditions and the heat (I neglected to say earlier that it was 95 degrees outside), we decided to have a ham sandwich and play a game of gin rummy at the side of the road as we waited for things to cool down. ...While Jan made breakfast in the parking lot, I took the Pups for a walk to scope things out and found out that the first tour of the day was coming up in 30 minutes at 9:30. ...By mid-day it was in the high 90s, and we were set up in a “it will do” campground right off of I-10.

WEEK EIGHT: BACK MOTORING

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-06-06T19:09:31-04:00

Just then we saw a sign indicating a campground in one mile, and it was like a tractor beam latched on the coach turning us into the Ponderosa campground, a gorgeous setting with only 31 sites located on the water. ...Soon it was back in BALY and we were on our way, heading west on 17 through the mountains, then entering into New Mexico. ...However, the next 20 miles were dirt, the surface being mainly washboard (if I didn’t know better, I’d say the the person who maintains the road takes great pride in making it as rough as possible), and ten miles an hour was about our speed limit. ... Soon we were on the trail viewing these amazing structures that was the center of the universe for these ancient people, the Anastazi, and the predecessors of today’s Pueblo peoples, the Hopi, Navajo, and Zuni. ...So after only 20 minutes of freshening up, Jan and I (we left the Pups to get some rest) were back in the car heading for another really cool place. ... Our visit to this small, but interesting National Monument ended at their museum where we purchased a small engraved Navajo-red plate that was made by a couple artisans who were demonstrating their craft.

WEEK SEVEN: BABYSITTING!

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-05-30T19:01:36-04:00

As we got close to our campground we decided to do a little more exploring so we went up Lookout Mountain stopping at an old mansion and then checking out the visitor center of a mountaintop nature preserve. ...At 5:30 PM after our gin rummy game, Jan and I took the Pups down to the area in the campground we had designated for the evening pup shoot. We practiced action shooting with Mitzy and Jerry (well, mainly Jerry), till our subject, Jackson, the nine-month-old, 102-pound Great Dane puppy bounded toward us followed by his Pup Parent and her four-year old son. I immediately discounted the use of a tripod with this rambunctious youngster who went from one situation to the next--standing on his back legs kissing his Mom, chasing sober Mitzy, running with his stick, bounding across the field, and just enjoying the heck out of all the attention! ...Durning this time we will be “camping out” at the Little Man’s home in Parker, Colorado (SE of Denver) for a babysitting gig while his mom and dad take a short vacation. ...During this time we will be “camping out” at the Little Man’s home in Parker, Colorado (SE of Denver) for a babysitting gig while his mom and dad take a short vacation.

WEEK SIX: LIFE IS GOLDEN

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-05-23T18:55:51-04:00

Just as we were landing in Atlanta from Denver, the lead flight attendant announced that there were two fire engines approaching us and that normally that was a cause for concern, but not today. ... Upon hearing the lead flight attendant say in dismay that she regretted not having a camera to capture the moment, I took a couple good shots of Tom coming out of the cockpit and then Tom posing with the two attendants. ...After a glass of wine, lots of catching up on family news, followed by a meatloaf dinner, we settled in and watched Invictus, a very well done, feel-good movie about a truly courageous individual and his impact on South Africa and the world. ...When I returned, Jan and the rest of her support crew headed off in the car to give me a couple hours at the computer before more family activities were planned. ...Durning this time we will be “camping out” at the Little Man’s home in Parker, Colorado (SE of Denver), for a babysitting gig while his mom and dad take a short vacation. ...Durning this time we will be “camping out” at the Little Man’s home in Parker, Colorado (SE of Denver), for a babysitting gig while his mom and dad take a short vacation.

WEEK FIVE: MORE MILE HIGH

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-05-16T18:47:50-04:00

I took the Little Ones out for a walk in the morning, but I almost had to drag them—ten minutes and they were dog-sled pulling me back to the coach. ...Late morning we left the Cherry Creek State Park campground in the SE side of metro Denver and drove to a campground outside of Golden in the NW part of the Denver area. ...Jan and I had made a good plan: that of taking the Little Man to a dog park and doing some dog photos, but it was just too cold for us Floridians. ...Also new this week (see below) is a 35-second video of a bellowing male gator taken from some footage I took during Week Two at the Alligator Farm in St. ...And of course there are grandmas and grandpas across the continent who not only speak to their grandkids for free but can actually see them via small, inexpensive video cameras ($30 or so). ...Right by Denver and all the action of this great city is a scenic park with a lake and trails and a herd of mule deer (don’t forget the coyotes) and a full-service campground complete with WiFi.

WEEK FOUR: MILE HIGH

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-05-09T18:37:27-04:00

Alas, it was too dark for a sharp photo with my point and shoot, so I tried to meld the scene into my mind for future personal reflection. ...In the afternoon we picked up Austin from the sitters and brought him back to the campground where we took short walks, made a campfire, colored, and watched TV. ...Jan drove me the 30 minutes to the airport and the rest of the day involved my friends from Delta, Ace Cab, and Hilton as I flew from Denver International to Minneapolis. ...I was met at the Denver airport that night by Jan and two excited Little Ones who acted as if I was returning from years being away. ...Since we’d have to leave our current campground soon (21-day limit in the Colorado State Park system), we decided to check out a private campground up past Golden. ...In my mind I saw an old rusty Ford truck backing into the driveway, with a couple of worldly/seasoned/crusty/middle-aged men getting out and shlepping cable and chains, boxes and contraptions into the short-time midway.

WEEK THREE: BIG EASY & TEXAS TOWN

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-05-02T18:18:04-04:00

At Lafayette we turned North on I-49 and made it all the way to Texas before stopping for the night at Miss Ellie’s RV Park. ...Next we toured the city for about five minutes then returned to the park, stopping at the Interpretive Center, were we purchased a get-well card for our friend Char, and a new hat for me. ...Here we turned west on Highway 50, and after 20 miles turned into the John Martin Reservoir State Park, our final stop of the day. ...When you drive through the industrial area and first pull up to the gate of the Riverboat Travel Park in New Orleans, LA, your first thought is a question: “Did you made a good choice in campgrounds?” As you drive onto the small, concrete property you see a mixture of RV’s—a travel trailer that looks as if it hasn’t moved since Space Race, a rusted fifth wheel alongside a $500,000 top-end motor coach. However, after you spend a little time, you realize that this place is alright—full hook-up, cable TV, quality Internet, easy access to the Quarter, plus one-half the price of other campgrounds in the area.

WEEK TWO: GATORS AND BIRDS

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-04-25T16:37:31-04:00

We turned North on Highway 27 at Lake Wales and drove to Haines City where we pulled off of the road for lunch and my noon marketing call, where the main topic was social media—who’d have every thought that I’d have a FaceBook page! ...After our morning routine, we packed up and headed north on I-95 then took the I-295 loop that goes to the west of Jacksonville connecting to I-10 North. ... Soon we decided to get off the beaten path and headed south on 14 to Shady Grove, then continued south to Perry where we took 98 West down to Panacea and our campground right on Ochlockonee Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. ...Jan did laundry, I did some work, and then we were out of the park by 10:30 a.m., heading our way north on Highway 59, then heading west into the rain on I-10. ...Although you’ll still see the serious bird shooters there with the 500mm-plus lenses and camera gear that costs more than a mid-size car, the birds are close enough for someone like me armed with a fairly fast DSLR and a medium telephoto to get decent shots. Also, adding interest to the experience, it doesn’t take much to get the big male gators in a frenzy—the first morning I was there the space shuttle was landing and the sonic boom set off a bass symphony throughout the entire park with the bellowing of these big boys.

WEEK ONE: FLORIDA SUNSHINE

alex@pupscrossamerica.com — 2010-04-18T11:39:26-04:00

James City, FL, making the short trip to beautiful Lake Manatee State Park (not far from Tampa), our first destination of Motoring Across America 2010. ...Knowing that they are soon to be famous, and wanting to help less fortunate dogs, the Little Ones have been sending out pee-mail to build their brand and drum up business. ...Like George, Artie is not only at the top of his profession, he is a wonderful teacher who goes out of his way to share his knowledge. ...Yes, there are more and more WiFi hot spots around and many commercial campgrounds have that capability, but what if you are in a state park, or national park or somewhere out in the boonies? ... I use it to conduct real business and update the blog, and Jan will often use it while we are going down the road--finding directions, getting information on possible destinations, sending e-mails or doing online crossword puzzles! Yes, it is a little pricey ($60/month through Verizon), but if you want to travel and be connected when you want, it is a great little productivity tool.