2019 Dear Diary
Dear Diary,
December, 2019
We made it!
Padre Island- first a swim at Bird Island Basin- the bay side which is warmer! I swam back and forth a bunch of times- it felt soooo nice! But it is tiring for an old timer, like me!
And then Port Aransas, just in time for the Holidays- I look so sharp in my Christmas bow tie, don’t I? 
I received many looks and compliments as I sauntered around the RV Park and strolled along the beach, but of course, a long winter’s nap is important after all the socializing!
Merrily confused,
Rhylee 
Dear Diary,
November, 2019
It’s always something, isn’t it? Sand Burrs! OUCH! But the beaches are very nice, even if a little cold for swimming so just a little wading!
I got a mani/pedi while I was on the Outer Banks! My people also groomed me and gave me a bath- I feel like a new man…dog…new, anyway!
Don’t like riding in the truck, but each new place is kind of fun…just saying!
confused and sandy,
Rhylee
Dear Diary,
Sometime in the Fall…Someplace in the Northeast
Well, it’s been a long time since my people bothered to write a thing about me or take any photos…what’s with that?
I am feeling soooo much better these days! I get a lot of peanut butter these days, but I think they put stuff in it, something called “drugs”, but I really think it’s the peanut butter 🙂 My thyroid, wherever and whatever that is, wasn’t working right so the vet gave me some pills for it- I have more energy now! I sleep right through the night, but I really don’t like riding in the truck still.
AND…when my people leave me behind for more than a few hours, I sometimes get a bit bored….just saying 😉 So, I rearrange things, just a bit. Did I mention that the big rug must weigh over 15lbs.? Pretty good for an ol” dawg, right?
My friend Judy made me my very one dog bones and super cool ice cube treats (apples and yogurt)…they taste sooo good and make me sooo happy 🙂 Thanks Judy! My people have even started making the cubes for me! I such a lucky dog!
We’re on the road again-lots to do and see, but I sure don’t like riding in the truck! But I got to see my old friend Phil in NH!
not so confused…finally!
Rhylee
Dear Diary,
sometime in July,
A new province- Nova Scotia- which I think means wicked cold water…just saying…and no sandy beaches, so my swimming excursions have been curtailed.
Meeting lots of people- which really means mooching for food, usually to no avail, but everyone things it is so cute, so I just keep trying.
Doing a little beach walking- supposedly we are on the ocean, but I never can see it, it’s always so far away-what’s with that anyway? 
But…one day the tide was in, 
it was sunny and warm and we went swimming- not for long though- it was soooo cold!
CBD is a really, really good thing. I watch my person get it ready for me every night- gotta keep an eye him, ya know. I am sleeping so much better, so long as I get a walk, it is quiet, I get my meds…geesh, do I sound old or what? Wait…I am old, cut me some slack, will ya?
And some random photos, as my biographer seems to be a slacker these days…just saying…
Fundy confused,
Your Rhylee
Dear Diary,
July, 2019
We only move once a week these days! It is AWESOME! I mean, I don’t like moving day, but the other 6 are just great 🙂 I’ve been climbing around on the red rocks and wading at a shallow sandy beach.
More swimming! WOO HOO! We’re all alone on this great beach- warm water, shallow, no waves…
I went swimming three days and I can swim pretty far now- about 20 feet! Great, huh? And I got my back legs to help, too. One day I went swimming without my leash on…that was a bit scary, but I can turn back to shore pretty quickly 🙂
And now I am on CBD oil to help me sleep- this might be the one that works- I’ve given my people a few nights of over 7 hours sleep!!
happy, and wet, but as always, confused
Rhylee
Dear Diary,
July 2019
We are in some place called New Brunswick- more ocean, salty ocean- ugh!
I got groomed without going to the groomer! WOW! My people groom me now- I stand on the picnic table and away they go- piles of fur! I bet I look awesome, right? Don’t tell me if I don’t, okay?
Wow- new things are happening all the time now! I learned to SWIM! Can you believe it? I never learned as a pup, and everyplace we’ve ever been on this never-ending journey has either been too cold or too wavy (you may remember my early run-ins with waves 🙂 Anyway, it was hot and calm one day, and my people gently led me into the ocean- I thought I was just going wading- NOPE! He had my leash and she put her hands under my tummy and all of a sudden I was not touching bottom! It was kind of scary, ya know, but then I realized the cool water felt so good, floating around felt so good, my fur was swishing around me…it was pretty nice, and then I figured out that if I moved my paws I could move around! My back feet didn’t quite get the message though 🙂 It was amazing! I pretended I didn’t like it, but I really did, just saying. (no pics, I know…but I think there will be some later…just saying;-)
And of course I just had to climb this big tower…why, though? I dunno…maybe because my people did.
Strawberries! YAY!
swimmingly confused,
Rhylee
Dear Diary,
June 2019
Quebec
I am a “chien”…is that a good thing? I hope so! Everybody talks different around here, but they still seem to like me, so it’s okay.
Apparently we are back on the ocean- salty water- what a mean trick to play on me! Nice beaches to walk along though, and I like the feel of the water on my paws.
My people have been busy, off sight-seeing and so I have been left to my own devices- can you guess what that would be? Sleeping, of course…which doesn’t help me sleep during the night 😉 Although I am doing better- mostly because they drag me around the campground after dinner every night! I am an OLD dog- I need to rest and relax, right? (and that would explain the lack of photos, as sweet as I look when sleeping, it is not all that exciting…just saying 🙂
sleepily confused,
Rhylee
Dear Diary,
May and June 2019
What can I say? This “sundowners” thing is getting old, and I mean OLD, not just me being old, but boy…I dunno…what can I say?
My people are sooo good to me, even though I know they are really tired and frustrated with me. They keep trying new meds and stuff and new regiments at night, but not much is working…yet…I hope they work it out for me, before they leave me beside the road…I’m just kidding…they wouldn’t really do that…would they?
Me and Smokey, pretty cool, huh?
Derek came to visit!!!!!!! YAY! I love him! We were in the mountains; it was cold and snowy, and so he hung out in the camper a lot with me. I know he thought I was a really cool dog…just saying! He would smile at me, and sometimes give me treats, and sometimes tease me, too. But then, he left, and I am sad and confused.
I drank out of a lake and river that are part of the mighty Mississippi, which I think I drank out of way down south. It tastes better up here 🙂
No, I am not in jail…my people love me, even if no one sleeps much…this was at a damn near the Mississippi River.
Hey, did I tell you that I am on “medical marijuana”? Well, kind of…it is a hemp dog treat that has CBD and THC in it- whatever those things are. They are very yummy, but don’t seem to do too much to chill me out…I am really hungry these days though…just saying 😉
We’re stopping at many, many lakes and rivers- good drinking for the most part, but some of them are over full and the taste is a bit off, in my opinion.
Sleepily confused,
Rhylee
Dear Diary,
April, 2019
Well, I am still not sleeping right. I mean, how hard is it to sleep? Really…I sleep most of the day, and wander around and dig most of the night- this just ain’t right. I am so tired, my people are so tired…this is just soooo tiring.
But I think I am on the mend. My people called my doctor back in Maine and they think they’ve figured it out! Something about cognitive dysfunction and senility- I am pretty sure those are NOT nice words about me, but I just want to get back to my old life of sleeping at night.
So, now I get all these extra treats in the morning and at bedtime- I think they are drugs, just saying. So, I guess I am a junkie, whatever that is. But, one week in and I still can’t sleep well at night. My people still love me, but I know they have just about had it with me and their sleep deprivation.
Two weeks in- I’m still not sleeping right at night though…and I feel sooo bad because my people are soooo tired. Maybe we should all switch to a night owl schedule?
And now, I am walking around sideways and drooling. What the heck? Another stroke, I guess. But I am going to work my way outta this one, too. There are lots of great lakes and streams around here to drink out of. But some of them are a bit hard to get back up from…if only I had thought of that before barreling down those steps.
I must say though, this getting old gig is really a drag…just saying.
I’m in trouble now…they bought me a crate to sleep in…no, not a cardboard box, a pet crate. It’s pretty nice, but I don’t want to sleep in it. 
No way! But I am going to have to. They put me in it to eat, to nap(but I don’t sleep) and to sleep at night (but I try not to sleep…I give in a little now and again). It just makes me pant and pant, and dig some…life has gotten sooo hard these days.
We go for walks at sunset now! Awesome! One day, a herd of cows met us at a fence and followed us..well they followed me, actually, it was easy to see that it was ME they thought was so cute and interesting 🙂
And I have a bright light near my bed…crate…ugh, it’s a crate and I don’t like it! However, I am sleeping better and he only has to sit with me once or so during the night before I fall back to sleep. Everyone seems happier 🙂
Trains, cars, trucks, people, music…and I am supposed to sleep through that? Twin Bridges…but I did get to drink from TWO rivers within minutes because of something called a confluence!
And…one more thing- an herbal supplement to “calm my nerves”- good luck with this one working, nothing else has…just saying.
less confused, but forever old,
Rhylee
Dear Diary,
March, 2019
Talk about confused! I have never been so confused as this, I gotta tell you! We are at a “beach cottage”. Yup, our home/camper is sitting right there- I mean- right there! 
Yet we are living in a house…Why? I ask you why?
Let me tell you just how problematic living in a house is- first- there is an outside flight of steps up and you know how I am with steps- ugh!
Then, this place is HUGE, well compared to our cozy little camper. There are rooms, and doors and islands and tables, and I had so much trouble figuring out where my people were. And sleeping, well that was a disaster- too far from my people, then too close to my people, then too hot, then too cold, too bright, too dark- you name it, this place had me reeling! ( and of course that made it hard on my people- they were missing out on sleep big time as I moved about in the night)
However, there was an upside- we were right on the beach- and I met lots of people, although no one had brought me treats…guess they didn’t get the memo.
I had to go to the vet’s- both ears infected this time- but they were soooo nice. And now I get peanut butter and rice cake every morning- I pretend not to notice, but I know there are pills in the PB;-) just saying- I ain’t stupid, ya know!
AND THEN! (yup, all those caps mean something really, really big) We had to MOVE, and not back into our camper, to a bigger, and higher beach house!
Really? Whatever are my people doing to me? It was something called “bed bugs” which I guess are pretty bad- she was all bit up. A really nice lady came over and figured it all out for us. So, down the road we went- look at those stairs!
And look at me- I am climbing all those stairs all by myself- not bad for 98, right?
The house is huge and it has mirrors everywhere.
I don’t actually “get” mirrors. I look in one and I “know” it is a door into the bathroom, but when I go in there- no one is there…And then I can see me, she and he in the mirror but when I turn they are right beside me. What the heck is this thing? some, scary, I gotta tell ya. Not like life hasn’t already been a challenge.
One more change and guess what? I can’t sleep here either….duh.
Please, please can we go back into the camper soon?
Sooooo tired and beyond confused,
Rhylee
Dear Diary,
March 2019
I’m not happy…I think…or maybe I am…or not…We are on the road again. Y’all (did I just think in Texan?) Y’all know how I don’t really like riding in the truck… However, the upside is that I get to walk in different places, drink from different creeks-
they are mostly muddy down here, but still tasty.
And then, I had my birthday- whatever a birthday is- I am 14 years old…that would be 98 for you humans. I got a special birthday dessert!
Ricecake, peanut butter and strawberries! I needed help getting into it though – peanut butter sure is gummy…and yummy 🙂
Thoroughly confused, but happy with my people,
Rhylee
Dear Diary,
January, 2019
Been here, done that…weren’t we here last winter? Port Aransas, Texas! I am a Winter Texan, and proud of it! We walk in the Preserve, along the channel and we walk on the Beach, and lay in the sunshine. I am very popular on the beach…just saying 😉
It’s a long way home…just saying…
My people let me off the leash, but I didn’t know where to go, but then I saw these lovely yellow lines on the road- perfect…kind of like following the yellow brick road, or so I’m told.
Oh, have I told you? Walking hadn’t been much fun; I was always dragging way behind, it was a challenge. And my people were always telling me to keep up. ONE day, she looked back at me and shook her head. Uh Oh…I’m in trouble now. Well, she walked right back to me and took my harness off. WHAT? And hooked the leash to my collar. And guess what? I could walk again! It was a miracle! Apparently, one of my lumps is right in armpit (do I have armpits?) and the harness rubbed on it and made walking a pain…literally…a pain. They bought me a new collar, too. And sometimes they tug on it to get me going in the right direction, but I like walking again.
Don’t I look great in my new truck?
AND…I got a new bed, very cushy…it isn’t even Christmas or my birthday. AND THEN…I got a new truck seat- high sides, very comfy…and the same color as the truck and my new collar- we are sooooo sharp looking.
happily confused,
Rhylee 
Our Home Is Here...Today... 