Day 4 , back on th road

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Back on the Road
For Annie, and for Donner

The tires hum low on the blacktop hymn,
a rhythm I've known, a trail grown dim.
But now it sings anew once more—
with a brindle shadow at my door.

Annie sniffs the morning breeze,
a wag, a leap, a dance with trees.
She doesn't know the ghost that stays
in quiet corners of the days.

We've come again to Shenandoah's bend,
where river, sky, and pines transcend.
Where once a noble shepherd lay
beside this fire at close of day.

Donner, bold and wise and true,
each path I take still carries you.
Your prints, though faded, lead me still
past silent peaks and over hill.

And now this pup with eager grace
runs headlong into your old place.
She doesn't fill your space—not quite—
but brings her own new kind of light.

So here we are: a man, a pup,
a trail once traveled, now re-struck.
The road rolls out, the stars lean in—
old friend, new heart, and wheels that spin.

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Day three, Shenandoah River State Park, Virginia

A lazy day for a tired dog. It didn't take her long to figure out all my previous dogs habit of retreating to the tent at the very first opportunity to do so. I would say that by now Annie is completely acclimated to life on the road.


One of the things that I also wanted to watch very carefully on this trip was how I would fare by staying in one place for two or more days. I've done it before, but that was only to rest and stock up after pretty intensive legs of the trips. So far, if two days is any indication, I've learned how to not only appreciate it, but to exploit it. The problem is, if I try this on one of my 45 day adventure, that automatically turns into at least 90 days. And then, there's always the 2016 trip during which, after one episode after another, a 45 day trip turned into 120 days. But I have to remember that, while I might have concerned myself about that with the Defender, I'm not too worried if that happens with the Grenadier.

Ed and Annie, on the road.

On the road 25, day 2…staying put

I am posting these entries to my 2024 OTR blog, but only for the time being until I change its name. You see, our trip last year was nipped in the bud and never occurred due to a pesky lawsuit that has plagued my condominium, and me as the former president, for seven years. As good luck would have it, we won all four matches in this 26 round saga, one in 2019, one in 2023, and two this year, a double header, so to speak, the last one with a knock out. But I say that, always mindful of Louis "Mountain" Rivera .

As voracious consumers of my blogs know, my road trips usually consist of moving on every day. These trips I am taking now are not really road trips, just short getaways in one place, essentially getting me ready for a real road trip. So far, after one day, I think I can conclude the following:

1- The 30-month lapse since the last trip has not affected my ability to handle the overland life.

2- Annie is handling tent life quite well, in fact, better than I. For instance, she prefers to sleep on the gravel ground and in the sun. She is tethered by a 15-foot leash, which gives her plenty of roaming space, but if she does not give me ample warning that she is about to roam, her leash will get snagged on one of the guy lines securing my pleasant shelter, and there goes my hard labor in setting up that shelter.

3- the Grenadier is working out spendidly. First of all, I can load it long before I depart since I had to load the Defender outside of my garage as I was getting ready to depart, due to need to use the roof rack. Second, with the rear seat removed, I can store everything in the rear, and I have three, no, four, doors to use to do so. Third, there is less stuff I have to take since I do not need a "Garage" container, I do not need a backup tent anymore, Annie requires less food to carry, and the list goes on.

So, on the basis of just one day's experience, I think it is time to get back on the road, for the first time since that fateful trip in 2019.

Photo of Annie resting and relaxing in the breeze .

On the road day 1 view from my back yard

Annie and I started our first road trip this year, her first ever. For my first camping trip in more than two years, meaning I am that much older, I expected this to be my rubicon, and not the Shenandoah. Well, as it turns out, except for pulling together the contents of 20 different containers and bags for the first time in two years (a chore made for hell) , setting up camp turned out to be quite, well, pleasant. The weather cooperated, after driving through three different storms on the way here. From home to finishing setting up camp took just four hours.

We are camping at Shenandoah River State Park just down the road from front Royal Virginia. There are only a few primitive campsites, my preference, and only one directly on the river, which I am in. I had to reserve this almost a year ago. This will be our home for the next three days.

Inasmuch as this is Annie's first trip, she really doesn't know what to make of it. She is constantly on guard, and her nose is constantly crimping.

This trip is really a test, to see how I might be able to handle an extensive one on the road trip. I will take a few of them in the next several weeks, and then start planning for this year's trip if all goes well. Right now, anywhere in North America is on the table.

Speaking of on the table, as you can see, the table is all set for dinner on the terrace at five, so I have to go and put on my chef hat.