Walking in places like this, I’m getting very, very spoiled. I don’t want to leave, and I want time to stand still.
A bridge of gold to walk through….
I’m sorry if gold is getting boring. No doubt it will be over soon. The above pictures are all near our camp.
It’s less than 10 miles to Convict Lake, an amazingly beautiful mountain lake, now surrounded with autumn splendor.
Turns out the lake has a blacktop trail around it, so we meander along, and Joy looks for a place with easy lake access.
Occasionally, off the trail we find little picnic areas.
Like this, and
Like this.
Though many leaves have already fallen, many still shimmer in the sunshine.
And the mountains shimmer with snow.
A stream feeds the lake.
But finally we come to a nice area for Joy and Shiloh to take a dip. It’s deep enough that Joy even gets to swim.
Another day we head up to Mc Gee Creek, also very near to where we are staying.
There is a campground, and no one is camped there. It’s beautiful, with shelters, tables, and bear proof containers at each site, but I will probably never pull WS up here because the road is one lane for awhile, and mainly when coming back down, if I were to meet someone coming up, the edge of the road is the edge….period…in some places.
The bottom of the above picture is the top of one of the shelters at Mc Gee Creek Campground.
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One crisp, blue morning, we get set for our walk. The dogs are perky, especially Shiloh, and I can see he would just love to run. The grass is frosty, and they both roll in it and get even more invigorated.
We are walking around where we are camped.
Oh he wants to run SO bad! Well….there are no roads to speak of where we are walking, and no people are outside….no dogs. There is a large field of cattle next door but we are separated from it by a barbed wire fence….I’ll just let Shiloh off leash for a few minutes so he can run a bit….
(when will I learn????)
Oh he frolics! Shiloh is a happy boy! I’m considering letting Joy loose too, when Shiloh begins making his way over near the afore mentioned fence. Just sniffing….until like a bullet he runs through it…into the field of cattle….and I say cattle because all of them that I have seen are NOT cows, they are boys. If they are steer or bulls I have no idea, but there are between 20 & 30 of them in the field, and a few of them are within 50 feet of us.
Uh-oh.
I figure Shiloh will realize how big they are….and they are HUGE….and come running back, and I’m calling, and calling, but he is suddenly deaf, and no he doesn’t come running back, though he doesn’t run right up to them. He keeps his distance, frolicking ….as they quit munching and all turn to stare at him….and I continue to call URGENTLY from the other side of the barbed wire. They show no fear at all. My mind races to what would happen if he ventures too close!
Then he stops to sniff the ground, and I instantly remember “Cow Pie Camp” back in late September or early October of 2014….my first boondock. As I set up camp in a lovely meadow, having let the dogs run free, Shiloh took it upon himself to roll extensively in fresh cow pies. Suddenly I had a brown dog, instead of a Golden. OH NO! Not again! But oh yes, Shiloh drops and rolls….repeatedly….joyfully! Having the time of his life!
Finally I call “Shiloh you get back over here to your mommy RIGHT NOW!” and suddenly he is running back to me full speed ahead. His word for me is ‘mommy’, and it does seem to soften his heart when I use it. “Mommy loves Shiloh”, etc. So, I don’t know if the M word motived him or if he just felt the urge to return, but here he is coming through the fence to me, wearing his new perfume.
This time he’s not a brown dog though, just a brown spotted dog. Perhaps the pies were somewhat dried, or slightly frozen. He still needs a bath though, NOW.
We trot back home where I heat water for his bath and use Cedar Mountain Dog Shampoo. While I get the water warm for the rinse, he rolls in the dirt. WHY NOT??
After the rinse and towel dry he is newly invigorated and looks longly back towards the fence. OH NO YOU DON’T BUDDY!
Understandably, I forgot to take pictures during this event. I do have a few though from before and after:
Here is the fence and a couple of the boys, but the boy parts are hidden by the BBQ grill.
Joy avoiding eye contact with the guy, at a different time.
Shiloh left some of his fur behind on the fence….can you see it on that wire, in the middle?
So now I know that a barbed wire fence has no effect on Shiloh, and I won’t make that mistake again. I hope.
Ok, we are all safe and sound, and here is a picture of Crowley Lake.
On Tuesday we will head south again, but only to Bishop this time, for a couple days at least. See you then!
Wandering Spirit 
Haha! Oh Shiloh, what an adventure, and what a lucky boy you are 😉
Hi Marcia, he IS lucky isn’t he! Lucky the cattle didn’t decide to play football with him! 🙂
Hilarious Shiloh story! Only laughing because I have had dogs all my life and I know too well the drop and roll in something bad event! At least you have a good attitude about it and all you can do is get out the soap and water! Oh and hold your nose lol.
Enjoyed your post safe travels.
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl, yes at least I had lots of water this time. Last time, that I referred to in this post, I was boon docking for the first time and didn’t have unlimited water and Im not kidding about Shiloh being a brown dog that time. Funny. Now. 🙂 I did post about that back then, and gave some folks a good laugh, including myself!
I could hardly stop laughing to type this with the picture of Shiloh covered in Mud Pies, your saving grace was you did not let them both loose!! How wonderful to be camping in such a beautiful area. I hope we can get back there one day.
Hi Sue, I just looked up the first time Shiloh pulled the stunt, September 18, 2014 posted as “My First Boondock aka Cow Pie Camp”. You might get a kick out of reading that one too. 🙂
Yes, Joy was wanting to follow Shiloh through the fence….SO glad I didn’t let her loose. Though the last time it happened, when Shiloh was a brown dog, Joy never rolled in one! What a lady! 🙂
I DO love it here. I hope you get back here someday too….mainly late September or early October. Wow.
Oh my goodness, a paved trail for my wheelchair? I’m doing my happy dance! Convict lake is defiantly on my list. I was hoping to boon-dock. Did you stay in a CG or can you recommend any boondocks? I often thought that dogs rolled in stuff to hide their scent for hunting. My wolf/husky would roll in dead fish. Really, I would think if I were the prey and something.. dead is following me…hmm
Hi Chey, There is a campground at Convict lake, and it’s National Forest, so basically boon docking. There are water spigots around and there is a dump station on the way out. Best look it up though because I don’t know if it’s open all year or how crowded it gets.
Yes, I think the path around Convict Lake would be fine for a wheel chair, it was quite smooth and nice. (I didn’t go all the way around).
I have done dry camping, yes, and will again, but right now I’m feeling very spoiled and loving my electricity. When I head to Barstow I do plan to do some boon docking there either at Owl Canyon or Sawtooth Canyon…or maybe both… both very nice BLM campgrounds.
Your dogs are so big and fluffy……you must go through gallons of shampoo!
Hi Diane J, I don’t wash them nearly as much as I’d like to! They are constantly getting dirty, dusty, etc, and they aren’t easy to wash. Joy seems cleaner because her fur is thinner and she goes more deeply into the water when she goes ‘swimming’. Shiloh’s fur is very very thick and he only wades in the water when he goes in, so one of these days I need to really scrub him. I do brush them both a LOT, and that helps.
Given the title of the post I was soooo worried about Shiloh and the cows. I was thrilled that he finally came running to Mommy, albeit covered in brown spots. A shampoo was so much better than an emergency run to the vet!
Guinness sends his best to his furry friends..
Sharon
Hi Sharon, yes my boy is safe and sound….the silly boy!
The scariest time for him was when he was lured by a coyote and took chase. That was terrible. We were in Berrago Springs. Don’t even know if I spelled that right…
Hi Guinness! Don’t follow Shilohs example!
Oh my, I was so scared that he wouldn’t come back! Or the cows would charge! I don’t think I’d ever be brave enough to let them off leash away from home, but I guess you’re always at home when you’re full time. Beautiful beautiful images! LOVE the gold and the mountains and the lake and the sky and and and…
Hi Dawn, yes , point the camera just about anywhere around here and you get a great picture!
It’s really something how wellmShiloh can ignore me when he wants to! I was at the point of trying to figure out how I could get through the barbed wire fence! But those cattle were SO big! I’m amazed they didn’t go after him. Hopefully he would have come running back if they did….but I thought many times since then, that skimpy little fence wouldn’t keep those cattle back if they wanted to come thru.
Many times I’ve let them off leash and there has been no problem, but there have been enough times that there have been problems, so it’s my bad!
Oh Shiloh, such a scamp.
But this story does seem a perfect segue to my question which is. How’s the quest for an absentee ballot coming? Thanks for relating that by the way, I would not have thought to read up on voting procedures in whatever state I domicile in.
HinRick, yes the reason I told the ballot story is exactly that reason….so people who are considering this lifestyle will look into how to vote. States can be so different in their laws.
All I know is that Pennington County did receive my request for the ballot on the day I expected them to,mwhich was Thursday. I would hope they would send it out the next day, or at least by today, Monday. Hoping for it to arrive in Barstow about the time I do….later this week. Even if it doesn’t get there until a week from today, I should have plenty of time to get it back to SD by November 8. I will mail it back at least by priority mail. Faster if I have to.
“Faster if I have to.”
That’s the spirit. And no matter which side of the ballot gets your X. Thank you for taking your responsibility as a citizen seriously. Once in another life I was an elected official and have always thought of the right and privilege to vote as the very small entrance fee to our Democracy.
Yup Rick, it’s something I take very seriously.
I should be in Barstow by Friday.
I’m another new reader who found your blog when rvsue’s blog was down, then it came back up and she thanked you for letting her readers know she was ok. I clicked through on the link she posted, and I liked what I saw on this blog, so I went back and read it all from the beginning. Today I caught up to you in Real Time. It really is like reading a book.
I am getting close to retirement and a possible future for me is to full-time in my Casita as you do. I’m currently negotiating a retirement date–very likely will be this coming summer. So, your early posts about downsizing and preparing to leave were very relevant for me! I also like the everyday details you post, they help me picture what the lifestyle would be like. If you feel like it, I’d be interested to see more pictures of the inside of your camper–how you have it set up to fit everything.
Thank you for sharing your life with us!
Hi Alane, welcome to this blog! Glad to have you along for the ride. 🙂
And congratulations on your upcoming retirement! Freedom is so good….
Yes, downsizing is a big deal…relatively easy at first, and harder as you go along. It’s a process…and seemingly an unending one. I’m still at it.
That’s a good idea for a blog…organizing an RV with the things you need….but also a personal one because everyone will have particular places where they like to have particular things. But ideas are also helpful!
I really do enjoy writing the blog, and THANK YOU for going back and reading it all…that is a lot of reading!
Oh Micky,I guess all of us who have dogs,big or little,have had a scary episode or two,but that one takes the cake…or pie in this case. Oh well enough of that,you are in heavenly looking places. That must feel wonderful. I look forward to your next post!
Hi Elinoe, yes those little four leggeds can certainly get in precarious situations! I’d say he gave me more gray hair, but I think it’s already all gray by now.
It certainly is beautiful here but I imagine it must be on Bainbridge now as well…it’s so covered with trees, and many of them must be turning colors.
Take care!
I want to frame all of your photos of gold! You are a great photographer ! Beautiful! I so enjoy following your travels. Miss you!
S
Hi Sharon, isn’t it amazing? I know, I’ve thought how nice some of these pictures would look, framed….or painted. I want to learn to paint!
I miss you too! But heading your way! Can’t wait to see you!
Oh what beauty!! What a blessing to be surrounded by the wonder of it all. And our Shiloh is such a scamp! I’m so glad he was only spotted, he could have been seriously hurt by those monsters. I know your heart was in your stomach from fear for him. Safe travels, my friend. I’ll be on the road again tomorrow..headed back to Texas from Tennessee…work to be done on the trailer, and docs wanting to see my body!
Hi Pat (Freespirit)
I’m heading back to the home place too…(in a couple of weeks) to see family, friends…and doctors.
It has been a beautiful drive down Hwy 395. Highly recommended in the fall.
Hope all is well with you…