Skruffy and Bubba - Three months in

Since we did not do much today, I thought I would talk a bit about how Skruffy and Bubba are doing since we have been on-the-road for about 3 months now.  Skruffy and I hit the road on March 31st.  Bubba and Marcia hit the road with us on April 12th.  Of course, Skruffy and I were idle for about 10 days in early April, but still, we hit the road from Arkansas on the 31st.  Below she can be seen helping me with looking over the route we needed to take to get from Indiana to Palm Harbor.

Skruffy seems to enjoy the road.  She LOVES it when we come to a new place and she can smell, sniff, observe all that is going on.  Below she was checking out the lawn around a tree while we were on our way to Indiana.

She is learning to hold back on her barking whenever she hears a new noise...but it is hard when that noise is the bark of another dog.  It is also hard when she happens to be looking out the window and sees another dog.  But many times she keeps it to a growl now, while we tell her to "be nice Skruffy...."

 Many times when I stop to fuel the motor home up, she will get in my seat, jump up onto the window ledge, and watch what's going on.  When I set up at the campground, or start taking it down, she is watching, and many times barking at me.

She has posed for many a picture....sitting on trees, on top of the car, on a wall with the most gorgeous view one could see...

Of course, one of her favorite spots is on a lap...as shown here sitting on Uncle Arny's lap.

Speaking of Uncle Arny, he always gave the dogs a daily treat.  While we were just there yesterday, just as I had come back from getting the oil changed and the car washed, I found mom, dad, Sandy, Marcia sitting on the back porch with Arny as he was trying to give all four dogs a treat.  As I walked up, I did not say anything because if Skruffy knew I was there, she would have run over barking and some of the other dogs were sure to follow.  Arny always breaks off a piece to give them instead of giving them an entire piece.  That way it last longer, and many of the dogs, ie: Skruffy, would just take a bite or two, swallow, and be ready for more. He gave Parker his portion, and it came to give Skruffy her portion....she puts both of her paws up on his legs and GRABS the entire batch of treats sitting between his legs and off she goes!  Oh we all got a kick out of that one...but she stopped and dropped them before getting any of them down.  That's Skruffy....

Bubba is more of a laid back dog.  Sometimes we think he has part cat in him because he does what he wishes.  Like a cat, many times when you call him he just ignores you.  He does let you pet him, and very occasionally he will get up on your lap.  But if he is on your lap, he won't stay long.

His favorite part of the trip has to be the backyard at Sandy and Arny's.  He loved the grass, to be able to run, to lay and roll on the cool grass, to jump up at the Squirrels in the tree, or to just watch them...as he is doing below (squirrel is in the left corner on the fence).

But many times, especially when we are away from the backyard, he just curls up and sleeps, as he is doing in what we call "the man cave", since Bubba uses it more than Skruffy does.

Of course, if Skruffy sees something out the window, he will jump up there and look too.  Below they both are looking at the desert of California after we woke up at a rest area on in the California Mojave Desert.

One thing we really like is how well Bubba and Skruffy get along.  Bubba is such a gentleman, he lets Skruffy rule the roost, but he sure gets upset when she starts poking him in the side with her nose.  Today she tried to do what Parker did to her....climb up on his back as I was hooking him up to the leash to let him out.  She is a jealous little girl, that is for sure.  But most of the time, they get along real well.

Well, today I took them for a walk in the RV park over to what they call "Hidden Lake", a very small lake formed by a small dam along a canal of water taken from the Rogue River.  Skruffy got a bit close to the edge of the water, and PLOP, she fell right in.  Thank goodness I had her on a leash because the current from the canal was swift, and headed right for the dam.  But with help from the leash, she swam right to the shore, got out and shook water from her body all the way back to the RV.  Bubba just looked at her like, "What the heck you doing in there girl?"  Not sure if it scared her or if she just was playing it cool...she just did not let it phase her, and she enjoyed the warm towel that I finished drying her off with.  Only wish I had taken my camera.  Good night for now...