Happy: Rest Stop Skills

Hi, I'm Happy! One of the first things to learn if you're going to be a road dog, is how to make the most of your so-called "rest" stops. I really don't understand why Boss Macgellan calls them that, because I get plenty of rest while we're driving. When we stop, it's time to roll around in the grass!



All our stops are really fun, because besides rolling in the grass, I get to check up on everybody's p-mail and see who has been here leaving messages. It just occurred to me that if I'm going to be a modern dog, I should probably call it a p-instagram. Anyway, we're having another great road trip!

Happy The Hotel Dog

Usually after a long, hard day on the road, I have a big drink of water then curl up in my bed and sleep. But sometimes I'm fired up, ready to get on the big bed and watch TV with Macgellan!

I Can Haz Some Of That Subway Samich?

During my lunch stop at Subway in Newport, WA, my co-pilot was very attentive!

Happy: Two More States I've Peed In!

Hi, it's me, Happy The Sled Dog!

I've had a very successful day on the Natchez Trace. In addition to lots of exploration with my nose, I've also done some good work from my tail. This morning I left some pee mail in Alabama.



By end of business, I'd also done my business in Mississippi, too. Macgellan says we'll be in Louisiana in a couple of days, so it'll be a trifecta of new states for me. That will also fill in almost all of my map for the Southeast, except for Florida... Stay tuned!

Natchez Trace — Part 2

The Natchez Trace is such a beautiful road it's hard to imagine it as a "snake-infested, mosquito-beset, robber-haunted, Indian-traveled forest path." It was also a constant work in process as new pathways were cut to accommodate changing natural conditions. There are many places along the way where you can see small sections of the original -- or at least old -- Trace.



A dozen or so miles into our drive this morning, we crossed into the very northwest corner of Alabama. A few miles after that we crossed the beautiful Tennessee River. In case you are wondering, the deal that Happy and I have on road trips is simple: If we stop for more than a minute, she's allowed to get out of the truck for a look-see in her own way. Believe me, she makes the most of her explorations!



One of the heaviest early uses of the Natchez Trace was by folks from Kentucky and Tennessee who would build flat boats to float their crops and merchandise down the Tennessee-Ohio-Mississippi River complex to the Gulf. There they would sell their goods -- including the boats for lumber -- then walk back north on the Trace. Steam power changed this routine to a round-trip river journey.

Until midday today, the Trace has been almost completely tree-line by various hardwoods. We've now crossed one of the major ecosystem dividing lines and are into some more open areas with softer trees. The Trace crosses several ecosystems and many watersheds along its 444 mile course.




The weather has been spectacular and is predicted to continue tomorrow, but Friday is supposed to be pretty crappy. So, we are going to push a little farther than we have the past two days and aim for Jackson, MS. After that it will be a shorter run to the terminus in Natchez, MS, to minimize bad weather driving... Stay tuned!

Happy: States I've Peed In Update!

Hi, it's me, Happy! Giving you an update on states I've peed in. Look at my new map!



I've told the boss we need to make a New England circuit and a trip to the Deep South. He says we might do just that! How am I going to pee in Hawaii?

US12: Getting Ready For The Last Leg

After a really good night's sleep, Happy and I went to Starbucks where we both had brief, passionate love affairs. Mine with a dark Komodo Dragon, Happy's with a 6 month old, intact male Chocolate Lab. Mine was really good, but hers looked better. My old girl's still got game with the boys!

After that, we found a very nice nature preserve in Michigan City and enjoyed a lovely walk together.



Not much to report besides that. Some sorting out of gear, raking trash out of the truck, basic getting ready to go for the last leg on US12 to Detroit tomorrow... Stay tuned!

Happy: Reunion With Rose!

Hi... I'm Happy!… I'm always Happy... Today I'm happy because I had a reunion with Rose!

Macgellan and I were driving around today when he said, "I've got a surprise for you Happy dog!"

The next thing I know, we've pulled into my favorite dog park and I'm muzzle to muzzle with Rose, my old pack mate and doghouse neighbor at SP Kennel in Two Rivers, AK. Rose is retired, too, and now lives with Lynne who works not far from where Macgellan and I live. Our bosses arranged this surprise reunion, and it was great!



Rose and I may look a bit similar, but we have no relatives in common. She was born at SP Kennel, and I was adopted from a remote village. Rose was one of the superstar sled dogs so we never raced together, but we sometimes trained together and I always admired her. While checking out the dog park, we had a little girl-talk and agreed we both have really good lives with our new bosses.

It was great to have a reunion with Rose today, and I hope we visit each other again soon!

Happy: Rumpus Room!

Hi... I'm Happy!… I'm always Happy... Today I'm happy about "Rumpus Room"!

One of the best things about where Macgellan and I are living these days is that my young friend Luke lives right down the street! Luke is an Australian Shepherd pup, and he's my BFF!

Almost every day -- sometimes twice a day! -- we visit each other. While our bosses have coffee, Luke and I have tons of fun together in a little things we call "Rumpus Room."

You might not think an old sled dog like me would know how to play, but I do! Luke really brings out the pup in me, but when we're done playing I'm ready for nice long nap.

Here's a little video from our "Rumpus Room" this morning... Check it out!

Happy: Rainy Days

Hi... I'm Happy!... I'm always Happy... Today I'm happy even though it's been raining for two days!

Have you ever wondered what I do on rainy days? Well, here's your answer: I sleep!



If you think about it, sleeping is pretty much what I do every day... I'm a happy dog!

Happy: My Fan In Malta, Montana!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... Today I'm happy because I got pictures from a fan!

You may recall that I had a not-so-happy time when Macgellan and I were in Malta, MT, over the Fourth of July, because I really, really, really don't like fireworks!

A good thing about our time there was that I got to meet Willa and we became the best of friends!



It was so nice of her to send me these photos, showing how she loved me and I loved her right back!

Something I've learned: No matter how bad someplace is, there's always something good there too!

Thanks, Willa!

Happy: Life As A Left-Handed Dog!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... I'm also always a left-handed dog!

Being a left-handed dog means I always circle around things to the left, or what you humans would call counter-clockwise. When I say "I always circle around things to the left" what I mean is that I always circle around everything to the left.

For reasons I can't really explain, being a left-handed dog sometimes gets me stuck in odd places.



I don't really mind getting stuck, though, because if I just sit and wait until Macgellan sees me, he has a good laugh then gets me unstuck!

Sometimes this happens more than two (which is as high as I can count) times in a day!

Washington Wildfire Watch & Wait

Happy and I are now just inside the northeast border of Washington state, enjoying a few days of R&R in this lovely wooded campsite. It is quite large, semi-secluded and very peaceful... Perfect!



I think it may be Happy's favorite campsite ever, owing particularly to the surrounding woods. She has made herself quite a nice little alpine doggie den, in which she is quite well camouflaged. (Can you see her in the photo below left?) Her relaxation is complete and she's making the most of it!



I'm relaxing, too, though not quite as much due to challenges ahead in the form of huge, uncontained wildfires in the middle of the state. You've probably seen them on the news... They're raging!

My plan has been to drive Washington SR20 across the top tier of the state, all the way from the eastern border at Newport to Anacortes on the Puget Sound. It's a beautiful road that I've driven parts of before, and I've been looking forward to doing an end-to-end transit in the weeks ahead.

Because of the fires, WA20 is currently closed right smack in the middle of the state. I'm not planning to be there for about a week, and am hopeful that it will reopen by the time I get there. If not, I'll head south and take my old friend US2 across the mountains, though that road is also closed at the moment because of the fires. Worst case, I'll drop farther south and drive I-90 west to Seattle.

There's nothing I can do besides watch and wait, making short hops west as conditions permit... Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

Happy: States I've Peed In -- Update!

Macgellan says we've now peed in all the new states we're going to pee in for a while, so I thought this would be a good time to update my "States I've Peed In" map.

The yellow states are ones I peed in last year, and the red states are new ones I've peed in this year:



If you count them, you'll see I've peed in 31 of the 50 states so far. Macgellan says I've peed in more states than most people have... Is that possible?

If so, you really should get out there and pee in more states... It's fun and ever so relieving!

Happy: Fireworks, Take Flight!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... But I am not happy about fireworks!

In our travels, Macgellan and I have stayed in a lot of different places. Some of them have been great for dogs like me, most of them have been pretty good, a few of them have been kinda sketchy. Our campsite here in Malta, MT, has been the worst ever.

I haven't really minded the freight trains that have gone by every hour along one side of our campground, or the trucks that have sped across an old metal bridge along the opposite side. I haven't even really minded the millions of mosquitos that have constantly attacked me, because they can't seem to get through my thick Alaskan Husky fur.

What's been miserable for me has been all the pops, booms and crackles of fireworks. Every few minutes for two days now, there's been some loud noise that's made me hide under our camper or in my doghouse. I can't help it, they really scare me and make me shake, shiver and drool.

Macgellan has tried to comfort and reassure me, even taken me for extra drives so I can have some peace and quiet in my truck lair. Last night he said it was going to be the worst, so we were going to "take flight" -- which means "run away" -- from town for a while.

That's why you can see our truck parked at a turn-out about five miles out of town. We drove there at dusk and stayed for four hours, until well after midnight when the fireworks were supposed to stop.



We couldn't get out of the truck because the mosquitos would try to kill Macgellan, so we just stayed inside and pretended we were camping. I had my dinner and slept while he watched a movie and read his book. I could see lots of brightly colored lights flashing on the horizon, but I couldn't hear anything... It was great!

There were still a few bad noises when we finally returned to our camper, but they weren't too loud and didn't last very long. Macgellan has been packing up our camper this morning, so it looks like we'll be hitting the road and getting away from this awful place.

I sure hope there are no more fireworks wherever we're going... They do not make me happy!

Happy: We Found A Note!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... Today I'm happy because we found a note!

When Macgellan was cleaning out our truck the other day, he found a note from one of the new young friends I've made on this road trip. Here's what it says:

In the short time I have known Happy, she became my inspiration. In life we do not always get a second chance. Happy went from being an unwanted and unloved dog to being amazing. She was saved and given a second chance. She was given the chance to do something spectacular with her life and she did it.

I recently got a second chance to do something, but after failing at it the first time, I have been hesitant as to how I will do this second time. Meeting Happy and learning her story has given me the courage to know that sometimes even though the first time at something may not work out, the second chance could be exactly what you need.

Happy is an amazing dog. I'm glad she got a second chance, and I have never been so thankful before for meeting a dog.

The best of wishes, Tara

Thanks very much for your note, Tara. I'm sorry it has taken so long for us to find it in our truck!

Always remember that the world is mostly full of good people who will help you out and give you a second chance when you need it. I hope your second chance is working out well and would love to hear from you about it in the future!

Love, Happy

Happy: Road Work Day!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... Today I'm happy because it's a "road work day"!

Yesterday, I told you about my work on chore days. Today, I can tell you about my work on the road!

On "road work days" Macgellan does all the driving. I sometimes ride in the co-pilot seat, but I prefer to ride in my back seat lair. I've got a really comfy bed and there's a lot more room to stretch out and sleep! Here you can see me poised and ready for action on a moment's notice:



Whenever we stop -- which is pretty often! -- Macgellan and I both get out and do different jobs. He usually looks out and around, I guess to figure out where we are and where we're going.

My job is to put my nose down and check out everything. There are always so many new smells! After that, it's back in the truck and on to our next place. I love all my work days!

Happy: Take Your Dog To Work Day!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... Today I'm happy because it's "Take your dog to work day"!

I'm a lucky dog because I go to work with Macgellan everyday! I'm sad for any dog who doesn't. Maybe your bosses will soon understand that it's better for everyone — canines, humans and their co-workers — if we're always together like we are meant to be!

Today was chore day for us, which is always one of my favorite days. Macgellan gets busy doing so many different things and it's really entertaining to watch him. Today's chores included updating our website, planning our next few days on the road, doing laundry and shopping for supplies, including some yummy new treats for me!

Macgellan said he just couldn't stand all the desert dust in our truck anymore, so another big chore was cleaning it out. I didn't really notice it was so dirty, frankly, but he's the boss! He started by using that noisy, evil vacuum machine I really don't like, but soon said some bad words and switched over to soapy water, rags and sprays.

Here's a picture of me at work under our camper while he was using the evil machine, and another of me at work outside on the grass while he was using the quiet, nice smelling stuff.



Macgellan said something about the desert dust being bad enough, but a whole second dog's worth of fur was just too much. That didn't make any sense to me at all, because I'm the only dog who ever rides in our truck. Sometimes he says the funniest things!

Anyway, if you ever want a spokesdog for a "Take your dog to work everyday" campaign, just let me know. That's a cause I could really get after!

US Hwy 191 — Detour: Four Corners USA

Approaching the Arizona-Utah border on US191 north, I noticed that "Four Corners USA" -- where AZ-UT-CO-NM meet at a geographical point -- was only 30 miles to the east. I couldn't remember if I'd actually been there before on one of my many cross-country trips, but I knew that Happy certainly hadn't and thought it could be a fun photo-op for her story. So, I decided to make the detour.

I should have known better the moment I pulled up to the entrance gate. But, you can't always judge a book by its cover, and the many people on site who paid $5 to get in couldn't all be wrong, right?



I parked my rig, woke up my dog and we walked to the monument. Right away I knew my plan was shredded. Happy's photo op at the four-corners point in space became a photo in front of the sign prohibiting dogs. In her lexicon of facial expressions, this one means "You woke me up for this?"



Simply for purposes of journalistic thoroughness, I took a photo of the point while an anonymous family -- one of dozens waiting in line for their turn -- posed to be photographed. Simply for purposes of exploration thoroughness, I looked around and realized the whole thing is really just a trinket bazaar, with literally dozens of stalls -- all with the same stuff -- arranged around all four corners.



The crown jewel of the establishment is the closed restroom, with emphasis on the word "still" in the explanation. Come back in a year -- or a decade -- and I'll bet nothing will have changed.

I can't say that "Four Corners USA" is the worst tourist trap I've ever been to -- I've been to so many around the world -- but I can report it is at least in the top ten. Still, it's a unique geographic point in the country, and probably can make a claim to be somehow unique in the world.

Something I've learned in all my exploration: If you don't go in, you can't find out. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't… Stay tuned!

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US Hwy 191: Canyon De Chelly

Canyon de Chelly National Monument is a stunningly beautiful and significantly historic place. It's actually a complex of several latitudinally converging canyons, with the eponymous Canyon de Chelly being the largest. (Note: The panorama photo setting on my iPhone is my favorite!)



People have been farming the fertile valley and living among the cliffs here for over 5,000 years, from the ancient Anasazi through the Pueblo and Hopi to the modern Navajo.



In the early 1880's, consequences of manifest destiny resulted in "The Long Walk" relocation of thousands of Navajo. In 1868, a treaty was signed which allowed them to return to their original land.

North and south canyon rim drives — each about 20 miles long — offer numerous places to park and walk to stunning overlooks. We spent the morning on the north rim circuit, during which Happy greatly enjoyed many new smells but didn't think much of the constant wind or sheer cliff drop-offs.



At midday, the overhead sun really washed out the details of the rocks, plus the heat and wind were at their worst. So, we retreated to our tidy little campsite for some quality time and dueling naps.



Late afternoon we took full advantage of the sights along the south rim drive. It's virtually impossible to capture the spectacular views with my multi-purpose, all-in-one camera, but this shot of the crown jewel — Spider Rock — probably gives you a pretty good feel for what's to be seen.



It's been a good day, and we're looking forward to another quiet night in our primitive campground before continuing north in the morning… Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.