As many of us know, while we're busy making plans......life can intervene and turn everything upside down.  That certainly happened on August 14 with the sudden passing of my son, Shawn.  And before I go further, I want to thank each and every one of you for your expressions of sympathy, flowers, cards, emails, phone calls and anything else you may have done to make this difficult time a bit easier.

Some of you might know that Ray and I had planned a trip to the coast of Maine months ago for late September.  After much thought, we've decided this isn't going to work out.  We were going to take 3 days to drive up there with Duncan and Brie.  But now.......we have Smokey.  An eighty-pound lab.  She's a fantastic dog.  Very well-behaved.  However, we have a four-door Infinity......perfect for two small dogs.  Not so for a third.  Plus, that long trip isn't very conducive with three dogs.  The owner of the rental in Maine was extremely understanding about our need to cancel.

But I still have a need to get away......probably even more so now!

So we've decided to rent a mini-van, so all three dogs will be comfortable and we're booked and confirmed to rent a cabin in the northeast Georgia mountains......almost into the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.  An easy eight hour day drive to get there from here.

I'm really looking forward to this!  The cabin itself is gorgeous.  Plus, it has a large deck (with a mountain view) and fenced in yard for the dogs.  Perfect!  The cabin is situated on property with a creek that runs behind it......I do believe I'll be able to chill out there and gain some healing. We'll be within easy driving distance to explore many towns we've never been to.....like Murphy and Highlands, North Carolina.  And on the Georgia side, we'll visit Helen, Dahlonaga and other nearby mountain towns.

So yes......life has a way of intervening, but I guess its what we end up doing, despite the intervention, that counts.  And somehow, I feel that I'm meant to visit that area.  Shawn found Smokey as a puppy at the foothills of the Smoky Mountains over seven years ago.  So maybe both Smokey and I need to be there together.

See you here next time................