On the Road to Alaska with Maggie and Cavan

I am not sure exactly when it happened or how, but Ron and I have morphed into my parents. In their mid-life, my parents purchased an RV so their Kerries would be able to travel with them. We purchased our RV last spring so Maggie and Cavan could travel with us. Here is the first of our adventures from Maggie's perspective:

Mom and Dad brought home a strange vehicle and every weekend we've been going for rides. The only part of the ride I like is when we stop at a place with golden arches. Cavan and I each get a cheeseburger. Yummy! One day we took a longer, different kind of ride.

Cavan bounced all over from seat to seat as he usually does but I found the spot I like between the front seats. We drove for a very long time.

When we stopped for the night, Mom hung the privacy curtain between the driver's seats and the rest of the house. Cavan ducked under the curtain and sat on the driver's seat to look out the windows. I stayed with Mom and Dad because they were having dinner (and sometimes they give us a treat when they finish!).

A dog barked outside, but barking never bothers me. Cavan is usually the one that barks back. Mom got all excited, "Cavan didn't bark back. Good Cavan, good dog. Come, Cavan! Get a carrot!"

I was certainly perplexed by Mom's excitement. Mom called Cavan again. Then Dad lifted the curtain. He wasn't there. They had left the window rolled down and Cavan being the adventurous type -jumped out. Mom and Dad were in a panic. They couldn't get the door open fast enough. When they did, Cavan ran up the steps. I knew all along that it was Cavan barking outside to come in. They should have asked me.

I soon learned that this was just the beginning of the trip. We went on a very long ride to a place called Alaska. It took almost 5 weeks. We stayed at RV Parks and each one was unique. One had a goat petting zoo. We had never seen goats. Cavan hid behind Dad. But I walked right up to the fence and started sniffing. Dad said my nose was going as fast as a rabbit's. The goat was very friendly and came right over to the fence. She sniffed and I sniffed back. I won't ever forget that smell.

A special treat was waiting for us when we reached Edmonton, Alberta. Linda Grisley, the President and Rescue Director of KBTF Canada, invited us to her house. We met her dogs, Kirby and Beans. They were perfect hosts! I think she invited everyone in Edmonton who had Kerries. There were nine of us in total and we ran and played all afternoon. Shirley was a new rescue. She avoided the people and stayed close to her mom, but she did play with us. While everyone was having dinner we congregated on the deck. Cavan walked past Zinn. I guess she was tired from all the play. She let out a little growl and eight dogs cleared the deck. I have great respect for her. She is like a grand lady. When she speaks, everybody listens.

Tammy Redlin with Shirley, Janice Gessner with Zin, Diana Boylen, Linda Grisley with Kerby, Jennifer Shelley with Bree and Sam, Michelle Dyck with Murphy and Dessi, and Kathie MacFarlane with Maggie and Cavan.

Back to the RV. As we were driving, Dad pointed out some young caribou. I really wanted to sniff them. Cavan ran to the back to get a better view. Later we had to stop for a herd of buffalo. I had never seen such huge animals. Further down the road was a big buffalo walking right towards us. Wow, was he ever something to see.

We drove into Alaska where Cavan and I patiently posed at the beginning of the Alaskan Highway in Dawson Creek and then again 1422 miles later at the end of the Alaskan Highway in Delta Junction.

In between, we stayed as some nice RV Parks on lakes. We're afraid of the water in our swimming pool at home, but it's fun to just walk into the lakes. You feel a lot cooler when your paws are in nice water. I think drinking it was a mistake, though. Until then, we'd been drinking bottled water. Both Cavan and I got something called Montezuma's Revenge. But a quick call to Dr.. Bob and a little medicine in some yummy cream cheese was all we needed to feel better.

Did you ever hear of a place called Chicken, Alaska? We stayed there one night. It was in the middle of nowhere so we were able to run around the camp. Being off leash was wonderful. I felt like going to bed about 10:30 p.m., but it was still daylight so Cavan and I ran and played. We romped through the grass having a great time until something started to hurt my paws... and then Cavan's. Burrs! Our feet were covered and Mom had to cut most of them out.

The next morning, we all went to Bonanza Creek. That's where gold was found, beginning the Gold Rush of 1898 in the Yukon. Dad sat on some rocks in the water with his gold pan sifting the dirt while Cavan and I tried to sniff for gold in the water. None of us did a very good job because we didn't strike it rich, but I know Cavan and I are rich in the love we have from Mom and Dad.

The night we stayed at Jasper National Park which was so much fun. I was a little concerned when we went through the gate because the park ranger said we were in bear country. Then he told Mom and Dad not to tie us out because the caribou and elk sometimes trample dogs.

We never saw caribou, elk, bear or deer, but we did see lots of pesky squirrels. While we were sitting by the fire, one ran right in front of us and up the tree. Cavan tried his hardest to climb the tree. Then the squirrel tormented us. How dare he!

On our way home, we stopped in Wyoming at a place called Devil's Tower. Mom and Dad were very interested in the tower, but Cavan and I discovered something better: prairie dogs. I don't know why they call them dogs because they are nothing like us. Every time we got close to them, they disappeared into their holes. When we walked past, they would pop up again. It's especially frustrating when Dad wouldn't let me stick my nose into the hole. Aren't terriers supposed to ferret out animals from underground?

Once we left Devil's Hole, Cavan and I could sense we were on our way home.

Our trip had been so much fun. We saw so many new animals, smelled so many new scents and just enjoyed our time alone with Mom and Dad.

Canadians Put on a Great Party

by Linda Grisley

On July 18th, 2009, some of the Kerry Blue Terrier owners in Edmonton Alberta were pleased to host Ron and Kathie MacFarlane of Buffalo, New York. Kathie and Ron had contacted Linda Grisley that they were taking a vacation by RV to Alaska and wanted to meet the Kerry people along the way.

Linda hosted a potluck BBQ on a hot Saturday afternoon (Kathie didn't think it got that hot in Canada, so she had long pants and a sweater haha). As the people and dogs entered the yard, the dogs were all on leash. We kept them separated and walked them all together. All of the dogs remained calm and no signs of aggression were evident, so gradually, we released them to run around.

What an amazing sight - 9 Kerry Blues (and one honorary Kerry- the PWD, Beans) frolicked around the yard as the adults enjoyed BBQ burgers, sausage, salads and four desserts! That's 5 females and 4 male Kerries all together and happy! Quite a sight! Not including Kathie's two American dogs, 4 of those dogs pictured are puppy mill rescues who have been placed through the Foundation.

Janice even ordered a special Kerry Blue Foundation cake to celebrate the gathering!

The Kerry Blue Terrier Foundation of Canada is proud to welcome our American guests and we wish Ron and Kathie the very best vacation in Alaska. Y'all come back now, ya hear!