090810 - Port Angeles, Washington

August 10, 2009 - Port Angeles

My old friend Bob had recently moved up here and although I gave him fair warning that we was coming, he stayed anyway. With a couple of RV parks to chose from we went with the more expensive KOA. This park has large and grassy pull-thru sites, which really appealed to Danny. The free cable TV hook-up and WIFI sealed the deal for me.

Our campsite neighbors (Ken and Sherry) have 2 dogs just like Danny – one a 2-year-old white Lab and the other a senior yellow lab.We let them off leash and Danny and Buster (the 2 year old) ran and played for about a half hour until they seemed to tire. The older dog, Cody, although slowed down with arthritis and age, tried to get in on the activities and wagged his tail with delight. Danny seemed to enjoy his newfound friends and playmates and I’m sure he will get to play with them again.

Bob and Robin moved up to this area a couple of years ago, fleeing the hustle and crush of Los Angeles.

We spent a day at their home, which is on a bluff overlooking the Straits of Juan De Fuca. Unfortunately, the weather was quite foggy and so the view was obliterated.

Robin took an instant liking to Danny but Bob, being a cat person and having a fear of dogs, especially big ones, would be a challenge. It only took 2 days to get Bob to actually let Danny nuzzle him and be petted. I was prepared to use hypnosis on him to help him over his fear of dogs but Danny did it without my assistance.

Getting to see old friends is one of the real perks of travel and this portion of our trip was certainly worth it. Unfortunately, Danny and I have lots of time but others usually have a life and work to occupy their time, so after a short visit we had to bid farewell.

Just before Peter had died, I had ordered a refill of his medication for his arthritis and joint pain, and it was delivered after his death. It was non-returnable so I just packed it away till I decided what to do with it. When I saw Cody limping and struggling to play with the younger dogs I dug out the medication and donated it to the 12 year old. I hope it makes his remaining time more comfortable.