On the road again...

Unfortunately, Uncle Willie (Nelson) won't be joining us this trip... although his Greatest Hits album will be... as will The Essential John Denver. That's right - we're hitting the road for a New Year's weekend at Ten Mile Lake Resort, located near luxurious Dalton, MN. This is one of the few lodges we've found that allows dogs (actually, it's the only one we've found because we stopped looking after such a good time on our first visit two years ago). And by "we", I mean "Aunt Susan and/or Uncle Kermit". They are the handlers of my cousins, Berkley (Bernese Mountain Dog) and Ole (a fellow mutt). So, along with Susan, Kermit, Berkley, Ole, Momma and Claire... we'll be joined by Aunt Veronica, Uncle Mattie, Theo & Tucker (the Dachsunds that like to hump me), Aunt Michelle, Uncle Peter and cousin Naiya... who are dogless but full of love. Unfortunately, we won't be joined by Uncle Russerio - King of All Homemade Irish Cream Makers - who apparently received a better offer this year. This will be Claire's first New Year's weekend trip, and she's excited to put her new salt and pepper shakers to good use.

Once again, we've secured The Canvasback Lodge on the grounds of Ten Mile Lake Resort. We're lake side for easy access to the ice fishing house. Stew's bringing a toboggan this year so someone (Uncle Mattie) can pull him to and from the fish house. You see, Stew rarely ventures outside any cabin in which we've ever stayed, so it will be a first if he actually makes it off the cabin porch (where the beer is stored). And although Stew asked Aunt Susan to add him to the list of "people who want snow shoes", I doubt he'll actually go snow shoeing now. Not after Sunday night, when Stew discovered a Monster Quest marathon on the Discovery Channel. It wasn't so bad when the first show was about Big Foot, because Stew's convinced Big Foot resides in Washington state. But the next show in the marathon was about some sort of hybrid wolf-dog that has purportedly devoured horses, livestock and even dogs in northern Minnesota (as well as in Maine and West Virginia). The beast supposedly resembles a hyena (its hind quarters are lower to the ground than its front), and it looks like a dog with a short snout. And if that weren't enough, the next show in the marathon was about black panthers that are apparently making their way to North America... and one was even spotted in Hugo, MN (about 45 minutes from my doghouse). So, Stew's afraid to leave the cabin, but I have no fear. Bring it on monsters and big cats!

We hit the road bright and early Saturday morning, and it's only a few hour trip to the resort. Then again, wasn't the S.S. Minnow on a short 3-hour tour when disaster struck? And isn't Stew about as bright as Gilligan (and approaching the size of Skipper)? Wish us luck. In the meantime, I hope to post tomorrow since I'll be on vacation until after New Year's, so stay tuned... but don't hold your breath.