Thanksgiving 2008

The Studio is home! When I last wrote, Oakley and I were in Little Mountain. We relaxed at the southernmost point of our expedition with great friends; I happily painted outside while she chased everything that moved through the fresh South Carolina pine forest. Next door, around a beautiful pond, we were greeted by six inquisitive dogs of breeds from Doberman to Jack Russell and some adorable mutts in between. Jane Brundage lives there with them, and husband, Ron. She has been rescuing dogs for 19 years and runs Pets, Inc., in West Columbia, SC, the largest pet rescue operation in the Southeast. After serving a delicious dinner, surrounded by her brood, she talked astutely for a long time about what's best for our canine companions, from food to supplements, to behavior modification. And she told us amazing stories about her intuitive, I'd call it psychic, sense that she uses to find missing pets and to know what they think, even what they've been through: Jane is a true dog whisperer, and I was mesmerized. I tell you, those six lucky dogs of hers, the ones that no one would adopt, are now healthy, well-behaved, and happy. (To those of you who are in the Southeast, learn more about Jane and the impressive work she is doing: http://www.petsinc.org/index.php?c=about )

We left South Carolina in the only rain we saw the whole trip, but the torrents of it that came down that day made up for that fact! We climbed back up the Blue Ridge mountains to photograph young Wheaton Terrier, Darby, for a painting for Fletcher and Lee Interior Design in Highlands. We bid "Woof Wiederschauen!" to Oakley's newfound best friend, Sadie, the wonderful Weimaraner; and we ventured into a whirlwind of dog-friendly stops as we worked our way home.

High Hampton Inn, Cashiers (say "Cash-urs"), North Carolina, was closing for the season, though their exquisite grounds, lush golf courses and awe-inspiring views held on to their glamour even as the leaves and the temperatures fell. The newest residents, the "Inn-dogs in Training", were tuckered out from romping the stink out of each other! General Whiteside had arrived only the day before, 7 weeks old, he's an English White Golden: that's a ball of polar-bear-white fluff masking a rock solid foundation, sure to out-romp his now 12 week-old Springer Spaniel buddy, Whitmarsh, in a matter of weeks! We'll be checking back with these guys when they and High Hampton are in full swing in the spring.

Maybe then I'll decide if High Hamptons Inn's dichotomy is a large rustic mountain cabin with an elegant, top-tier, 'dress for dinner', Southern gentlemanly style, or if it's an elegant resort with a down-to-earth, 'this is what life is all about': kids, dogs, sports, dig-into-nature kind of comfort. Either way, there is so much to explore at  http://www.highhamptoninn.com/

Outside of Asheville, North Carolina, we met Ellen and Michael Winner, who have crafted a mountain retreat for dogs; and their owners are even allowed, if they are well-behaved. Barkwells, so named when they first looked at the nearly undeveloped property in 2003 and Ellen found a sign in the barn that simply read "Barkwells" -  and as synchronistic and prophetic signs go - it is now every dog's dream vacation spot. Seven secluded, fully-fenced acres surround a large pond, and six perfectly outfitted mountain cabins overlook gently rolling countryside and the blue, blue blanket of those graceful mountains. In every cabin, dog bowls, beds, towels, and a pet door leading to a private fenced yard make for luxurious pet accommodations; owners get fireplaces, fully equipped kitchens, and outdoor hot tubs.  It was windy and cold, and I was preparing myself for more of the same heading on to New England. But the dogs, and there were quite a few, loved the brisk weather, all running the trails, fetching in the pond, and occasionally venturing through the dog doors of cabins other than their own. A curious Husky visited me even as Oakley checked out a Labrador's cabin a few doors down. The fluffy, lace polish chickens, safely ensconced in their pens, are nonchalant about all the bird dogs checking them out, pardon the drooling!

There have always been resident dogs at Barkwells, and the cabins are named after them. Currently a Giant Schnauzer, Peppermint Patty, and Tibetan Terrier, Baxter, welcome all shapes and sizes of critters to their peaceable kingdom, where the dogs teach us that none of the social trappings that we are so quick to judge really matter. We're all just happy hearts inside, eager to play together, even though we've just met!

As the Winners' say, "Come. Sit. Stay." at http://www.barkwells.com/index.html

I drove for hours through blissful old mountain meadows along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Early winter snow showers would part to reveal a sun shower and then close up in a white-out again, as if the weather gods just couldn't make up their minds. I was feeling a bit the same way, intoxicated with mountain air as I was. But north we rode...

Home to the tuxedoed set, Briar Patch Bed and Breakfast Inn is a wedding destination in the elegant horse country of Middleburg, Virginia. Perched on a 47 acre knoll four miles east of town, Briar Patch is an idyllic pastoral setting. The sun rises and circles the property and settles into serene sunsets, all beautiful backdrops for hundreds of couples starting their life together. Briar Patch doesn't have a resident dog, but owners Ellen Goldberg & Dan Haendel welcome all who are part of their guests' entourage. That includes children who carry flowers and rings and make merry even merrier, and it includes pets who are often  asked to do the same. But accessorized in leis for collars or not, they all make this old rambling farmhouse feel like home. The adorable Assistant Manager, Jennifer Fries, confessed how much she enjoys the pets coming to Briar Patch, as she doesn't have a dog at home. Oakley was all too happy to provide a "fix" for her.

Visit http://www.briarpatchbandb.com/index.htm

Oakley, sharing the love, with Jen.

We ended our trip, as we started it, with a stop at Sweetwater Farm in Pennsylvania. Another cozy fire, delicious breakfast, and dog treats at the owner's office before we headed home. And I close this log with one of the very few photographs from this expedition that doesn't include a dog:

Morning over the Ice House, http://www.sweetwaterfarmb&b.com

With gratitude for every day that dawns, every dog that licks, and all the roads that lie ahead,

I wish you all a warm and fuzzy Thanksgiving!

K & O, back home.

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October edition of this Newsletter: The Beginning of the Trip......

The Studio is on the road! I have packed up Oakley and my traveling easel, canvas and paints, my laptop, and once again, I embrace the gypsy in my soul. First stop was the gorgeous, very dog-friendly, Sweetwater Farm in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania.

In my experience traveling with dogs for over twenty years, the feeling of ease and freedom at Sweetwater Farm is unsurpassed. Just west of Philadelphia in Andrew Wyeth country, 50 acres peppered with horses, goats, sheep, and various traveling dogs surround a magnificent stone manor house. Meet Sweetwater's canine innkeeper, Brogan, a graceful, leggy, unique creation of an Australian Shepherd and Labrador mix, with eyes of deep golden brown and translucent blue, one of each. He'll greet you at your car and lead you to the side door for check-in, and then to your room. That is, unless he's leading the horses on a trail ride, in which case you're on your own. Innkeeper, Farrell Kramer, says, "Brogan's world stops for the horses." I'll be writing more about this endearing host to be the keystone of a book about resident dogs.

And about Andrew Wyeth, he's alive and well at 91, and just home from his summer in Maine. He had brunch with the famous Helga at the Chadd's Ford Inn a couple Sundays ago. I learned all this because I missed him by 20 minutes...L!!

I interviewed Sweetwater Farm's owner, Chris Le Vine, in his office: a discerningly converted ice house. The sunken room's windows so low to the ground that the ever hopeful Oakley appeared with a fellow Golden guest, seeking even more treats than they had already received at the Dutch door on the other side! The little sign resting on the moulding reads, "Be the kind of person your dog thinks you are." When I asked Chris about how he came to allow dogs to stay at his Inn with such freedom, he replied, "Well, that's just life!"

Visit http://www.sweetwaterfarmbb.com/

From Sweetwater we booked it to Highlands, North Carolina, where I went to photograph for two commissions ~ more Goldens! I found Highlands to be a consummate 'dog town', in other words, my kind of place! It was crisp and golden and beautiful at 4180 feet up the Blue Ridge Mountains. I interviewed 'shop dogs' there: three Cavalier King Charles spaniels minding an antique store: Juliana's on Main, and a perky young Wheaton Terrier who tends an interior design shop named after the owners' past Wheatons: Fletcher and Lee.

I painted at the heartwarming mountainside cabin of friends, Pam and Martin Greene, who chose nearby Sky Valley, Georgia, for their little piece of heaven; and Oakley made great friends with their colorful Weimaraner, Sadie... the frog, not so much!

Enjoy!

'til next time,

Karen and Oakley, on the road