Mountains

Dear Gavin,

I saw mountains! Gramma says that we have mountains in Missouri, but the mountains I saw were in Tennessee. I was pretty scared when I heard Papa say, "Here we go, up the mountain." First of all, I did not know what a mountain was.... and "up"? Up did not sound good to me.


I went to Gramma and she held me and said that she wasn't fond of driving through the mountains either. I asked her to explain what a mountain was and she got that big book called a dictionary out again. We looked it up together. It said that a mountain is a land mass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill. What? Gramma laughed at me and said, "Okay, Buddy, I will dumb it down for you." Dumb? Did she just call me dumb?


No, she said that she would just explain it in simpler terms. She reminded me about those big rocks that Papa found in the woods and brought up for Gramma's gardens. She told me to imagine one that is so big that it looks like the top is siting in the clouds. Okay, now I am scared as I look out my window and see the mountains in the distance. She said that roads had been built so that cars and trucks could travel around them to get to the other side. I got in my kennel. I did not want to see this!


We made it through those mountains and then stopped for the night. Us dogs went out one last time and then we all slept. In the morning we could see where we were. This is the site we parked in. We all had to put on our harnesses and leads. Gramma said it was to keep us safe. I am okay with that, but Oscar wanted to get away.

Check this out! This place we stayed was on a lake called Nickajack Lake. It was very big! I thought that the pond a our park was big, but man, this place was so big that there were boats parked there! Gramma said that these boats were big enough to live in!

This boat wasn't even in the water! I thought it looked pretty funny. Gramma thought someone might even be living in it. At first I thought that might be cool, until I realized how high off he ground it was. That would be like jumping off a mountain for me! I made a joke, did you get it?

These boats are stored in the water and it looks like someone may call them home. I don't know if I would like that. Where would us dogs go to do our business? In the water...... no, I don't think so!

I must say that I am happy to be home from this trip. There is still a lot to tell, but I am now tired and ready for a nap. I have had a difficult morning. Aunt Debbie gave us dogs some cool treats last night and Emmy did not eat all of hers and has spent the morning growling and snapping at me and Oscar every time we get near her. Gramma says she is feisty. I know, another new word to look up. That dictionary said that means touchy or quarrelsome. If that means she wants to pick a fight, then that is the perfect word for her!

I will say goodbye to you, my boy, and ask that you not be feisty today! Gramma says that I have given you good advice. That is because you are my boy and I love you!

Your non-feisty dog,

Wall-E