Tripod Dog Stars

This week I'm doing my best to gather votes for my little 3-legged pup, Tigger Tot. I've entered her in contest to find "Scrap" who will star in the upcoming movie "Lucky & Rich." Will Tigger make it? The votes will decide.

Tigger's story is a pretty rough one. Her mother was a boxer who was taken to an animal shelter when she became pregnant. Spay or neuter your pets!!! After the pups were born, something horrible happened to our then unnamed pup. The dogs in the adjoining cage grabbed her leg, pulled it through the wire, and ripped it completely off. After the accident, she spent the next four months of her life in a veterinary clinic before finally coming to a rescue group called Save UnderDogs based in Destin, FL.

She wound up with us because we regularly foster dogs for Save UnderDogs. "Triumph" hopped into our home on a cold November afternoon and was quickly renamed "Tigger" because Tiggers bounce and Tiggers are wonderful things. It was a strange transition for Tigger to hop into a home with toys and a yard because she'd spent her entire life in kennels, but after a few days she started to figure it out. She became more confident and began learning commands and how to play with the other dogs and a wolf.

Months passed. It seems that no one wants to adopt a handicapped dog even though to watch Tigger run and jump and play, you almost can't tell she's missing a leg. I'm not even sure she knows. June rolls around and still no permanent home for Tigger, so we decided that she may as well stay with us. Who else is going to spoil her rotten with yogurt and a carrot mixed into her food twice a day? Only us!

Vote for Tigger Tot and help her win a chance at stardom.

Hiking on the Appalachian Trail

I recently returned from a hiking/camping trip along a portion of the Appalachian Trail that began at Deep Gap in North Carolina and traveled south into Georgia to finish at Dick's Creek Gap.

About an hour into the hike one of our hiking companions sustained the first injury. This leg of the AT is extremely rugged with steep climbs and descents, and it wasn't long until a knee injury occurred. By lunchtime on the first day we reached Muskrat Shelter and rested for a bit while we had a brief lunch. Kris has an old knee injury of his own that began to bother him, so we decided that when we pushed on after lunch we would slow the pace.

Upon reaching our destination seven miles from the start we selected a nice site on a ridge top that was somewhat out of the direct line of the gusting wind that blew through the area and strung up our tent hammocks so we could fix dinner and enjoy the tranquility that we'd come in search of. As dusk fell we could make out the faint headlights of cars traveling along a highway many miles away and we began to hear the cry of a nearby owl.

The next morning we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before starting out on the next seven mile leg. Upon retrospect, seven miles a day is the most anyone should consider doing in one day, especially on rugged terrain. The knee joints really start to feel it and there's not enough time available to rest them properly. We'll probably aim for a more conservative 5 miles a day on the next hike, at least if it's rocky.

We started out again on our hike. This section of the hike had more of the steep climbs and descents that started to bother even my good knees by the end of the day. Lunch was at the three story Plum Orchard Gap Shelter. This building was brought in by helicopter by the U.S. Corp of Engineers. It sits about .2 miles off of the main trail near a small stream. There were numerous places to pitch tents and hang hammocks, but our goal was still two miles away at Cowart Gap.

Kris and I decided over dinner due to our knee injuries that we would not be continuing on to Unicoi Gap, our original destination. Instead we would hike 2 ½ miles the next morning to Dick's Creek Gap and have the shuttle pick us up. To push on would mean that we would have to struggle 17 more miles and climb two very steep mountains. The other hiker that was injured on the first day also decided to join our departure.

On our last morning on the trail as we walked alongside of a babbling brook I was fortunate to spot a striped ground squirrel and photograph it. It was a nice way to end three days on the trail. The tent hammocks performed amazingly well and I can say without a doubt that I will never go back to a regular tent unless there are no trees available. The trekking poles were also a life saver. I can't imagine the condition we'd have been in without them.

We'll finish our hike from Dick's Creek Gap to Unicoi Gap another time after our injuries heal. As it was, it was still a nice three days on the AT that we will always remember.

Kayaking on Econfina Creek

Eventually I will get around to posting about the Appalachian hike that I went on recently, but right now I'm writing about yesterday's kayaking trip along the Econfina Creek located between Panama City and Marianna, Fl.

It was a bit of a late start. We didn't get into the water until 10:30. The people we were meeting there decided to change their plans and not show up, so it was just me, Kris, and his friend Stuart. The creek was up due to recent rains, but still easy enough to paddle comfortably, and it wasn't long before we'd paddled into the first spring area. This is why we make the trip. Beautiful crystal clear springs! Along Econfina Creek are 11 springs bubbling forth from 36 vents.

We next traveled downstream to visit as many of the springs as we were able to find. The highlight of the trip is a spring system that has numerous vents and is a great place to stop for lunch and a swim, which is exactly what we did. After about an hour exploring the spring, we set off for our pickup point at the Hwy 388 Bridge. Total trip time was about 4 hours.

If you'd like to visit Econfina Creek and explore the springs, contact the Econfina Creek Canoe Livery. Their contact information can be found in this article.

A Review of Three of Frankilin's Gem Mines

While on vacation to Franklin, North Carolina I had opportunity to visit and dig at three of the area mines. First I'll begin by saying that unless you're looking specifically looking for the enriched "tourist" buckets, stay away from the non-native dirt mines. The enriched buckets are for show and you won't find much in the way of native rock. Second, gem mining is work. You're going to get dirty scrubbing all the dirt away from the rock or else you're not going to find any sapphires and rubies. So if hard work and getting dirty isn't your thing, native dirt mining might not be your thing. Luckily for me, I enjoyed it and did find sapphires and rubies.

The first mine I went to was Cowee Mountain Mine 4 miles outside of Franklin on Highway 441. This small mine offers native and enriched buckets of dirt for you to sift through on their two covered flumes. I was less than impressed with this mine and felt that the staff deliberately tried to steer us toward the enriched buckets and away from the native dirt which was available to dig yourself out of a very small dirt pile. While I worked my dirt in a tray on the flume line, I noticed a distinct lack of help from the staff in either direction or identification. Perhaps we caught them on a bad day, but I personally wouldn't plan another trip to this mine when there are better mines just a few miles away.

My second trip was to Mason Mountain Ruby and Sapphire Mine located at 6961 Burningtown Road near Franklin. Although a bit of a drive through the countryside, it was an absolutely beautiful trip. Once I arrived at the mine I was greeted by the staff and for $30 was able to dig all the dirt I wanted for the duration of the day. Mason Mountain Ruby and Sapphire Mine has two covered and one uncovered flume, which was great because it rained all day and I didn't get wet once. In addition, the staff was helpful at working with each miner so that they knew exactly what to look for. Several other miners found sapphires of considerable carat weight, and although I wasn't one of them, I did find several sapphires worth faceting. Mason Mountain Ruby and Sapphire Mine is one of the mines I'd find worth visiting again.

And lastly, I spent a few hours at Sheffield which has now become my favorite mine. Sheffield's draw is their native dirt, although they do have enriched buckets available for the kiddies. For these you have to walk clear over to the other side of the flume lines to collect it. Native dirt is conveniently placed up close so that miners can grab more buckets. $15 gets you started with two buckets and every bucket thereafter is $3 or 2 for $5. We did four buckets on the covered flume line and were very happy with our finds. The staff was super helpful and made sure that you didn't throw away anything valuable. My only regret about Sheffield Mine is that I didn't get to spend all day here, but I definitely will set a full day aside for it on my next trip back up to Franklin. Sheffield Mine was the mine to beat all. If I could do my trip over I'd drop my visit to the first mine and spend it mining at Sheffield. This is mining the way it should be!

For more information on rockhounding, see Rock Collecting for Beginners.

Hiking, Camping, White Water Rafting, and Crystal Digging

I've been gearing up for our vacation at the end of the week, and we've got a lot to look forward to. On Saturday we'll be digging for crystals in Franklin, North Carolina. I'm a rockhound who loves digging for all sorts of gems and minerals, particularly sapphires. I also have an impressive quartz crystal collection with one specimen weighing it at 55 lbs. I got this one from a dig in Arkansas.

In addition to gemstone digging, we'll be hiking a portion of the Appalachian Trail where we'll get to camp in style in our hammock tents. We hiked a twenty mile portion of the trail in Georgia last year and enjoyed it so much that we're doing another section this year. We've got our gear down as light as possible, have a nice selection of camp food picked out and with the addition of the hammock tents we fully expect to have an even better time this trip.

This will all be after our white water rafting trip on the Ocoee River on Sunday, and then another full day of gem digging. Did I mention how much I love digging for gems? At any rate after 10 days of life in the great outdoors I'll have plenty to write about when I return, and probably hundreds of pictures. And this is also the part where I think about all the people who don't get outdoors and enjoy the experience. They're missing so much!

Hemangiosarcoma

Today I get to write about Hemangiosarcoma. It wasn't a topic I set out to write on, but yesterday our 13 yr old wolf hybrid was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and he's only been given a couple of months at best. Hemangiosarcoma is a form of bone cancer that also involves the blood vessel system and spleen, often completely destroying it. In some cases it manifests in one or more limbs, and an amputation of the affected limb followed by chemotherapy can sometimes add months of life for a survivor.

However in Kodiak's case it has spread throughout his entire system. Cancer is often the silent killer, and symptoms don't always present themselves until the cancer has well advanced. Kodiak's symptoms didn't manifest until about three weeks ago, and the vet's first diagnosis was simply severe arthritis. At the follow-up appointment Kodiak had to undergo a biopsy and blood tests to get a definite determination, and the news wasn't good. His case is inoperable.

I try to tell myself that he's had a good 13 years on this planet, but it doesn't make it any easier. We're making him as comfortable as we can through the final days, and will make that final painful decision if his quality of life becomes such that he isn't finding relief from his medications. For now he gets salmon fillets or steak for dinner and seems quite pleased with the new menu.

Prior to his decline Kodiak regularly engaged in daily walks, sometimes logging as much as 6 miles or more per day. He stayed active and received regular dietary supplements in his meals including glucosamine tablets, omega-3 caplets, yogurt and flax seed oil. Sometimes it happens despite whatever preventative measures are taken.

We will remember him fondly and tell his stories. He has many friends and visitors stopping by in these last few days to wish him well. A small prodigy waits in the wings (no relation) to fill his very large footprints. We can't complain... he picked her out himself.

UPDATE:
Kodiak passed away just three days after this post. He left this world at 9 a.m. May 3rd. He will be missed.

Camping by Hammock

I took a camping trip this past weekend in order to try out my new hammock tent before hitting the Appalachian Trail next month and I'm already sold on the versatility of this lightweight wonder. Weighing under two pounds, the hammock tent, complete with mosquito netting and rain fly, sets up in just a couple of minutes, allowing you to recline in comfort in places where conventional tents can't be put up. The hammock tent worked so well, that later that evening as I lay watching stars, I was able to glance a shooting star traversing the heavens, and all without enduring a single bug bite.

The hammock tent packs down into its own built in carry pouch so there's no chance of ever losing one or the other. It takes up very little space in a backpack and is so lightweight that I'm kicking myself for not knowing about it sooner. I'm leaving the 7 lb tent with its cumbersome poles at home for the next hike and I'm just taking my hammock tent. It won't be long before I've got the ultralight backpacking thing figured out. I've already ditched the camp stove for a super lightweight alcohol stove. The heaviest thing in my pack is my must-have water bladder.

It was very relaxing to sway gently with the trees and just listen to the night sounds. I slept so comfortably that I didn't want to crawl out in the morning, but finally I did. The hammock tent packs down just as quickly as it sets up, allowing you to be on the move in no time. I can tell you this, I won't be leaving home without it on anymore hiking trips, and now that I've got it, I'm going to be doing quite a bit more combination hiking/camping trips.