One of the most incredible smells on this planet is that of wild mountain sage, and there is no better place to experience it than at the North Rim of the Black Canyon in Colorado. The canyon as it is at some points deeper than it is wide, hence the term "Black", as daylight never reaches some points of the Gunnison river a thousand feet below. The variegated rock formations lining it's vertical walls are…

This is dad's old buddy, Kyle, recently transplanted back to Arkansas from Colorado; if you have read my book, you'll will recognize him, as he has the better part of a chapter dedicated to his story. Kyle is a dog person through and through, but circumstances beyond his control have kept him from having a canine companion for the last few years; now back in Little Rock, he has remedied that situation. He paid the…

One of the challenges of this page is to chronicle the facts without getting too "windy", but sometimes events happen in such quick succession at the Casa that it's difficult to keep up. On example is when we're on a trip; I could write a chapter about a breakfast stop, and the day hasn't even begun. Where to start; how about at the beginning? There have been a few select names that have followed my…

...until tomorrow. Why, sayeth thou? Because I art the Charles, and I decree-eth it as such! Uh, Charlie, don't you think you need to clamber down from your high horse and come up with a better reason than a biblical sounding version of "because I said so?" Cease and desist thine palavering, prating and pitiable pontificating! I will NOT have my judgement questioned by the vertically challenged chauffer of my royal chariot! Mom, can you…

Predawn is not the time to be an inmate or warden at the Casa del Whackos if you have ANY claustrophobia issues; the best you can hope for is to wake up partially mummified in a sarcophagus constructed entirely of dogs. Then when Max the Sentinel detects the slightest change in breathing, he takes up his position on dad's chest that he might have a front row seat to the impending party; this is Mia's…