Page Arizona

For those that have just joined us on Jackson’s blog I am adding this note. We are on a month-long road trip visiting the desert canyons in the American west. I enjoy traveling, but I always regret my best buddy can’t go on a lot of my adventures. This is one of two we have planned this year centered around Jackson joining in on the grand adventure. Jackson is going to be doing all of the blog posts. We will be posting our photographs on our Facebook pages (and a few here also!)
– Matt

Cool Photo Dog Jackson
Cool Photo Dog Jackson

Woof, woof, what a wonderful two days we have had… well except for the time I had to stay in a kennel while my human was exploring a canyon i wasn’t allowed in. Ruff, at least he wasn’t gone long! After he got back from a place he called Upper Antelope Canyon, is an antelope and animal? Ruff, if so I would like to see one. So far we have seen elk, deer, and coyotes. Wow those deer sure had big ears, Matt said they were called Mule deer because of those big ears. Those coyotes looked like dogs, but my human said they don’t like dogs, so leave them alone!

Woof, no trees!
Woof, no trees!

Woof, I got off the subject there for a minute, all those animals got me excited. After my human came and got me from the kennel we went on a hike together. I got to wear my boots for the second time. I just wish Matt could get them on me a little faster, but I just stand there until he gets done. Now I understand why I need to wear them, I accidentally stepped in a sticky plant  Matt called a cactus. Wow, those little needles stick everywhere and he had to pull some out of my legs and off of the boots!. Woof! I forgot to tell all of you the name of the trail we hiked, it was the Hanging Gardens Trail. It was sunny all the way except for the hanging gardens. I am not used to seeing all around with no trees and the bright sun all the time, it sure is strange.

Humans I met on the Hanging Gardens Trail.
Humans I met on the Hanging Gardens Trail.
A view of the hanging Gardens without humans. Matt left his equipment in y picture. I heard he did that in photography school before. Bad Matt!.
A view of the hanging Gardens without humans. Matt left his equipment in y picture. I heard he did that in photography school before. Bad Matt!.

Today we have been mostly at the campground and I have been supervising all the cleaning and straightening up of the truck and watching Matt fold the clothes he washed. He said the next place we will be going is a state called Utah to go see some canyons there. Woof, we will be leaving early in the morning since Matt did all this work to get ready to go! WOOF! I found out he decided to get a motel room, we are going to be indoors for a day or two! Woof, woof!

I liked how the lines in the rock showed up!
I liked how the lines in the rock showed up!

Woof, another report tomorrow, bye for now.Woof signature JW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day Two at the Grand Canyon

For those that have just joined us on Jackson’s blog I am adding this note. We are on a month-long road trip visiting the desert canyons in the American west. I enjoy traveling, but I always regret my best buddy can’t go on a lot of my adventures. This is one of two we have planned this year centered around Jackson joining in on the grand adventure. Jackson is going to be doing all of the blog posts. We will be posting our photographs on our Facebook pages (and a few here also!)
– Matt

Cool Photo Dog Jackson
Cool Photo Dog Jackson

Woof, woof, we both took it a little easier yesterday, my human was tired from the first day at the Grand Canyon. He said we walked seven miles, woof, that’s not much, but I know he tires quicker than I do. Yesterday we only walked three miles, but it was still fun. Matt said we would drive out to the Desert View Watchtower and stop at the overlooks along the way. Ruff, I have a hard time calling them view points because where we live they call them overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway!

The Tusayan Ruins.
The Tusayan Ruins.

We went to the Tusayan ruins, my human says Pueblo Indians lived there 800 years ago. He said they only stayed about 20 years, ruff, that’s about how long the Gila cliff dewllers stayed at their place, I wonder why only 20 years? Then we we went to the watchtower, but I stayed in the truck because I couldn’t go in the tower and my human wanted to, ruff! I was surprised it took us as long to drive and take photographs, but we had a great time.

A view along the Desert View Drive.
A view along the Desert View Drive.

Today my human may go hiking, but I will either have to stay in the truck or go to a kennel. He has to take a big covered truck called a shuttle and they don’t let dogs on those, ruff! He said there was a place he could hike to take some photographs inside the canyon at Yavapai Point. He is not sure, but I will let everyone know in my report tomorrow.

We did have to politely wait our turn to take photographs.
We did have to politely wait our turn to take photographs.

Woof, it’s time for my morning walk, I will woof at you tomorrow!

Our First Day at the Grand Canyon

For those that have just joined us on Jackson’s blog I am adding this note. We are on a month-long road trip visiting the desert canyons in the American west. I enjoy traveling, but I always regret my best buddy can’t go on a lot of my adventures. This is one of two we have planned this year centered around Jackson joining in on the grand adventure. Jackson is going to be doing all of the blog posts. We will be posting our photographs on our Facebook pages (and a few here also!)
– Matt

Cool Photo Dog Jackson
Cool Photo Dog Jackson

Woof!What a day we had, we got up early at our camp at Pine Flats in Sedona packed up without my human eating breakfast and left. At least he did make sure I had my breakfast. We got in the truck so we could get to our next stop early, my human said if we didn’t get there in the morning we might not get a campsite and later I saw he was right, the campground filled up with humans and dogs. Matt said it was time to start the canyon adventures of our trip so we went to the Grand Canyon first and grand and big it is. It scared me when I got close to the edge it looked like the bottom was far, far away and it was windy too, ruff! My human said we walked some of the south rim trail, I didn’t have to wear my booties because the trail was paved and safe for me to walk on. We walked and walked and both of us took pictures.

Grand Photo Dog Jackson at the Grand Canyon.
Grand Photo Dog Jackson at the Grand Canyon.

My human said he was tired when we got back to camp because we walked seven miles. I didn’t let him know it, but I was tired too. As soon as he got the truck ready I got in and got on my bed, well I guess I should say our bed as I share it with my human. I fell asleep real fast listening to the popping and crackling of fires, the smell of food, and the hushed voices of humans talking. I think all of the dogs must have been tired too because I didn’t hear any of them, woof! I was amazed Matt was right, the campground was full and not one place was left to camp, humans drove in all night looking for sites but had to leave. Sometimes my human can be pretty smart.

Here is one of my photographs!

My Grand Canyon Photograph!
My Grand Canyon Photograph!

Today I am happy we are not driving any long distances, we are staying at least another night because there is so much to do and see. I might have to stay in the truck or kennel for on of my human’s hikes because dogs can’t go everywhere here at the Grand Canyon, ruff! I don’t understand that , why do us dogs have to deal with discrimination? Matt tried to explain, but I guess I will just have to deal with the facts. At least I am on one of his grand adventures, ruuf, ruuf, Grand, get it? It’s a little dog pun fun!

Woof, well we are off to more adventures, I’ll report when I can, see you then, woof!

Our Great Side Trip

For those that have just joined us on Jackson’s blog I am adding this note. We are on a month-long road trip visiting the desert canyons in the American west. I enjoy traveling, but I always regret my best buddy can’t go on a lot of my adventures. This is one of two we have planned this year centered around Jackson joining in on the grand adventure. Jackson is going to be doing all of the blog posts. We will be posting our photographs on our Facebook pages (and a few here also!)
– Matt

Woof, woof! So far it has been a great trip but I got bored of all the driving and put my paw down! Too much driving and no fun and I could tell my human was getting tried. I saw him looking at all the big brown signs and saying he would like to go there and finally I told him to go to one. He said we were still in New Mexico and had a ways to go so I thought doing something different would be good. All I have been doing on the trip is taking videos with my camera mounted on the dash of the truck and I wanted to do some real picture taking and hiking, ruff!

On the road to the cliff dwellings.
On the road to the cliff dwellings.

Well  Matt decided to go to a place where people lived up in the cliffs a long, long time ago. He said they left the area way back in the 12th century, now I have no idea what a century is, but it must be a long time! They lived in these big caves and built houses with rocks. He told me it was the Gila Cliff dwellings. Woof, I got to explore a little one on a smaller trail, my human said that trail is called “Trail to the. Past” We also saw some of the  writings of humans that lived there a long time ago, called pictographs (my human told me that word!)

This one looks about the right size for me!
This one looks about the right size for me!
Petroglyph
Petroglyph

After our visit to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, we drove back on the curving windy road, then all the way to a city called Phoenix where my human met some of his pack and visited for a day. He stayed at his aunt’s (who was very kind and nice to me) and saw a lot of cousins. He also also met an internet friend for the first time, woof! I had a good time.

Today we will be driving again, but not the hundreds and hundreds of miles we have been. Matt said we have gone more than 2,700 miles in five days, ruff and he told me I have been in seven new states. I had to get him to remind me what a state was so he tried to make me understand what they are. I’m still not sure but he said there had boundaries like dogs have their territories. Ruff maybe by the end of the trip I will understand fully. Woof, but back to where we are going. My human said we will be going to a place called Sedona and after that the Grand Canyon!

Woof, woof! I can wait to see those and write about them. I’ll be back here soon to report, ruff!

The second Day

Just to keep everyone up-to-date I am adding this note to Jackson’s post. We are on a month-long road trip visiting the desert canyons in the American west. I enjoy traveling, but I always regret my best buddy can’t go on a lot of my adventures. This is one of two we have planned this year centered around Jackson joining in on the grand adventure. Jackson is going to be doing all of the blog posts. We will be posting our photographs on our Facebook pages (and a few here also!)
– Matt

Cool Photo Dog Jackson
Cool Photo Dog Jackson

 

 

 

 

Woof, woof, We got Arkansas, my human told me. We had a good time in Huntsville visiting with my human’s old friends the night before. We even left late but they hadn’t seen each other in a long, long time.
We crossed this huge river to get to this place called Arkansas. Matt said it was the Mississippi, he had to spell it for mee, so many s’s and i’s I couldn’t get it right. We spent the night at a place called Lake Catherine State Park near a place Called Hot Springs. He wouldn’t let me swim at all because he said I would stink, I don’t know why he thinks I stink, I always smell good to me.

Jackson asleep in the camper.
Jackson asleep in the camper.

That’s me sleeping in the camper, woof!

Then we got up early and went to a national park called Hot springs and dang it, my human wouldn’t let me get in the hot spring either. He said someting abuot not wanting us to get in trouble. Woof, me get in truoble, never, ruff!
He is insided eating breakfast while I am writing and posting this, after he finishes eating we are supposed to go to a place call Austin where his cousin lives. We have another long drive he says so I had better finish my story for now. I’ll post more tomorrow, woof!

A view from the tower at Hot Springs National Park.
A view from the tower at Hot Springs National Park.

I didn’t get to go to the tower, ruff!

 

The First Day

Just to keep everyone up-to-date I am adding this note to Jackson’s post. We are on a month-long road trip visiting the desert canyons in the American west. I enjoy traveling, but I always regret my best buddy can’t go on a lot of my adventures. This is one of two we have planned this year centered around Jackson joining in on the grand adventure. Jackson is going to be doing all of the blog posts. We will be posting our photographs on our Facebook pages (and a few here also!)
– Matt

Cool Photo Dog Jackson
Cool Photo Dog Jackson

Woof, Woof, my human told me we traveled 500 miles and went through three states! I just wish I knew what a state was, is it a condition of being? Or what? Woof, well I won’t worry about it. I had a bunch of fun watching where we were going and along the way I got to visit my friend Maggie. I like to play with her, she is one of my good doggie friends that lives near a place called Lake Lure. She even gave me one of her toys the last time we visited her, what a dog! Then we got back in the truck and drove, and drove, and drove until it got dark. We did stop at one place where my human said he had taken pictures before. He said it was going to be torn down soon and wanted to take one last picture. He showed me the old photograph and I loved it because it has a dog in it, woof! Here it is!

God Bless the USA
God Bless the USA

Well Matt says we have to pack up and get on the road again to go to a place called Arkansas. He said we will be camping at a place called Lake Catherine State Park. Woof, a lake, maybe I can go swimming. I can’t wait, ruff, ruff! I will write from our next stop!

God Bless USA redux
God Bless USA redux

Today is the day!

Just to keep everyone up-to-date I am adding this note to Jackson’s post. We are on a month-long road trip visiting the desert canyons in the American west. I enjoy traveling, but I always regret my best buddy can’t go on a lot of my adventures. This is one of two we have planned this year centered around Jackson joining in on the grand adventure. Jackson is going to be doing all of the blog posts. We will be posting our photographs on our Facebook pages (and a few here also!)
– Matt

Cool Photo Dog Jackson
Cool Photo Dog Jackson

Woof, I supervised my human packing yesterday and we are ready to go. I am going to keep this post short as we will be on the road shortly. Woof I am excited I made sure my toys, food, and camera are packed. I had to sit in the back of the truck while he was packing to be sure everything is it the right place. No more days to wait we are leaving in the morning, woof! We’ll see everyone on the road!

Back of truck packed.
Back of truck packed.

Six Days to Go!

Just to keep everyone up-to-date I am adding this note to Jackson’s post. We are preparing for a month-long road trip visiting the desert canyons in the American west. I enjoy traveling, but I always regret my best buddy can’t go on a lot of my adventures. This is one of two we have planned this year centered around Jackson joining in on the grand adventure. Jackson is going to be doing all of the blog posts. We will be posting our photographs on our Facebook pages (and a few here also!)
– Matt

Woof! My human says we have less than one week to go before we leave for our desert trip. I just wish I knew how long a week is; maybe someone can explain that to me. He has been so busy that sometime he forgets to play with me, but I don’t let him forget all the time, ruff! As he keeps piling all the things he plans to bring I get more and more excited. I have never seen him get so much stuff for a trip in my whole life! He usually travels with two bags and that is it. He keeps putting things in this space he has marked off with tape. I think he said it was marked off in the shape of the back of the truck.
Yesterday my human surprised me with a sign he put on our truck, here is the photo:

Jackson with his sign.
Jackson with his sign.

What do you think? While I am at it I’ll show you some before and after photos, the weather has prevented him from washing the truck yet so it is dirty and it has been too cold to completely put the carpet in. He said something about the sticky stuff won’t work well in the cold. I wish he could put the truck in the house to get warm, but it is way too big to get in the front door. Below you can see the progress on the truck. My human tells me there was more work I couldn’t see because there was mechanical work, I’m not sure what mechanical means, I’ll have to find out but I think he means the work on the engine and the parking brake so we can have a safe trip.

Here are the before and after photographs:

The before shot.
The before shot.
The rear of the truck.
The rear of the truck.
Inside the camper after the liner was removed to be cleaned.
Inside the camper after the liner was removed to be cleaned.

Now the improvements. He hasn’t had weather warm enough to wash or get the carpet put in correctly yet.

Jackson approved bumper.
Jackson approved bumper.
The window sign.
The window sign.
Carpet almost ready.
Carpet almost ready.

 

Woof, one thing you can’t see it the top carrier has been repaired from  a vandalization a few months ago. Ruff, I’ll post a new photograph hen he gets around to washing it (as long as I don’t get a bath in that process!)

Well I have to make sure my human stays focused on packing today, he still has a lot to do. Now let me get my stuff in order… treats, food, toys, and my camera, woof!

Just to keep everyone up-to-date I am adding this note to Jackson’s post. We are preparing for a long road trip to visit the desert canyons in the American west. I enjoy traveling, but I always regret my best buddy can’t go on a lot of my adventures. This is one of two we have planned this year centered around Jackson joining in on the grand adventure.
­– Matt

Cool Photo Dog Jackson

Woof, I have been too excited to write, and as usual my human hasn’t taken time to write anything either. I will say he has been busy with the giveaways. That is over but now he is busy getting ready for our adventure. I don’t know what all the fuss is about, but I’m ready. He has spent hours on the computer and that stupid smart phone he talks to ordering things and talking with other humans. I made sure he ordered some things I wanted too.

Ruff, I need to get back to what I was writing about. Matt is getting the truck ready for what he says will be a long road trip. I love riding in the truck, woof!  Since my human is lazy and slow about writing I am taking over his blog to write about our trip as we go along. While he was ordering tings for his camera I told him I wanted some things just for me to use in the truck. I want to use it as a dash-cam; I just have to be careful not to slobber too much on it so he won’t have to clean the camera up, woof! At least it is waterproof, my human is smart sometimes!

He has been showing me pictures of where we are going and I have never seen anything like it. It looks so strange and I just can’t wait to see it. The only thing I worry about is finding some water to swim in. I haven’t seen many lakes or rivers in those pictures. I am looking forward to meeting more humans including some of my human’s pack. Of course I want to meet other dogs to play and talk with along the way.

I am going to show some before photos of the truck. Matt says this will be our home on wheels for a month but he says it will be much nicer than this when he is done. Maybe that is why he is taking so long. I am ready to go now, ruff! I keep everyone posted on our progress. I have to keep on Matt to be sure he is working on the right things so we can leave on time. He wanders off more than I do!

Jackson riding shotgun on a photo adventure.
Here I am ready for action!

Woof, one more thing my human finally made www.photodogjackson.com work now. That will take you to his blog for now (this page.) Little does he know I am taking over this one until he gives me my own blog!

Now for the before and after photographs of some of the truck repairs and improvements.

The truck with no bumper.
The truck with no bumper.

Woof! This this the before photograph.

Jackson approved bumper.
Jackson approved bumper.

And this is the new bumper on my truck. Great job Travis at Uwharrie Welding!

 

Introducing the Pee Dee NWR Gallery

I’m jumping in for the next post while Jackson is working on his next entry. It seems like he had a little case of writer’s block, but he is progressing just fine.

I have been working on a new gallery featuring landscape and nature scenes from the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge in Anson County. In the introduction page I have some information about the history of the refuge and some of my experience there. I have 22 photographs in the gallery and plan to add more soon.  Oh, Jackson just nudged my elbow and asked if I would add some of his to the gallery. We’ll see, he may just deserve a gallery of his own instead. We both hope you enjoy the history and photographs. Just click on the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge Gallery menu on the left!

A water impoundment near Arrowhead Lake.
A water impoundment near Arrowhead Lake.

Matthew Irvin & Photo Dog Jackson – Photographers and writers

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