Eli is our Dog for the Day

Boss Larry stopped in for a visit this morning.  He brought us horse and group camp reservation reports and I gave him a cup of coffee. Then we had a good chat.  Larry told us that he is going on vacation next week.

After Larry left, we headed to the campground to walk around.  Maintenance Richard drove in to check the toilet buildings.  He told Andy that Spence was working in Cosby today and would not be in Big Creek until Saturday.  (Thursday and Friday are his days off.)

Site 11 is my favorite campsite in Big Creek.  The picnic table is at the edge of the campground and overlooks Big Creek.  You can't tell from this photo, but the creekside path is below the campground level, out of sight.

We could smell smoke as we walked around the nearly-empty campground.  We did not find the source until we reached Site 12 with last night's campfire still smoldering. Andy used a half-burned lot to stir the remains of the fire and put it out.

 These dainties are growing along the path from the campground road to the picnic area.

I often look at this spot in the creek but don't think I've ever posted a picture of it before.  A hollow in a large boulder is filled with multi-colored pebbles.  The water is so clear and smooth as it flows over the large rocks.  

Just after we finished our lunch, two young men arrived with a beautiful Golden Retriever.  They had started up the Big Creek Trail and saw the "No Pets" sign.  Unlike many park visitors who ignore the sign and the rule, these two came to ask us what they should do.  It was too far away to take the dog back home. Of course, we offered to dog sit. His name is Eli.

I went inside for a dog treat and a bowl of water.  Eli paid no attention to his owners until he had finished the Puperoni and realized they were gone.  He looked around but was not distressed by their absence.

I pulled a nice stick out of our kindling pile ande Eli happily chewed on it for a long while.

In typical Golden fashion, he liked to be in touch with (or very close to) one of us at all times.  He crawled under Andy's legs for a nap.  Then, he suddenly stood up and listened intently.  Six minutes later, the young men showed up.

We both enjoyed our dog-sitting job.  He was such a calm, and clearly happy, dog. He loved being petted and was playful and friendly.  I loved petting him since he was clean and soft.

We have plenty of butterflies here this season.  This kaleidoscope was next to the group picnic table.