Monday, September 2, 2013

Heaven is a Place Called Sheep Dung

Sheep Dung Properties operates two separate ranch properties a couple hours north of San Francisco and I have to say, I did not know heaven was located so close to home!
To get to the property, you turn off a somewhat hidden road at the edge of the quaint town of Boonville and pass through a flourishing vineyard before meandering up, up, up a windy dirt road that takes you to your private hideaway. The pups and I stayed at the Breezeway cottage and I have to say that it was probably the best time either of them have ever had.


The cottage was wonderful; clean, hardwood and tile floors, comfortable furnishings, and well stocked with everything a person would need to 'move in' (and boy did I want to). The view from the adirondacks of the valley below was absolutely picturesque, the hammock positioned under the oaks was the perfect place to enjoy the complimentary wine, and the grill did my salmon up nice and yummy, but the best part was what surrounded it all - several fenced acres for my pooches to roam and sniff and explore and even disappear from sight (gasp).

It was fabulous to pull up to our place and open the gate that would keep us in our own world for just a few splendid days and it was interesting to watch how each dog responded to this new setting. With little training and even less impulse control or fear, Bolt didn't even wait for me to open the car door. Up, over, and out the window he flew. Z had a slightly different approach (which, for our 'real world' makes me very happy); she stayed, even when I opened the car door and walked away, even at my first attempt to call her out, she stayed. She finally did get out though and after a few hesitant sniffs and encouraging words and pats from me, she remembered she was a dog and quickly took to running and sniffing and bounding around like the country dog I know and love.

We spent the first afternoon and night just hanging around our place, getting acquainted with everything there, and making sure that every inch of ground was touched by at least one of our paws.

Minus a little motion sickness on the way up for the little guy, it was a great first day in our very mini-escapcation (escape-vacation) and we couldn't wait to get up the next day to go see what the other 200 acres of the property had to offer (oh, did I not mention that part!?) ...

More to come in Part II

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