October 28, 2019 (by Jimmy) – We have been getting to know Leroy. He’s a puppy that loves to run; he never has enough to eat, and given his druthers, he would much rather be treated like a human and taken everywhere Mom and Dad go. We’re all getting used to each other, and he does enjoy getting out and travelling in the truck or car.

The first weekend after we got Leroy, my son John and I had planned to go to a car show (we had this planned before we knew Leroy was going to be part of the family). This car show is called Ratoberfest. It is held near Paducah, KY at an old dragstrip. They had cars to look at, cars for sale, and some would drag race their cars on the dragstrip. There was food, giveaways, contests, and an auction. John and I spent 2-3 hours at the car show, had lunch and enjoyed a great time. If you are near Paducah, KY in October, look for Ratoberfest. I’s an annual event and was a blast to attend.

The next weekend, Angela and I took Leroy to Fern Cliff State Park. This was his first trip out with us to go hiking. We went to a trail that was about a half a mile in and half a mile out. Of course, Leroy was excited and wanted to run the whole way. We had to keep him on a bit of a short leash because there were quite a few people out with their dogs, and we didn’t know how Leroy would socialize with others. It was a good day for a walk, and Leroy enjoyed it.

The Friday before last, we took Leroy to Garden of the Gods. The trails there are close to cliffs, and we had to watch to make sure that Leroy didn’t jump off a mountain. The views were spectacular. We did have to cut it a little short because lunch didn’t sit well, but what we saw was great, and it gives us another opportunity to go back and see what we missed.

One week we took Leroy to a dog park in Herrin, IL. This fenced in area allowed us to let him off leash and let him run. He ran and ran and ran. He had such a great time, and the park was beautiful. So, I took Leroy to a dog park in Marion, IL. When we got there, there was a box that you had to push the right numbers to gain access. I have never seen a lock on a dog park before. I called the number hoping that this was just a fluke, and someone had just not opened the park. We waited about half an hour and decided to leave. On the way home, I got a call and this lady proceeded to tell me that the park was guest sign-up with an annual fee to get the access number. I told her we were just passing through town, and I just wanted to let my dog run. She said that couldn’t be done. I then told her she had upset my dog, and said, “Leroy, do you want to talk to her? He doesn’t want to talk to you. Leroy don’t hang up on her, Leroy!!!” Then I hung up. I don’t know if it made her laugh of ticked her off, but it made me feel better for them to know from a dog’s perspective that a dog park is for all dogs. Illinois! If there’s a hard way to do anything, Illinois will figure it out and add a fee.