Away We Go: Lost River Vacation

 

This past weekend, we packed up our hatchback and headed 2 hours to the woods in Mathias, West Virginia to stay at a tiny home rental. Lost River Vacations is deaf owned and operated and currently hosts one tiny home (endearingly called The Acorn) on 23 acres of private land. Currently, home #2 and #3 are being built and is slated to open next year. Aside from this getaway being secluded and in the woods, it is dog friendly, which we loved and appreciate very much.

We had come across Lost River Vacations randomly over the summer after booking our stay at Rivergreen Cottage. We were looking to get away in the fall and while Getaway House was long on our list of places to visit (since Lady!), the Virginia location felt like it got too popular to feel like a secluded getaway. And so you can imagine our delight when we came across this tiny home rental.

With COVID19 Yangkyu and I took extra precautions to go away. We have been sheltering in place since March and have gathered with friends only minimally (just three times since March - I guess being introverts helps!) and after meeting them (in groups of no more than 3) we made sure not to go out for two weeks following. We are avid mask wearers, use wipes, hand sanitizers, wash our hands and use anti-bacterial sprays regularly. And while we wanted to stop by a few places on our way to the tiny home rental, we ended up going straight to our destination and stayed put the entire weekend. I had my books (there is also a good collection of books in the tiny home, too), Yangkyu had his research project to work on and Momo had her treats. We also brought board games and yummy food, we had WiFi connection to watch the news and our favorite shows and we took advantage of the private trail right on the property that was marked in pink. During the evenings we stayed fireside using their beautiful Solo Stove and talked about anything and everything. We really had everything we needed right on the rental property and while it would have been nice to venture out to Lost River State Park and stopped by Wardensville, we decided it would be something to do next time.

I also think it's important to support local businesses during these tough times and found out late that you could order things online at the Lost River Trading Post and pick up curbside. It would've been wonderful to stop by and also the farmers market as well. Perhaps this is the only regret from our stay.

One of the things that Yangkyu and I have been seeking since our trip to Zion National Park has been the night sky. We were a little disappointed when the stars weren't as big as we had expected at Zion (I think we might have gone in the wrong season), but saw some pretty amazing stars when we were at Rivergreen Cottage. But the ones we saw at The Acorn were beautiful.

There is a clearing just a few feet away from tiny home where the view of the sky isn't blocked by tall trees and each night we were gifted with big beautiful stars. 

This was Momo's second overnight trip since she joined our family almost two years ago. And since our last trip, we added a couple of new things to make these trips more enjoyable for her.

One was a foldable travel kennel for the car ride. Momo isn't too fond of drives. Well, actually, I think Momo isn't fond of riding in the car alone because in the past when she used to ride with Noah and also our foster dogs she was completely ok. Since July though, when Noah crossed the rainbow bridge and she has been solo-ing it, she's having a hard time.

While we relied heavily on CBD oils, they just weren't doing the trick to at least take the edge off. She has just become highly nervous and anxious. I did realize though that she sought comfort in closed off spaces and so I had gotten her a pet cave for the living room (because at one point being in the living room in the evenings spooked her out). So going off of this concept of caves and closed off spaces, I thought perhaps a travel kennel would be helpful for her. And it definitely did help along with some calming supplements we used to give her when she first joined our family (at that time she was nervous of being upstairs - now it has completely flipped where she loves the upstairs but doesn't like being downstairs - nervous Nelly, this one).

She didn't need the calming supplements while at the rental but she did love her kennel and we are pretty happy with the purchase. 

And finally, I'm not sure if the coat made for a more enjoyable experience for her but we had groomed her just before the trip and to make sure she wouldn't be too cold, we picked up a cute little buffalo plaid wrap coat for her. Momo's body is a little weird where a small sweatshirt/sweater is too small and a medium too big and so we always get wrap coats, which work best for her bigger chest/girth and shorter legs. 

We are grateful for places that are dog friendly. It allows us to enjoy getting away and enjoying the outdoors with our dogs. And since beginning to adopt older dogs some with manageable medical issues, being able to go away with them and having a relaxing time has been greatly appreciated.

What has been even more special about The Acorn was how incredibly clean it was (it is also new, opened in 2019). It is maintained very well but I also assume that it can only continue to stay this clean and beautiful because renters continue to use it gently and are mindful of leaving it the way they found it. 

Thank you for a wonderful stay Lost River Vacations. We hope to be back and enjoy the tiny home to enjoy during all the different seasons. 

Lost River Vacations // website // Instagram // Facebook

I lifted this language off of the Lost River Vacations website (About us page) and thought it was important to share. 

Many people don't know much about the Deaf community or Deaf people. Maybe you know the ABCs in sign language, or have seen Nyle DiMarco somewhere, or watched one of the recent movies with Deaf characters. However, let's be honest here. Unless you have really had first-hand experience with a Deaf person, your reaction is one of pity, to say, "Oh I'm so sorry!" Many hearing people cannot fathom what it must be like to live in a world without sound. We're here to tell you it's really kind of cool.

 

We have something called Deaf Gain, which means that our visual perception among other senses is enhanced. Maybe it's time the world stopped seeing us as people to be helped, people to feel sorry for, and started realizing how awesome we really are. Lost River Vacations is just one of many efforts to reframe the Deaf community, and to expose the larger craftspeople. Our website and logo were built by Deaf designers. The artwork on our walls was created by Deaf people. The photographs and videos on this site were taken by Deaf people. We are Deaf.

 

Below, find the profiles of the three owners of Lost River Vacations. All three are already owners of their own business, and are strong believers in entrepreneurship and community empowerment through investing in our community. The three owners are Gallaudet University Alumnae and are proud to be both Deaf and American Sign Language users. 

Hello fall

 

The period between the day after Labor Day to the first day of fall feels like quite the limbo doesn't it? Pools close down, dogs are allowed on beaches again during the day but it's still summer. A bit too early for fall decorations and pumpkin spice lattes (although I have never been a fan of these). And so we just wait... for one season to officially end and another to begin. 

And here we are. September 22, 2020. First day of fall.

I wasn't quite ready to pack away summer but I am looking forward to a lot of things in the next couple of months. Pumpkins and mainly lots of baking. Breads and pies are on the top of my list and while I have a long track record of sucking at both, I feel a bit more confident playing with yeast and putting things in the oven. I am just coming off of Hokkaido Milk Bread kick, which has been so rewarding and delicious too. 

I also can't wait for more time by the fire pit (I love the crackling sound of firewood), books, warm socks, knit things, slow cook dinners, soups, the smell of cinnamon, candles, apples, crunchy leaves and space heaters. I even don't mind the evenings getting darker earlier, which is a little wild because just a couple of weeks ago I was having trouble getting ready for this seasonal transition (I have had this for a long time except last year when I was the happiest, mainly because of Noah and Momo). But I think I am finally able to push past it, or more like... function with the sorrow. I still get this pain in my heart when I look back on photos and videos of Noah from last fall because I miss him and wish he was still here, and while I can't say that missing him is getting easier, I think the ability to push past the sorrow is getting better.

So here's to fall things. Fall things that make us content. 

 

Home cooking for Momo

 

Yesterday I spent some time in the kitchen preparing Momo's food. I recently began to home cook for her and while the idea of home cooking still scares me a bit (I'll get to that in a little bit), it's always a rewarding process.

For a long time Momo was actually on raw food. We gave her Answers Detailed Beef and supplemented with Answers Raw Goat Milk and Answers Fermented Fish Stock. Noah was actually on their kidney diet protocol and he did exceptionally well on it. Momo didn't have any ailments for us to adjust her food, but as we began to read more about Answers we thought it was a great diet to have Momo on as well. And for a while she did great on it. She didn't have any problems on it including digesting the food. And we became huge fans of Answers Pet Food (we still are!).

Then last June, Momo went in for surgery to remove a lump found behind her thigh. This was the second time she had gone under anesthesia last year (the first in March for a dental and several teeth extraction). In hindsight I am beginning to realize that this is when a lot of health related problems began to arise for her.

First, post surgery Momo developed a bad cough. We had it checked out but I was never really given a reason why she developed a cough or why she was coughing at all. She still coughs to this day - mostly when she exerts herself (like right before she starts to bark or sometimes when she gets up from a nap or she'll get up just to cough). Then she began to get really itchy (and unfortunately again she is still itchy to this day - her paws and also her body). And she began to not be able to digest raw food. She developed bad diarrhea and no matter how many times and how slow of a transition we made she just always ended up developing diarrhea. And finally she began to get ear infections. 

This was all new for us as Momo didn't have any of these issues before. I am thinking now that perhaps the process of going under for surgeries might have changed something in her body and might have messed something up in her gut (we have used probiotics throughout the time when she had diarrhea on raw food but they never helped - we did use gut soothe in the past but I did not use it while she was going through her digestive issue). But Momo also had a host of ailments while she was in Korea and had gone through multiple surgeries there as well. I guess we will never really know why the sudden flare ups.

In any case, we ended up switching Momo over to Just Food for Dogs and she loved all their recipes - venison, beef and turkey were her favorites. Her stool became firm again but still was very itchy. I relied on their food for several months before delving into cooking meals for her. Just Food for Dogs actually offers a do it yourself kit for people who want to make their own food for their dogs based on the recipes they offer. The kit includes the recipe, a shopping list, instructions and also their vet formulated nutrient blend. I didn't actually purchase the kit myself yet but may do so in to in the future to just have it on hand.

So this is where the scary part comes in for me. While I have relied on cookbooks for dogs in the past and continuously read things online, I am always scared that I am not providing enough nutrients when I home cook or that I am not getting the meat/vegetable/grain ratio right or that it's too oily or fattening or I might be under or over feeding because I don't know how much calories there is to the meal I just cooked. I think I developed this panic when I used to home cook for Piri and I ended up giving him too much calcium. He needed to go in for regular blood work because of his kidney disease and that's when we caught his spiked calcium levels (and it was weird because I was actually the exact recommended dose for calcium supplement).

But we're trying again. And while I don't have everything right, I hope to get there. 

I feel like I have to state this before going further, but I am not a vet or a nutritionist. This is just a personal journal of how I am home cooking for my dog. Anyone who is interested in doing so should consult with your vet and other specialists who are trained to give you advice and are better positioned to answer any questions you may have.

So, we decided to do a 16 oz of meat, 20 oz of vegetables and 4 oz of grains for Momo's food. We currently use olive oil to cook (we don't use coconut oil because it's fattening and we instead use a little bit of it to brush her teeth at night). For this particular recipe we used hamburger patties and also salmon for her main source of protein, carrots, Korean sweet yam and cabbage for her vegetables and brown rice for her grains. I also added five pieces of chicken giblets (I cooked this in a separate pan and washed off the excess fat and then cut up to mix with the rest of the ingredients) and every week I'll add in some eggs and also a little bit of fresh water, boneless sardines to her food for some extra nutrients.

Momo eats 3 oz twice a day and also around 1 oz right before bed (sometimes she throws up in the morning when her stomach is empty) and so this amount of food would last her around 5 days. I also switch up her meat and vegetables every time I cook.

In every home cooking for your dog article I've read, it is always suggested that a calcium supplement be added. I actually don't do this because of what I had gone through with Piri (over supplementing) and so instead I rely on the following supplements to help her with joints, overall immune and more: 

• Dr. Harvey's Golden Years Herbal Supplement (they offer these herbal supplements for all stages of your dog's life)
• Dr. Harvey's Coq10
• Dr. Mercola Pet Astaxanthin
• Adored Beast Love Bugs Pre & Probiotics
• Adored Beast Jump for Joynts
• Super Snouts Green Lipped Mussel Powder

We are also trying something new over the weekend. It's called Green Juju and we were thinking to include it on rotation as her vegetable source for her meals. The only store that carried it is a bit far from where we live and so we'll head on out over the weekend to pick it up.

Momo has been loving her food. She gobbles it up and licks her bowl clean, which makes me incredibly happy. Her stool has been perfect and she hasn't been showing any concerning signs. So far so good!

Happy eating dog friends!

I like this life with you... I miss this life with you // 022

"There is no place like home."

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum