DeLand Florida, A Step Back and a Step Forward In Time, Part 1 of Two Chapters

**Stepping out Friday nights at the Artisan Alley Farmers Market with Georgia, Barb and Teddy Roosevelt.**

**Pat & Toni’s Sweet Things! Talk about a treat to the eyes and tongue. Best candies we remember tasting, ever!!**

**Taste test offered-hard to ever forget!**

**Pat & Toni’s offeres everyone some of the sweetest tastes, anywhere!!**

Breakfast at DeLeon Springs State Park at the Old Sugar Mill Pancake House and Fountain of Youth Boat Rides. Here, you cook your own pancakes, eggs and all the meat fixin’s you can want. This couple drove hours to enjoy the park and have breakfast there too! Sparkle Rex was our contact. She was terrific!! Go Floridastateparks.org to see all this park has to offer

American Press Travel News-Bob and Barb “On the Road Again.” June 14th-June 17th–We contacted our very favorite tourism specialist; Georgia Carter Turner to develope a visit itinerary to DeLand Florida, located in Volusia County. We rolled in to town on June 14th, and moved into a very comfortable apartment at True Trail Farms –[email protected] Mike and Kathy Densmore, the owners were very welcoming and we found they loved farm animals and they had a bunch of them. We were also greeted by the goats, turkeys and more chickens than Kentucky Fried could have handled. DeLand is a bit like old time Florida meeting up with the modernity of today! After settling in at True Tails Farms, we headed into town to the Half Wall (half the wall was covered by beer taps) for a delightful dinner. For dessert, we went next door to Davids Sweet Things. David was the most affable and interesting man we encountered during our adventure to DeLand.

GO: VisitWestVolusia.com and see all the greatness that this area has to offer. (end of part 1 of our DeLand Adventure, see part two shortly)

Found my Dog, Adopt A Rescue Dog, God Says So!

American Press Travel News-June 7th-TN–Well, Barb and I said that since Terry passed five years ago: “If a dog finds us, thats when we would have found our dog.” So, Teddy found us. He is our new son now! What is his breed: He is a Maltese, Bolognese Bichon mix. But, whatever he is called, he is a fabulous 7-pounds of personality, love and action. Teddy (after Teddy Roosevelt) really is a hunter at heart. No squirrel goes untreed, no deer not jumping the fence to get away from little/big Teddy, a terror to Chipmunks and our raider crows cleaning out the seeds at the songbird feeders are immune from the speedy dash of a dog who really doesnt know his true size {7-pounds acting liker 150-Mountain Bernese) as his pell mell dash and raucous bark scares all in his path. Today, a few million Americans buy or rent RV’s so they can take their pets with them on vacations. Although, several national motels and hotels recognize the value of allowing travelers to bring their pets, when checking in to their rooms. Its just good business! A pet owner is usually a much happier, even healthier than a non pet owner. Lots of smiles, extra exercise and general joy de vivre can add extra life to pet owners. Also, a dog has senses that are far and away more powerful and sensitive to danger, than a human. A barking dog helps deter ner-do-well’s from your property and your door. My previous dog, Terry saved my life when sensing a giant tree was about to fall and literally pulled me away from where the huge tree crashed to earth. Terry was a litter-runt, throw-away. We got him at a shelter that would have done him in. Instead we had a loving, wonderful companion. We had 14 great years, before his kidneys gave out. Terry was buried with a hand-carved, stone marker on our ranch. Teddy can never take his place. So we have started a new chapter with this little dog. I’ve been smiling alot, again! Adopt go: FOCCAS— Focus On Cumberland County Animal Safety. Great dedicated people who truly love and want to assist all pets who need another home with love!!!

My Best Friends with 4-Paws

American Press Travel News March 12, 2020–Bob and Barb “Stopping to Smell the Roses”, and remembering his best friends.

My first dog pal was Shishkabob, she was alternately covered in bands of white and black fur. She reminded me of my favorite skewered dish of Shishkabob. I don’t have an image of her for this article, just pictures of her in my memory. I was in my last year of college, It was February, the coldest month in Vermont and it was snowing. I looked out my apartment window and saw this dog next to the front door of a Jewelry store in Brattleboro, VT. It was shivering. A patron opened the door and I saw it run in. Donning my coat, I went down the stairs, across the street and entered the store. The owner was shooing the near- frozen- dog out of the store, and the patrons smiled and looked on. I asked if this was anyone’s dog? No one responded, and so I scooped her up, took her home and she became my first, 4-paw, best friend.

Terry lived with me for 14-years. She really lit-up my life. Long gone now, I remember her funny, and sometimes delightful antics. My second dog was when living in the Florida Keys. It was a rainy New Years and Barb heard about a dog that was being held, but being mistreated by this family in Key Largo. The puppy-dog was 7-months old. He was being left in a closet in a plastic garbage bag with his muzzle taped, so when the owners who were tenants, and not allowed to have a dog, left their home, he couldn’t bark. I took him, after being extremely gruff with the people, cleared him of ticks and worms, and Charlie became my dock-dog. He too made it to 14-years. He was our traveling companion all over the USA as we traveled in our motorhome, fly fishing America!! My third dog also traveled with us around America. Terry, mixed up Terry, was our fabulous pal for about 14-years too! Terry saved me from a huge tree that fell in the exact spot I had been standing, one evening at our farm. He pulled so hard and whined that I walked away from repairing a solar fence light. The tree fell seconds after I was away from the fence. We buried Terry 2-years later after his kidneys failed, on our farm, with a carved granite head-stone made for me by a Cherokee Indian in Alabama. Dogs-just cannot live without them, and for me it was proven!!!!