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Giving Tree Farm The Next Chapter

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Giving Tree Farm The Next Chapter

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From a small hobby farm, then a dairy goat and poultry farm to a thriving dog resort it seems we have done it all but we are just taking a breather getting ready for the next Giving Tree Adventure

11/01/2026

RE ENTRY The panhandle.

When astronauts come back into the Earths atmosphere it’s called re entry. After being isolated high in the aspens on a mountain ridge with huge Elk and Deer wandering right past your camper I can only imagine how it feels to go from the extreme on one planet and no gravity to all that is the chaos of Earth and everyday life. Coming down from the mountain it felt like we were gone for a year. The feeling, or rather my feeling of seeing the Florida sign was Re Entry!

We drove through the rest of Louisiana and then some of the other swamp states and crossed that Welcome to Florida sign that afternoon. Just as the sun was starting to sink over the Gulf we were driving over the bridge to Gulf Breeze (passing plenty of restaurants but had our hearts set on a seafood place) after Gulf Breeze you come to a T, one side goes to Pensacola beach and the other to Fort Pickens. The road becomes a narrow path between the Gulf and the sound and it was magnificent, like you were going to drive into the Gulf itself.

Finding our spot was easy peesy and things were really looking up. The mosquitoes greeted us as we stepped outside and I have the bites to prove it. We went about our new tent routine and got the dogs taken care of. Now it was time to find some food. It was about 7:30 by this time and everyone else had the same idea. We drove around looking for a place that would allow us to do takeout. Several of them don’t take to go orders if they were on a wait. We sat in the parking lot calling every 10 min until finally Pegleg Pete’s came off a wait. We ordered a feast. We ate like wolves passing things around dogs jumping on us, so fun LOL. We headed back to camp and slept well that night, until the winds came.

We only knew the winds came bc the Pyrenees jumped on top of us. She apparently is not a fan of wind and the sound of the rustling tent. The massive tent stood strong and kept us safe throughout the remainder of the night and the next morning we packed up and got ready to head to TH Stone. We managed to get 2 nights there and then if we moved sites we could have 2 more. We deserved to enjoy the beach for a bit and we had plans to do just that.

Just as we were cruising down Pensacola beach and hoping to see a breakfast place I decided to have a few skittles from a bag I had opened a day or so prior. They must have re done the flavors because this bag was particularly delicious and packed with flavor. As I chomped down on a few I felt something hard. I knew what it was as I am no stranger to dental work. Yep, it was a chunk of my molar, stuck right there to that half chewed red skittle. F**K!!!! F**k f**k f**k f**k f**k. I feel it with my tongue and get out my compact and shove it in my mouth so I can see in the mirror. There is a huge filling in that molar and it seems to be sealing everything off and nothing is sensitive or hurting. The day totally sucked but at least it wasn’t an emergency to get it fixed bc we had big plans in Cape San Blas.

I saw some folks walking up on a deck with coffee in hand and a sign for coffee and liquor and thought they have to have something for breakfast. Jared goes in and comes out with these huge bagel sandwiches and drinks for us and away we go. Pensacola beach is beautiful the water is mesmerizing blue and the beaches were blindingly white. I quickly zillowed property (bc that is what we do, we can’t help ourselves) after realizing that anything under a million would be a condo and they probably would not want our 5 dogs as neighbors we let go of our Pensacola beach dream and kept on down to 30 a doing the same thing. Destin was too overbuilt and crowded it did not feel like the beach, Navarre was very beautiful but looked like it was just waiting for the big one, Rosemary and watercolor were beautiful just as we had remembered from our last trip there, I think the cheapest place I found there was a studio for 700k, then of course there was Santa Rosa a quaint beach town with little job opportunities but affordable homes, and then we came to the Vegas of Florida or Panama City which was like Myrtle beach on steroids and that was a definite no. Mexico beach was lovely and as we drove past St Joe we just felt at home as we always have.

We discovered Cape San Blas when we decided to take a drive from St George Island and explore the coast. It was instant infatuation. The place is huge but not crowded and very little commercial anything on the stretch of shoreline into the gulf. We grabbed pizza from our favorite place in Port Saint Joe, Joe Mamas and made the trek to TH Stone. We were instantly happy being back in the campground and I was looking forward to my private shower and bath in their bath houses. We got the tent set up, everyone walked and fed and it was too hot in the tent so we went for a drive and looked at some homes we had book marked on the way down.

We drove back to camp and slept great that night. We were starting to get the hang of this tent camping thing. Go us!!!

Breakfast was on our mind the next morning and we got things done quickly and thankfully did not have to pack up before breakfast since we still had another night in that spot.
We found a coffee place that had breakfast biscuits and decided to go take another look at a property that peaked our interest. We spent time walking around the community, found the beach accesses and familiarized ourselves with this particular area. It was beautiful low humidity and maybe 80 outside we took the dogs for a walk and decided a nap in the tent was what we all needed. We got back to camp and unloaded everyone into the tent and after a few minutes realized it was hot as s**t in that thing. It was like an oven, who designed this thing?? There was a rain guard on top that was no doubt keeping the heat in but without we would be exposed like ants under a magnifying glass bc the top was all screen very exposed to the sun.we rolled up all the windows to try and get air flow and decided to put the dogs in the truck with the ac on. After a few minutes of sitting in agony we made the executive decision that we needed to go buy a portable ac unit.

This area that we were in and loved so much is a small quiet waterside town. There is no Walmart or Home Depot here not even a tractor supply. The closest Walmart was back in the vegas of Florida 60 miles away. We order it and pay for it and make the drive to Panama City. After a late lunch and long drive we finally get back to camp around 6pm and plug in the ac. Ahhhh so nice this was so smart of us we think. Everyone enjoys the evening with the cool breeze of the ac unit.

The next morning we had to be out by 1 and into our new space. By this time we had mastered breakdown and it was about 40 min. We found a new and better coffee spot and grabbed some cinnamon rolls and decided we needed to look at everything that was in our price range and go back and look at that place we liked again and we also needed to go look at a few up the beach at St Joe. Keep in mind it is 30 min just to get off the beach onto the Hwy to get to the town of port st joe. We needed to be back no later than 12. It was 9:30, we got this.

We drive to one beach and look at two then another and look at one, we go back and look at the one we seem to really like and a few more, we drive up the beach and drive around st joe beach. OMG we look at the time we are never going to make it. We pull into the park at 12:40 and begin the madness of breaking down camp. It’s a Florida state park and it’s October so we know someone is waiting to check into our spot. We hustle. I help take down the tent this time and we make it with 1 minute to spare! We drive across the parking lot to our new spot.

We had a clear plan with our new AC unit to have a lazy day and then to start doing some research and due diligence on the house we liked. We get the tent set up and move everything in. Jared plugs the AC unit in that he carefully packed back into the box and we zip everything up in anticipation of cool air. It was like a sauna in the tent. The AC was on high and no relief was felt. The dogs were in the car in the AC and all we had accomplished was spending $350 and an entire afternoon in Panama City. These are the moments I start to seriously question my path in life. I used to wear heels and dresses and sell high end clothing, I used to breed farm animals, I used to go chase foxes with my friends in the hunt country, now I am questionably clean, don’t know when I washed my hair last, standing over an AC unit from Walmart hoping for a miracle in a tent and I’m hungry AGAIN! How did I get here and why???? These are the questions I have.

I’m so desperate for some space away from the dogs that sit all over me in the truck athat there I am convincing myself that sitting in front of this AC unit is just fine and the day will cool down in a bit. It becomes obvious after wiping my brow several times and knowing it’s too hot for the dogs that staying in the tent during the day is not an option. We all head back down the beach and into town to check out the marina and get some food. We tour another place while the dogs sit in the car, walk around the marina and talk with them and go back to the one place that we keep thinking of and determine what we want to do. We figure it’s cooled off at the tent by now and enjoy showers and a nice evening. We are scheduled to leave the next day and be in Sarasota for a dental consult for my tooth. We crash early and prepare for the long drive ahead. At least that was the plan!

11/01/2026

Amarillo! After booking our overpriced room we start our journey to Amarillo. They have no dog number in their policy just a flat rate nightly pet fee and the set up is motel style so you have your own door and then outside to a walkway not a centralized hallway inside a building or past a desk person.

When we stayed here last it was on our way to Laguna Beach. We were moving ourselves into a small beach shack on Victoria beach for a great job opportunity and it was about 15 yrs or so ago. I remember driving from the east coast for what seemed like days across Texas with our two horses, 2 dogs and a cat. This place Big Texan Steak Ranch was like a theme park in the middle of nowhere. This huge cowboy adorned a massive yellow building and there was a saloon themed motel and horse hotel that was a center aisle barn with rows of stalls. That was my memory.

Fast forward to last Wednesday and we arrive in Amarillo and it’s HUGE Bustling and has exploded in the last 15 yrs. The city is swamping this yellow building with the same cowboy and the big cow in the parking lot. The saloon motel is still there and all we can focus on is the dining room is open til 10:30 and it’s 8pm and the dogs need to be fed and walked. We quickly get everyone settled and fed and walk around the grounds that have seen better days. We score a private booth after playing some games inside and waiting a bit. Jared has fun shooting targets in the old west and I sit on the uncomfortable saddle seat and watch him for a bit. They call our name and we sit down to the most delicious prime rib and fixins, house brewed b**r and huge chocolate cake for dessert.

The Texan has their own beef farm and brewery and the owners are very active and run a great business. The motel room was tidy as can be and our Pyrenees enjoyed bathing in the ice bucket we used as a water bowl and attempted to flood the room. The dogs all got on one bed and we got on the other. We watched shark tank and drank a bottle of w**e out of two souvenir coffee mugs from the Texan and our botched anniversary was starting to be redeemed.

I woke up the next morning with no huge circles under my eyes and was able to stand upright so life was good. It was time to drive to Denton and even though we were a few days behind schedule it’s what we all needed.

Denton was a great drive, we arrived just in time to set up in the daylight. Jared’s tent skills had already improved and I took care of the dogs and it was starting to feel like a well oiled machine like the camper days. I watched the sunset and visited the deer while he finished the poles and then I crawled into the giant va**na and lifted the tent up to her glory of 7 ft. We set up the tent and closed everything up and had a wonderful night sleep. This place was called Ray Robert’s State Park and was on a massive reservoir. It was a beautiful place to camp Even in a tent!

We were prepared for the drop in temperature and wore clothes to bed and woke up pretty refreshed. It was time to book the rest of the road trip. We were scheduled to go from Denton to Louisiana and then all the way to Cape San Blas to their fabulous TH stone memorial state park. I knew this was not going to work and we had to make other arrangements. We decided to make the drive to Ville Platte Louisiana as planned and then divide the 600 mile trek that my husband had planned to get to TH stone. I had the perfect idea. I had always wanted to stay at the tip of Pensacola Beach at Fort Pickens ( in a camper but a tent would have to do) so we scored the spot because they had just reopened due to Isais coming through.

The drive to Louisiana was long 450 miles. There is nothing there. We turned off for the campground and saw nothing but sawgrass and mobile homes for miles and hours. We were starving. We came about 5 miles from the park and saw a gas station. Jared went in and asked for 2 pizzas. The guy said he had too many waiting before us and it would be a while and he didn’t know if he wanted to take the order. I HATE hunt brothers pizza it’s like digiorno but without an air fryer. So I yell into the store from the window that 6 miles into town there was a seafood place.

And there was but the line was out the door and here’s a fun fact about tent camping with dogs. You can’t leave them unattended bc it’s a tent SO they are with you 24 hours a day. There is no dining in only takeout the ENTIRE time. So this amazing seafood place in the middle of the bayou is not an option. I’m thinking at this point we may end up having to settle for roadkill or a gator nearby. And then I see it, a tiny little house that says seafood. It’s a drive thru, my prayers have been answered and they make made to order seafood boil! Hallelujah Thank you Jesus sure we can wait 30 min.

We drive back thru and pick up our feast and make the drive to the campground because we plan to eat this at a table outside under the stars. We make it to the campsite by shear luck bc it wasn’t numbered and step outside with our feast and two cold modellos we grabbed from the local dollar general and were chased right back in by the most vicious mosquitos only to find out our campsite was literally a dry river bed (until it rains) that was the best seafood boil maybe because we were so hungry or maybe bc legitimately it was the best! Then it was time for Jared to put our house together. The dogs and I went for a walk and then I mixed their food, swatted mosquitoes and fed them in the truck waiting for my que to crawl in and stand up the tent.

That night was colder than you would think but we finished that 6 pack of modelo so we were happily sleeping and it was nice to just relax a little.

The next morning I ventured to the bathhouse only to find it wasn’t very private like the ones I was used to. Instead I walked in on a poor sleep deprived mother trying to relieve herself quickly in a neighboring stall while her kids (like 5 or so of them) were opening and slamming her bathroom door, telling her about the daddy long legs they saw and running around half dressed with toothbrushes in their hands. This was a great reminder to take my birth control, which I did and then continued to follow through with my skin routine (peach and Lily it’s the best) and I could tell that mother needed a glimmer or something in her life so I complimented her northface camp shoes and she appreciated it.

By the time I got back to the tent Jared was ready to roll things up and go. By the way there is no coffee pot, no breakfast simmering over the fire all we had every morning before we got on the road was water, Gatorade or a semi warm Pepsi and we always had snickers with us bc it’s a great pick me up and quite the breakfast of champions lol.

We left the bayou and mosquitoes and made our way to the panhandle. There was roughly 400 miles between us and our re entry into the great state of Florida!!!! Home sweet home!

But wait there is more we still have two more campgrounds and 5 more days to cover!

10/31/2026

Ok this is a long one. Being the natural storyteller I am I had to be in the right headspace and recover from my road trip back home (which has taken a few days) before I could begin to capture the essence of the trip home.

First let’s fill everyone in on our trip out. As you remember we had just sold the last of the farm and had 7 years of accumulated crap in that barn. Well we got the POD and filled it up and instead of getting another for things like certain collections, vacuum cleaner, extra clothes and collectibles we just decided to stuff it all in the Range Rover that was going to storage for the summer and our camper ( we didn’t really think this one out) so needless to say we were VERY heavy especially bc we were prepared for the end of the world thanks to Jared’s “collections” This lead to a very unenjoyable drive for my husband. So once we got to Colorado he informed me the camper would be stored there and we would be going home (2000 miles) without our home on wheels (bathroom, bed, kitchen, bathroom ooo did u say that already, well you get the jist)

So I’m thinking truck camper, pop up, motel, cabin. Can you say TENT!!! WTF 5 dogs, 2 adults and a 12 person tent from Amazon. I had a budget and I worked miracles we had a portable toilet, a privacy tent for it, a huge state of the art 12 person 7 ft tall tent, a heater, a king air mattress. We were set.

Departure day was Monday 19th which also happened to be our 25th wedding anniversary. I remember a few years ago looking at a private suite with a view of the Pitons in St Lucia r perhaps taking a cruise down to Bonaire, but here we were in western Colorado with 5 dogs and a crappy plan.

We had a lot of moving parts before we could enjoy our tent adventure. We had to winterize the camper, take it to storage and the adventure truck. They had 5 storage locations in Montrose and let’s just say we drove around looking for our spaces and eventually had everything done by 10pm. It was dark, foggy and raining and there we were with 5 dogs, an exhausted me, a fully loaded down truck bc remember I had to transport my summer wardrobe back down the mountain. Oh and a bin full of pottery barn bedding and blankets bc my bed had to feel and look amazing or I wasn’t participating.

We thought about getting a hotel room for the night as it was obvious we would miss our reservation that night in Trinidad 400 miles away. Just as we were driving around the parking lot of some questionable lodging I’m pretty sure there was a deal going down so we decided to drive. The temperature dropped every minute as we climbed mountain passes in the dark and Jared commented how he was happy we were the only ones on the road, well no s**t bc we are the only dumb ones I informed him. We pulled over several times to rest and he loves to pull into the spotlight bc it’s safer. I need darkness to sleep and my eye mask was packed in the back somewhere between the bedding bin, the 45 lbs of dog food in a garbage bag bc we didn’t have room for the bin it’s stored in and my 2 bins of necessary clothes and of course some of Jared’s collections in case we needed to take down a lion tiger and bear all at the same time. So I did not dare ask for him to retrieve said mask and instead did the very dramatic huffing and puffing and trying to get comfortable.

It’s very clear that I am not 20 anymore and 12 hour driving nights are well behind me. My back says OH HELL NO and I’m pretty sure my obvious stink face said the same thing. That first night was brutal. I’m pretty sure we both thought we were headed for divorce.

We got lost, we said really mean things, I thought about getting out and walking and we hadn’t even gotten to the campground. The sun came up, my back was aching, I just wanted out of that damn truck. This surely must be what is like to be in a cage. There we were at the strangest rest stop with no mirrors in the bathroom, watching the sun come over the ridges of this odd desert town in Colorado and all I wanted was a bed.

We grabbed some biscuits from Arby’s at Loves (thank GOD for Loves truck stops) after an hour nap and then we slogged it 20 miles to the campground and got lost. The thing about campgrounds and state parks is there are several entrances and very little signage and sometimes when there are signs they are only one way. We were not traveling that one way and so 40 min later we are still looking for the campground loop we are on. Instead we drive over a dam, through the park, to a trail head, Waze tells us to cross the creek so we ditch that go back to the main road back over the dam and keep driving and come to a campground and a small sign with the loop name. So there we are exhausted, dogs hungry, I’m hating life and there is the tent spot in the blazing sun. Jared walks around likes he’s purchasing the lot and then slowly gets the brand new tent out. Out of the box comes is the neatest little bag and then he just keeps pulling bag after bag out and I look at it and want to cry. At this pointI think about blowing up my bed in the parking lot and just sleeping. I walk the dogs and mix their food in the sun on the tailgate and then I grab my HUGE back pack of skincare and toiletries (kudos to free people for their quilted backpack, it seemed to have bottomless storage) and I head to the bathhouse to make myself feel better. When I get back out refreshed and clean the tent is laid out on the ground but not up by any means just sort of pre planning. The diesel truck is running with cold AC because the dogs like a meat locker and I have nothing to sit on but a storage bin. I remembered when I suggested we bring the camp chairs and I was informed there would be a picnic table. There was and it was located in Satan’s armpit out in the Sahara where the tent laid out in the sun.

I sat on the storage bin in the shade beneath the truck and watched as my husband diligently and slowly put that tent together. Everytime he put in a pole I prayed this was the moment the tent would stand up and we could move in. I’m envisioning how I will set it it up and where I will put the rug and my bathroom etc. I even had a light to hang from the ceiling. Then he asks me to help.. the expectation was for me to crawl inside and help stand it up so he can put the support poles on the corners. Now I have an injured rotator cuff but sure no problem let me help you with that. Excuse my vulgarity but the doorway is shaped just like a va**na the way it was unzipped and crawling into this tent was probably the hottest place I have ever crawled. I’m sweating just standing up and lifting it up by the center. We get the tent upright and it’s HUGE. It was too big for the tent area so we have it on the pavement behind the truck. He unzips all the windows and rolls up the shades and I get it all set up. We put the bedding on the bed and sit down for a minute admiring our work and then lead the dogs in and they stand around and pant. The Pyrenees is looking for a way out and so am I LOL! We realize that it’s too hot to hangout in the tent and we need to go eat lunch and then come back when it’s cooler and stay in the AC. We each had a half warm Pepsi and a candy bar so we had a little energy for this adventure.

Trinidad had a unique town full of w**d shops, skate shops and a huge food court so we ate really well. We made it back to the campground that afternoon and unloaded the dogs once again, walked them and fed them and crashed hard. I was prepared for cold nights (so I thought) and we had a fur blanket similar to a LoLa but not $200, and a heavyweight down comforter and pottery barn duvet. We went to bed recapping the day and how it would get better and the mattress sure was comfortable and it feels so nice in the tent. It was starting to cooldown so we zipped everything up and went to sleep.

Somewhere between sunset and dark thirty the temperature plummeted into what felt like Everest and I quickly put on my lined leggings and fleece sweatshirt and all the dogs even the Pyrenees had jumped in the bed and we were all one big pile trying to stay warm.

We made it through the night got up and took care of the dogs cleaned things up and began packing for our next destination. Denton Texas was the next reservation and it was 450 miles away. My back said Hell No. It took 2 hours to break down camp and shove all the things back in their tiny bags and boxes and it took us 20 min to fold down the tent that housed my bathroom.

I had to do something. There was no way I could stay in that tent another night I needed to recover from the car ride the night before. I was stove up as my mom would say and I made sure Jared knew it was his fault. The 7 of us hopped in the truck went back to the food court and ate what was now lunch and headed down the road. As I pulled up the directions I wanted to cry. I needed a plan and pronto before we end up sleeping in the car again. I scanned the map, and there it was on the way to Denton. Amarillo! We stayed in a horse hotel years ago so I had an idea and honestly it was the least he could do since our 25th year anniversary was botched. I call Ed and made the reservation. Next time I will check Trivago bc I’m pretty sure this woman knew I was desperate and gave us the last minute rate. So off we went to Amarillo which was half the drive of Denton and had the promise of a BIG steak and dessert and a real bed with insulated walls and heat and ac and TV!

That’s it for now. And that is the first day journey of our trip home! We spent 10 days on the road so stay tuned for the rest

10/06/2026

Heading back up the other mountain! Had so much fun playing in Ouray and Telluride but soo excited to move our rig to our own amazing land!! Stay tuned for pics as we get settled in Heavenly ( that is what we named our amazing piece of paradise)

09/12/2026

Took the beast out for a climb today! We made some far tracks so we needed to take the pups and the adventure truck is too small!

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Myakka City, FL
34251

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