Bryce Canyon Campout

My dear friend Ashley Scott has some family property right outside of Bryce Canyon. She invited several neighbors to join her up there this summer on a campout. The Thorsteds, Rileys, Watkins, Scotts and us all went up together. It rained a whole lot over the weekend, but we didn’t let that stop us from having a great time. We had some great food that we all pitched in to help with. Derek cooked a great breakfast on the huge army size flat top one am. 

 We hiked through Bryce Canyon with all.

 It was hot and kids complained a bit, but it was a great hike. The kids brought their bikes and would ride the dirt trails around Ashley’s property. They built a fort out of sticks in the trees.  On the last day, we hiked Mossy Caves to what was left of the trickling waterfall and then got lunch at a surprisingly okay grill inside a Sinclair gas station.   

 The only terrible part of the campout was that London, the best dog a family could ask for, passed away while on the camp out. It all happened so suddenly, the night before she passed she was walking pretty slow back to the camper and doing some weird staring off. She slept quietly all night. However in the morning, she walked out of the trailer and then collapsed on the ground, breathed heavily for about 5-10 minutes and then was gone. Derek and I had been feeling lately that she didn’t have much time left for whatever reason. Honestly, this was the best possible way I could have imagined for her to go on a campout (which she loved). It all happened so quickly and she didn’t’ seem to suffer at all. I was so glad all of us were there when she passed. All 5 of us surrounded her and pet her and told her it was going to be okay. 

 Then, poor Liv laid on top of her forever until I finally told her it was time to cover her up.

 Ashley was so sweet and offered to let us burry London on her property where I guess several dogs have been buried over the years. Liv walked the whole property and found the best place under a tree where London will always been in the shade looking out over the valley near Bryce Canyon. 

 The boys all dug a big hole and carried her up to the mountain in and old sheet (we just happened to bring with us). 

 All the neighbors wrote letters to London. We each read our letter and then tossed it in the grave with her. Then each person put a shovel full of dirt on and we covered her grave with a bunch of rocks one big one that I etched her name into with a screwdriver. 

 I honestly think the whole thing gave such a great opportunity to say goodbye and have closure for my kids, but it was just the worst. She was such a great dog and I felt gypped out of a few years to lose her at almost 10 years old. It has been so hard with her gone and I miss her so much. The first week without her I cried pretty much every day. Derek surprisingly took it hard and shed some tears. The first walk I took around the neighborhood was rough and I ended up busting into tears on the first neighbor’s lawn I ran into. The first hike without London was rough too. I am doing better now, but still some things really make me miss her like the drive out to Reno without her and such. But, so glad we have a beautiful tribute to the best dog ever outside of Bryce Canyon.