Inaugural Entry

Welcome! I suppose we should start with introductions and cover some background info (more detailed than what you’ll find in the ABOUT tab above) so you know what to expect. Here’s the who, what, where, when, and why of Kempsey On Trail.

Kempsey June 2011

WHO#1: Kempsey, aka Kdog. She is an Australian Shepherd we adopted a week before she turned five months old. Her original family wasn’t quite ready for a working breed puppy and she was becoming a “bad” dog, prone to destroying things like patio furniture. A friend fostered Kempsey for a couple weeks then called to see if we would take her. We weren’t actually looking for a dog but the photo to the left and my sincere begging convinced my husband (boyfriend at the time) to agree that we could bring this energetic bundle of fur into our home.

Didn’t realize our house felt empty until we filled it with this precious pup. Kdog immediately made us a family. The transition was relatively smooth

Oops! Left the bathroom door open.

for the gypsy canine who had already lived in three different places before finding her forever home with us. In the first couple weeks, she earned the title ‘Little Miss Chievious’ for attacks on unattended rolls of toilet paper and bringing random clothing items into the backyard. To her credit, the socks etc. were never chewed up, simply relocated. Our mantra soon became “a tired dog is a good dog!” Kempsey quickly had us wrapped around her little paw and I was happy to let her be the center of our world.

WHO#2: My name is Dorothy. If Kempsey had thumbs she would probably do this blog on her own; but for now these entries are my endeavor. I am a cyclist and a runner. Recently I decided not to do any races in 2017.

Hitting the trails since Kdog was a pup!  June 2011

With nothing specific for which to train, I needed a distraction for myself and announced to my husband that Kempsey & I would hike all the trails in the Conejo Open Space, ~140 miles worth, keeping a log book. He, along with friends, suggested this be done on-line so folks could follow our progress. That is how Kempsey on Trail came to be.

WHAT: This is a journal. A place to describe life with Kempsey, share our conversations (okay, I do most of the talking but she’s a sympathetic listener who never judges). We will share our adventures great and small, talk about nature, an active healthy lifestyle, and pet friendly places. You’ll meet some of our friends and hear their stories. We’ll cover a variety of dog-centric and trail-related topics with plenty of photos; Kempsey loves to pose for the camera! Input from readers is welcome. The underlying theme will always be one of positivity. Embracing Kdog’s attitude that every day is new and full of wonder. Yesterday doesn’t matter – what are we going to do today?

WHERE: We will start locally in Ventura County with forays into Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Counties. This is southern California so beach visits will definitely be included. Every summer we visit Beaver, Utah and hike in the Tushar Mountains. Top of Delano Peak is planned for 2017. Kempsey is an amazing travel companion and because of her we have found some great dog friendly establishments.

Being touristy in Ventura, CA August 2011

Yellowstone June 2015

Certainly, there are limitations when you travel with a pet but we’ve managed to visit some fabulous places with Kempsey. We will continue to explore as many regions in this country as our schedules allow and look forward to sharing our discoveries along the way. A GPS link will be included for trail segments. For example, this is a trail we hike often and was Kempsey’s first hike with me in June 2011.

Skyline Ridge Trail, Utah  July 2013

WHEN: The plan is to post weekly but if life allows, we will share more frequently.

WHY:  From the day Kdog came into our lives she has been a source of great joy. I want to share this happiness with as many people as possible. Let Kempsey put a smile on your face and inspire you to get outdoors!

Thank you for taking this journey with us…..