Matilda's Human Brother Gets Married

Hoorah!!! I finally got to go on a trip with my humans! Mom said “road trip” and we all got in the car and took a long, long ride to Richmond, VA. I slept most of the way there and back, so the traveling wasn’t too bad. I don’t think the rest of the family would agree; they seemed really tired after the drive. (By the way, Mom says I am a very good traveler.)

The first thing I saw when we got there were these two HUGE dogs. Turns out they were my “nephews” Forrest and Arthur; two Labrador Retrievers. I barked “hello” from the car and when I got out, “the boys” (as their humans call them) introduced themselves, and we started to get to know one another. Meeting the cat was a whole different experience. (It was my first up close and personal meeting with a cat.) The cat was not as happy to see me; and although I don’t think you could say we became friends, she did finally accept me.

The reason for the trip was a wedding. One of my human brothers was getting married. The place where they got married was really interesting. It was at Pocahontas State Park, in a dining facility. Now, I’m sure you’re thinking “What kind of wedding was that?” Well, it was actually quite nice.

The park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression. There are two dining halls in the park that were built and used by the CCC. The facility where the wedding was held was recently renovated. The building is all natural wood, and has a large kitchen with modern equipment. Someone told Dad that the renovations were somewhere in the $1 million dollar range. He didn’t know if that was just for this building or if other buildings or areas in the park were also included in the cost. If you would like to learn a more about the CCC and the state park, got to http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/cccmus.shtml .

The facility actually worked out quite well. Since the wedding was small, one side of the dining hall was set up for the wedding, while the other was set up for the reception. The bride’s stepmother is Korean, and her family made all of the food for the reception. So, Mom and Dad got to try authentic Korean food for the first time. They really liked it.

Now mind you, none of this was first hand information, I was required to stay in the car, in my travel crate during the entire wedding. So, I must say that I slept through the entire ceremony. But, I was told that it was lovely.

Mom and Dad really like my new sister-in-law. They wish her and my brother many years of happiness. I like my new sister-in-law too. The boys are not allowed on the couch, but I was, because I am so special. Mom says I shouldn’t get a big head. She says it was more like I was allowed because I am small enough that I don’t take up the entire couch!!