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It’s been 5 years, 60 months, 260 weeks, 1826 Days, 43, 829 hours, 2,629,746 minutes, and 157,784,760 seconds since this adventure began. Can you believe it? Me either!!
Yesterday I got to attend my hometown Church (Franklin First Methodist) and honor my mother for All Saint’s Day. Members of the Church who have passed away over the last year are remembered and a banner is decorated in their honor and displayed in the front of the Church for all to see. I was so honored to be able to make my mom’s banner I know she would have loved it!! As I sat there yesterday, I couldn’t help but remember it was November 13, 2016 (5 years almost to the day) that I sat in the same Church with my mom, and it was that exact same day that I came home and asked Danny if we could build a dog boarding kennel. (And he thought I was crazy and that I must be having a mid-life crisis LOL) Fast forward 5 years and here we are with almost 3500 guests who have stayed with us anywhere from 1 night to 20 nights and then we have Chewy who stays with us every month from 1 -3 weeks at a time!! Happy Dance!!! Never, would I ever, have dreamed I would be here today owning and running a small business, (and during a pandemic too) but here we are and are so thankful for all our family, friends, and our wonderful customers!!! Not much has changed in the last 5 years of how we do things, we still charge the same and we still love what we do, and all your dogs are the best and we couldn’t do it without all of you!!! One thing we have realized is life is short and we are not promised tomorrow, but we put our trust in God that he will protect us and will always be there when we need him. We took a leap of Faith when we started this business and I know he will continue to be with us every step of the way! 2022 is just around the corner and Danny and I have a big Anniversary (#25) 😉 coming next year and we have decided to take a few more breaks during the year (dates listed at the bottom) and celebrate more than just one day at least that is how I pitched the idea to him! Lol I read something recently in one of my mom’s journals and she was wishing us a Happy 10-year anniversary and she prayed that we would always have a good marriage and hoped we realized how blessed we were, and we both agree we are very blessed!! We hope you all know how Thankful, Grateful and oh so HAPPY that you choose us for your boarding needs! We have loved every minute of the past five years meeting you all and forming friendships and the best part loving on your fur babies! They truly are a part of our family when they come to stay with us! Hope you have a wonderful day, and we hope to see you in the country soon!! Love, Charlotte If you are a planner like me, it is never too early to make those reservations! We have some for 2023 already! Our tentative dates we are going to be closed for 2022 January 3-10 February 26-March 3 April 22-May 3 July 25-31 September 15-30 November 14-18 (maybe)
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On January 1, 2017, I wrote my first blog post for our website letting you all know about our adventure of opening Country Bark Boarding. Since then, I have written 25 blog posts, (you can read those on our website), but it has been a while since I have written anything because to be honest it’s just been hard to come up with anything I want to write about. Usually, my ideas just pop in my head at the oddest times (like 2 am and I get up and start writing) then when I get done, I would call my proofreader, my mom and read it to her and of course she would tell me how good it was and would always want me to send her a copy.
Life is so hard. I guess you could say the past 8 months have been the hardest of my life. Between losing my mom, finding out Danny had cancer and going through Proton Radiation treatments, (which went well!) then having to adjust to him being retired and home every day which I am grateful that he is here with me. But change is hard, I get that. Believe me I understand. Change is hard for dogs too. When they are so use to their regular daily routine, and then you get the bags out to pack and they know something is up. If dogs could talk, I am sure they would be saying things Like where are you going? Are you leaving me? Who is going to feed me? When will you be back? Or as my dad use to say to my mom when she was going somewhere without him, he would say “I already miss you and you haven’t even left yet,” and just so you know when your dogs come to stay with us, they are loved on tremendously and I promise them every day that you will be back soon. Yes, my life has changed, and I know it will never be like it was. But I am here for a reason, and God still has plans for me, and I have faith that plan probably has plenty of dogs in it. With all the uncertainty in the World right now, I feel like I can never tell you all enough how much we appreciate you supporting our small business. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We truly have the best customers! Stay safe and we hope to see you in the country soon!! Love, Charlotte P.S. Thank you all for being my proofreader. It was November 2016, and I was at Franklin First United Methodist Church sitting with my mom and the sermon was “How big is your kingdom's dream?” the answer to that question was Country Bark Boarding, and so the planning began.
Fast forward 5 years and that dream is now a reality as you know. But I could not have gotten to where I am today without one of my biggest supporters, my mom. My mom passed away this week unexpectedly from back surgery and I am not going to lie it is the worst pain I have ever had, and I know it will be for a long time, and I am writing this because I want you our friends and customers to know how much my mom believed in me to start this business. You see my mom was not really a dog person, oh we had dogs growing up and she loved them, but she did not really love them like I love them, and she never dreamed that her only daughter would rather live on a farm in the middle of nowhere and play with dogs all day, but she knew it made be happy, so she was my biggest cheerleader, and she was so proud of what Danny and I had accomplished. I will miss my mom every day, we had a bond like no other and she knew all about your dogs because I would talk to her every day and she would ask how many dogs do you have today? And the question she would always ask is have you had one named Fido yet? She just could not believe out of all the dogs that have stayed with us we have not had a Fido. Lol So if the day ever comes that a Fido comes and stays, I will be sure and shout it to heaven and tell mom Fido’s here!! I know there will be rough days ahead, but I want you all to know that your dogs give me more comfort than anything and I cannot wait to hug them and love on them when they come and stay. Wishing everyone a Healthy 2021 and make sure you tell your loved ones you love them and hug your dogs for me!! Hope to see you in the country soon! Love, Charlotte  This year has been hard on all of us in one way or another, people have been sick, lost loved ones, lost jobs, businesses closed, schedules messed up, people working from home, schools being virtual, the election, wearing masks everywhere, not being able to hug (I am a hugger), not being able to visit our loved ones, trips cancelled and this list could go on and on, but despite all the bad and negative that this year has brought I remind myself daily how thankful I am for the life I have.
It was 4 years ago this month that the planning began for Country Bark Boarding, y’all 4 years, that is crazy!! And I am so thankful that I took that leap of faith!!! The definition of thankful (according to google) is someone feeling or showing gratitude. When you are pleased and grateful for what you have. I have so much to be thankful for I have a husband who loves me unconditionally, supports me, is proud of me, and would do anything for me. I have my mom and brothers, sister -in- laws and their families whom I love dearly and are always there if I ever need anything. We have 4 great kids and their families, and we are so proud of all their accomplishments and love them dearly. This year I am more than ever thankful for you our customers. I am so grateful to each of you for supporting our business and letting your dog come stay with us. I am thankful for all the new friendships I have made and getting to know each of you and of course loving on your dog. I know this is the plan that God had in store for me and I am very thankful that he took me down this path to the best job ever. So, you see even in the year of the Pandemic, we may have good days and bad days, but we always have something to be thankful for. Of course, there are always dogs. They make any day better and brighter. I want to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving next week and I hope to see you in the country soon! Love, Charlotte P.S. I went to visit one of our regular customers today, I think he was glad to see me. 😊 Have you ever been just dog tired?? Well let’s just say I know now how our guests feel after they go home from their doggy vacay and their owners send me their pictures past out asleep from all the fun and excitement they have had while they stayed with us. I get it, I am there. Lol June and July have been utterly AMAZING, and OVERWHELMING all wrapped in one! We have had a total of 72 guests in June and 84 guests in July to stay with us and it has been so much fun getting to know all of our new customers and reconnecting with past guests as well. I truly do love getting to know each one of you and talking with you about your trips when you come to pick up your dog. We may not have been on any trips lately, but I have a lot of new places I would like to add to our bucket list! 😊
As we all know this year has just been totally off the wall crazy!! I do not know about y’all, but I am ready for 2020 to go! I can honestly say I will remember the year I turned 50. Quarantined, face masks, social distancing are words that will always be associated with 2020. Although we do not know what each day will bring, I do know that we need to put our trust in the Lord each day and he will see us through. 37 years ago, today my dad passed away and I can always remember my mom wondering how we would ever make it without him. The days after you lose someone are not ever easy. You wonder how you can go on, but you do and you make it and you realize things you thought were important are really not and the things that you thought weren’t important are. Life is always full of ups and downs, happy and sad, but life is a beautiful thing. So, as we move forward to the end of the summer and schools starting back and we face the new normal and if you have days that you just don’t know how you will ever make it. Remember to always pray and trust in the Lord. He will listen, it may not be right away, but he hears you. Of course, we also have our dogs, and they can make every day better!! As always thank you so much for letting me be a part of your dog’s lives. You will never know how much I appreciate you helping our small business by letting us care for your dogs while you take a break from whatever is a normal routine these days! Thanks for taking the time to read my post. Hope everyone stays safe and well! We hope to see you and your fur baby in the country soon!! Charlotte P.S. A reminder that we will be closed next week Aug. 10 -13 (Time for me to go see my momma!) and Sept. 21-30. 😊 My mom seemed to remind me the other day that it had been awhile since I had written any thing for a blog post, but to be honest I have not really known what to write about. There is so much going on in the world we live in right now and I don’t know about you, but it keeps my head spinning! You don’t know what is true and what you should believe, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion and in my opinion this world has just gone crazy!! But at least we still have dogs!! 😊
Three months ago, when all this pandemic started no one knew what the next day would bring. Businesses were shut down, people were stuck at home, you could not do anything or go anywhere except to buy toilet paper which I will NEVER understand that one! Trips got cancelled, therefore no one needed us for boarding. But we managed to make it through, yes I worried, that’s just human nature, sometimes ok maybe a lot of the time I tend do enough worrying for Danny and I both and maybe a few more people.. (mom says I get that from my dad) and 9 out of 10 times I worry for nothing!!! I prayed daily that things would get back to normal and well I think we are about as normal as we can get with a full kennel for the next several weeks and a waiting list for certain weeks! Makes my heart happy! I genuinely appreciate each and everyone one of our customers! During all this we had several customers that went ahead and payed for future boarding, and some let their dogs come and stay even though their trip got cancelled! So, you see there are still good people in this world!! One thing I have learned from all of this is that a dog is one of the few things in life, that is exactly what it seems, and they love us unconditionally no matter what!! Here is hoping the next 6 months of 2020 is full of lots of hugs and plenty of dog love!! Have a great day and hope to see you in the country soon!! Charlotte “That Is One Good Thing About This World... There Will Always Sure To Be More Springs.” L.M. Montgomery
One week ago, today we were preparing for one of our busiest weeks so far for 2020. We were fully booked with 20-24 dogs everyday for a good 10 days, with a waiting list in case we had any cancellations. Everyone was so excited Spring Break was finally here and trips were happening everyone was ready to get away and take a break from the everyday routine. And then BAM.. You probably know the rest of the story.. but here it goes.. the cancellations started.. I would get a text or a call “ hey we have decided not to take our trip or our trip has been cancelled so we are going to need to cancel our boarding for next week.. Ok that’s fine thank you for letting me know I would say. Then I would go to the waiting list and contact someone, and they would say ok great we will be there! I thought everything was going to be good! Until the ones on the waiting list started cancelling. Then the calls started coming for dates in April needing to cancel. I would then text Danny and say we have had another cancellation; he would say do not worry it will be fine like he always does! Small businesses are privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships that have fewer employees and/or less annual revenue than a regular sized business or corporation. Small businesses contribute to local economies by bringing growth and innovation to the community in which the business is established. We are a small business. Have we lost revenue because of the impact of the coronavirus of course.. do I worry about the next few weeks of course.. is there anything I can do about it.. NOPE. Although we did not have a full house like we expected this week, and not sure what April is going to bring, but we did have several that did stay with us and for them I am forever grateful, and for the ones that did have to cancel some have already made their reservations for when they do get to take their trip. The world is a scary place right now, I get that, but as we go into the weeks ahead not knowing what to expect I can only be thankful for our small business and all of you who have supported us since we began this adventure. So YES, we are still OPEN! With a lot of you at home during this time I know how much your dogs are loving that (they may be a little confused and wondering why their daily nap schedule is messed up lol), but if you feel you need a break from them or they from you 😊 bring them out and let them stay a day or two, there is nothing better than some fresh country air!! (and luckily our guests don’t need any toilet paper!) I do ask that if you are able to try and support the small businesses in Warren County. Whether it be buying a gift card to use later or picking up some food to go. I know the owners would greatly appreciate it. We will get through this just take it a day at a time! As my mom always says nothing good or bad lasts forever and we know our mommas are always right! I hope everyone stays well and is washing their hands!! Hope to see you in the country soon!! Charlotte “I have learned from experience that the Lord hath blessed me.” Genesis 30:27
If I was asked to describe the year 2019, I would have to say it was incredibly busy, a lot of hard work, some sleepless nights, a few sad times, but you know what? There sure was a lot of LOVE and happiness in our year too!! And I am so glad that God chose this path for me for I am extremely blessed beyond measure and grateful everyday for what he has done for me. As 2019 comes to an end and a new decade is upon us, I just wanted to let you all know how thankful we are that you have chosen us for your dog boarding needs. It is crazy how fast this year has gone by. This time last year we were telling you about our expansion and with its completion and opening in October we have pretty much been booked solid every single day. WOW!! You all are the best!! I can honestly say there is nothing more loving, loyal, and so much fun than a dog. They bring so much happiness to peoples lives and all they want in return is to be loved. My favorite dog quote will always be “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” Dogs are so special, each one with their own personality and I am so glad that you share all your dogs with us. Trust me they are getting plenty of loving while they are here!! What will 2020 bring? Well I can honestly say on Danny’s behalf there won’t be another expansion lol, he has worked so hard for us and has gone above and beyond what I dreamed our kennel would ever be, ( I am one lucky girl) and it’s time for him to sit back and relax some. 2020 will also be a milestone birthday for me so you know we are going to have some fun!! Plus, I get to play and love on dogs everyday couldn’t get much better than that!! As always thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support we are so lucky to have made so many new friends along this journey we are on! Please remember when making those travel plans, we would love to keep your furry family member out in the country!! We hope everyone has a wonderful New Year full of love, happiness, and lots of dog kisses! Much love, Charlotte and Danny P.S. Here are some dates that we know we will be closed this year: February 18-22 April 20-May 3 September 21-30 As October comes to an end, I can only describe it in one word, UNBELIEVABLE! By the end of the week we will have boarded 83 dogs this month, yes 83. Never in a million years would I have ever dreamed that I would be where I am today, and it wouldn’t be possible without Danny, my mom, my family, and all of you, our customers, that have trusted us with caring for your fur babies!! Now let me tell you, somedays were a little bit more hectic(thanks to Danny for getting me through those days) than others, but at the end of the day I realized that as long as I gave it 100%, and that each dog was loved on it was a good day!!
 When you look up the definition for vacation this is what it says, “A vacation, or holiday, is a leave of absence from a regular occupation, or a specific trip or journey, usually for the purpose of recreation or tourism.” Danny and I just returned from our first vacation that we have taken together since we opened Country Bark Boarding two years ago. We were ready, and we had the best time! We fished a lot, we laughed a lot, we sat on the beach a lot and my favorite we rode horses on the beach yes on the beach and I guess you could say this will be a memory that I will always treasure!!
It was nice to get away if only for a short time, but now we are relaxed, refreshed, and recharged and ready to care for your dogs for you all to go on your summer vacations! I know you all are ready just like we were! But let me warn you it goes by fast! But we all need to get away from the everyday routine we are in every now and then and enjoy life and take the trip if you can even if it’s for a few days or a few weeks! The one thing I want our customers to be reassured of is that when you do take your vacation this summer, that we are loving on your fur baby and that they are having the best time while staying with us! We want you to enjoy your vacation like we did our vacation and not to worry! We will send you pictures and let you know how they are doing so you will have peace of mind and you too will be relaxed, refreshed, and recharged when you return home! Thanks to you all that have made your reservations for summer and fall already too! We will be working hard the next few months to get our addition of 9 kennels completed!! So, stay tuned for updates!! We look forward to seeing everyone in the country!!! Charlotte and Danny P.S. We have updated some things on our website so be sure and check that out!! www.countrybarkboarding.com |