Happy Birthday, ON THE TRAIL!

Author Paige Braddock with book, ON THE TRAIL

Did you ever notice that sometimes, art imitates life? And at other times, life imitates art? How about art and life imitating each other at the same time? I think that’s what happened to me!


After the first two stories featuring our fur babies, Peanut, Butter, and Crackers, I
thought it would be funny to write an adventure. It seemed like a good idea to take these
characters on a road trip to a place outside their comfort zone. A camping trip seemed
like a fun idea. I love camping. And what better way to get to the campground than in a
camper van.

Funny thing is, when I first began to work on this book, I didn’t own a camper van. But at
some point, it seemed like a fine idea, and we got one. Maybe this story inspired me to
try the adventure I was percolating in my head for Peanut, Butter, and Crackers, in the
real world?

Not long after getting our camper van, which we affectionately call Leonard, we loaded
our fur family up and took a drive from California to Georgia. And then, after a few
weeks, we turned around and did it again!

It soon became apparent that our dogs, Buddy Barker and Charlie, seemed to enjoy the
road trip much more than our cat, Otis. Thankfully only once did we have to rent a cabin
along the way to give Otis some space. Valuable lesson learned: Cats like to have their
own space. Duly noted!

Thankfully what my imagination ultimately conjured up as adventure in ON THE TRAIL
did not come to pass in real life! Reality was enough adventure for all of us!

ON THE TRAIL is about home and all the places we find it. I hope you enjoy the third installment of the Peanut, Butter, & Crackers series.

Staying Home with Our Pets

Cracerks and Peanut sleeping


Buddy Barker is this perfect dog and we thought our puppy, Charlie, would learn how to be a grown-up dog from watching Buddy Barker. But that isn’t quite how it worked out. Animals are like people, each with their own unique personality.


Buddy Barker is gregarious and adventurous. He loves to go for rides in the car and for long walks. Charlie, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He’s shy, nervous around strangers, doesn’t mind a car ride as long as he can hide under the seat, and his favorite walk is from the sofa to the kitchen for a snack. We have lots of nicknames for Charlie: Cuddle Ninja, Velvet Monster (because his fur is very soft), Chucky Cheese, and Land Shark (because he loves to chew sticks).

Over the past year, we’ve learned to comfort Charlie and make him feel safe when he gets nervous or scared. And now, ironically, he’s doing the same for us. When I feel down or worried as soon as Charlie cuddles in my lap I feel better.

It’s sort of an odd time right now, with schools closing early and parents working from home. It’s a good time to have the comfort of four-legged friends like Charlie, Buddy Barker, and Otis.