Byreview Veterinary Clinic

There's this very special place just outside Hope, Arkansas

Hudson and I happened upon. By design, Highway 67 isn't hospitable to hikers. Railroad tracks on the left and fenced-in land on the right. We're always searching for shade and the slivers we do find are most often in thorny, brambly, tick infested thickets.

And then out of nowhere, we caught glimpse of a grove of great oaks with overreaching crowns close enough to the roadside so as to not cause suspicion. Having shed my packs and taken off Hudsy's front booties to air out, I became curious about this place and searched for some signage. Byreview Veterinary Clinic. "How cool is that?" I asked my boy. "We'll cool off a bit then I'll take you inside and buy you some treats". We got a whole lot more than that!

Not only did Dr. Damian Stroderd's lovely vet techs and staff greet us with open arms, they brought out two of their rescues in residence. First was a rapscallion of a raccoon, Baby, seen here trying to tip over my water jug. Then she tried to steal my credit card, my pen, and Hudson's treats. Naughty little girl.

Next we met J.D. short for John Deere. An appropriately named freckled fawn only two weeks old yet totally fearless. Nevermind

Hudson's five times his size, this little guy was chasing him around the clinic. He was incredulous.

Thanks for making our day truly special and giving us a memory we'll take with us all the way to Boston. Top photo from left: Kasi, Beverly, Sue, YBD, Terri, and Dr. Stroderd and his son, Ben, who took the picture.