When Anna Chelminka retired after 30 years of teaching, and with her children now grown, she was able to pursue various diverse interests. She raised the profile of netball, securing a weekly column reporting on league matches, and so honing her writing and photographic skills. Her dog Ruby was a significant influence, and together they traveled around the UK and Europe in her motorhome. She quickly discovered little information was available about camping with dogs. She began writing articles accompanied by photographs to submit to magazines, and several were published. Upon Ruby's demise, Anna wrote her book My Friend Ruby chronicling their time together. With Amber, Ruby's daughter, and then Pearl, Ruby's great granddaughter, Anna continued travelling in her motorhome. In 2016, a series of her articles, entitled Wonderful Walks, about walks from campsites, were published in Motorhome Monthly Magazine (MMM).