August 28, 2015

Fif is calling me a heroine. If a dog could blush, I might be, but on the other hand, my understanding is that we are to be taking care of each other on this journey. So here is what happened.

After a couple of expensive motel nights on the Oregon coast we drove a bit inland to stay at a cheaper motel. Did I mention that it was cheap? The air conditioner was on a shelf so high that Fif had to get out a stool she brought along and stand on it to reach the controls.

It also had inadequate locks--this photo is from a different motel, but you get the picture...

It was a warm night and as we drove to the exterior door and parked we saw that the occupants of the next room had their door open and were drinking and watching TV. It was three construction-type guys, and they looked pretty rough. They watched Fif carry stuff into our room. Last she unloaded me and as we walked past them one guy said, "look at that big dog!" I kind of puffed up a bit and for once Fif didn't say how much I love people.

About 2 a.m. I could tell Fif was awake and suddenly I sprang to my feet and ran to the door. We both had heard something right outside. Softly Fif called me to her. At first I was reluctant to come away from the door. I sniffed at the bottom and knew someone was right out there, but I turned back and the two of us sat on the floor behind the bed for awhile.

Finally it got quiet and then we heard someone running water in the unit next to us. Fif gave me lots of hugs and said how much I helped her be brave. In the morning we didn't go outside until the workers (who made lots of noise coughing and spitting and swearing for an hour) left.

After we got into California we went to a very special place -- the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas.

At first the folks there said I wouldn't be allowed to come inside. But since one of John Steinbeck's stories is about a dog named Charley who took a long trip with his friend and we had come more than 5,000 miles to see his truck Fif really wanted me to be with her. She suggested that sometimes rules are made to be broken (I suspect Steinbeck might have agreed) and a very nice lady said that she loves dogs so that it would be ok.
Here we are posing beside the truck, which was named Rocinate. A boy named Hugo Semel, who was visiting from Paris, France took this photo.

We also visited the Mohave Desert, where the temperature was about 106 degrees. Fif made sure I was only outside early in the morning or in the air conditioned motel room or van. It was morning when we visited the Calico Cemetery where people are buried under piles of stones. Fif lived near here when she was a little girl and remembers playing around the ghost town and the cemetery. She even named her first horse 'Calico.'

I did lots of panting and drank lots of water.

A nice park ranger took this photo.

We also discovered the "siesta." It really is the only way to spend the afternoons in the desert!

We visited Fif's brother, Don and his wife, Vicki, in Mesquite, Nevada. Everyone disappeared for awhile one day while I got to stay in the cool house. When they came home they smelled like creatures I had never smelled before. This armadillo who lives at the Roos-N-More Zoo was one of the critters Fif told me I was smelling.

One of my hosts was CeCee, a 16-year-old cat who actually showed up at our farm in Ohio about 15 years ago and Fif convinced her brother he needed a cat. You can see here that I am being the perfect guest .
CeCee has traveled thousands of miles with Don and Vicki both on airplanes and in cars as they have a home in Kentucky too. Can you believe she actually LIKES traveling? Speaking of traveling, I've noticed the past couple of days that the sun is in our eyes when we start out in the morning. Hmmmm, I sense another change is coming.