Road Trip

The weather forecast for the following five days was WIND in Casper and mild in Loveland, so we packed up the critters and took off after my Saturday CASA class. It was the first road trip for Buddy and Milo. We had the back seat of the Mountaineer padded with our old bedspread. Twenty miles into the trip, Milo peed on the bedspread. We had neglected to show him where his enclosed potty box was in the back. I made an emergency stop an tried to clean it as best as I could with snow and bottled water but it still had a cat pee smell. I would clean it better at the motel.

Dix got her first impression of Loveland squinting into the setting sun. We were happy to check into the motel. After signing over all our rights on the pet agreement I was a little apprehensive with Milo's earlier accident. He still hadn't used the potty box and so my sleep was a little restless. All for naught, however, because he performed his ablutions in the morning flawlessly.

The calm weather forecast had changed to 50 mph gusts. Colorado can change its mind too. First on the docket was to get the Mountaineer "check engine" light checked. The Droid took us to the closest Auto Zone and we were happy it was open 7:00 am this Sunday morning. A perfectly delightful veterinary school student tried to interpret the oxygenation / vacuum / engine misfire diagnosis and she prescribed a bottle of engine tune-up which happened to be on sale. I have long given up on car engine repair but this was one self-help remedy I can still do. Two hours later Dix noticed the check engine light turn off. And for good!

We gave ourselves a self guided tour of Fort Collins. We had trouble keeping up the pace and were tailgated most of the time. The Wyoming license plate probably didn't help. Found a Panera's and had tasty soup (French onion) and sandwich. Found a dog park but did not subject Buddy to the rowdy Colorado dogs in the over-populated fenced area. Casper's dog parks are unenclosed and far superior.

Probably the most significant thing we learned is the Mountaineer is perfectly suited for traveling with Buddy and Milo. They absolutely bonded with each other and at one point the boys were sleeping with Buddy's one paw draped across Milo's shoulder. The camera was packed out of reach but the picture is indelibly in our minds.

We saw three overturned semi's and a huge fifth-wheel camper trailer on the route. Back home we unloaded and threw the bedspread down on the floor at the washer. Milo promptly peed on it.