Little Lucy has been having issues. She’s always been highly strung and a bit snappy about her personal space. But now she’s taken a turn for the grumpier. And since she’s scared of just about everything, her snippiness has been focussed on Oscar, who fears nothing but her. Her latest trick is running down to the foot of the stairs and guarding the way from Oscar as he whines and yips and cries to come down and join everyone. Finally, one of us has to go up the stairs and pick him up as he snuggles and whimpers in fear in our arms. Yes, Lucy’s become a Mean Girl. It’s time for an intervention. In this house, we subscribe to the Mark Twain cure for all ills: travel.
Nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.
— Mark Twain, 1867
Now it has been noted before that there are two kinds of travel undertaken by the inhabitants of our house. Andy’s method is very simple. He echoes Oscar Wilde: he only wants the best. It can be a fun way to travel, but I prefer a different way. I like travel with a theme, travel that takes me to idiosyncratic corners, travel that is guided by novels, history and art rather than guidebooks or fashion. And my preferred method of travel is always the road trip. Clearly this is not always compatible with Andy’s style. But he has been very gracious and allowed himself to be put up in a crumbling hotel in Florence that once housed Stendahl — and probably hadn’t been improved since then. He was dragged along on my quest to visit every temple in Bangkok until several days in when he broke down and had to finish the third afternoon sipping gin and tonics in some white columned vestige of the British Empire. He spent much more time in California Missions than he could normally be expected to tolerate, drawing the line only when I proposed a roadtrip starting from the last in Sonoma down to the first established in San Diego. In fact, he wisely suggested that perhaps I’d like to do that trip — which became The Mission Mission — on my own or with a friend. So began a great tradition of me planning up one of my patented theme trips per year in the understanding that Andy would fully support me but would participate only by reading the blog.
Well, I’ve got one all planned up. As my theme trips usually do, this one centers on a roadtrip from history. And I’m taking Lucy. I’m thinking this will serve as bonding time between us and may result — if Twain’s prescription proves true — in a bit of an attitude change on her part. Think of it as Thelma and Louise where neither of us is Susan Sarandon and one of us is a terrier.
First we have to get that headscarf thing down. Lucy’s having more trouble than I am. The look doesn’t really work with a long nose.
For Lucy, a scarf works much better as a hobo bundle. There, packed!
As for Oscie, he’s already getting excited about spending a week with John the Baptist and his Border Collie, Maria, in Sonoma.
But for now he’s preparing for a more restful time by catching a rerun of the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice. (Oscar’s a big Lizzie Bennett fan.)
Oh, and the trip? All shall be revealed in the next few days. And take-off is scheduled for next Wednesday. Hint: it involves Mark Twain.
Oh, do say you’re coming this way! Nutmeg and I would meet you somewhere and our two beautiful girls could become BTBFFs (Beautiful Terrier Best Friends Forever). Because Mark Twain is involved, I suspect it means that you’re headed to either Calaveras County or Hartford, CT. If it’s Hartford, let me warn you now, the house is beautiful (as is his neighbor Harriet Beecher Stowe’s), but the rest of the city is an armpit.
I hope your frog wins.
Everyone is still guessing way too far away. Maybelline is on the right track, but Calaveras County is too obvious.
Bon voyage!
He’s just looking to be able to have the remote control for the TV all to himself!
Didn’t Mark Twain write about starting a forest fire in Tahoe somewhere?
Your travel philosophy sounds much like ours, including afternoon Gin and Tonics…not a tough compromise! We took our Django on his first road trip to Northern California in February and he agrees: sniffing out the local culture during the day, followed by treats and an evening nestle into some high thread count sheets. We were delighted with the number of cool dog-friendly inns in the area and SFTs are so winsome that he made friends wherever we went. I’m sure Miss Lucy will, as well. Mark Twain definitely nailed it, for dogs and humans alike. Words to live by, expecially for Americans!
Road trips with dogs are the best., and N.Calif is a splendid destination!
Therese, Mark Twain was a spectacularly inept businessman and everything other than writing that he turned his hand to failed utterly. He and a buddy bought a stand of timber on the shore of Lake Tahoe thinking they’d make a killing in lumber. Then they left a campfire unattended and burned down the whole forest in that area.
And Pam, our trip will quickly leave Northern California although we will come back to some more northerly areas to see some sights I’ve never visited.
Hope travel works wonders on Lucy also. Oscar will enjoy the serenity time 🙂
No guesses, but do look forward to the reports.