My original plan for Spring 2021 travel was to go to Poland and Ukraine to explore my family tree and to visit Chernobyl. Unfortunately, The World was still closed, so I had to change my destination to one on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.
As Plan B began to develop, I decided to take my 7-year-old pitbull, T.J. Hooker on his first vacation. I went VRBO and entered the following filters into the search field: Maine. House. Waterfront. Dog-Friendly. I methodically deleted the “Nos” and came up with a handful of possibilities. A pond or lake in the mountains would’ve been my first choice but when I saw The Wild Rose, in Searsport, ME., I knew I had a winner. I was awestruck by her design and the view of Penobscot Bay was glorious. After a few more clicks, our three-week vacation was shaping up.
Like most dogs, TJ loves to stick his head out the window to feel the wind on his face, but I always worry that something will get in his eyes or ears. I did some research and bought him a pair of olive green RexSpecs to protect those big, brown peepers in the future. My next search was on Etsy for a custom hat to fit his oversized head. I found 2Crowns and saw that Lana crochets the cutest hats for people and pets. I sent TJs measurements and ordered two hats, one with ears and one without. They’re so darn cute.
Most people would’ve probably stopped at goggles and hats, but I kept my dog supply search going because I’m all about having the right gear. I ordered a Pet Gear foldable ramp, a Urpower dog seat cover for my Ford Explorer, two Petmaker collapsible bowls and two Lyinie dog food travels bags. TJ is 80lbs with bad hips and fur that sheds and sticks into fabric like pine needles, so the ramp and seat cover were essential for my comfort as well. He also eats a store brand food, so I knew I had to have enough for three weeks, and it had to be easy to move.
Within the week, I took TJ to the vet where Dr. Ratner gave him the once over and we scheduled the surgical removal of one of his dew claws (a whole other story) for the following week. He got his required shots and the first of two Lyme disease shots. The week of our trip, TJ had another post-surgical follow-up, got his second Lyme shot, oral and topical flea/tick prevention medications and the thumbs up to travel. I put his paperwork in a secure place, so I had it available for the trip. During this time, I also brought my 2002 Ford Explorer to the mechanic to have some work done. Dora Louise may have 162,000 miles on her, but she has plenty of life left and she deserved a vacation, too.
I’m not going to lie, I’m an over-packer. I was a Girl Scout. I like to be prepared for whatever may pop up. This time, I had to over-pack for two because I didn’t think TJ could pack his own bags. I start out with lists. I write lots of lists, especially before I travel. The pre-trip errand list. The pre-trip shopping list. The gear list. The electronics list. The clothes list. Etc. Etc. TJ’s list contained: One large dog bed, dog towels, dog blanket, dog babies, dog toys, dog snacks, dog collar, dog sweater and his seatbelt was always in the car. Between my bags and TJ’s stuff, Dora Louise was going to be packed full.
On May 8, 2021, we hit the road in the rain and got stuck in the usual leaving-Long-Island-traffic, but this was fun because the pupparazzi was all over TJ. I was happy TJ made so many people smile on that glum Saturday morning. I wonder how many other people he reached through the pictures.
TJ sat up throughout most of the 7-8 hour drive and rested his giant melon on the door because I think he was afraid he’d miss something. I also imagine he was like “Where the eff are we going?” And “When will we get there? Because it doesn’t take this long to go to the vet.” We stopped several times along the way for the (my) usual potty breaks and an obligatory McDonald’s cheeseburger and fries. No doubt this was one of TJ’s favorite parts of the drive. We arrived at The Wild Rose after dark, which was interesting for both of us since I couldn’t find the key right away and Maine isn’t flooded with ambient light. The owner told me where it was, I unpacked Dora while TJ explored the house. He stopped when he got to the gas fireplace and waited for me to turn it on. He basically has his own at home, so he looked pleased to have one in the new house. I plopped his bed down with one of his babies and there he remained for the rest of the night. He was one happy dog.
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