The Longest Drive

2008-06-10T00:21:00.000-04:00

I recently traveled from Indian Rocks Beach, FL to Fallon, NV... with PC & Grundl Louise in tow! For those who aren't familiar with one or both places... Indian Rocks Beach is pretty much due West from Tampa, FL and Fallon is pretty much due East from Reno, NV. Yes, after being a beach bum for a number of years, I've returned to my desert "roots"... and the house I grew up in.

I have returned to my hometown to be with my Dad (who's health isn't cooperating). Not what I planned on doing at this stage, but certainly not something I'd ever think of NOT doing. He did, after all, raise my 3 sisters and me! And... we'd like to think he & Mom did a darn good job of that...

While Linnette & I obviously can't personally test out every product we represent at Forty Winks, we really are owned by some pretty fabulous critters. And mine needed a comfy place to travel during our move.

Yes... they traveled 3000 miles cross country with me... in this really cool carrier by Pet Gear. It fit perfectly in the front seat, so I could see them and they could see me.

I discovered in deciding which portable crate to purchase that there is really a wide variety of sizes to fit just about any need. This particular crate, in this particular size was literally the only one that would hold both PC & Grundl... comfortably... AND still fit in the front seat.

Great zip pocket on top to store their dishes in and a larger, detachable pouch that I put their dry food in. Popping it up and down was a piece of cake. A quick push of 2 buttons on top hinges and I could collapse it enough to get it in/out of car with the beasties IN IT! I can honestly say I'm thrilled that I picked this particular crate - I couldn't be happier with it.

They even used it in the hotel rooms as a resting spot. Of course, when it came to bedtime, they found their usual spots to the right and left of me, but I felt good that they liked their crate well enough to use it out of the car (when they did have a choice)!

PC... the big, all-black (except for his little grey chin-whiskers... he is 18 after all) beastie usually serenades me for about the first couple hundred miles (this is their 5th cross-country with me, but that's another story). This time, I guess he was just resigned to being trapped for a bit and they both settled in fairly quickly. He did, however, give me his "2 cents" when we arrived at the first hotel!

I kept our travel time to about 9-10 hours a day - about all they could stand before getting too fidgety and needing to get out and stretch. Yea, right... like I wasn't getting just as fidgety!

Pretty clear that the first order of business, right after litter box, was FOOD. Generally cats can get pretty weird when taken out of their environment, but they're apparently used to this... and don't hesitate to use the "facilities" and chow down. Fairly obvious from the view that they've not really missed too many meals. PC stands about 18" tall - QUITE a large beast - more tall & long than anything else. My friend, Brenda's, granddaughter calls him a "puppy". Grundl is quite a bit shorter, but... definitely the "bigger-boned" of the two (I tell her that so as not to upset her)! No matter how much I try to adjust her diet, I'm resigned that she has a slow metabolism. And I figure at 17 she deserves to eat just about anything she wants...within a bit of reason.

Over the 6 days of travel we overnighted in Dothan, AL; Olive Branch, MS; Oklahoma City, OK, Grants, NM & Las Vegas, NV (with my sister and her family).

Grundl was particularly fond of the Holiday Inn Express in Olive Branch, MS. PC just did his best at every stop to find something to hide under or behind. She always has been the more adventurous of the two.

Our final night was spent with my sister and her family in Las Vegas, NV. I even got to see my new little great-nephew!

Our final car day was fairly short - only about 7 hours - and we arrived in Fallon late in the afternoon. We've since settled in - Grundl has become the comic relief for Dad - and all seems to be going well.

Linnette and I will, of course, be maintaining Forty Winks Petbeds from two very far-apart locations for the time being. Future plans should bring us all back together in the same location - just don't know when that future will be... we'll keep you all posted.

Pets, Pets, Pets

The Longest Drive