The Adventure South in Dora the Explorer

 Day 15, The End of the Road

Blue Ridge Mountains

A six hour drive from Columbus, Ohio and we have arrived. It is pitch black outside and my friend tells me to meet her in front of the courthouse. Of course I take the wrong turn and find myself on 4^th Avenue West – isn’t that where the Dahl house is located? I decide to look for number 614 the address of our new home, and quickly realize that is a bad idea. There are ghosts and goblins dressed in black wandering both sides of the street - did I mention how very dark it is outside? Like so dark I can’t see behind me in the van. I remember as a child in West Virginia being fearful of what might be lurking in the back seat of the car. I had forgotten about that blackness.

I also forgot it is Trick or Treat night, again. Seeing all the critters on the street causes a flashback to the time I moved to Spanish Harlem in 2002 for eight weeks. Three dogs and I arrived in Newark at 5 PM and rented a large taxi van to take us to our sight unseen apartment on 112^th Street in Manhattan. It was dark and there were ghoulish characters roaming the neighborhood as far as the eye could see. I completely spaced out the fact it was Halloween! The wanderlust rarely knows what day it is let alone the date on the calendar, so we were clueless before we arrived. The dogs freaked out, barking madly in the taxi while I frantically banged on the door to my apartment house until Paco (landlord) let us in. I then proceeded to tote an IMac, two dog crates, three dogs and luggage up six flights of stairs. That was the beginning of an adventure in Spanish Harlem where the roaches were huge, the stairs were daunting and the dogs became models – three cocker spaniels dressed in hooded sweatshirts sitting on the stairs leading up to our apartment. The image was later named “Dogz in the Hood.”

Sign for Asheville!

Obviously it is nothing like that in Hendersonville but with my limited night vision and all the black costumes I hightail it out of the neighborhood fast before I actually hit one of the small moving shadows. And of course, the dogs are barking their heads off and my patience has faded. My friend tells me to just park the van and she will find me; I agree without even hesitating. Miriam and I have never met face-to-face but have been friends on Facebook for three years. Amazing how it feels like we’ve always known each other. She is an artist and dog trainer, has four dogs and had a business similar to TBTB before moving here from Pennsylvania. Since we have been in Dora driving for hours, she thought a trip to the local dog park would be good so we follow her to Jackson Park. I still can’t see shit so I leave the headlights on so the dogs can go potty in a place meant for them. A quick jaunt in the dark, a few wet bushes and then it’s time to leave – the dogs can’t see either but they are more willing to meander around in the dark than me.

Hendersonville Exit!

We are blessed to park Dora at Miriam & Doug’s place for the night. They have an adorable storybook cottage in the woods a few miles outside of Hendersonville town. The dogs enjoy rolling in the leaves, sniffing the squirrels that pepper the yard, and stretching their legs after being confined to Dora for two straight weeks. We sleep blissfully knowing our journey has finally ended and we are safely at our destination. We are indeed at the end of the road for a time. Today we will get the keys to the Dahl House and begin the process of making it our nest for the winter.

Thanks to all of you for reading the long, involved tale of a wanderlust traveling cross-country with six dogs in a van called Dora. Some days in the snow blizzard your comments were our only link to the world beyond our reality at the time, and were indeed encouraging. We hope you continue to follow the stories that will no doubt unfold at 614 4^th Avenue West where a boarding house called Milepost 49 will host an assortment of interesting characters from who knows where?

Oh, and the reason it’s so dark here? There is no snow! In Alaska the light reflects off the snow so you are able to somewhat see what is hiding in the backseat! But I still don’t miss it!

The Adventure South in Dora the Explorer

 Day 13 & 14

Rock on DoDog

R We There Yet?

Today was an uneventful drive to Columbus, Ohio where I stayed for two nights with my son and family. We could feel the wind moving the van around the freeway, but the storm is coming so it is expected. It feels so good to be out of Dora and she is delighted to have a rest. The dogs sprawled out across two couches leaving little room for the rest of us to sit down. They loved hanging out with the kids and were happy to get some much-needed attention from someone other than me!

Day 13 is the night Hurricane Sandy came ashore so we watched the devastation in both New Jersey and NYC as it developed. The temperature dropped in Columbus and the winds kicked up but other than that, everything was normal. We did sleep in Dora because it was easier than bringing all our belongings inside and we do love our nest. On the morning of Day 14 when I opened the door to get out Josh and Sunshine just happened to be waiting for the school bus and saw an opportunity they couldn’t resist. I was hit me in the chest with a snowball - both of them laughing uncontrollable because they got me! They love the snow and when I explained I had ten feet at my house last winter the comment was “lucky.” I guess it all depends on your perspective.  The snow quickly melts as the storm continues to pass over. I spent the day visiting with my son and taking their Shih Tzu to the groomer. Apparently he has been such a terror in the past that one groomer refused to do him again. No worries, the dog woman was able to find a groomer that actually breeds Shih Tzus and thought that Chico was a challenge. He looks and feels terrific after six hours at the spa.

Bradford with Doggies

After the storm the media was back at the political side of things in America. So much mud slinging and slander - who even talks about the issues anymore? It seems like reality TV and is rated much the same – how they looked, their voices, expressions, etc. Little emphasis is ever spent on what’s really going on in this country. Sigh.  . . The media has so much control over how we think feel and what we think we know.

So, we are off to bed after making a manicotti dinner for my favorite Ohio boys. Tomorrow begins the last leg – did I really say that? – of my trip south. I will arrive in North Carolina to the Dahl house at last! It has been one hell of a ride south.