Of Rest Stops and Parking Lots

The prospect of driving through a Portland rush-hour with a vehicle that would suddenly slow down before surging forward was dreadful. But as my bio-rythm was already set to the wee hours, I was up at four. I got ready and loaded a very drousy Rosco into his berth on the doggie lounger, while Fips ambled over -- sleepy but curious -- to say "hi" to some stranger, who turned out to be the manager. Fips made a good impression. Moments later, when I turned in my key, the manager asked what kind of dog he was. I told him. He replied that he was looking for a dog for his son and one like Fips. I asked about Portland. "You're okay if you leave, like, now." We did and made it through Portland and into Washington by the dawn's early light.

I thought Oregon was trashy but everything changed almost immediately over the state line. The air was fresh and tall evergreens were everywhere. Having escaped the metallic stampede of rush hour, we could now relax and take a breather, which we did in a park-like rest stop with a wide and foresty dog area. It was also Fipsie Weather -- cool and brisk. I let the pals have an hour of sniffing and poking before giving them a fresh air breakfast.

Washington state was simply lovely and got more so the further north we got. The road was not quite as level as before and this caused the truck to act up more frequently. Each time it did, the Fuzzy Co-Pilot would sit up and confirm that something was amiss.

As we reached the outskirts of Tacoma by noon the truck was acting up more often than not and I decided I had no alternative but to seek out a mechanic. I pulled into Tillicum's Auto Tech and had them do a diagnostic.

Fips had to pee and wanted out of the truck, so I walked him around the gas station for a while. As we headed back to the office, across the filling area, I caught him going for a lick at some puddle. I quickly jerked him away, and was left to hope that I had yanked him in time.

It was getting unpleasantly warm. Rosco does better in the heat and so I left him in the car, while I took Fips into the air-conditioned office where he sat down very bored and demonstrably eager to leave.

An hour and half and $250.00 later we left. Being back on the road brought some breezy comfort to the dogs, but the engine problem was not fixed. We lurched our way through Seattle, finally making it to Bellingham by early evening where we again put up in a Motel Six and where the puppers again got to discover the olfactory details of another parking lot.

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