It's a Team's Life
Excuses to not look silly – a Puppy
Molly, our Cocker Spaniel was a little lady and she did not appreciate being drug down a cow trail, through the weeds, or over a hill. She liked nice manicured grass and sidewalks for her delicate feet and to be truthful to keep stickers out of her leg feathers. She was not up for adventures and as she got older she wanted smooth sidewalks and nothing unexpected.
Now we have Texas who loves water, mud, and ick to walk through. She is an absolute riot in tall grass aa she throws herself around and leaps about. Her joy in tall weeds and grass is hilarious and she falls down more than she leaps but there is no doubt she is having the time of her short life.
Texas makes going on an adventure fun and she enjoys it even more than I do. Walking around and around the truck stop can be boring but sometimes that is all we have. There are a lot of truck stops that have options of places to walk and one is the Dodge City Petro in Alabama. Parking near the back of the lot where there are several open areas gives a puppy lots of area to run and jump.
Walking around the truck stop can take a little bit as it is over a mile and has a nice incline going to the back of the lot. With over 300 parking spots it is huge. When we come here we know we will get in lots of exercise with the one really bad thing is we need to walk in the day as this lot is very poorly lit. Walking through the lot after dark we have to be very careful as the drivers cannot see us.
In the back of the lot is a hill that has had my attention for a few years but I have not climbed it. In my mind how silly would it look for an old lady to be climbing a hill to stand at the top and look around? There is tall grass, weeds, and now small trees growing but the hill still looked like fun. Well finally I conquered that hill several times and nope I did not feel silly I had a goofy with a happy puppy at my side who thought it was a blast!
Keeping Texas safe is the first priority as she will be my companion for years to come. She has one short leash for walking in the truck stop and by my side. Texas just turned three months old and she does very well on a leash and she is slowing learning to heal. Sometimes she forgets and tries to pull on the leash and that is unacceptable. Now she weighs 22 pounds and the last thing I will need is an eighty-pound dog pulling me through the truck stop. She has a very long cable leash for when we are in an open field and she can run. The cable leash is used to remind her that when I call her name she runs immediately to me no matter what she is doing.
Another benefit to Texas as she has ZERO respect for a computer or a phone. She loves attention, being hugged, petted, brushed, or scratched and preferably with both hands and not distracted by a phone. She is good about playing with her plethora of toys but after a few hours when sitting it is time for a walk and she lets me know. She has already learned the command Hurry Up and there is no waiting around for her to find the perfect place to go potty. When we are in a hurry, this command is essential and we practice it all of the time. I know I am prejudice but this darn dog is smart and she is going to keep me on my toes keeping her entertained in a way I find acceptable and not something she dreams up.
There are plenty of places for Miss Texas and me to discover as she grows that I have put off because of my thoughts of how it would appear. Now though I will blame it on Texas as she wanted to climb the hill or wander down a narrow path. With her at my side there is no limit to what we will discover. All of this walking is benefiting me as well. I think I was developing a sciatic nerve problem that was becoming a nagging pain in my posterior but with all of this walking that pain is gone.
Look for me and Miss Texas up on a hill, coming through the forest, or some other unlikely place as we keep discovering the world around us.
Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters since January 2005
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.