At the beginning of the last decade of the previous century, a woman and a dog and a man took a trip.
Dog Is My Co-Pilot
Leaving it all behind….
Hiawatha Moscowitz: Navigator/Logic Queen Of The Universe.
Barker Ajax: Pilot/Provocateur.
The Black Gang: Canine Security/Fur Therapist.
Aboard one Merry Miler: a tutone green and white 1976 Chevy Camper Van, powered by a classically American 350 cubic inch V-8.
Completely packed with two Halikan 386SX 20-megabyte notebook computers.
Eight hundred dollars worth of Sony (pulls-out of the dash) stereo with four speakers.
Five cassette holders, a hundred tapes easy.
A Nishiki 18-speed mountain bike. One Specialized Rock Hopper 21-speed mountain bike. A bicycle tire pump.
A Sanyo Memo Scriber tape transcriber machine with foot pedal. A professional Sony cassette recorder.
Three full-size stackable plastic file drawers: a. Hiawatha’s important papers. b. electronic gear and tape players. c. Barker’s important papers.
One suitcase of Hiawatha’s clothes. Two large Nike duffel bags of Barker’s clothes. Two toiletries kits. Homeopathic medicines.
Doggy’s bag: flea powder, shampoo, brush, food (can & dry), food dish, water bowl, five balls (tennis & golf), chewies, treats, short & long leashes. And an authentic red Boy Scout scarf for hunting season.
The survival gear. A brand-new, gun metal grey Mossberg Maverick twelve-gauge shotgun with pistol grip. A box of shells (buck shot). One survival knife and sheath. Two mummy-style sleeping bags which don’t zip together. A large comforter. Four pillows.
One handmade wooden trunk – Barker’s Dad traded two packs of smokes to a German POW for it. – full of assorted books.
Kitchen Supplies: an Emerson Microwave Oven, one large Igloo ice chest for food, a smaller Igloo ice chest for herbs, oils and crackers. Also, a large cast iron skillet, a small cast iron skillet, a cast iron fry pan, one muffin tin, a pie tin and a cookie sheet.
Silverware for two. A couple of plates. Three wooden bowls. colander. Two cutting boards, a small wood square, a larger enamel rectangle.
Food, of course. Cinnamon raisin bagels and crunchy peanut butter, the staples. Water.
Lastly, two dumbbells.
No shooting or rock throwing. Houses below.
photos by Carla Perry