This or That

I used to think it would be cool to have a job that requires travel.  Not travel every now and then like I do, but travel a few times a month.

It always looked sort of glamorous to me, seeing the well-traveled professional people scurrying through the airport with their smart little wheeled bag. Notice I said BAG singular. Seasoned professionals never drag more than one bag along.

They always looked so on-the-ball. So focused.

Things are rarely as they appear. That’s one of those lessons you learn as you make your way through life.

I didn’t travel far very often when I was younger. I think I was sixteen before I even flew anywhere.

One of my girlfriends moved from Baltimore to a city near Seattle, Washington. She’d fly back occasionally for visits. I accompanied her and her grandfather to the airport a couple of times when she left to fly back. I remember watching the folks working on the tarmac — baggage handlers, plane pushers, guys with flashlights waving planes in, etc. — and thinking  those would be great jobs. I never considered the fact that they have to be outside in all kinds of weather. And the noise. Yikes.

My family didn’t have money for fancy vacations when I was growing up, but we did a lot of camping. Not roughing-it camping in the wilderness with tents and stuff. Camping in a travel trailer, usually surrounded by family. Which was cool. We got to spend time with and know some of our family members way more than others. We usually went to Pennsylvania (with Dad’s family) or West Virginia (with Mom’s family). Occasionally we went to different places, like Cherrystone, Virginia. Once, when I was nine, we even went and camped at Walt Disney World.

It make not have been exotic travel, but it was fun. I have lots of fond camping memories from my childhood. Something else I remember are the many people around us (not just one or two) who thought we traveled A LOT. Many of these people had never been out of the state of Maryland. Some had barely left the city of Baltimore.

Can you imagine? Mobility is definitely something we take for granted. I know I do. I mean, if I want to go somewhere, I go.

Speaking of going… Hubby and I go to the WV place most weekends. Not every weekend, but often. Especially if we’ve got something going on (like the kitchen remodel thing). Our three dogs LOVE the WV place. They love being able to run around and play and chase critters. K especially loves the mice.

One would think word would spread through the mouse community that a killer was afoot. I’ve lost count of how many rodents she and her faithful sidekick, Belle, have killed.

It’s not just mice. It’s all rodents. Squirrels, voles, and moles are fair game, too.

There’s something living under this log at the end of our driveway. Even Meg stops to check periodically. But these two? They stop to check every single time.

I thought for sure K was going to get her head stuck in that tree cavity. She didn’t, fortunately. They didn’t find anything in there either.

This is a pretty common sight. K is obsessed. Belle is a follower. Until K came along, she never acted all that interested in rodents. Except for that big groundhog. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.

You can’t understand the degree of K’s obsession until you see and hear her in action. She’s our vocal dog, remember. This video is the perfect example of the hunters in action. You can thank K for the soundtrack.

Doesn’t she sound pathetic?

Imagine what K would do if she saw this…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C48BTtAVsK0

Yes, it’s a bit stupid, but it’s one of my favorite commercials.

Are any of your dogs or cats this obsessed with chasing critters?