Chapter 4:
"The Cruise"
We started loading the ship at 6:00 pm and were done shortly past the 8:00 sailing time. When it was all said and done, this is what our parade looked like, packed in there.
Now mind you, and all you pet lovers may want to look away for this part, we had our two cats in a large traveling kennel in the back of the 66 Stepside. On ship, they had to remain in the vehicle, but we would get cargo calls every 2 hours or so, to go down and tend them.
However, through all this traveling drama, they were always a consideration. They traveled in a strange condition, on the parts you think would have them scared and nervous, like the blazing down hill, and getting on a ship, but no. It would be the flat, less rough roads that would have them back there barfing up last years cat chow...
At one point our male tabby Zander looked soooooo poorly I actually considered the possiblity he had picked up a case of rabies before we left North Pole.
Let me tell you the jokes that sprung from that lasted many miles and hours too, yet another case of my sense of humor making me not so proud.
Sadly some of the cargo calls were only for 15 minutes, so not a lot of nurse-maiding afforded to the pets on this trip.
Here is what it looked like:
At the time I took these photos we were only 48 hours and some change, out of North Pole and it has already been one of the most wonderous and frightening and confusing trips I have ever taken.
The monster RV next to me belonged to a very nice fellow who had retired out of the auto salvage business by turning it over to his son. He aproached us while we were waiting for the ship to arrive and pick us up, and we talked about old trucks and towing.
While we were all waiting in that monster parking lot another gentleman got into a conversation with us about our trucks and such. He and I seemed to hit it off on some level or another and we ended up spending most of our 4 days on the ship with him or the teacher.
One evening, I ditched the wife and went above decks with some cigars and a bottle of Red Breast, and sought out the fellow from Wisconsin. He and I kicked back for about 5 hours until it was too late to see the clock, and half the bottle was gone.
Now, you may be thinking that I am in the habit of spending romantic cruise nights with strange men I just met, but no.
Although when you happen to hanging out and an awesome sunset like this happens well......I just claim fate is messing with me and deny all allogations.
I can never choose between these two, so you guys pick.
