Traveling Cairns

[kjwarnold]

Kirby and Phinney have been traveling Cairns for the last 3 1/2 weeks.  We're in a new-to-us motor home and took a trip out to the Tacoma area to see friends, left the coach for a few days to ferry over to Mayne Island to see an elderly uncle, then spent a week in Spokane and Sandpoint, ID while we had work done on the RV.  Honestly, if something could go wrong on that RV, it did.  Anyway, we're in our way home to the farm now and waving at Lori, Dempsey & Elsie as we travel through South Dakota.  

The dogs have been good travelers but they're ready to be home.  These long days crated in the RV are no fun, especially for 1 yr. old Phinney.  He's a wild man in the evening when we stop for the night!  But they did like the big picture window view from the front when we were stopped.

 

[kjwarnold]

They love hiking, too!  My little mountain goats got up there all by themselves!

 

 

[Lynn in TN]

That is absolutely beautiful! Love it!

[bradl]

I'm not a big fan of goats generally but I'd take those smiling goats in a heartbeat!

[sanford]

Priceless photos!😍

Their coats appear to be quite different... The one on the left looks typically rough/harsh. The one on the right looks softer, (like Ruffy's). If that is true, do you have different tasks re grooming, trimming, maintenance, etc? Just curious.

[kjwarnold]

52 minutes ago, sanford said:

Priceless photos!😍

Their coats appear to be quite different... The one on the left looks typically rough/harsh. The one on the right looks softer, (like Ruffy's). If that is true, do you have different tasks re grooming, trimming, maintenance, etc? Just curious.

Phinney is on the left and at just a little over a year old, I've kept up fairly well stripping his coat.  He's due though, for some serious work.

Kirby is on the right.  His coat looked like Phinney's when he was younger, but I went through a period when I couldn't keep up with grooming so his coat suffered.  Since he was diagnosed with Addison's Disease, I've noticed that his coat has gotten softer, especially on his head and legs.  Maybe a result of the disease or possibly the meds he has to take (Percorten and daily Pred).  Anyway, I've been working on him a bit this year and his jacket has improved somewhat.  He, too, needs some serious work when we get back home.  I think this picture was taken after they'd been wet; we had lots of rain on this trip.  Kirb tends to curl a bit when he's wet.  Phin's coat just stays straight as a stick.

I have focused on Phinney's coat more but I usually do the same work on them.  Periodic brushing and combing, Mars Coat King, stripping knives, hand stripping, etc.  It depends on how much time I have and how I feel.

[Dempsy's Mom]

Glad Kirby has Phinney.  They look like quite the buds.  Love the pics and yes, I bet they will be happy to be home.  Thanks for the pics and safe travels!

[Tuesday]

So sweet!!!!

[Corn Niblet]

I love your pictures! We took Rocky and 7 month old Gus on their first trip to a hotel over the summer and had a problem with Rocky barking. Imagine that?  We would love to try an RV. May I ask if you own yours?  We do not have one but were thinking of renting one.

[Idaho Cairns]

"Something going wrong with an RV" got  us out of the RV travel--it was frustrating--a delightful way to travel with our Cairns but the continual failure of one part or another of the unit plus the difficulty of driving it, especially in the wind ( a very common condition here in Idaho) brought our ramblings to an end.  However, I still miss the campgrounds, rivers, streams, oceans we enjoyed when parked. 
Our girls really did well, we did not crate them and they generally settled down and slept thru all the shake rattle and roll.  When Bonnie was a mere pup, she had a favorite spot up by Dad where she could scout out the mountains looking for critters.  Here she is on Towagatee Pass in Wyoming making sure the place is safe.

[Sam I Am]

Love all these travelling Cairn pictures! We keep on talking about getting a trailer or something like it but just haven't made that step yet. So many lakes, beaches and camping places to see up here and so much more fun with the terriers! I hate staying on hotels and motels.

[bradl]

Dundee likes to look out the windows. And keep an eye on the dining table.

 

[Pepper Bug's Mom]

I wish we had an RV!!!! How wonderful!

[kjwarnold]

We own this one but wish we didn't at this point.  It's either a lemon or just everything that could go wrong went wrong all at the same time and will soon be fixed.  We had a few fun days but mostly we weren't even able to use the RV.  

[bradl]

We once had an RV that we can't even talk about because not talking about it is part of a legal settlement! I hope that was vague enough  

Our current one has been better but they are in no way a wise financial move and are a *constant* struggle to keep working. A friend says there is always some disaster and about half them self-inflicted.  

On the other hand, with a pile of dogs they can make traveling possible. Now that we are down to two dogs (for the first time since 1997) I'm leaning toward getting rid of it. Peggy will not hear of it, though, as she has her eyes on retirement and is sure we'll have lots of time to use it then. If it hasn't turned to rust and dust. 

[Idaho Cairns]

It is sad that these RV's are so expensive to both buy and maintain--I certainly experienced that old saw about the happiest two days in an RV'rs life--the day I bought it and the day I sold it!  I have a dear friend that has sold these things for 30 years and his take is simply--"You can't drive a home down the road at 70 mph--not American highways!"
Still I love the memories.  Fran and the girls in the early morning miles from everyone on the Blackfoot River--nothing but space and privacy, plus a comfortable to rest.  Or in the middle of Wyoming in a rural rest area with the windows open and the Cairns listening carefully to the coyotes yipping across the highway!  All good stuff and, really, we are just talking about money, right?

[Sam I Am]

Ummm...yes lots and lots of money. 

[Pepper Bug's Mom]

Kind of like a boat....