On the road again... with a little bit o'Benadryl

Tuesday January 27, 2015 saw us on the road again for our winter escape from the cold and snow of Ontario to the warmth and sun of Austin Texas -- or so we hope the weather will be, touch wood! We're travelling with our two older cats Richard Parker (that's him helping Kate navigate) and Piscine Patel (probably screaming from the back seat -- "let me out, let me out, I don't want to be here!").

The group of foundling cats known as the "away team" (Maureen, Little Moe and Radar) remain at home under the care of a house sitter. Travelling with two cats is hard, with five it would be nuts.

We crossed the border at Port Huron where the boarder guard asked where we were "moving to". The car is pretty full with luggage, a comfy lawn chaise, cat litter box (the perils of travelling with cats -- the alternative is much worse), two bikes hanging off the back etc. so I guess we looked a little like the Clampett family of Beverly Hillbillies fame on their migration to LA. We said we're going to Texas.

"What's in Texas?"

"Austin."

"Yes I know Austin is in Texas, but why are you going to Texas?"

"I could tell you but we'd be here all night long." ... apologies to Gary P Nunn

The other interesting part of this interchange was Richard Parker. He of course climbs over Kate to the open window to greet the guard, make a friend and find out what's going on. The guard took a shine to Richard and came over to the car, reached in and gave Richard a bit of pet and a little chuck under the chin while chatting us up. I guess he's a cat person. He told us you don't often see people travelling with cats unless they're in an RV and mentioned friends who do travel with their cats -- they give them a bit of Benadryl to calm them down. And that reminds me of another road trip song...

We're gonna strap them kids in give 'em a little bit o' Benadryl
And a Cherry Coke we're goin' to Oklahoma
Gonna have us a time, gonna have us a time

That's from Choctaw Bingo by James McMurtry. James has a new album coming out this month and plays regularly in Austin. Twice a week at the Continental Club -- one an early evening show by himself in the gallery, another a late night full band show downstairs in the club.  Hopefully we'll get a chance to see him on this trip and hear some of his new work.

I don't know about the Benadryl trick for calming cats down and am loathe to try it. We just try to be patient for a couple of hours. They do calm down. However, while writing this I did a Google search to discover that apparently it's a well known solution! Wow, the things you learn from border guards.

Our trip on down the interstate highway system to Austin was pretty uneventful with clear roads and good weather. As always we stayed at the La Quinta hotel chain -- because they're cat friendly. The first night we made it to Elizabethtown, Kentucky just south of Louisville and the next night we stayed in Texarkana, on the Texas/Arkansas border (both were 9-10 hour days). The last short leg of our trip took us to Austin (and the regular IH35 traffic jam/parking lot) where we were in Casita del Sol (our home away from home) just before 4:00pm.

That night we had a Tex/Mex dinner at Guero's Taco Bar on South Congress where we were early enough for happy hour Margaritas and then caught a bit of Trent Turner and the Moontowers under the live oaks at Guero's. Trent is a fellow our age who plays a blistering electric guitar covering songs by Led Zepplin, Johnny Winters, Cream, etc. with his teenage son on bass and his son's chum on drums. They are very good, but not the music we came for, so we cut out early.

Oh yes, one final note. When we left Canada on Tuesday it was -16C, on arrival here on Thursday it was 27C! Today, as I write this on Saturday, it's cool and raining. Much needed rain. But it's still way warmer than back home and you don't need to shovel the rain.

More stories to follow...

Everyone back by two o'clock!

Leslie, Aisha and Abdel gave us a collection of cat fridge magnets for Christmas. We've made a little device out of a cookie tin lid to keep track of our five (sic!) cats using the fridge magnets. We keep it by the back door where we're often busy with the "cat wants in/cat wants out" cycle. Each magnet represents one cat and when the cat goes out we mark them as out by putting the magnet on the outside of the lid -- cats are either inside or outside the house and the lid. With this many cats keeping track of who is inside and who is out adventuring can be a struggle.

 

The cartoon to the right of the "cat tracker" is a New Yorker George Booth cartoon of the crazy cat lady letting her 10 cats out the door and saying "Everyone back by two o'clock". You say "crazy cat lady" like that's a bad thing... Anne Taintor.

 

Yesterday Radar was out for a prolonged adventure and did not return until very late in the evening! That was quite the worry as it was very cold and windy. The other cats went out briefly, tested the snow and cold and immediately turned around. We think Radar, for whatever reason, decided to hide out under the steps.

 

Our two older cats are Richard Parker and Piscine Patel and they travel with us to Austin. The three we adopted this summer (and have yet to find a home for) will remain at home. Travelling with five cats would be a little much, even for us.

 

Fortunately, we have found a house sitter who will stay here and take care of Maureen (the mom), Little Moe and Radar (her sons). Perhaps when we return she'll have them trained better.... or at least socialized more.