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...
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