The Big Trip

For weeks and weeks now, Mom and Dad have been talking about something called The Big Trip. Usually it went something like, "Well, when we go on our Big Trip, Piper's going to need a travel crate for when we stay overnight," or "I wonder if she'll be okay on our Big Trip."

Needless to say, I was pretty confused.

This morning, I was even more confused. Instead of just getting ready and going to Work, Daddy and Mom kept carrying all kinds of stuff out to Dad's car. There were backpacks. There were blankets. There was a giant wood-mounted thing they kept calling "Ian's Map". And then my new collapsible crate went outside, and I really started to wonder.

When I saw MyBall being packed, then I knew it was here.

Today was The Big Trip Day!

When we started down the road, I whined and whined to let my hoomins know that sitting in the backseat was not acceptable. They misunderstood and thought I needed to go OUT, so when I got back to the car, I let them know exactly where I wanted to sit: with Mom.

They didn't like this idea, though, and soon I was in the backseat, with "Ian's Map" between me and my hoomins.

In spite of this indognity, I still kept a watchful eye on everything that was going on. It was a good thing, too, because my hoomins had no idea of the dangers that were lurking in this strange place called Nova Scotia.

For example, when they pulled into the parking lot of a place called the "Parrsboro Rock and Mineral Shop", this horrendous monster was waiting to eat them! As soon as I laid eyes on it, I went absolutely bonkers, growling and barking and threatening to kill it if it so much as took one prehistoric foot towards my hoomins.

And what did my hoomins do? They laughed at me, the ingrates.

Parrsboro wasn't all bad, though. After the place with the ferocious monster, we went to a beach and Daddy said he and I were going to go look for cool rocks. (I think all rocks are cool, but I guess Daddy is more discerning.)

While Daddy looked for rocks, I decided to taste the water. Mom freaked out a bit, saying that it was going to make me sick. She kept offering me water from my travel bottle, but it didn't taste as good. Finally Mom started throwing a stick and I forgot about the salty water.

After Daddy was finished looking for rocks, we went back to the car. Mom said she was getting kind of hungry, and Daddy said he was thinking that maybe I needed a treat. (Like I'm gonna argue with that.)

So we went to a place called Ottawa House, a museum where they have a little snack shop, and Mom and I got ice cream! It didn't taste as good as the salty water did, but it was really close!

After the ice cream, we went back to the Ferocious Monster Place (my hoomins are daft) where Daddy showed the man there some of the rocks he found (and Mom said, "I told you so" when Daddy found out what they were).

Then we started driving again. We drove and we drove and we drove, and then Daddy exclaimed, "What are those?!"

He hit the brakes and I looked at the aliens he was talking about, and I started barking my head off. (They have very scary things in this Nova Scotia place. I guess my hoomins think Ian and Marjorie must be worth visiting, though, to brave these dangers.)

Dad took lots of pictures of these aliens (Mom called them alpacas), and then we started driving again.

Before too long, though, Daddy and Mom started whispering. They weren't saying important things, like "Cookie", or "Bark Park", so I wasn't sure why they were whispering. Then the car slowed down and stopped next to a green field, and both hoomins turned to look at me, expectantly.

"She's not barking," Daddy said.

"Nope," Mom replied. "She's not."

Um, Daddy? Mom?

They're called sheep. I know what they are. What part of "border collie" don't you understand?

Eventually we got to Ian and Marjorie's. I like it here. My travel crate is in the livingroom, and I can play in the woods behind their house, and they keep saying what a Good Girl I am. Best of all, Marjorie said I can sleep in the bed with Mom and Daddy, and it's right next to the computer room (which is how I'm typing this update to you.)

What a wonderdog day it has been!