pet connection

Just back from a few days in Texas, visiting friends on their cattle ranch between Houston and Austin. I had the use of one of the ranch vehicles, a Honda CR-V with 114,000 miles on it. I emptied an entire tank of gas, with very few of those miles on paved roads.

Why Honda turned this solid little work-horse into a round-butt city-folk wussmobile for 2008 I’ll never, ever understand. The pre-2008 CR-V has to be one of the best small dog-cars ever, and I was reminded of it every minute I was in this one over the weekend.

My friend have modified their CR-V.  The rear seats are gone. In their place, a wooden platform for two retriever-sized crates with storage underneath. Still room left in front of the seats to throw 50-pound bags of anything you’d want to haul, and still room for a passenger.

If you’re close enough to Austin on a perfect fall day in Texas — as I was — roll down the windows, turn to KGSR-FM — the best radio station I’ve ever heard — and crank it up loud. Up and down the county roads, enjoy the miles, because you truly will, with your best ol’ hound dog with you.

This little CR-V, 114,000 hard miles, not a rattle even on the roughest roads, still handles smartly and room for all the dogs and all your stuff, Lyle Lovett on the FM and whoooo-hoooooooo …. it just don’t get no better than this, baby.

The dirt? Why wash it? It’ll just be covered again in a day. Besides, it looks like what it is: Reliable, fun and hard-working real-time AWD get-ya-anywhere, anytime, dog car.

Bless its lil heart.