Good-bye ol’ Forest: My DogCar goes away
By Gina Spadafori
November 23, 2009
While I’ve always bought vehicles with the dogs in mind, my ‘98 Plymouth Voyager SE was the first purchased with the dogs at the very top of the list.The first thing I did after buying it brand spanking new was pull out the rear bench seats, the better to get crates and dog gear in.
Rare was the time I turned over the engine without a dog or two (three or four) in the car.
The Voyager has been a good vehicle: Countless river runs, lots of training trips, competitions and a coast-to-coast drive to live in a beach house in on the Florida Panhandle for a few months in the winter of 2000-1. My heart dog, Queen Heather, spent her entire life with me in that van, which I named Forest, as in Green.
And now they’re both gone.
With 12 years and close to 100K miles, the Voyager was becoming increasingly unreliable. So I stole my brother’s little truck — an ‘87 Mazda pick ‘em up with less than 65K miles — as my daily driver (he bought a newer used truck), and also snared neighbor Judy’s ‘97 Toyota Previa van as my DogCar, because it was in better condition.
In the end, I didn’t sell ol’ Forest — I donated him, to Capital Public Radio. Quite a few people responded to my Craigslist ad, but I just got the feeling a lot of them were planning bad things for Forest, and I didn’t want him involved in the smuggling of drugs, puppy-mill pugs or undocumented workers.
So … he went to charity, with lots of Heather’s fur still in him. He just left, and yes, I feel sad. Yes, I know that’s crazy, but it’s still true.
***
I even gave away the plates. My “FLTCOAT” vanity plates will end up on another person’s car in SoCal — she wanted them, and I … am planning to leave the state in the not-to-distant future. So they’re gone, too.
End of an era, truly.
Images …. all pretty self-explanatory, except for Roger and Me: That’s McKenzie sitting on the hay.
Well, that post strangely made me want to cry.
Comment by Teresa Rodney — November 23, 2009 @ 10:02 am
Ending of an era is always sad. Just think of all the potential happiness and new memories in this new era.
Comment by Jason Merrihew — November 23, 2009 @ 10:30 am
Planning on leaving the state??? I caught that!
Comment by Liz Palika — November 23, 2009 @ 10:53 am
When I sold my first car — a beloved 1978 Volvo named Hannah — I fretted for months about whether the slightly shady-seeming man who paid me cash for her was misusing her in any way. Okay, I still fret about that.
It is a CAR for Christ’s sake! How crazy is that?
But I can’t change the way I felt about it.
BTW, 100K is just getting going for a Honda or Toyota. We sold our first Honda at 200K, and the kid was driving it for a long time after that. Emo was well over 200K when he went to van heaven. My new Honda wasn’t supposed to get a tuneup until 100K, and I had not a lick of trouble with it (unrelated to whacking deer or guardrails) until 138K.
That little Mazda may last forever, too.
Comment by H. Houlahan — November 23, 2009 @ 10:58 am
i think it’s always hard to give away cars. It’s so easy to personify them - they protect us, they get us to where we need to go, we spend A LOT of time with them. Of course we’re sad to see them go.
I think it’s the odd person out who isn’t sad to let go of a car.
Comment by Sarah — November 23, 2009 @ 11:22 am
Wow. 2009 has been a strange year, hasn’t it? The end of so many things …
Comment by KT — November 23, 2009 @ 11:23 am
The little ‘87 Mazda truck — Roger — has a good story to him. He belonged to the father of one of my best friends, a very sweet man who was always as proud of me as my own parents could possibly be.
Her dad had been ill for many years, which was one reason why the truck had so few miles — about 25K. We bought it from my friend’s mom, who was happy to see her late husband’s truck go to “a good home.”
We had to replace belts and tires (rubber doesn’t much like just sitting around), but that’s about it. My brother has put another 40K on it since we got it three years ago, and it runs like a champ.
The truck’s name is Roger because of Roger Haag, whose truck it was. I’m very happy to have Roger the Truck, because I liked Roger the Dad very, very much.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 23, 2009 @ 11:34 am
Planning on leaving the state??? I caught that!
Comment by Liz Palika — November 23, 2009
Lizzie … I am so over California. And I have never much cared for Sacramento, no matter having been born here. Circumstances of job and family have always conspired to keep me here.
But the times … they are a’changin’
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 23, 2009 @ 12:04 pm
I know you’ll give Roger a great home, and his background is precious.
Absolutely love your plate, I would MISS that !
I’m not American so don’t quite understand how it works. In NZ (a tiny country) you can transfer your personalised plate to your new vehicle. I’m English by birth, and pretty sure the same applies there. Of course neither country has ‘States’ (or Rabies or heartworm I’m VERY fussy where I live :)
I know many woman (no men though…?) who truly fret when they part with a vehicle. Me ?, Nope, it’s just a car (sadly many people feel this way about their pets..)
Comment by Alison — November 23, 2009 @ 12:08 pm
Out of state! To where, pray tell? I was just thinking we could get a cuppa joe when I am in Davis next March.
Comment by Dr. Tony Johnson — November 23, 2009 @ 12:13 pm
Pacific Northwest, Dr. T … but don’t you worry: I’ll still be here in March. Dinner’s on me. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 23, 2009 @ 12:41 pm
Yes, the end of a wonderful era … but … the wonder of a new beginning is so exciting! You go girl!
Comment by Nadine L — November 23, 2009 @ 12:42 pm
I love vanity plates. I’ll bet people thought yours meant “felt coat.”
My favorite was one I saw on a Mercedes or BMW. It read “was his.”
Today I saw this on a newish Honda Civic: “no plan.” Senior citizen at the wheel.
Love it!
Comment by Mary Mary — November 23, 2009 @ 2:35 pm
Could the state of Washington be graced with your presence? I understand that it is in the Pacific Northwest. If so, please take plenty of raingear and I would cut down on the sunglasses, too.
My husband has a clunker of a 1994 car and has no plans for parting with said vehicle—too painful for him!
Anyway, Sophie and Inca, my felines, say thanks but no thanks to riding in our Subaru wagon. Probably their distaste stems from their ending up in the vet’s office afterwards.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — November 23, 2009 @ 2:56 pm
Washington is the lead contender. I have quite a few friends up there. But no final decisions have been made, to be sure.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 23, 2009 @ 3:01 pm
Washington State is great. We love it up North rain and cool weather.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — November 23, 2009 @ 3:51 pm
The summers in Washington are pretty dry. So it isn’t raining all the time. The coastline is gorgeous, though, and Mt. Ranier is a revered mountain to many a folk in Seattle and beyond.
The Governor is California will miss your tax payment, that is for sure. However, you will most likely have more land area for the same dollar.
Glad my cats are sleeping and my husband away, otherwise my fingers wouldn’t be flying on this keyboard.
BTW, I was in Washington only yesterday—virtually—with the camcorder and the computer.
What a thrill. I am sorry, I can’t get over my excitement with the technology that allows me to see part of my family with their young tuxedo cat!
Comment by Colorado Transplant — November 23, 2009 @ 3:59 pm
Relatives-in-law of mine relocated from Blythe, CA to Aberdeen, WA (one of the wetter places in the country.)They love it, and look more youthful now that they are rehydrated.
Comment by Martha M. — November 23, 2009 @ 10:29 pm
My husband thinks I’m nuts, but I, too, personalize my cars. I’m on Clarence III (after Clarence the angel in It’s a wonderful life), a chrysler mini van. When we get a new car, I “christened” it (a bottle of beer over the front fender) and welcome it into the family. Hey, I spend enough time with the car, it could be a member of the family.
Comment by perkysmom — November 24, 2009 @ 11:20 am
Perkysmom—there is quite a lot of dry-eyes syndrome out here in Colorado, I admit.
Depends what you want, I guess, if you have a choice. Rain seems good for the plants, sunshine seems good for the soul to me.
The mostest is having love around no matter where I live.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — November 24, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
Great website. We just discovered it. Great story! And photographs!
We would like to add a link on our website. Would that be ok?
You can see the company you’d be keeping at
http://www.sammystory.net.
From Samuel.
Comment by Sammy Bourke — November 25, 2009 @ 7:00 am