So Long, Farewell

The Foothills are alive with the sound of music

The upbeat lyrics from a The Sound of Music tune come to mind as we prepare to leave this house and pet sit in Okotoks, Alberta.

There’s a sad sort of buzz from the clock in our assigned bedroom combined with the barking of the two dogs in the back boot room. And from the floor of the bedroom, a squeaky shrill executes from the Yorkie. We rise up because there are chores to complete before the homeowners arrive.

Loading the Ural

The most physical and cumbersome task is to winch the bike onto the trailer. 

Frank sets up the parallel metal ramps as guides for the three tires. It’s a Ural sidecar motorbike and weighs about 800 pounds. 

On the first go, the ramp under the bike is too close to the edge of the trailer and the motor cannot get past the wooden barrier. So, the bike is released down the ramp and sits on the gravel driveway. 

The second attempt forces one of the pins on the pully system to break and profanity fills the air. Frank manages to crank the hoist without one of its pins as I guide the front tire up the ramp until the two back tires are on the trailer. With several pulls, tugs and the use of a wooden board as leverage, the bike is positioned into place.

Ural on trailer

I think of the little birds in that song and “cuckoo” comes to mind.

The indoor chores include washing the spare room bedding, then the dog blankets, clearing and cleaning the breakfast dishes, cleaning the refrigerator, wiping down kitchen appliances, letting the three dogs outside for one last ‘wee’, wiping twelve paws, vacuuming the carpets and wiping down the floors. We sit quietly afterward at the kitchen table and savour a cup of tea.

The owners arrive home to a frenzied welcome of barks, jumps, licks, frantic tail wagging, and circles. The pet owners are as enthusiastic about seeing their darlings as are the dogs.

We debrief with the wonderful homeowners and assure them that there were no issues with the three dogs or the property. We exchange hugs and handshakes and walk out the front door. Once inside Big White, we motor on to our next overnight location –  a roadside pullover.

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night,

 we hate to go and leave this pretty sight.

We sat this geodesic dome home and dogs