Her Majesty's Carriage

Ed. Note. I remember before my father passed away, he liked to go for rides in the car. He sat in the passenger's seat, seatbelt tugged tight against his shrinking body. He didn't care where we went. We’d drive past places where he used to travel on his own, or check out new construction sites. Sometimes we'd go visit the memorial garden and rest a spell under the Patty tree. Sometimes we'd go to the beach, just to watch the waves. Silence sat in the air between us. It was a time for remembering, not talking. 

"Dogs feel very strongly that they should always go with you in the car, 

in case the need should arise for them to bark violently at nothing right in your ear.”

Dave Barry

Maizey might consider herself the Alpha dog of her pack. It is certainly true that she is the leader, the rest of us do follow along. Actually Maizey is more of a queen. Had she been born a male human in another century, her personality might have mirrored that of Henry VIII.  She enjoys being the center of attention. She hates being alone. She wants her people around at all times, willing to serve at her bark and call, morning, noon or night. She's also pretty fickle.  She easily gives her heart away to any pretty girl who happens by. She's faithful only until she sees another. If the girl is under 5 years old, however, Maizey goes into protector mode and never loses sight of her charge.

As queen, Maizey has always enjoyed riding in her carriage. Not exactly ornate, with torn leather seats and sand encrusted floor mats, John’s Chevy Silverado is as much Maizey’s as it is his. Maizey can hear the jingle of keys from any part of the house, even when she is sound asleep.  Because she started out as John’s “work” dog, Maizey is forever ready.  When John yells, "Let's go," Maizey is up for any adventure. The destination makes no difference. It’s the ride that’s important.

When the truck door opens, Maizey leaps into the passenger seat. She prefers the seat to be straight up and down, as close to the glove box as possible.  Maizey acts as both co-pilot and navigator. She knows most of John’s regular stops. When the ladies at 5 different Dunkin Donut locations see the truck coming through the line, John’s coffee and Maizey’s treat are always hot and waiting. Like any good work dog, Maizey enjoys roaming the aisles of Lowe's Warehouse with John and the other construction workers. Mostly she likes to hear her bark echo through the open space. If an attractive blonde stops next to her at a red light, Maizey flirts like a teenaged boy. When John says, "big turn," Maizey leans right or left when going around curves to keep from falling off the seat.

Taking your pet to work with you in Florida can be problematic because of the heat. John never leaves home without a pink bucket filled with ice cold water stabilized between the seats, a supply of poo bags, and a food bowl. The first thing Maizey does is dump the food into her seat so she doesn’t have to stretch when she needs a snack. It didn’t take her long to realize lying under the tailgate was always a few degrees cooler. After a romp through the waves at the beach, Maizey likes to lounge on the bed of the truck watching sand pipers and gulls. For the ride home, she hops into the back seat and takes a nap.

Tired pup after a trip to the beach

While Maizey is not showing signs of slowing down, she does need some help getting in and out of the truck. She can't hurtle into the high seats as easily as she once did. That said, once she's in position, she's ready to go.

I've found when Maizey barks at me and I can’t for the life of me figure out what she wants, all I have to do is jiggle the keys, open up my van's tail gate, help lift her hind legs over the bumper and drive to some of her favorite places --around the circle, down by the pond, past Buster's house. Silence envelops the space between us. It’s a time for remembering, not talking. 

In life, it’s not where you go - it’s who you go with.
Charles Schultz