As a photographer, I've trekked nearly all the trails on Mount Hood last year, all on foot. I wasn't alone in my hiking and my companion rather enjoyed the fact that we were afoot. Molly, my toy poodle daughter, was on a leash most of the time and wasn't allowed to stray far when she wasn't on the leash. I'll admit, there's a bit of an exaggeration about all the trails, but only because we didn't know where those other trails were!
Since we only take pictures of things we find pretty or interesting, it helps to have a little faster mobility than just on shoes and paws. We tried the next fasted form of travel, bicycle. I'm sure that was a funny sight to see but I suspect there were more Trying to juggle a backpack full of Molly (securely tied to the backpack!), a camera case, and lunch must've really been a sight to see! It reminds me of a Dr. Seuss tale. Since a large part of our hikes is for me to find interesting or pleasant pictures, it wasn't long before we parked the bike and returned to our slower form of travel.
We have trouble finding new things to interest us, with our limited distance that we're able to hoof it, so we decided to try just driving to new locations. That worked for a short while. The early summer was best for taking drives around the area. It was still cool enough to roll down the windows! Molly had a terrific time getting the wind blown in her face! The air conditioning in the heat of full summer was nice, we both admit, but the thirst to get out and be a part of nature instead of only looking at it drove us to a complete stop and back out on foot after only a few drives. I admit that we now drive to a new location to hike, thus expanding our territory to include the whole of Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington, but we still hike around the hills for the most part.
We surmised that our main problem was that we were carrying too much stuff. So we left lunch in the car while we took our hike. Still on foot, we set off to find a wonderful adventure out in the forest and capture some shots of beauty at it's best. After a decent hike, we came to a clearing. It was fantastic! Molly leaped in the air and pirouetted about my feet with excitement because I had stopped and was taking pictures. That generally means a quick snack from the lunch bag. What a perfect place to take a lunch break! After looking around a bit, I realized we didn't bring it. Hmm. That idea didn't work too well. Our hike was cut short that day and we haven't left anything behind since.
While driving to work one day, I spotted a wonderful item in a bicycle store that would solve the whole dilemma! I even had to drive around the block, and risk being late to work to get a closer look at what was on the other side of the window, set there as bait just for me, I'm sure. The ideal solution to our problem sat inside that closed store. Sleek lines and aerodynamics assured speed and ease of travel. Giant wheels made sure the ride would be smooth. Aluminum framing made it light but safe. The yellow nylon covering most of the frame was just the right color for wandering around in the woods. It had a smoky window cover to keep the sunlight down and a fine netting under the cover, to keep the bugs out of occupant's faces if they're are looking for wind in their face. There were even side window panels so my passengers could look all around them. It was a bicycle trailer! I was thrilled with my find and made a mental note to come back with Molly and look closer that afternoon.
After work, I raced home to get Molly. I found I was also baby-sitting my parents' two poodles, Moe and Tess. Wasting no time at all, I dressed them all in their halters and sweaters. Then we bailed into my Jeep and headed for town.
Once we arrived, they seemed to know just where we were going and what they were supposed to check out. Tess sniffed the wheels warily while Moe pawed at the bike attachment part. Molly scratched at the front window to take a peek inside. We found a seat for human children inside, complete with shoulder belts and lap straps. Molly hopped in and started sniffing about. It took her a good 8 minutes to check the whole inside. Meanwhile, Moe had discovered the rear compartment and wanted in. I let her in the rear section and the two of them, Molly in the front, Moe in back, played Catch Me with each other through the seat in the middle.
