Cheesy Day

Call it rehabilitation or call it a love of cheese but we took a drive yesterday, it was only a mile but Rusty the stroke victim was part of the crew.

Because I overthink everything I had been worrying about us dragging Rusty into his old age in a van but Layne made a point yesterday as we talked about our travel prospects.

She pointed out that if Rusty really was fed up with traveling he had the perfect excuse to check out last week. As he lay hovering between life and death he could easily have chosen to end it  but he didn’t  so perhaps he really does like this life. Yesterday he gave every indication that was the case. He couldn’t sit still.

We went to this cheese farm up the street and on a hazy winters day we were the sole customers which I dare say would never happen in summer. It was a delightful spot and Rusty couldn’t get enough of it.  

Layne tasted and bought cheese and I herded my rather sprightly dog.

He wanted to check the place out.  

So we did and he didn’t fall down once even though he remains a little wobbly. 

You can rent rooms here. 

And there is Art everywhere.

The Milky Vine, a cheesy play on words as in Spanish it closely resembles the phrase for The Milky Way.  

We started talking about travel plans after Layne bought the cheese and we were sitting outside in the pale winter sun.  

We can’t treat Rusty like he’s made of porcelain though we will have to take shorter legs and give him plenty of time to rest but when the vet says it’s okay we will get on the road to the west coast to spend winter in the warmer drier region of Arequipa in southern Peru. 

I can hardly believe how well he has recovered and though a relapse is always at the back of my mind Rusty doesn’t seem ready to fade away just yet.  

And this whole episode has reminded us of our own mortality. Layne brought up the question of where shall we land when it’s time to quit full time travel even though neither of us is ready to sit still. 

It’s a question without an answer, I prefer Key West where we still have connections  but Layne likes Santa Cruz in California near where she grew up and has other friends. It’s a debate for the future but Rusty having a strike has once again taught us a lesson; the dog as teacher has been his rôle in my life.

I haven’t even tasted the cheese yet but I rate yesterday as a very good day. 

The happy explorer dog; long may he last.