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      Meet the Traveler!        

Meet Traveler, the globe trotting miniature Cavalier!

The world really is an awfully small place - especially when we consider how many family, friends, and acquaintances we have around the world. The dog show community is also a close and small one, and one fun benefit of Traveler going on this ‘round the world trek' with our "doggy friends" will be seeing the dog shows in different countries. We're really a global community, separated only by lines we draw. Maybe we can have fun blurring those lines as Traveler and friends traverse the earth, and we follow along on the adventures! This could (hopefully) be a long journey!

Here's a mini photo album of Traveler's first trip, which was to the windy town of Bandon, Oregon for a dog show. She accompanied Tilly and Jasmine, two look-alike Cavaliers of the full-sized variety; Gus the German Shorthaired Pointer; and humans Sandra and Janet. Traveler isn't in the photos, she was either safely on top of the crates (out of reach of those wanting to play too roughly), or safe and warm in a jacket pocket when we were on the beach!

     

Oh boy! She didn't have to go very far to play in the snow - it was right in our own back yard! But Traveler found that her neck scarf didn't do much to keep her warm, and she was eager to leave the cold of the Oregon winter for some points east (we haven't had snow in long time, so it was fun for us to have 4-5" of the fluffy white stuff!).

                       

Lucky girl: Traveler had no problems with entries or judges or any of that normal Dog Show stuff, she got right in at the Westminster Kennel Club's show! She traveled with Kathy Kail of southern California, and got to cheer for her new Curly Coated Retriever friends. And when Rebel had his picture taken (a Judge's Award of Merit, wow), she was down on the floor with him, with a yellow flower in her hair, err, ear. Well, actually she was hiding from Rebel - who only wanted to play with her!
Kathy took Traveler to visit the American Kennel Club offices while she was in New York, one of the few dogs afforded that privilege; they spent a whole day in the AKC library, and went to the AKC open house and schmoozed with judges and AKC employees... What fun!

She came back to Oregon, and then we headed to the Florida sunshine. Traveler makes new friends right away: she thought these America West pilots were very nice to invite her into the cockpit to check it out. (the flight was very smooth; "good job", she said) She looks as though she'd like to take over, though, doesn't she?!?
           
We had a quick stop in Las Vegas to change planes, have dinner, and check out a likely-looking one armed bandit - how could she resist one that said "SuperSTARs"?!? Even in dog years she's too young to gamble, but she enjoyed thinking about winning a lot of doggie bones... The pilots on this flight were just as friendly as the first two, and they did an excellent job bringing the jet down, it was the smoothest landing I've ever experienced!
On our first day of sightseeing (does shopping count?!?) we went to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom, it was similar but larger than Disneyland in California. Lots of fun seeing familiar sights, but hearing all the different east coast accents was interesting! She enjoyed visiting with a Carribean parrot when we were there, I guess some languages are universal. But I do think that Traveler was disappointed to not get to see Goofy or Pluto, her personal Disney faves.
Going to the dinner theater "Arabian Nights" was really interesting; it was a very well done performance with some lovely and well-trained horses. Traveler got to sit on a horse with one of the riders after the show!
Traveler really enjoyed going to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, seeing the rockets, rocket garden, IMAX films, orbiters, orbiter landing site, meeting new people (that's Gail -above- our wonderful tour guide; and Tony from Brooklyn -below- with whom we had lunch), and getting to try out floating in space - well, in her dreams! That's Traveler and I in front of the "VAB" - the Vehicle Assembly Building, one of the largest buildings (interior room) in the world. They put the space craft/rockets/orbiters and fuel tanks together in that humongous thing! There were alligators in some of the water at the KSC, Traveler opted to stay hidden then... (Can you say "hors d'oeuvre"?)
Epcot was really a neat experience, what a wonderful way to visit different countries without having to travel all that distance! Our first stop in Epcot was the science exhibit hall, and to the area that was featuring National Engineers' Week. Traveler fell in love with the big blue Geek Dog! Parting was such sweet sorrow. We moved on to Italy (and got to ride on a donkey!), and to China (sat on a lion statue), and visited with a troll in Norway - Vi likte det svaert godt! - and indulged in some lefse, which wasn't as good as Grandma Helga's, but still yummy. (And Ja I'm part Norwegian!) We went to Disney-MGM the next day, and that was fun, but I only took one photo of Traveler, there were too many wild rides and roller coasters that we went on, and it was safer for Traveler to be carefully tucked away in her... ummm, sherpa! Our last day in Florida was rainy, so our sight-seeing was pretty much done without the cameras getting out! We parted company in the evening - with Lindsay (my long-time friend and travel partner) heading to her home in California, and Traveler and I heading back to Oregon!

Traveler accompanied my family on Spring Break, that was fun! Ten days of quality family time... Okay, so we really needed the wide open spaces of the Grand Canyon and Death Valley after awhile! Traveler was thrilled to have spotted Elvis while we were in La$ Vega$, and sang "You ain't nuthin' but a hound dawg" with the King. Traveler rode on the dashboard of the Expedition for almost all of our nearly 3,000 miles during our vacation - she had the best view in the car!
The Grand Canyon was awesome, amazing, and incredible. Even the Lince mob was quiet as they viewed the immense sight before them. I had to convince Traveler that barking wouldn't really result in crazy echoes, so she did refrain from barking a Cavalier greeting to the rest of the visitors through-out the park!
Several days later we were in Death Valley, California; it was pretty far from temperatures in the mid 30's & 40's, and 7,000 foot elevations of Grand Canyon, Walnut Canyon, and other areas. We were at 280 feet below sea level & 100 degrees... whew! That's Kyle, Colin, & Brittany standing on the sand dunes behind Traveler. The strange rock formation was awfully neat, and Traveler wanted to sit atop, looking at Death Valley. She said something about being Queen of all she surveyed...

After spring break came a trip to the land down under. Accompanying Dayna (of DayDream Staffordshire Bull Terriers) to Australia, Traveler was able to not only attend some Australian dog shows as a visitor, but did quite well for herself at one show!!

Judge Ann Watt offered this critique:
"This one was full of beans! Well shaped head with typical soft Cavalier expression, good length of muzzle. Well shaped dark eyes. Ears set a bit high but well feathered. Could not get a look at her bite. Decent front with good feet but they should not be trimmed!! A bit too short coupled, but good spring of rib and depth of brisket. Well bent stifles with hocks let down. Tail a bit short and thick but set on well. She moved a bit stiff the first go-round but leveled out when moved a second time. Over-all a very nice bitch. BCC and BOB." Mrs. Ann Watt, VIC, AUSTRALIA
Traveler was very pleased to have made the acquaintance of a couple of Australian Cavaliers at an all-breeds show in Myrtleford, Victoria! They exchanged pleasantries, sniffed a fair amount, and new friends Teddy and Traveler shared a couple kisses!
Traveler did some sightseeing, she didn't just attend dog shows! Here she is at the Pioneer Monument at The Dog On The Tuckerbox (more on that later, when Dayna finds out a bit more on that story!); reading the engraving on the foundation stone of Parliament House; and in front of the Parliament House in Canberra, New South Wales.
Here is Traveler at the Ettamogah Pub. It is a very famous landmark built after the pub of the same name from a well known comic strip. By the way, Dayna tells me that Traveler developed quite a taste for Victoria Bitter (or VB as it is known), the 'very best' beer in Australia!! (she was too young to gamble in Las Vegas, but Dayna let her drink in Australia? Tsk tsk!!)
Here is Traveler in front of the submarine in Holbrook NSW. Dayna said "Don't ask me why there is a submarine in the middle of nowhere far from water....LOL..but I thought it made a good pic!!" It sure does!
(There is actually a very interesting story about the submarine, and the naming of the town in which it resides. Read about the HMAS Otway.)



Traveler made her way down to the great state of Texas to visit with Celinda and her family!
(Sorry, I didn't get any of the fun details of the places Traveler visited, I just received the photos!)




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Special thanks to "Bibben" and "Ronja" for permission to use their darling Cavalier graphics!
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