Mukilteo Musings

Apolo STILL Gets Carsick

My puppy is now five years old so I guess I need to give up the hope that he will outgrow this little issue. When Dave and Lucas did their Mt. Baker hike a couple of weeks ago, Apolo threw up in the car after several minutes on a winding logging road. I think the bear they saw on the very same road on the return trip may have smelled the vomit that Dave scooped out and left. Last fall, in my several hikes with my friend, Apolo didn't throw up--thank goodness--because usually we were in her van.

Yesterday, while my daughter enjoys herself on Waikiki Beach, Dave, Lucas, and I explored yet another of our trails in our nearby Alpine Lakes Wilderness area. After driving on curvy HW 2 for a bit, we turned off at the Money Creek Campground and within a mile we hit a gravel road. We were not on the road for more than two minutes when Apolo started licking his chops like they do. I grabbed a plastic sack to catch it but was too late. Dave stopped the car, ran around to the back and opened the hatch. Apolo jumped out and continued to throw up.

Since I am the "facilitator," Dave and Lucas disappeared with the dog on his leash to get away from the smell and to allow me to do my work. We carry paper towels and cleaner in the vehicle just for this purpose. I do not know what it is but every single time this happens, I start to laugh until tears come out of my eyes. I don't know if it is the look on Apolo's face, or Dave's swearing, or Lucas' "I'm about to lose my cookies, now, too" but I always see the situation as hilarious. Naturally, we are in the forest, so no garbage cans exist and we travel the rest of the way to the trailhead with a tightly tied plastic garbage sack full of goop and the windows open.

On to more pleasant topics. Mukilteo made another list! Money Magazine listed Mukilteo in the top 100 lovely small towns in the United States in which to live. We were number 69.

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20070724/NEWS01/707240324&news01ad=1

On CNNMoney.com, Mukilteo is described as "a beautiful waterfront community that hugs the Puget Sound, and affords majestic panoramic views of both Mount Baker and the Olympic Mountains across the water."

Along with our views, the article noted our proximity to Seattle. I would add our proximity to gorgeous hiking and Cascade Mountains wilderness. Yesterday morning, Dave had a meeting at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in downtown Seattle with doctors and scientists but he made it home in time to join Lucas and me on our wilderness foray for a picnic lunch. We were home before dinner time.

It has been raining here the last few days but it hasn't been cold. We did get a little wet on our hike but it was not heavy and it felt wonderful because it was just enough to cool our sweatiness from the exercise. The beginning of our hikes are always tough for me. All of our trails are straight up for about 1000 ft. to get to the tops of the ridges and I feel like dying until I get my second wind. At this point euphoria sets in and I am so high and happy I cannot imagine doing anything else. My photos:


Dorothy Lake---Apolo having the time of his life.


Not sick here.


East fork of the Miller River--giant granite boulders.


Downed tree from last winter's storm damage.


Nope, not nauseous here, either.


Janet chowing down on ham, cheese, and bread. (Dave said I looked like a popsicle in my 80's pink t-shirt. It was a little bright.)

Where will we go next? Will Apolo throw up again? Will I wear my old 80's shirt? Stay tuned.