The Dog Who Ate the Motorhome

Hi, this is Sox.

I wanted to write this post since, you see, there are two sides to every story, especially the one’s where Mom and Dad are particularly perturbed at me and/or Ditka. For some reason, on this particular travel episode, it seems to be me who has been in that situation.

Strike One

Wednesday night Dad’s back was bothering him so he moved to the couch during the night where he can sometimes get better situated to sleep. I like this since it gives me a little niche on the edge of the couch arm where I can comfortably wrap myself over his feet and fall asleep.

Then, without warning there was that horrible loud cracking sound from the skies outside. My heart made such a huge lurch that I was 2 feet above Dad’s feet before the sound had finished. Quick, run for cover! It’s the evil rumbling storm monster! In a snap I was in bed with Mom-- best way to get her attention being to land directly on her head. She pulled me down to her chest under the covers and consoled me, “Shhh, Soxie, it’s just a little storm” How did she know? This thing sounded big, mean and really nasty and headed our way. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t seem to get quite close enough to the sound of Mom’s heartbeat to eliminate the sounds outside. After about an hour of my nervous repositioning, Mom was getting pretty frustrated with me.

The next morning, it was pretty apparent from Mom’s conversation with Dad that I was not on her most favored list right now.

Strike Two

Ok, so then we’re at Thursday. Mom and Dad took Ditka and I along to visit Kyle’s new house. While they did all the handy-people jobs, Ditka and I sunned ourselves in the backyard. Dad had made extra sure that our stakes were well planted since there were lots of neat new attractions in the area to catch our attention, including the gigantic Collie next door named Lucky. Her owner’s, Bob and Judy had introduced themselves and Mom commented about Lucky being beautiful and very well behaved – ok, so rub it in Mom—I already know I’m not on most-favored-list today but I’d really prefer that dog-adoration stayed closer to home!!

Anyway, after lunch it was getting pretty sticky hot so Mom and Dad decided it was best to turn on the AC and bring Ditka and I inside for awhile. We really like Kyle’s house since there’s lots of new rooms to explore. Unfortunately, Mom had strategically placed some boxes so we couldn’t afternoon nap on the cushy living room furniture.

Then I saw it, that nice screen door onto the back deck. Sometimes when Mom and Dad went back and forth it didn’t look like it was latching all the way. Ok, that’s just too much for any pure-blooded Shiba to pass up. When the coast was clear I eased my way to the door and nosed it a bit. YIPPEE!! With one swift headbutt I bolted out the door and off to wherever my four feet could carry me as fast as they could carry me --- ADVENTURE!!!

Apparently Dad must have looked up just in time to see my wily escape because as I bounded from the deck I heard him yell my name and something that sounded like that other word for what comes out of my backside. No, Dad, I didn’t need that kind of walk right now!
There are just so many new things to sniff and sights and sounds to investigate.

I won’t bore you with a play-by-play of all the great smells and new places I passed, but after a while I came across a little boy. Ok, next to the freedom of bolting a door my next passion is being cuddled by little kids – this must be heaven!

Apparently Dad and Mom were both panicked since there was a busy street nearby and they don’t think I’m capable of handling traffic--not sure what that means. There was an all out search going on. Mom and Dad have learned that my fellow canines often tend to give away my location since they tend to bark at anyone new in the neighborhood. So, Dad was walking the neighborhood in whatever direction he heard dogs barking.

Little Boy’s mom came down from the porch when she saw us playing. She picked me up, she looked at my tags and took me and Little Boy in to the house. I heard her on the phone and within a few minutes there was Dad – drat!! – busted!! Ah well, it was fun while it lasted!!

A BIG Strike Three

On Saturday, Mom and Dad said there were going to be lots of people at Kyle’s house and based on my latest bolting incident they couldn’t risk taking Ditka and me in to town with them. That meant that the two of us had to spend the day in the RV.

Ditka likes to look out the windows and bark at every animal and leaf that flitters by so while it was my fault that we were confined to the RV, it was his fault that Mom and Dad also closed all the curtains. The AC was on so it was dark, cool and comfy but I just couldn’t find that comfortable den-like corner to make my own.

As the day went on I did some exploring.

I found that if you go all of the way to the front of the RV, in front of the driver’s seat, and even in front of the gas pedal – all the way up there in a dark corner, there is a hole, just barely big enough for me to squeeze through. How’s that for finding the perfect little fox den!

I eased my way in. It was tight and there were all kinds of stiff wormlike things dangling everywhere so it was hard to find my way around but it appeared I had found a perfect new nest. As I began my signature circle move, I found that all of those dangling worms seemed to get themselves all wrapped around me.

Ok, so maybe this isn’t so perfect.

I decided to make my exit but the worms wouldn’t let me. Panic! The worms had me. No matter which way I rolled and turned and kicked at those worms there just seemed to be more and more, grabbing me tighter and tighter. I growled at them, and I even started biting them. Even when I chewed on them they wouldn’t seem to let go. I whined to Ditka and he whined back but neither of us knew what to do. I just kept fighting those stiff nasty worms until finally I was exhausted.

It must have been at least 2 hours later when I heard the motorhome door open. It was Mom and Dad! At last!

“Where’s Sox?” they asked Ditka.

I responded with the most mournful whine I could muster.

“Where is she?” “I can hear her but I can’t find her! Geez, it sounds like her whimpering is coming right out of the dash!”

There were a lot of words after that probably not appropriate for this blog as Dad’s arm suddenly came in from behind the gas pedal and grabbed my backside. He tried to pull me out but by this time the worms, he called them wires, were grabbing me so tight it hurt to move, so I yelped in protest.

Dad decided his only option was to come at me from the frontside. So he took off the plate below the dashboard.

This was some relief for me since now at least I could see daylight and Mom and Dad. They both tried reaching in to untangle me but I guess I’d done a pretty good job of it and those nasty wire worms were not going to let go.

At about this time Dad was using more of those words and saying something about me costing them thousands of dollars. Mom just looked worried as she ran from place to place as tool chaser for Dad as he tried to figure out options.

Dad began removing the dash and the attached wireworms. With each small step he’d call out to Mom the color of the worms and what they were attached to, like the generator, the air horn, the battery backup, the radio, the backup camera, the trip computer, the temperature control, the heat/AC switch, the heat/AC blower switch. Mom would write it down, then Dad would see if removing those wires got him any closer to getting me untangled. After a while he had the whole dash loose and the backup camera out and the radio removed. It was only then that he could unravel enough of the wire worms in enough directions that I was finally free.

I understand now that was apparently the easy part.

Mom fixed Dad something to eat and then Dad spent the next six hours fixing the wireworms I’d chewed and putting them all back one at a time where they were suppose to go. Mom took us for our before bed walk. Dad wanted to attack this job without distraction so Mom took us into the bedroom to read with her.

There was tension in the air the next morning when Dad went through a full test to be sure everything was working. Dad had done it! Mom called him a hero! Well almost a hero since every single thing was back and functioning properly except for the blower motor.

Dad spent the next two hours tracing that. He even called Coach-Net and Coachmen and in the end still had no answer. Since we could get home without the blower and just use the coach A/C if it was hot on the drive it really wasn’t a crisis at the moment.

It didn’t take long for the word to get out in the campground about what I had done and I became the talk of the neighborhood. Small town that it is, someone at Kyle’s law office even asked him about it!! On of the park attendants was driving by on his ‘gator’ and stopped with a piece of wire in his hand and asked Dad if I wanted a snack!

After we were home, Dad started some more ‘networking’ and got a final suggestion of some added blower wiring to look for. Sure enough, there was a separate wireworm in there that I had apparently wrestled right off of the front-firewall. Once Dad fixed that, the blower was operating again and he attained true hero status with Mom!

Dad thought it necessary to also plug up that hole in the unlikely event I should decide to take on those dastardly wireworms again.

Ok, well this trip was a particularly interesting adventure for me and I thought it best you hear my side of the story!! Hey it’s not every day that I can make Dad a hero in Mom’s eyes!!

Lovin’ Licks,
Sox