15 March 2014
Salome to Wickenburg, Arizona
57 miles (Total Miles = 364)

That is Rusty, our sun-loving dog.

Rusty is a rescue who entered our lives a little over a year ago. Being inclined to travel, we knew we probably shouldn’t get a dog. But when Gina spied him, shaking in fear beneath a folding chair at a dog adoption event, it was practically a foregone conclusion that he would become ours. He’s come a long way in the time we’ve had him, from a dog afraid of everything and by everything I mean people, cars, butterflies and shadows to a dog who likes to Kill His Chicken and by chicken I mean a stuffed one because a live one would scare him.

Rusty is currently staying with Grandma and Grandpa back in Seattle. Reports from home indicate that he’s mostly being a good boy with a little bit of naughty thrown in to keep them on their toes and keep us forever grateful that they’ve taken him in, allowing us this extra long holiday.

Rusty really has nothing to do with today’s ride other than the fact that on days like these, with mile after mile after mile of long, flat, and straight as an arrow 2-lane highways, I often think of his furry little face back home. On days like these we also think about how we would spend our lottery winnings, as Gina purchased us a few Powerball tickets in the town of Aguila (population 798, of which only about 7 were apparent) – exactly the kind of place where people win. When that happens, we’ll be sharing our mega-millions with Veronica, the proprietor of the gas station who made Gina promise to come back when she wins, and with Nicole, who swept us for the afternoon and directed us to the best ice cream shop in Wickenburg (a priceless sharing). Who knows, with all that money, maybe we’ll even spring for obedience lessons for our little Rusty.