This is the second 'Dodge Caravan' I've owned, and I know it's not the sportiest or the coolest thing to drive. But the biggest reason I have it is because after Hurricane Katrina people said they had to leave their pets behind because they didn't have a way to take them with them. It started me thinking and I realized that if something were to happen and we needed to leave our home, I want to be able to take all of the dogs with us. I know this may sound silly....
I notice a lot of people on their cell phones too. In Virginia you don't have to use a 'hands free device.' But I'm seeing more and more drivers texting while driving which makes me nervous!
Then there are the vanity plates that I often see while driving. Some, are simple in what they say.
Some I have to think about for a minute or two...
Do you know what this says? It's probably easy for you to figure out...
But I think that for now, I'll keep my van. Besides, I've gotten used to finding it in a parking lot.
Are there any milestones for you this week?
If so, I hope they are good ones, and your week is off to a good start!
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| ~The field next to our house~ |
Keep the van. It serves a special purpose in so many ways. People are on cell phones all over the place up here. The lack of law enforcement is pathetic.
ReplyDeleteI wish we still had our van. I remember when it went over a hundred thousand.
ReplyDeleteBut it blew a seal and hubby didn't have time to fix it.
If yours is in good condition, I say keep it!
And you know no one would take proper care of your dogs if you had to leave them behind. Especially your dogs with needs, so no, it's not silly to want to take them with you. We wouldn't leave our cats behind!
Our good old dependable cars...what would we do without them? Mine is a Honda, is 9 years old, and has 141,000 miles on it. Drives like it's new, has never been in the shop, and can fit three car seats in the back seat. Yeah, I'd like a new car, sporty, maybe a small suv, but this one's paid off and that's the keeper!
ReplyDeleteKim,
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of you earlier and I hope all is well today. Love the photo of all the dogs in the van.
I love the photo of all the pups in the van. So cute. But what a terrific idea to get something that would fit the whole family in the unfortunate event of an emergency.
ReplyDeleteIt is illegal to use your cell phones, for talking or texting, in Saskatchewan. Not that some people obey that law, but at least it's a start. It makes me mad when I see people still doing it.
Hope you have a wonderful week Kim!
xo Catherine
Good idea for you to have a van, do all the dogs fit in there if there were a disaster?
ReplyDeleteNo milestones here, just "same old"
Have a good day!
(oh, the last shot is lovely).
ReplyDeletei thought about that recently too - how i'd manage to stuff 5 dogs into the back seat of our truck with one in the front... wildfires make me very afraid and this year we're a bit too dry for comfort... hope i never have to find out.
hope your 2nd milestone is a good one!
I totally agree with you about the van Kim and having room to move your pets. I have an older Ford Explorer for the same reason. There is absolutely zero way I would ever leave my animals behind, if they are going to face any danger then I will be there too and they will not be facing it alone! If I were to survive and they didn't because I abandoned them I couldn't live with myself.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness here in New York there is a law against being on cell phones while driving and most people I know obey that law. I am still trying to catch up on old projects so each one I finish is a milestone I guess...yay!
Have a great week and hugs to the pets!
Tina xo
I don't think that your reason for having the van is even vaguely silly. Where I live, we always have a vehicle available that will fit all of us in an emergency evacuation (like for a wildfire). For us, that's not too many people and dogs but, for others who have lots of dogs, it's a big deal! So, keep the van!
ReplyDeleteI hate seeing the stuff that people do while they drive. I can barely change the radio station safely while driving!
Nothing like a dependable car! We also bought ours with the pups in mind!
ReplyDeleteSam
I'd keep the van too, for your dogs alone. I don't think it's a silly idea at all and I think you're wonderful to feel that way about your pups. Thankfully I haven't been in a traffic jam for a while, but do remember seeing some interesting sights along the way. Yours are classical. Enjoyed your post thanks.
ReplyDeleteWe have a big milestone this week. It's our third annual Bandana Day. Will you join us?
ReplyDeleteMorgan, Tsar and the Porties
When I had to commute along Route 30 I saw men with shavers and women putting on mascara -
ReplyDeleteEnough Said!
Congrats on the 100,000 miles!
the world needs more people like you in it....I worry about my pets too
ReplyDeleteKeep the old van. Milestone???? The "Little Terrorists" turn three and four all in the same week. Happy Birthday Brooklyn and Taeya, Poppi loves you. I love the photo of all the dogs in the van.
ReplyDeleteThose are some happy faces in your Van. Like a favorite pair of shoes, drive it till it drops.
ReplyDeleteHey there Kim...
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you (and the poochies) are really fond of your Van...You've never been one to balk at looking after the aged :)
I loved all those photos! Amazing what folks get up to.
Can't wait to hear about the other milestone.
Sending lotsaluv
MAXMOM IN SOUTH AFRICA
Thanks for your comment today . It was very kind and gentle . Things here are moving on rather rapidly . A day, a week ... Strangely, as you know , this is rather a special time .
ReplyDeleteWoof! Woof! GPV Golden Pines Van - did you have to take the back seats out? Id it is still running keep it - lots of Golden sentiments on that. We had a milestone last weekend ... some got older meaning a new set of bucket lists needs to be fulfilled soon ... there will be a big milestone coming soon.
ReplyDeleteDid not realized you go through a traffic jam ... we don;t like people who doe snot follow rules like texting. BeHappy ... 8 is consider to be a lucky number and now it is being used as the letter B. Stay Cool! Sending Golden LOVE n Woofs to the whole Golden Pines Gang. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar
We are on our second Dodge Caravan too. With four kids and seven dogs, it's a must have!!!
ReplyDeleteAROOOF!
Boondocks and Kudzu
That's why we drive a huge SUV, we can get three dog crates in the back!
ReplyDeleteThe pasture is beautiful!
Can't wait for the other milestone of the week!
Hot and dry here...I'm enjoying keeping Buddy compny in dogroom! :) We're gonna make it throught this, I just know we will!
xoxo
~
Love your post about the van. I tend to keep vehicles until the wheels fall off. I am just cheap and don't want to make a car payment. Luckily I have two small dogs, a yorkie and a jack russell so they don't need too much room. Thanks for stopping by my place, I love yours. I am your newest follower.
ReplyDeleteNot silly at all! I think planning for how ALL of you would leave safely is very responsible!
ReplyDeleteIt breaks my heart to think of those poor animals left behind after the hurricane...so sad!
ReplyDeleteOur car has done 124,000 miles and still going strong.I hope your van keeps going for a while longer.I see drivers with their mobiles clamped to their ears all the time(it's illegal here)and doing other crazy things.These people are just putting innocent drivers lives at risk...it's madness!
Unfortunately Tom's truck died and he drives mine all the time now but even if I still had a license to drive and the insurance I probably wouldn't be driving enough to warrant the expense!!! With money in very short supply we don't need to spend it on something that is not really necessary.
ReplyDeleteYes as much as I wish she was still here I do know it was her time and I am trying to hang on to that!!!!!
I talk to her all day long now, even more than I did when she was listening.
Thank you thank you for coming!!
xx, Fern
Kim that is good news about Hamlet!!! So happy for him!!
ReplyDeleteI love the sign of the person selling the car; is he insinuating women can't buy their own vehicle?
ReplyDeleteUmmm....milestones; umm, let me think about that!
Let me see....milestones......got me there Kim! Next month though!
ReplyDeleteLoved that pic of all the dogs in the van....they look like a bunch of kids going for a drive.
I saw my first lightning bug last night. I wished on it for Hamlet. I'm sure it was a good omen for some more good days.
ReplyDeleteKeeping the van for the dogs is not at all strange. We installed a big generator to run the house in case of prolonged power failure. Pretty hard to find a nearby hotel that will accept two Goldens.
Van is totally special and we don't think you are at all nuts for practicing getting all the dogs in the van for poss. evacuation - in fact, good idea! Love that field - oooh yumzers!
ReplyDeleteHugs xoxoxo
Sammie and Avalon
My gosh, you van has gone nearly 170 000 kms!!! I just had to check out the conversion on that because I knew that it had to be a lot :o)
ReplyDeleteAs for scary stuff while driving, I see lots of that from the bus as I have a very good vantage point to see into cars. Lots of texting, reading the paper, putting on makeup...but I must admit that sleeping is a first.
As for the van, that's not crazy, my mom did the same thing and got a station wagon and keeps the back seats down so she can get all her dogs in.
No milestones for me this week, but on July 7th, the day my Sweetheart comes home from Europe in a month, it will be seven years since we met!
If it hasn't given you any trouble, I say keep it.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel about your van. My Jeep has well over 200,000 miles and it's still my favorite vehicle! It's the only vehicle that I've ever had that actually "Fits" me, comfortably!
ReplyDeleteMy milestone: I got to stop taking those antibiotics that make me feel so rotten! Yesterday was my first day without taking one. Of course, it's so darned hot & humid that I feel like crap anyway!
I can NOT believe you drive through traffic like that on a regular basis!
If I win the lottery, I'll let you retire...
I'm very fond of my van and the only reason I'd get rid of it is if it fell apart! Love those pictures....
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the photo of the dogs in the van! That is too cute!!!! The commuters, though, is a scary thing isn't it?
ReplyDeleteHave a great rest of the week.
Staci
Hands free phones and no texting up in our neck of the woods or be ready to pay $175.00 ticket....of course they have to catch you first. I don't do either so I'm safe...love vanity plates...saw a weird one the other day(can't remember the letters)but it had me thinking. Hurricane Katrina certainly changed the way people behave now, right!
ReplyDeleteI think you should just keep the van. As long as it is running fine why bother upgrading at this time.
ReplyDeleteWe have a 11 year old Honda with some rust and I'm going to keep driving it because I love it.
Also I don't want any car payment right now.
Love the picture with all the dogs in the van. Your traffic jams are horrible looking.
That was great fun, and what a cool van! We don't have any milestones but you've just reminded me the car is due for its MOT test this week so thank you for reminding me! That looks like our kind of field by your house, plenty of places to furtle about in! Dex & Lou x
ReplyDeleteYour pasture looks so peaceful.
ReplyDeleteI gave my Saturn to my son & his family,it has over 100,000 miles on it now it is still going good.They couldn`t afford to buy a car & their van died.I bought a Kia Rondo,which is a 4 cyl.van & I`ll most likely keep it forever as I can take everyone with me if need be.I haven`t had a car payment for awhile though....!but I figure it will last me the rest of my life! phyllis
Bless your dog lovin' heart for thinking of them just in case! I love our Chrysler mini-van and so do the dogs. When Josie was alive Max and her would fight for the back seat, of course, Josie always won! With 206,000 miles on it, it still gets me where I need to go and fat Max loves the easy entrance versus Sall's truck!! Have a great day and keep on drivin'!
ReplyDeleteThe last car I owned was eleven years old and had just under 100,000 miles. I traded it in for my Honda CR-V because I wanted something to haul grandkids and my dogs around. I love it and will probably keep it til it croaks.
ReplyDeleteThat's a nice looking van, Kim. My F150 pickup has over 100,000 and I see no need to drive anything else right now. It runs great! :)
ReplyDeleteI bought a larger car last fall mainly to fit all three dogs in and some band gear. Hmmm, maybe it's time to start looking for another rescue since I'm down to the two dogs....
ReplyDeleteI got 220,000 miles out of a Taurus wagon. Me and the car went a lot places, hauled kids and friends, not to mention a spoiled golden retriever who went everywhere with us. I was sad when it finally pooped out.
Hope you and all the pups are staying cool!
Hi Kim
ReplyDeleteWe are trying to get caught up,, since we were gone.
The photo of the field next to your house is so beautiful, which also makes me think of the butterfly photo on your other post.
It was so gorgous... you take such beautious photos...
love
tweedles