Salem, Twitch and Snitch are now ready to go into their new homes and Christina has released me from the Dungeon.
So now I am going away for our summer vacation for 10 days. OMG. 10 days.
I am loving life...sunlight, Chloe's purring, Cooler full. Aquarius is ready.
Oh, I didn't tell you guys about Aquarius, did I??
2 or 3 years ago I had a vision of doing feral cats spay neuter in an old VW Campmobile. Since the FOKS Logo is a peace sign, I could just see it all over the side of the bus...maybe painted lavender and sage green.
Then I found that old VW buses are quite collectible and people buy them and restore them and sell them for 10-30,000 dollars. Not a good way to spend donated funds.
But my inner hippie kept looking as old Westfalia buses drove by.
I saw Hair on Broadway and wrote about it. Now, keep in mind I was 5 in 1969, the Summer of Love. So for me, it was more like the Summer of Training Wheels.
It was looking like the dream of the Training Wheel Love and Peace Veterinarian was fading.
I put away my suction cup pony tail.
Then one day Mary and I were driving in Bangor and saw an old style red VW bus in a Dunkin Donuts parking lot. From my covert research, I guessed it was 1970-73. Mary went wild when she saw a paper bag on the windshield...its for sale!!!
As we got closer we saw the bag had scrawled on it..."If you want to sell this, give me a call" It was signed Hans.
Mary bolted inside of Dunkin Donuts to ask them about the bus. Apparently it had been parked there for over a month. The person who was driving it reported that it had broken down and he would be back to get it. They hadn't heard anything since.
"Find out whose it is!" Mary looked at me eagerly.
"Like break in and look for a registration??" I was feeling like you guys would see me in the Bangor Daily News...
"Local Veterinarian Arrested for Breaking and Entering Old VW Bus."
"Fine, get out of my way" Mary opened the unlocked passenger door.
Next she reaches around to the sign on the window and writes down the owner's name.
Hans...if you are reading this, I'm really sorry, but its all true.
So, long story short, we bought a 1971 VW Bus Campmobile thanks to Mary. Its a rust bucket, runs great (thanks to Don Simpson and the folks at Foreign Auto) and cost us 1/10th of the collectible version. The dogs Love it, and we christened her Aquarius because both Mary and I are Aquarians.
I got the repair and restoration manuals in the mail last week. I ordered a new antenna and headlights, installed a new radio and made a mix cd called Age of Aquarius.
Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, Joan Baez
Hair Soundtack, Magic Carpet Ride....
This is gonna be awesome!!!!
.
We bought it without any FOKS funds (just in case my accountant is reading this) and I will neuter at least one cat in it.
Here Chloe Chloe....
I leave you in the capable hands of my staff and the other vets at Kindred Spirits. I will see you on August 8th when we return.
I'll be the one with the suction cup ponytail.
