Goldie's Eulogy

Goldie at the time of acquisition

While Goldie didn't get the funeral nor the resting place she deserved for all her faithful service to our vagabond life, let me at least eulogize her memory and express my heartfelt gratitude for every mountain she climbed while encumbered by that blasted trailer dragging down her V-8 power.  She rather liked the bikes; she thought they made her dashing.  She conquered every mountain summit without a hint of complaint, even the mighty Berthoud Pass which was over 11,000 feet at its saddle.

There were many places in the middle of the proverbial 'nowhere' in which Goldie could have stranded us, but with her innate sense of loyalty and service to the Smith Family Adventure Club, she never did.  Nor did she find the logging road up, up and up, around and around Mount Sauk in Washington State beyond her capabilities even though she asked us to at least turn off the friggin' AC while she was working so hard.

Bombed with snow by a freak October snowstorm in New Hampshire

I know she appreciated being lovingly maintained both inside and out by her Main Operator even when maintenance conditions weren't optimal.  Her exterior was pristine until I managed to back her into tree branches in Berkeley which scratched her side right down to the metal.  She never said a word, nor indicated her pride had suffered; she knew I was doing the best job I could.  She refused to fold up, crumple and leak radiator fluid when that rude little deer jumped on her in French Canada.  She knew I didn't know all those auto words to try and talk to a French auto mechanic.

Finally, I want to publicly thank her for saving my and Main Operator's lives.  She offerred herself up for us.  Airbag deployment wasn't lightly taken on her part since it meant her own demise.  Because of her sacrifice, we suffered aches, pains, bruises and one slight burn to Main Operator's hand instead of broken bones, internal and external bleeding, concussion and coma.  Sadly, sadly, we mourn losing her.

However, life goes on.  We will be resuming the slightly wacky, sometimes entertaining, and always novel peripatetic show of the Smith Traveling Adventure & Vagabond Club with a new partner.  Meet Hi Ho Silver.  It's going to take some adjustment to have a male partner joining the club, but with his sleek silver paint, two toned leather and suede seats, together with his class IV towing package and Hemi 5.71 V-8 engine, this powerful Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited horse of a vehicle is hopefully going to live up to his specifications.  He's got big shoes to fill, but Main Operator thinks he's up to the challenge.

Hi Ho Silver and his Main Operator

Main Operator schooling Hi Ho Silver