We were both excited to be picking up Karen’s new car today. I wasn’t excited at the thought of driving a shiny clean car in torrential rain, on country roads subjected to two recent storms.
Karen wanted to learn the controls at her own pace, and not on busy, wet roads like the M4. So she very kindly let me drive her new car home instead.
The Toyota Yaris Cross was an easy car to drive. I was surprised by how much tech is packed into it and how well it handled on the horrendous roads. It was as enjoyable to drive as the ageing Cayenne, apart from having significantly less power.
“Are you okay to walk the dogs while I play with the car?” Karen asked after lunch. She was itching to get to know her car.
“Yes,” I called back as I grabbed the dogs’ leads, waterproofs and wellies. “I’m going now while there’s a break in the rain.”
Pikachu didn’t consider drizzle, instead of the earlier torrential downpour, a break. Next June would be her preferred break.
Today wasn’t only a special day for collecting the new car. It was also Chic’s 9th birthday. Of course she wasn’t aware of this, but she did get an extra chew and even more cuddles than usual. She wasn’t aware either that she shared her birthday with a distant relation, a dog called Kodi.
Kodi was a well-known agility dog, winning many awards over his career, including at Crufts. It was Kodi I can thank for my achievements in dog sports. He was a very special dog to us.
A new car always makes me think of Kodi, who loved a road trip. I remember one adventure to the Netherlands, where Kodi stood up looking eagerly out of the back and front windows of the van for the entire journey. We joked that he walked all the way there while the other dogs slept.
“How did you get on with the car?” I asked as I peeled off my wet coat and wellies.
“I love it,” Karen said with a big beaming smile. “It’s so easy to drive, I’ve got my music set up, I’ve saved my usual locations on the Sat Nav, I’ve found out how to…” She was very pleased with her new toy.
The novelty will last longer than its shiny, clean bodywork.
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