March/April 2008

EASTERN ENCOUNTERS
Taillights Fading Down the Driveway
by Tom Huggler

or Sale: Enclosed steel-and-wood dog trailer with 4 compartments. Chevy axle with 15-inch tires. Good condition. $525.

Placed in a statewide shopper’s guide, my classified ad prompted a quick response. On a Saturday morning in early August, I watched the taillights of an old friend disappear down my long driveway and wondered, What the hell have I done?

What I had done, of course, was sell my bird-dog trailer, to a fellow like me – someone with dogs who also wanted to chase dreams by traveling around the country to hunt birds. Not surprising, I suppose, is that I had bought the trailer in 1985 from a guy like me, too, although I never met him. A mutual friend had told me of an old acquaintance of his who was retiring from bird hunting.

I remember the mutual friend’s explanation: “It’s a four-foot by six-foot steel garden trailer from Sears Roebuck. The owner, who hunted pheasants in South Dakota for years, added a wooden top with Plexiglas panels for ventilation and a fiberglass roof. It’s a steal for only $400.”

I let it go for $500. Inflation. On the other hand, I put more than 100,000 miles on that old two-wheeled buddy. Along the way, I replaced the 16-inch wheels with a sturdy Chevy truck axle and 15-inch wheels. So, the new owner got a good deal. Just like I did.

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