It's not a slow car, it's a fast house

18/05/2024

Simple Analogy—Why we can’t save them all…

Every time a rescue is asked to take an owner surrender, or take an animal from the pound, we have to somehow make room on our little raft for that dog or cat.

When an owner says stuff like “I don’t have time to give them the best life” or “I have to move” or “they have too much anxiety” it really falls flat because that means if we bring them on the raft, another dog or cat out there in the freezing water gets to die.

Every day rescues adjudicate life and death by gate keeping who can get on the boat.

Rescues and shelters are the tiny Rescue Boats.

The Ship is our community at large.

The iceberg is comprised of puppy mills, careless owners, backyard breeders, and a$$hats who won’t spay/neuter.

* Copied and reshared *

16/05/2024

Need flags? This is THE BEST one to go with. Good colors. Printed on a high quality fabric. Great prices and use the link for a 15% discount.

https://refrr.app/shxhsn6yzN/99964

https://cover-alls.com/collections/flags-signs-symbols/products/flags-of-the-world-decals

Flags of the World decals, suitable for adding to cars or walls. These decals can be used to decorate and enhance various maps, such as our World Map, with the tiny size decals. A custom size decal is available upon request.

06/05/2024

12/01/2024

South America- one final romp through the sprinklers and the airport shuffle begins. All is well and Pacha is ready to nap for a few hours. Back to where we began.

09/01/2024

Every ending is a new beginning!
As we say goodbye to our beloved rig, we embrace our new friends. Best wishes to Saam and Cyril on the adventures that are coming.
We will continue the slowcarfasthouse stories on this page and our blog. Catch our last few months in South America and watch for what’s next at www.slowcarfasthouse.com

06/01/2024

Pacha- contemplating her final remaining days in South America!

17/12/2023

Happy holidays!

13/12/2023

In 2014 Mike and I were shopping in Ace Hardware - Cottonwood.
We were stocking up items for the trip and impulse buying things we did not really need but might use later.
I spotted a tripod style, camouflage colored folding chair. It folded up small and had a shoulder strap and velcro strip to keep it folded. And a cup holder.
It really wasn’t much to look at, and Mike probably thought we were paying way too much.

But that damn chair has accompanied us through 21 countries.

That chair has been used in more situations than I can even recall……
from changing brakes to waiting for laundry, caring for injured dogs, riding a barge on the Amazon, changing a tire on the side of a highway. It has held the ass of fat people and skinny people and dogs and cats and kids. It has been in rain and sun and snow and sand and salt.

It truly is the first chair we grab when we stop somewhere. And the last thing to be put away when it’s time to leave.

And it’s just a dumb chair.

I am feeling a little nostalgic about wrapping up the trip. And maybe this little chair represents many things that have happened on this journey. That’s a big burden for a small chair. But based on our time together this far, I think the little chair can take it.

01/12/2023

Ready for blast-off…..

Today’s news is a rocket-fueled explosive flash 💥 big enough to send us flying!

We have received full payment for the truck camper and will be returning to the USA 🇺🇸 . The new owners will arrive in January. After some training and tips, they will drive away in the perfect overlanding rig.

Then Mike Saint-Amour and Geneva Saint-Amour and Pacha will fly to LAX. (exact date TBD). We left for this Panamerican journey in October 2014. Nine years later, we are finished.

Until blast-off 🚀 we are living in a small cabin by the Chilean sea. We are caretaking and managing the attached AirBandB.
Hopefully we can catch up on writing and sharing blog posts over at www.slowcarfasthouse.com
Sign up there to get them delivered to you.

Until we see you again- what a long, strange trip it’s been. (🎵The Grateful Dead 🎶)

27/11/2023

Take a break from holiday
shopping and check out our adoptable beauties. We have many dogs and cats hoping for forever homes.
Our shelter is critically full, every adoption opens a kennel up and saves a life. Please visit our website to view our adoptable pets: www.verdevalleyhumane.org
All dogs over one year old are half priced adoption fees until December 15.
Thank-you and we hope to see you soon!
928-634-7387

26/11/2023

Mendoza, Argentina showed us one other fun activity. It really isn’t JUST about the wine! We went to a parrilla activity where we sampled great food and leaned about traditional Argentinian grilling. We also made our own delicious empanadas. If you find yourself with a free evening in Mendoza please look up .patio for a full belly and a fun night.
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30/10/2023

The Golden Ratio- brought to you by Mother Nature and Fibonacci.

(Morning walk in Chile #1 )

14/10/2023

Coffee stop with Pacha.
Back in Chile.

26/08/2023

Got a moment?
Check out this story about a cultish settlement in Chile. It still has an eerie vibe as they try to change their N**i history!

https://slowcarfasthouse.com/2023/08/26/nazi-germany-in-chile-but-was-it-a-cult/

24/08/2023

Preparing to cross another international border. This time entering our final country on this leg of the journey.
But first, the paperwork:
1- Agriculture permit for dogs, which begins with a vet visit. Then a stop in a beautifully tiled Federal building for a stamp.
2- Then off to pay a fine for Geneva overstaying her visa in Argentina, which requires over an hour wait at the Banco Nacional.
Then a reward of a candied apple from a street vendor.
Whew - paperwork complete!

23/08/2023

Sometimes when you’re grocery shopping, an opportunity presents itself. This time it was a covid booster! Free from the Argentinian health department and Hospital Papa Francisco. We have struggled with a bout of covid once, and anything to avoid that again is welcome. Even a Pfizer vax in a Walmart-style grocery store in South America. No tears!

19/08/2023

Dogs AND humans in backpacks? Where are we going? On a boat??
Read the story - just click the link below-

https://slowcarfasthouse.com/2023/08/18/an-island-opportunity-isla-anihue/

07/08/2023

Marble Caves, Chile. An amazing geologic formation, being eroded away! See photos and stories at our website. Just search the internet for slowcarfasthouse

25/07/2023

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10/07/2023

Stromatolites and a ferry ride! What is Nica thinking of in this photo? Perhaps, Patagonia?
Learn more in the latest story at https://slowcarfasthouse.com/2023/07/09/a-ferry-to-patagonia-here-we-go/

06/06/2023

Away for the day- and the dog sitters like pig ears as much as Pacha and Nica like them! Dog sitters for the win. 🐾
(Thanks Layla and Gilbert)

29/05/2023

The princesses …… er, dogs of
These two love riding in the cab of the truck and sitting on the bed in the camper. They are very motivated by food and you can set your watch by their breakfast and dinner request.
Nica is happy to curl up alone and look out a window or watch a crowd.
Pacha uses her paws to grab your hand for attention and always wants to be touched.
While traveling with a dog adds a few extra steps to border crossings and gives us things to consider when choosing overnight spots- it is worth every bit of it. The companionship and guard services are worth it to us!

20/05/2023

Thanks for the visit, Cordoba, Argentina. City parking (thanks to the policia), yummy food (Heisenberg) including Blue M**h french fries and a beautiful cathedral. Just wish your geocaching game was more accurate. To many DNF’s makes me grumpy!

19/05/2023

Waiting for a delicious dinner of arepas and dedos de queso! Córdoba, Argentina.

16/04/2023

We found a city underwater AND had lunch with the Mennonites of Argentina. Check out details at the website. Here’s the link or search for on the web! https://slowcarfasthouse.com/img_7126/