Hello everyone. I have created this thread with the intention of detailing the Squee's around the world journey from the journals and items sent along. My plan is to key in the text from the journals, scan any appropriate pictures or text and upload detailed pictures of the items that circumnavigated the globe with the Squee.

I will include as much detail as possible and will accept any additional notes, updates or ancedotes you might like to send along.

My goal is to spend a half-hour a day (M-F) uploading the information. This project will take a while as there were many stops, many sidetracks, many items and 3 years worth of travelog to prepare.

Thanks for your patience. And enjoy.

~ Gaberax

Thanks to KismetKat for the idea!

Gifts sent along the way-
Gaberax - To Preacherman, A University of Maryland Basketball T-shirt
Preacherman - Malmo, Sweden
Rebbe - Sittard, Holland
Lettice-Newark, Nottinghamshire, UK
Amm -Sussex, England
Joyous - England
KismetKat- To Mystmum, A t-shirt saying ("I got this T Shirt for my husband, it was a bloody good swap")
Mystmum - To Emmex, a packet of Tim Tams and a small sheep ornament
Wundderin - New Zealand
Emmex - Auckland, New Zealand
Helva - Oregon, USA
Jojo - Seattle Washington, USA
CK9 - Temecula, California
Honey - Vancouver, Canada
Rangitoto -Vancouver, Canada
Honey - Vancouver, Canada
Kreeden - Orge Mountain, Canada
coksy -Montreal, Canada
Speedyserd- SE New England, USA
PrincessXenobia -SE New England, USA
Amateria2003 - Cleveland OH USA
marae - Lakewood Ohio, USA
Rik(urikrak) - Iowa
Cimmera - Springfield, Missouri
SqueeLord - Salt Lake City, Utah
KCHahn Longmont, Co. USA
Skylark - Texas, USA
Sirrus Black-Springdale, Arkansas
Rwwllms-Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Donahoo-Greenville, South Carolina, USA
orderedchaos1 - Illinois
Chessrook-New Zork, New Zork

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Journal 1: A Squee's Journal My Travels Around the World

(preface)

A Squee's Journal: My Travels Around the World.


Instructions: This journal is intended to chronicle the saga of the wandering Squee. It is asked that all recipients record their dealings, interactions and general adventures that coincide with the Squee’s arrival, stay and subsequent departure in this book. When the visit is complete, forward the Squee and the journal to the next recipient.

To ensure that the Travel Gods smile favorably on the Squee’s arduous journey, please include a small token of luck in the box.

Additionally, following ancient nomadic tradition, a gift of appreciation is to be included for the next recipient to further ward odd personal harm, calamitous misfortune and general bad luck.

Horrific grief will befall any and all who hinder, interrupt or otherwise impede the Squee on his travels
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

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May 17th, 2003 Gaberax (Baltimore, Maryland USA)
Day 1- The rain that has plagued this area, Aberdeen, Maryland USA, continued again today. I , Gaberax, have spent the best part of the last 2 days (along with the passionate “D”) preparing the Squee for his initial trip. The Squee had visited me several days ago in some gray are of consciousness and had whispered his need to visit far off lands. And so, I contacted my fellow forumites on the possibility of such a hair-brained scheme. Surprisingly, many seemed receptive of the idea. And so, with no more than the germ of the crazy idea, I prepared for the journey.

Together, “D” and I scoured several stores looking for the perfect traveling case for the Squee. By the end of the first day, the material components had been gathered and the accommodations tested. Optimism began to grow.

May 18th, 2003
Day 2-“D” and I traveled locally with the Squee, saying goodbyes’ to his friends. We took photographs of the Squee bidding farewell. By the end of the day, the Squee was bedded down in the traveling accommodations while “D” and I prepared the final arrangements. Tokens and gifts had been selected and prepared. All was ready. The first stop on the journey would be Sweden, where the Squee would visit with Preacherman.

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Cool! Once it's all done and sorted I can convert it all into an emailable sized PDF if you like - including pics and maps and all the text.. I will email an addy closer to the time if I haven't already left one on my Profile.

I'll post a new url for the photos if I ever get a notice from Flickr that they have been moved. Don't know why it is taking so long.

Monday, June 2nd (2003) Preacherman (Sweden)
Well, I arrived safely in Sweden about a week ago after a safe and comfortable journey across the Atlantic.
I sat a few days in the post office until Preach decided to come and collect me. But ahh, it feels good to be back here again. Not a lot of people know this but squees are actually indigenous to Scandinavia and I grew up here in the 70’s before emigrating to the U.S.

I was quite famous as a younger squee, having had my photo taken with ABBA. I was later edited out of the famous “back seat” photo, much to my annoyance, but enough people had seen the originals to give me a reputation as a suave, good-looking rodent. This reputation must have stuck all these years, as no sooner had I arrived back here than I was confiscated by the Swedish Royal Family, where I went to have my photos taken with the king. That done, I next got a call from Absolute (the vodka people) which also wanted some publicity shots taken, which I was of course happy to do.

Other than that, things were very quiet here in Sweden. There was not a lot to do other than play around with Preach’s daughter. Who seemed enchanted with me, naturally…

Add9 and her daughter came down from Norway to meet me as well, which was nice of them. I allowed them to take a few pictures with me as well. I was somewhat disappointed that they took off to Denmark without me. Preach said it was because I was too fragile but he has no idea what he is talking about. I would have like to have gone as it was carnival time there, I did get a Danish coin from them on their return as a lucky token of travel, to go with the Swedish and Norwegian coins, so that’ll have to do.

I am anxious to be off to Holland now, to meet Rebbe but I have to wait until Preach gets his act together…not looking forward to getting all packed up again though. I can hardly breathe in that box.

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Tuesday, June 24th (2003) Rebbe (Holland)

They Lied! They told me Holland was flat. It isn’t! There are hills here…nothing spectacular, but higher than the average speed bump. They told me the Dutch were real tall, even taller than the Swedes. Sure that Rebbe fellow is not a midget, but he isn’t 6’4” either…

I haven’t seen a single person wearing clogs. There’s no North Sea within miles…There’s no windmills. There is, however, a constant odd herbal scent in the air…I feel happy now…

Monday, July 7th
Preparations for shipment are being made. In a couple of hours, I’ll be packed and ready to leave. I wonder what England will be like...

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Who's doing the illustrations? Are they from the journal itself?

Yes, I am scanning the images from the journal. Serendipity (the offices at work are being rearranged and redone) has dropped a flat bed scanner in my office, 2 feet from my desk! Weird how things work out sometimes.

Sometime on or after July 12, 2003, Lettice (England)

I was unpacked very carefully. Unfortunately, I had arrived at a very difficult time because Pepper the family pet dog needed an operation. As she is almost 17 years old it was a worrying time. However, she managed very well, but due to her having to travel to and from the vets I did have to wait for a short while.

Before I could do the grand show of the area, I was taken on a trip into the Town Centre of Newark. This is down in Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire borders. I visited the Castle, it was Archeological day, so quite busy. I made some new friends and of course I had my photo taken. Newark is well known for being a Royals Stronghold during the Civil War. There are a lot of historic buildings here including the Ossington built by the temperance movement.

I then was on to visit Lincoln, dominated by the famous Lincoln Cathedral, built in the 900’s. Also, Alfred Lord Tennyson. This is a beautiful city. The weather has been great so far as Great Britain is traditionally very wet. I have been ducky.

My next visit is to be the Major Oak. This is where Robin Hood hid from the Sheriff of Nottingham’s men. Soon be getting ready to visit Amm. It was raining the day I went to visit Sherwood Forest. Luckily, it soon dried up and the sun came out. It was very exciting looking for Robin Hood in the forest. After a short walk, we reached the Major Oak, the traditional hiding place of Robin Hood. Actually, although the tree is 300 years old it is too young to have been around in Robin Hood’s day. At most it would only have been a small sapling.

Time now to visit Amm

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August 2003 Amm and Ras (England)


During the first week of August I arrived at Amm’s. Her little darlings were away and she and Ras were due to go to Rome. They left me in the care of my new friend BunnyBun. What is it with these European forumites. No sooner had I arrived in Sweden when Preach deserted me and skipped off to Denmark, now Amm and Ras leave me in England and go jaunting off to Italy! It’s enough to give a young squee an inferiority complex.
Well, to be honest, after that business in Holland I really did need a rest so BunnyBun and I settled down to sunning ourselves, eating and chatting about things of import to squees and rabbits, such as the state of carrots these days.

Then Amm and Ras returned from Italy and the girls from France. More girls! These are Merble and Merloe. Once again I enchanted these two and they took me into their care. We went apple picking one sunny day. A spot straight out of Enid Blyton. Ponies roamed under the trees, dogs romped around and I picked a lovely pile of apples.

Another day, the girls honoured me by allowing me to romp in the Mer-pool. Ras let me help him in the kitchen another day.
AND DO YOU KNOW it is NOT TRUE WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT ENGLAND. It did not rain at all in the month I was with Amm. One day the temperature hit the record of 100.6 F. I was in England to witness this event. Funnily enough the family was abroad then, so I am most honoured. I am so enjoying my relaxing time here in England. Just what I needed.

August 26 (2003)
Oh my goodness, I had such a fright today. They should have warned me. Oh my tail and whiskers I’m in shock. That will teach me. I will stay on guard in future when I visit these forumites.

Do you know I found myself in the War of the Roses today. It was all that Ras’ fault. Going out in the country for a little drive, he had said. So there I was at a lovely Tudor castle, Herstmonceux. Off I went to admire the view, when suddenly along came a herd of knights, then a flood of arrows bombarded me. I had just recovered when a trebuchet knocked a huge great ball right over me. There I cowered with my paws over my eyes in fright until the war was won.

Time to move on, I think. With a farewell to BunnyBun, the girls, Amm and Ras, I crawled back into my box.
Joyous next, still in England but I’ ready for some fun, fun, fun!!

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End of August/ beginning of September (2003) Joyous (England)


After a comfortable journey I arrived chez Joyous. As soon as I got out of the box, I got my first big surprise…either Joyous had been overdoing it on the cream cakes or otherwise, Mr. and Mrs. Joyous were soon expecting another delivery….from the stork! I was delighted to discover that it was the latter and wondered whether my trip would coincide with the new arrival.

My next big shock was when I met Mungo, the Great Dane, though I quickly realized he was just a big softie and we quickly became friends.

I am pleased that the English summer continues warm and bright enabling me to enjoy Joyous’ beautiful garden. I am very interested in the fish pond too, but I don’t think I will get my paws wet.

I think I should not stay too long here for Joyous will soon have her hands full with the new baby…so I now begin to make my preparations for the long, long journey to AUSTRALIA!!

Sept 2003 – Oct 2003 KizmetKat (Australia)
Arrived to an enthusiastic welcome at KismetKat’s. It is all true what they say about aussies – they really are a friendly bunch.

Kis’ daughter Tessa insisted I sleep in her room, and also did this wonderful drawing of the penguins at Phillip Island for me.



I arrived in time for the school holidays and Kis’ family involved me in all their activities. The trips to Phillip Island and Canberra were a highlight.

I was also pleased to hear via Kis that Joyous has safely delivered a beautiful baby girl call Isabella (and secretly relieved that she packed me off when she did – nappy changing is not my forte.)

My visit with Kis is now drawing to a close. Tessa is quite upset that I am moving on, and I WILL miss her delightful company. She has made sure that I am happy and comfortable during my stay. Her cat “Hill” is also nice company.

Kis has talked to me of my trip to Mystmum’s. She says I will travel by a highway called “The Olympic Way” – so called as this is the route the Olympic torch took on its way to the Melbourne when the games were there many years ago. She has warned me that road is narrow and much pot-holed – only in Australia would they call it a “highway.”

So I bid fond farewell to Kis and her family (especially little Tessa, though I know one should not have favourites) and make my (bumpy) way to MM.

oh this brings back memories...

Tell the squee that Tessa is not so little anymore, but still thinks of him fondly. Alas Hill crossed the rainbow bridge earlier this year - he would have been 17 this year.

that's too bad kis, I remember when our cat nina (wish I could put the tildy above the n like it's supposed to be) passed on, hurts for a long while.

Hiya, Kiz...good to see you here!
Hello to CK, how's the world treating you, young man?

I lost EverReady (my black cat) a couple of years ago too.

The next black cat I get will be named Guenhwyvar, from the Drizzt books.

Hi, Gab! How are you?

Thanks for getting all this together. It will be quite a thing to see it all!

Hello, PX. Good to see you as well. I hope this is what everyone was expecting. I will be adding pictures of "box" items as well.

New address for squee pictures is http://www.flickr.com/photos/squee_travels/. Some of the captions are gone, so I'm going to have to go other them and see what I can do to correct that.

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hmm - and the pics are all a bit messed up and out of order too. That's a bugger!

Hey gab - how about adding a list of the prezies the squee brought for people along the way? I got a lovely photo frame from Joyous.