Having a variety of pets underfoot also turned out to be a good idea. "The animals were a dream,” said Todd. The mixed menagerie included as many as three animals living inside the Winnie at various times: Todd’s labrador Hyzer, Sue Stephen’s shepherd Blue, and Helix, a stray kitten they picked up along the way. "The cat was a terror for a while, but he’s a pretty cool little dude. He’s always hungry -- I never realized how much a kitten eats!”
"There wasn’t anything that Hyzer could have done to be a better road dog. When we’d get moving, he would curl up in his spot at the back of the passenger seat footboard. He’s not a barker, and he doesn’t chase discs. He’s definitely a Wonder Dog.”
"Helix would escape sometimes, and we spent hours searching for him. We figured out the best way to track him down is to speak his language. He’ll answer if you meow, kinda like sonar. I guess he spent a total of two or three nights outside on occasions when we couldn’t find him, but he was always there waiting for some breakfast in the morning.”
"The biggest thing with Helix is that, in such a small space, you’ve got to keep the catbox clean or it starts to get smelly. We keep it way back in a little area beneath the table, where only he can get to it easily.”
Blue, the oldest pet of the group, died of natural causes late in the season, but the hole she left won’t remain empty for long. Al will be bringing along his large houndog Storm in 2000.
Touring from coast-to-coast gave Todd Branch a unique perspective on the current state of disc golf, and we found one of his observations to be especially surprising. "There are a lot of good players who take the game seriously, but aren’t members of the PDGA. We found them in developing regions where they might not have a course guru, and especially out East. Since there are so few sanctioned tournaments out there, not a lot of outsiders come in, and the players generally don’t go out.”
Keeping expenses down was a constant chore, but successfully managed. "It wasn’t as spartan as you might think. Some movies, dinners, some drinks. After a big win, we’d always go out for a nice meal.” According to Todd, managing your money on the road is a lifestyle choice. "We had as much fun as financing would allow; no more, no less. In 2000 we’ll need to make more money though, because now we’re tapped out of backup cash.”
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