Chapter III
June 12, 2009
Right out of the Miracle-Mud Spa & Resort
I had a lot of fun in Topeka. I talked about it in my Journal the last time. And then we drove to G-Ma Shelley’s house in Canada. When I first got there, snow was on the ground. Do you know how great it feels to roll in snow? We hardly have any in Albuquerque where I live with Penni. But then the snow started to melt and this place at the bottom of the yard was all wet and squishy. It smelled fantastic. Whenever G-Ma let me out in the yard, I ran down to the wet place. I shared my discovery with Ember and Libby.
(Libby is my sister who flew up here when she was a little puppy.) They really liked it too. The only problem with it was when we went up on the deck to go into the house, G-Ma Shelley wouldn’t let us in. She put us in crates until we dried off. She also didn’t think we smelled good.
But we had a lot of fun running around the yard. G-Ma has a huge gray dog that thinks he’s one of us. He isn’t. He’s as tall as G-Ma’s horse, and he’s pretty clumsy. He can put his front feet on the top of the fence and look over – that’s really all he’s good for – telling us what’s happening where we can’t see.
The tall clumsy gray dog
After I’d been at G-Ma’s about three weeks, she put me in the bath tub and gave me a good soaping. She blew on me with the dryer and complained a lot about how my hair stood out all over. I guessed we were going to a dog show. Otherwise, no one would care if my hair stood out all over. Of course, I was correct. We went to shows three days in a row. I won all three days, but noticed the ribbons were different colors than the ones I got last summer. My sister Dolly was Best of Breed every day and I was Best of Opposite Sex. Actually, G-Ma Shelley showed me nine times – it was three weekends in a row – and Dolly was Best of Breed all but one day. Four days she won ribbons in the Group. That made G-Ma Shelley really happy, but I think she wanted my award to be called Best of Contrary Sex.
After I’d been at G-Ma’s for six weeks, she told me that since I was a Canadian Champion, I was going back to Penni’s, but that it would be a long trip. First thing one morning, G-Ma and I got in her little truck and started driving. We went across the Border from Canada into New York. We drove past Buffalo (I never saw any buffalo) to East Aurora. There were really nice people waiting for me there. Sally and Paul and Cynnie. G-Ma said she had to take photos for Penni. Sally didn’t stay for any photos, but Paul did. I sat in front of him and he petted me while G-Ma took a picture. Then Cynnie said she’d pick me up and hold me for the picture – Oh, she tasted so good! I cleaned her whole face before she knew what was happening. I think I surprised her a little bit.
Then G-Ma Shelley gave Cynnie a new crate and some papers and my dinner and my breakfast. She thanked her a lot. Then she left to drive back to her house. Cynnie went away to her house, but told me she’d see me in the morning. Paul took me out in the yard while he dug in the ground and planted things. He had a lot of birds out there and I chased them away, but they kept coming back. Sometimes he whistled for me. I’d run over and he’d pet me. Later that day, he took me for a long walk. It was fun to leave messages everywhere we went. Sally fed me dinner and then we went to bed. I was going to sleep with Paul, but decided Sally’s bed was better so I slept with her.
Really early in the morning, Paul took me for another long walk. When we got back to his house, Cynnie was there. She told me to hop in my crate so I did. We drove to the Buffalo airport (I still didn’t see any buffalo). Cynnie and some people talked a long time, and all the people talked to me. They told me I was so cute and that I was going to have a real adventure. The next thing I knew, I was up on a rolling table. I was there a long time and then they put me into a tiny room. After a little while, there was a huge noise all around me. At first I was pretty scared. I laid down and put my paws over my ears, but the noise just kept going. I could feel my little room moving. It was bumpy and then it was very smooth – but it was still moving. The noise and bumping happened again and then stopped. My crate was lifted onto another rolling table and I was put into another little room. The noise started again, but this time I wasn’t scared. I rolled over on my back and just went to sleep.
The room stopped moving again and some people put me back on a moving table. They all talked like Sherri. I thought that was pretty funny. I looked around to see if she was there, but she wasn’t. Then I was put in one more little room, and there was a lot of noise again and the room moved. I really thought that was how I would spend the rest of my life. This time, when the room stopped moving and the people put me on the rolling table, they took me into a big garage. I heard Penni calling my name. She was saying that she was so happy to have me home. She took me right outside – that was a really good thing! A nice man brought the new crate outside. Penni put the new crate in our car and I got to jump into the front seat. I curled up on the seat because I was so tired, and I’d been in so many different places since the morning. Penni started driving us somewhere. It wasn’t very long before I remembered where we were. We were on the street where our house is.
I was so glad to be home. Inca was surprised to see me, but we kissed and went outside to run around. Penni petted and hugged me. She told me she had missed me because I am her really good boy. She said she plans for us to go back in the fields to find stuff and to go to our training club. I’m so glad to be home with her. I don’t want to leave again – ever.
I really missed her
