4-27-2013 12_40_14 AM

  Tales of Hunter, the accidental pet

This was the first year in a long time that the Army base did not have a Fourth of July fireworks show or celebration. We have taken the grand kids a couple of times but last year was the first time they could really enjoy it. Charlie had staked us out a good spot in the  parking lot of the Officers Club and we had chairs and snacks and even had met up with our neighbors who were there to enjoy the fireworks too. In the past we took our kids to the celebrations of all the different bases we were stationed at. It was a tradition of sorts. Some of our best memories were of those times so it was with some degree of disappointment we planned a firework less fourth. This was also the first year we had a dog on the fourth. Did not think far enough ahead and plan for him and his anxiety. The same neighbors we met at the base were the ones who invited us to join them in a celebration at home this year. They planned for a good show. As we drove up to the neighborhood we saw cars parked on the side of the road and people watching the fireworks being set off in our neighborhood. It was quite fun and not just one show but 3 different ones in the same neighborhood. We enjoyed ourselves even if Hunter did not.

The Fourth of July


 

 

WHAT IS THAT?! WHERE IS IT COMING FROM?! I look around and I see grandma and grandaddy sitting in their usual spots. Not even reacting to the loud noises and windows rattling. How is that possible? " Hunter, calm down. It's just night firing on base. It can't get to you or hurt you. We wouldn't let that happen." How could you stop it, there is no way to tell where it is coming from or where it will strike next. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! I jump up and wedge myself behind grandma's legs and as far under the couch as I can get. Ratatatatatatatatatatata! Ratatatatatatatatatatata! Grandma gets up to goes to the kitchen and I follow close on her heels. "Granddaddy call him please. I would like to use the restroom a-l-o-n-e." She implores. "Hunter! Come here boy it's OK, grandma will come back." I'm torn. Where do I go? "Come here boy!" Grandaddy calls so I go to him and sit directly on his feet. This has got to be the worst night yet. "It won"t last much longer, so just sit here and calm down." He says rubbing my head and ears. OK, but I'm not convinced. Shortly after that all the booming and shaking stops. "Finally! It gets longer each time." He says. "I know," says grandma "who would have thought the base would expand so far out this way? I know we didn't consider it 20 years ago when we moved here." "Well , it's done now so let's go to bed. Come on Hunter, upstairs." OK I say but like it or not I'm sleeping in your room tonight.

"It's just part of his separation anxiety. He will get over it." I hear mom say to grandma on the computer. " he's the same way with thunder." " I know." Said grandma " but it seems to be getting worse." "Just keep reassuring him and making him feel safe and it will get better. Unless you want to hire him a therapist" mom says laughing. Then grandma starts and it's all downhill from there. I decide I've heard enough and go up to my room. Yes, it's my room now. I have taken the guest room. Anyone who comes over to spend the night has to share with me. In my mind at least. The reality is I get booted out. Oh well.

Since I'm new to the neighborhood, Tinkerbell feels she must educate me on the ins and outs of living here. One of the lessons was about how we live so close to the army base that when they have training we get the extra noise and vibrations  from that training. When I asked why, she kindly informed me that " it has to go someplace, silly." We are perfectly safe and not to worry. It won't hurt us. Her brothers just laughed and called me a baby. I have to admit that over the next several weeks she was right. I did get more used to it and less afraid. I never saw anything, only heard the sounds and felt the shaking. It didn't get any closer or worse, so I began to relax. I even got so I didn't notice when the big planes went overhead.  I started feeling pretty good about myself and dared anyone to call me a baby. Thunder and lightening were still a bit much but no one knew about that.

One day Miss Jackie came over and invited grandma and grandaddy to her house next door for a party in one week. The base wasn't going to have one this year because of budget cuts so they were planning one for home. "Great." Said granddaddy "We'll be there." The day came and I ended up in the house for longer than usual. Grandma and granddaddy were gone till dark so I thought they forgot about the party. Finally granddaddy comes in and says "Come on Hunter let's go, you need to go out and grandma and I need to get next door." OK, so out we go. I had heard music and laughter earlier and now I see grandma already over there and granddaddy left through the gate. I guess I get to stay out for a while. Cool. I hear people talking and laughing, kids running and playing. All of a sudden there was a loud whistling noise and a quick flash. What was that! Then there was another! Soon all kinds of booming, flashing,whistling,sparkling, glowing and smoking things were going off all at once. Oh my goodness! GRANDMA! GRANDADDY! Come quick!  Come now! Please come now! I can hear them. I can even see them in the flashing light. They are laughing and watching the THINGS. I run back and forth across the yard but they don't see me. I keep calling for them but they don't hear me. This can't be right. Tinkerbell said it wouldn't come to us but here it is! Why are they out there? More and more booms. More and more flashes. More screeching sounds and fire! I can't believe this, I have to get in where it's safe.  I run onto the deck and push on the door. Nothing. I push harder. Still nothing. Suddenly there is an enormous booming, exploding, light flashing wave that pushes open the deck door. I scramble inside, grab my kong toy and run up the stairs to hide. If they want to stay out there that's on them. I tried to warn them but they ignored me. At this point it's every man or dog for himself! Call me a baby if you want. I"m totally OK with that.

Hunter, Tinkerbell, Mitzy and Bitzy

Tales of Hunter, the accidental pet

As a military family we had to learn how to get along with people and start fresh each time we moved. We had to get out there and look around and meet new people. We had to see and be seen. That was my approach with Hunter. He needed to see and be seen. I wanted him to learn the neighborhood and for them to know him. I wanted them to know we now had a dog. If only for a little while. That sounds strange because it has only been a little while but feels like forever. Enjoy!


   Hunter, Tinkerbell, Mitzy and Bitzy

After a while people in the neighborhood got used to seeing me and grandma or granddaddy walking around. Some would speak and some would wave. Word got out to all the other dogs that I was new in the area and most were friendly and wanted to play with me. But grandma being new to the pet parent business wouldn't let me go where I wanted all the time and tried to keep me in check when I would run and meet someone new. She wasn't usually successful. I am a big dog after all.

One day as we passed Brutus's house and turned the corner these two little long haired Chihuahuas  came at me pretty fast. Both yelling in high pitched voices that grated on my nerves. "Hi there! You're Hunter right? We're Mitzy and Bitzy. We're twins!" They said in unison. "We heard you were new..." "... and walked the neighborhood with your grandma..."...wanted to meet you...""... and say hi!" " so..HI!" Argh! I had to swing my head back and forth between them to see which one was talking! They kept jumping up and down, up and down! It was too much! Squeaky voices talking real fast, finishing each others sentences . Grandma take me away, please! I can't stand it! Finally we got started back down the way we came and they followed us. I walked faster and they walked faster. They just  kept coming, kept talking, kept jumping. Where were their parents?! We turned the corner onto our street and as I looked back to see if we were safe, they stopped and said together  "Bye Hunter! See you next time!" and turned and went back to their house. See me next time? Not if I see you first you won't. As we walked home I heard someone snicker. It was coming from grandma's friend Joan's yard. Her dogs were laughing at me. " Hi Hunter!" they said together in high pitched squeaky voices.   " I see you met Mitzy and Bitzy. Those girls are a trip." The bigger one said. "Yeah a trip." Said the smaller one laughing. "I didn't think it was funny, why are you laughing?" I said. "They have set their sights on you my friend and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." Said the big one "You are fresh meat and all they have to do is get their mom to come outside and talk to your grandma while she's walking you and you will be a captive audience. Since you're on a leash and all." Oh no, can't let that happen. " They think they are so cute and the world revolves around them and that EVERYONE wants to know about it." More laughter erupted from the two of them. I pulled grandma down the road toward our house as I hear one of them say " I kind of feel sorry for him." "Not me. " Said the other "I'm just glad it's not us!"

After my encounter with " The Twins" I tried to avoid going that way on our walks. It was hard because we had to pass their house to go almost anywhere in the neighborhood. We started walking down into the cul de sacs and meeting new people and pets. Once again most were friendly would say hi or wave. Things were going pretty well until one day a car pulled into a driveway down the street. We were going into the garage when I hear "Tinkerbell ! You come back here right now missy!" "In a minute daddy!" Oh great, another one. Why? Why does it have to be another one? All of a sudden there was a little brown fur ball careening up the driveway at me. "Ma'am . I'm sorry, she's really gentle and wouldn't hurt anybody. She's just excited that's all. She loves to meet new dogs all the time." " It's OK" said grandma " I just hope I can keep Hunter from inadvertently hurting her." "Yes ma'am. My wife and I've seen you guys out walking and it looks like he's walking you instead of you walking him." "It feels that way sometimes too!" I look down and all I see is hair. " Hi, I'm Tinkerbell . I'm a Yorkie. What are you? " 0h great. I said groaning.." I'm Hunter and I'm, ( hum, what do I say?) I'm a pit bull." Chuckling,  the little fur ball says "No, really." " Uh yea, really." " No you're not. My brothers are pit bulls and you don't even come close to looking like them. So what are you?" Sighing loudly, "My mom said I was a wiemeriner/ mix with some pit in there somewhere. " " Cool" she said. Humph! " Thanks". Why was I even out here talking to her? Girls are nosey, yappy, and bossy. They are sooo annoying and can't seem to leave a guy alone. Man, I just want to go inside. Come on grandma I want a treat. " Uh oh , looks like someone s ready for  his treat. It was nice talking you Tom. And you too, Tinkerbell. Say bye Hunter" Really? Fine. "Bye!" Finally! Can we go inside now?  Grandma pats my head and says "Good job Hunter. You were a good boy. You can have two treats." Alright! Two treats! Don't know what I did or why it was worth two treats but I'll take it. Now, time for a nap.

A napping dog is a good dog. A napping Hunter is a treat for grandma.

 Tales of Hunter, the Accidental Pet
Hunter tries to fly

I tried to fly today. I didn't really know I was doing it until I looked down and realized I was not on the ground. WOW!

One of my favorite things to do is chase. I like to chase things, animals, even people. That's why when I saw Brutus chasing the car I wanted to chase it too. At my mom and dads home I spent most of my days outside. I would chase anything that moved.A squirrel, a bird, a leaf. Whatever caught my attention. Sometimes I would find bugs to chase. They liked to hide in the grass but I would usually find them. I wouldn't even think about it much. I would just do it. There were other dogs around and the next door neighbors had dogs and we would run up and down the fence line chasing each other and playing. Sometimes mom or dad would come out and toss a ball and I would chase it or a Frisbee. We had a nice big backyard that I could roam and play in. Here at grandma and granddaddy's house the yards are farther apart and we don't share a fence with anyone so I just have to chase what ever shows up in the fenced area. Usually not a large variety of things to choose from. Grandma comes outside and tosses a baseball for me to chase and so does grandaddy. My favorite thing to chase is squirrels but so far I haven't seen many of those. At least not yet. The next thing is birds. I like to watch them take off and swoop and sway in the air. Here there seems to be a lot of birds. They like grandma and granddaddy's house for some reason. I know grandma doesn't care for them much. She says they make a mess everywhere and that there is a nest in the top of the chimney. She even has a fake one on the porch. It's a big owl with a movable head. Its supposed to scare the other ones away. It doesn't seem to work. Whenever I'm outside and some land inside the fenced area I run as fast as I can at them and watch them as they scatter into the air. I like that.

One big difference between mom and dads house and grandma and granddaddy's house is mom and dad didn't have a deck. Grandma and grandaddy do have a deck. Before, I could go out the door and right into the yard. Here I have to go down steps and take a right turn to get into the yard. Before, I could go out the door and start to run. Here I have to go down steps and take a right turn before I start to run. Before, I could jump on a bug right away and get him. Here I have to go down steps and take a right turn before I can get the bug. See where I'm going with this? Well this morning grandma let me out before she went to work. As she stepped back inside a bird landed on the top of the fence. It was in my direct line of sight. The perfect target for a chase. The bird looked at me. I looked at the bird. It started to chirp. I got in position.. I started after it at a dead run. It took only a couple of seconds before I realized my mistake. By then however it was too late. I forgot I had to go DOWN the STEPS. I went down them alright, just not in the proper manner. The bird takes off and I land in a heap at the bottom on the concrete slab. Wow! I'm more embarrassed than hurt. Grandma came DOWN the steps and made sure I was OK. She started laughing at me and hugged me tight before she left. "Hunter, be sure to watch where you are going while I'm at work, OK? Maybe you should just stay on the couch." She said laughing as she went out the door. That sounds like a plan. Flying is not as much fun as the birds make it seem. I will have to get better at remembering the process for getting to the yard though. Next time I might not be so lucky.
Down the steps, right turn. Down the steps, right turn. Down the steps, right turn.

 Hunter waiting for some birds to show up. The one he went for was perched on the gate.

Tales of Hunter, the accidental pet

My father has a dog. His name is Budd. Daddy got from a guy who found him and his brother on the side of the road. Budd is black with some white markings and his brother is brown with similar markings. Budd is not an alpha dog. He too, is very needy and always wants you to pet him or play or just scratch his back. When you do these things he will lean against you and lick your hand till you drip dog slobber if you let him. I am not a dog slobber kind of girl. I prefer none if asked. Daddy got  Budd to  stand guard but to also to provide some companionship. They would hop into Daddy's truck and go to the store or the dump or just drive around. One of Budd's favorite tricks is to run full bore at you then turn on a dime and land at your feet ready to be petted. Neat trick really, and he's good at it. Whenever I go to Daddy's for a quick grocery run or go to the dump, I will usually take Budd with me. He loves to ride in the truck and is very sweet sitting in the seat next to you looking out of the window .One of his favorite treats for riding so nice is Cheetos. Not so Hunter. Hunter loves Cheetos but can not for the life of him be still in the car. He is so excited to go that he can shake the car from side to side jumping back and forth between the two windows in the back seat. It can really be quite dangerous.  Budd and Hunter have not met but both of them suspect there is another dog because I can get out of the car and they will immediately do the sniff test. While Budd doesn't seem to mind, Hunter gets a little miffed and will let me know it. The day will come when Budd comes to live at my house. I just hope Hunter is at his house by then.  Enjoy!


Grandma cheats

I think grandma is cheating on me. I know there is another dog she goes around. It's my cousin Piper but there is another one too. I have never met him, and I say him because of his smell. Also there is black hair on her when she comes home. Piper is grayish and this hair is definitely black or very dark brown. She's probably cheating on her diet too. Sometimes she even smells like Cheetos. I love Cheetos. I don't get Cheetos but I love them. She usually doesn't bring stuff like that home. I wonder about it after she's been gone for the day and not at work. When she goes to work she wears certain clothes. They all look alike and hang downstairs. When she goes out with Grandaddy she usually dresses up a little. Or when she goes to Aunt Dani's and sees her grand kids, she will usually wear jeans and a cute top. Her wardrobe isn't particular to the other dog but I know it's not work or Aunt Dani's. So, where is she going and who is this other dog? I need to find out. If Grandma isn't a pet person how can she have another dog besides me? Where is he at? What if she has to choose? Who will she choose? Who was first? Does she like him better than me? Does she give him special treats ? Do I need to be worried? All this makes me nervous and when I'm nervous I dig. Or at least I want to dig. If I'm in the house I can't dig. Well I'm not supposed to but I can't help it. I scratch at the carpet. I try to hide it but Grandma will usually find it and then there is a big fuss. There is another man too. It's not Grandaddy. She talks about Papa and someone named Budd a lot so I think it might be one of them.
Is this other dog at his house? Sometimes she comes home all sweaty and dirty. She tells Grandaddy about how her and Papa cleaned up the yard or cleaned out the barn or went to the dump. Don't know what the dump is but it sounds like fun. Smells like fun too! She talks about Budd and how he would ride along in the truck. Truck? We don't have a truck! Maybe it's Budd's truck. It all sounds like a great adventure and I can't go. It's not fair. She will tell Grandaddy how whenever she starts for the store to get Papa's groceries or medicine, Budd will jump right in and ride along. He seems a bit pushy to me. I would like to ride along. I would make Budd stay home and let Grandma run her errands without being bothered by someone. I think I should meet this other dog and let him know she's a nice person and tries to be kind to everyone, but she's my Grandma and not to horn in on my turf. I may have to get Papa and Budd to back me up on this. Maybe I can get some Cheetos.

Budd riding in the truck

Tales of Hunter, the accidental pet

                                                                                                             

Too many times is life people make decisions based on less than sound reasons. Sometimes there is an unintended consequence. An abandoned animal. The amount of time, patience and money required can become overwhelming.Unfortunately it happens too often. The story of Brutus is not one that I need to tell. The family that has him takes good care of him. They do tend to let him off his lead so he can roam around the neighborhood or chase cars quite often it seems. That or he is a magician and his lead is like the magic handcuffs used  on stage. Hunter seemed to be fascinated with him and always tried to go over and visit whenever we were out. That is until they had this altercation and then things changed and both became very wary of each other. We walk on the opposite side of the street and they don't even make eye contact. I guess its a situation of who is the dominate one and who is submissive. So far Hunter has been the alpha dog and that's OK with me. Enjoy.

Hunter talks to Brutus


Ever since I heard Brutus's story it has weighed on my mind. Maybe he is scared and lonely waiting for his family to return just like me. Well, not exactly like me because I have Grandma and Grandaddy, so I'm not lonely. But I am waiting for my family to come back and maybe he is too. Maybe that's why he chases cars. He's looking for them. Maybe he's not mean, just upset. Maybe I can help. I at least have to try, right? Now I need a plan.

When we go out for our walk today, I will talk to Brutus about being an accidental pet. Maybe it will make him feel better knowing he isn't the only one. It makes me feel better. He just glares at us as we pass by and it makes me sad. When grandma takes me out I'm going to drag her across the street to the house with the fenced yard and when she unclasps my leash I'm going to make a run for it. I think she would understand. Grandma likes helping people and making them feel better.


Time sure is dragging by. It seems like Grandma will never get home. She went in early this morning so she should come home early this afternoon. Oh man...Come on already!
Finally Grandma comes home from work. "Hunter! Ready for a walk?" Yes, yes I am. "It is such a nice day today. I'm sorry you had to stay inside until I got home. Lets see how far we can walk today." So out we go. I need to be cool about this. I look for Brutus. He's on the porch as usual. I have to make my sure we go by his house on our way. I pull grandma across the street. She resists and pulls me back to our side of the road. I pull harder. She pulls harder. Wow, those exercises are working. I pull again and she finally gives in. " OK, OK, we'll go there. " Yay! Grandma pushes open the gate and unclasps my leash. I take off like a shot! "Brutus! Brutus! I want to tell you something!" "Hunter come back here!" Yells Grandma. "Brutus, I'm an accidental pet too!" I say as I run toward him. "Hunter! " "Brutus I know how you feel!" "Hunter, you come back here right now!" Grandma says angrily. I just ignore her and keep running toward the porch. Growling Brutus jumps up and charges at me. "Oh no! Hunter come back!" Grandma says. Brutus jumps on me and starts snapping his jaws and baring his teeth. Yikes! This may have been a mistake! I stop short and growl and snap as well. Grandma is running toward us and I am afraid Brutus might bite her. I need to keep her safe so I back away and run to her. "Hunter, what were you thinking? Come here right now!" Grandma yells. "Listen to your grandma, boy. I have nothing to say to you, I want nothing to do with you. You are not like me. Go away!" Brutus says as he walks back to his porch. Grandma clips the leash on and she pulls me toward our house. I could see she was upset and scared. " Hunter! What were you doing? You could have been hurt!" I know, I know. " You almost gave me a heart attack! What is the matter with you?!" I just thought if I could talk to him I could help him. I guess not.

The next day as grandaddy and I walked past where Brutus lives I slow down. I see him on the porch and he sees me. He gets up and walks down a couple of steps. He stares at me and I stare at him. We just look at each other and Grandaddy just waits. Grandma filled him in on all the excitement when he got home later that evening. We wait about a minute, Brutus turns and walks back up onto the porch and lays down facing away from me. We say nothing. " Come on Hunter. Let's go." Says Grandaddy.  I don't look back at Brutus. I just walk.

Hunter and Charlie out for a walk.

 

 

Something has caught his attention.

Tales of Hunter, the accidental pet

As Hunter's "guardians" until our daughter and her family come back and take him home, I feel it is necessary for him to know where he is and how to get around and find his way back should the need arise. So to that end I try to walk him around the whole neighborhood. Many of the families here have pets, the majority are dogs, and they all make themselves known as we pass by. Hunter will usually not respond to the barks or growls from those behind a fence, but occasionally we will encounter another dog on a leash with its owner or even one that runs up to the edge of their yard barking loudly making it known we are about to trespass into their territory.  Some are overly friendly, while others are not friendly at all. One of those is Brutus. Brutus was abandoned by his owners and taken in by a family in the neighborhood on a temporary basis, until a permanent home could be found. That was awhile ago and the family he is with has just kept him as their own. He is also an accidental pet.  Enjoy.


Hunter meets Mitzy and Bitzy

Today Grandma and I went for a walk down past her friend Joan's house. She has two dogs. Both just barked at me while Grandma and Joan talked. I just ignored them. They just wanted to make fun of me and I was in too good of a mood to let that happen. The weather was nice and Grandma was home all day today. We played and she petted me and we played and she petted me and we played and she petted me until she finally said we needed to walk. Fine by me, I was almost played and petted out anyway. I like walking in the neighborhood. Most of the dogs we see are inside fences. Some come out into the yards but for the most part it seems I'm one of the few who get "walked". As Grandma was talking I heard her say "... he just seems mean. I don't like walking by his house. I check to make sure he is on the lead before I take Hunter by there. Unfortunately we have to go by there to go almost anywhere in the neighborhood. Besides he always chases my car into the driveway. I'm afraid I might hit him." "I know, but he is really quite timid. If you speak loudly and firmly he backs right down." said Joan. "I have had to do that a couple of times when I take the kids for a walk." " That would be scary!" said Grandma. " His previous owners weren't the best. They even abandoned him. Just up and left him in the back yard one day when they moved away. The Jones took him in after a couple of days, when it became apparent they weren't coming back. It was them or the pound." What? Brutus? Abandoned? Who would do that? No wonder he seems so grumpy all the time. Always barking at us or chasing cars. He probably wonders where his family is. I know where mine are and its hard enough, but to not know and not know if they were coming back would be awful. " Well he still frightens me, but I guess its better knowing why he is so aggressive. Thanks Joan, but we must move on. Lots of walking to do today. Bye." " Bye! and goodbye to you too Hunter!" said Joan. So on we went. All the while my mind was racing. Brutus was as accidental pet too. How funny is that? I was so preoccupied with thoughts of Brutus I got blindsided by not one but two yapping hair balls.

 Just as we turned the corner these two long haired chihuahuas came running toward us, FAST!
  "Hi there! You're Hunter right? We're Mitzy and Bitzy. We're twins!" They said in unison. "We heard you were new..." "... And walked the neighborhood with your grandma..."...wanted to meet you...""... And say hi!" " so..HI!" Argh! I had to swing my head back and forth between them to see which one was talking! They kept jumping up and down, up and down! It was too much! Squeaky voices talking real fast, finishing each others sentences. Grandma take me away, please!  We finally got started back down the way we came and they followed us. We walked faster and they kept coming. Where were their parents? They kept talking the whole time! Didn't they need to take a breath? We turned the corner onto our street and as I looked back to see if we were safe, they stopped and said "Bye Hunter! See you next time!" and turned and went back to their house. See me next time I thought. Not if I see you first you won't. As we walked home I heard someone snicker. It was coming from grandma's friend Joan's yard. Her dogs were laughing at me. " Hi Hunter" they said in high pitched squeaky voices," I see you met Mitzy and Bitzy. Those girls are a trip." The bigger one said. "Yeah a trip." Said the smaller one laughing. " They have set their sights on you my friend and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. You are fresh meat and all they have to do is get their mom to come outside and talk to your grandma while she's walking you and you will be a captive audience. Since you're on a leash and all. They think they are so cute and the world revolves around them and that EVERYONE wants to know about it." More laughter erupted from the two of them. As I pull grandma down the road toward our house. I hear one of them say " I kind of feel sorry for him." "Not me. " Said the other "I'm just glad it's not us!"

I'm in such a hurry to get back to the house I don't even notice Brutus. He is the last thing on my mind. All I want is to get away from the "Twins".  Once inside and my mind has calmed a bit I start to wonder. Could Brutus really be an accidental pet too? Could he and I have something in common? Could we be friends? I'm not sure but I know one thing. It has to be easier to deal with Brutus than Mitzy and Bitzy. Either way I have some planning to do.


Hunter getting ready to go out for a walk. Waiting impatiently of course.

 

Tails of Hunter, the accidental pet

I am not a neat freak. I want to get that out in the open. I have tendencies I'll admit, but after 35 years with my none neat husband I have turned to the dark side, if only a little bit. I am not one of those people who loses it if something is out of place or constantly goes behind everyone cleaning up as they mess up. I just like everything neat and clean. I can go for days and not vacuum or dust, at least I could till you-know-who came to live with us. I now have to curb those tendencies even more. The rate in which he loses hair is greater than the rate that I can vacuum. It is a vicious circle and I feel myself getting caught up in it almost daily. It will drive you insane. I commented to my daughter about the hair loss and she said " Well Mom it's not like I didn't know he sheds a lot. I just didn't care." Insane I tell you, INSANE!


Hair of the dog

"Argh! every time I think I have a handle on it I find more! My beige carpet is gray." Beeeep beep beep. Beeeep beep beep.

"What are you fussing about?" Asked Grandaddy. " I just vacuumed yesterday and now I could fill the thing up again with dog hair. How can one dog lose so much hair and not be bald?" Said Grandma getting the vacuum. "The Hair Club should really look into this. I'm sure they could solve the problem of hair loss for millions of people around the world if they could figure out how he does it." I don't know what she's talking about. It's not like I go around all day deliberately dropping handfuls of hair. I don't collect it so I can fling it around the house. What does she expect I'm a dog. " There has to be something I can do to at least slow it down. My vacuum is getting a lot of mileage put on it. And I'm not talking highway miles either." Said Grandma. " I'll just have to research it." "Oh no, not that." Groans Grandaddy.  "Every time I hear her say that it usually means someone will suffer." Looking at me he smiles and pats my head and says "Sorry buddy." Uh oh! I'm the one to suffer.

There is something about vacuums that just bothers me. They are loud and constantly move back and forth plus they eat stuff. How do I know it won't eat me? I don't, so I have to bark at it to let it know that I am not food and to let it know I'm not scared of it. Not very scared anyway. Grandma can keep it under control but I still worry. I've seen it eat stuff right off the floor in front of me. Some of it my stuff. It eats the crumbs left over from one of my treats that I was saving for later. It eats bits of paper. I have even seen it start to eat a small rug but Grandma grabbed it and pulled it out of its mouth before it could swallow all of it. Then it makes a high pitched whine that hurts my ears. I try to stay out of its way but it just roams all over the house with grandma holding onto its tail and pushing or pulling it. Vroooom! Look out here it comes! "Hunter move!" Don't worry, I'm out of here. Grandma vacuums downstairs so I go upstairs. I hear her stop, open the vacuum up, dump the contents in the trash and put it back together. She does the stairs and then brings the monster upstairs. I run downstairs. All the while she's mumbling about hair everywhere and something about shaving. Soon she is done and dumps the last load in the trash. She puts the vacuum away (finally) and sits down at the computer. There is an almost erie silence as she taps away at the keyboard for an hour.

The next day grandma brings home a soft looking mitt. It's supposed to capture all the loose dog hair on me before it falls onto the floor. Nope. But I did like the way it felt on my back. After that it was a brush. She brushed me everyday, sometimes more than once or twice. She brushed me so much I would run if I saw her with her own hairbrush. She got a special comb and spray, even a new broom. "The broom works best of all but it only gets up what has already fallen off of you." She would tell me. She would even  roll me down with her lint roller on the off chance it would catch a few stray hairs. " I give up." She said. " I guess we will just have to live with it." Thank you! While I enjoy all the attention, I was starting to get sore from all the rubbing and brushing. If there was a way I could stop shedding I would. I would do it for Grandma. She and Grandaddy have taken me in and made me part of their family. Besides I don't think I want to find out what shaving is.

 

 

 

Hunter waiting to get brushed. This is the only time he was still.

 

 

 

 

Tales of Hunter, the accidental pet.

 

I have worked at the same place for 19 years. It started out as a  semi-temporary thing to help with the bills after we built our house. I wanted to buy new furniture and in order to do that I needed a job. My plan was to work a few months, save some money, get new stuff and then start with the school district or something so I could have the same time off as the kids. I wanted better stuff. Stuff I did't have to worry about being ruined by movers because this was our last move. So I took my time and got what I wanted and with the upgrade in furniture you also have to upgrade in accessories. So I did things up right. Got new stuff all around. I then developed a habit of getting more new stuff, so I kept working. Well then life happened and time passed and a couple years ago it was time to get new stuff again. This time the kids were grown and gone and it was just Charlie and me. So we got better stuff and once again I was very particular about what I got to go with it. I wanted a certain look and spent many a shopping trip looking for just the right thing. Hence the pillow. It was not expensive, nor was it very unique but it did fill what seemed to me, to be a gaping hole in my decor. Enjoy.

 

 

Hunter and the pillow

I've been with grandma and grandaddy almost 2 months now and we have a nice routine. I stopped sleeping in the crate after about a week and when I realized I was staying here instead of going to my family I decided to make myself at home. Grandaddy has his chair and Grandma sits on the love seat so I took the couch. It's nice and soft and long so I can stretch out when I need to. Grandma got a blanket of some sort to put on it to protect it. I don't intend to mess it up but I do have big feet and long nails. I also drool a little when I sleep. Kind of gross, but I can't help it. I have a favorite pillow I like to lay on. It's one of Grandma's favorites too I think. She keeps taking it away and fussing about it. I told you she can be bossy just like Coco. I keep sneaking it back and she keeps taking it away. There really is nothing special about it but it reminds me of my mom and dad. They would sit on the couch and use this pillow when they were here and I can still smell their scent on it. It's comforting to me to know they were here and will know where to come and get me when they come back. I can also smell YaYa and Elyse. I smell her mostly on the rug and carpet. She crawled around a lot and drooled too.

 

Anyway, Grandma and I go through this routine almost every day. She takes the pillow away, I take it back. She puts the pillow up, I go get it. She hides the pillo, I find it. It would be funny if it wasn't so serious. It's not like I'm asking for a lot. One morning Grandma comes down early and catches me sleeping on the pillow. "Eww! Dog drool on my good pillow. Hunter, what am I going to do with you?" She exclaimed. I'm not sure what the problem is. Mom and dad didn't mind if we layed on their pillows. We could get on the couch and love seat, lay on their blankets and throws and even get on the beds. But here I can only stay on the floor or the couch. It's kind of annoying. I'm being good and not messing anything up. Why can't I have this one little pillow?

 

Not too long after I got busted with the pillow Grandma comes downstairs early again and this time she has a bed pillow with her. " I thought you might have my good pillow again, so I'm going to give you one just for you" She said. "It's one your mom and dad slept on when they were here. Hopefully that will satisfy your need for their scent and you won't keep messing up my good pillow." Yay! You finally figured it out. I don't know how but I'm glad you did. "My friend Lynn at work raises German shepherds and I was telling her about your pillow fetish and she told me about the scent thing and how that was probably why you liked that pillow so much. She suggested something else that had their scent on it would work just as well and since I wasn't going to have your mom send me dirty t- shirts in the mail, I decided to try this. I hope this will do." Oh yes ! This will do nicely. It has a much stronger scent than the other one. I lay on the new pillow and take a deep breath. Ahh! Almost like home. Grandma takes the other pillow and starts to put it on the love seat. I look at her, then the pillow, then at her again. "What? You want this pillow too? No, you have that pillow now." She says as she puts the pillow on the love seat. But Grandma! I give her my best sad puppy dog eyes. Please? "No I said." I place my head on her lap. " No. That's one of my good pillows that I searched all over for so it would match my new furniture. You can not have it." She stated firmly. I wag my tail and nudge her hand. "No." I scoot up closer to her and gently lean against her leg giving her the sweetest look I have. "CRAP! OK! Fine, just get off me. How about I put it on the back of the couch, that way you can see it but not mess it up? Will that do?" She exclaimed. Yes, yes it will. "Can't believe I let him have the pillow. I got him a better pillow but he still wanted the other one and I let him have it. I can't believe it. How did that happen?" She mutters to herself as she leaves for work . I know. It was the puppy dog eyes. They work every time.

Tales of Hunter, the accidental pet.

I like to decorate for Christamas. I put up two trees. One in the living room and one in the Gone With The Wind room. That's another story. Needless to say I tend to go overboard and both of our daughters go the other direction. This year I was worried about Hunter and how he would react to all of the things that get put out and up, most of which can not be replaced. I have my mothers nativity set, a nativity my son-in-law brought me from Iraq and one of my own. They usually end up on the coffee table. I have angels I have collected from all over and some are old and fragile. It caused me more than a little anxiety worrying over their safety. I did modify my plans and just didn't risk losing any of the ornaments or sets that mean so much to me. That being said we did have two beautiful trees this year and next year maybe we can build on that to include more. Enjoy.

Hunter gets a toy for Christmas

Things around here are nice and pleasant. We have a routine that  I like and I am getting to know the neighborhood. All is well.  A few weeks go by and things start to change. Grandma starts rearranging the furniture and all the stuff on the tables in the living room. It's weird but maybe that's just how she is. Then she has grandaddy bring in this big box. She opens it up and pulls out a tree! A tree in a box! I know about trees but had never seen one in a box before. It looked sort of funny. It was in pieces. Grandaddy pulled out this metal part and set it on the floor then they stuck the biggest part of the tree into it and it stood up. Branches fell all around in a circle. They did it again with another piece and another. Each time branches would fall around in a circle. I was amazed and had to check this out. " Back up Hunter you are in the way." grandma said. Alright but let me get a good sniff first . " Hunter! Back up!" grandaddy said as he almost tripped over me. OK, OK I will. I sat on the couch and watched as they made this funny looking thing look like a tree. They fussed and fluffed and turned and twisted until they were satisfied with the shape. Grandaddy stepped back, looked at it and said "whew, I'm done." Grandma said " No you're not. There is a lot more to do." "Honey" he said " my job is to set it up and your job is to decorate it." he said smiling . Grandma put her favorite Christmas album on the record player and started to work. There were lots of twinkling lights and glass balls. Piles of crystal ornaments and a multitude of angels. There were so many. Grandma would take one out and look at it then put it back, shake her head and take another one out, put it back and another. Grandaddy finally asked " What are you doing? Why are you being so choosy about the angels? I know each one has a special meaning to you but you normally put them all on the tree. That's why we need such a big one." Grandma looked at me then, hard. My heart skipped a beat " I don't know how Hunter will react to the tree and I don't want to lose any of the them. Some of these can't be replaced and I don't want to take the chance of them getting broken." " I understand" he said. I tried to tell her not worry, I wouldn't break any of them. Grandma kept at it until finally grandaddy stood on the step stool and placed the big gold now on top. Wow! It was beautiful! I got off the couch and approached the tree. "No Hunter, not for you." she said. Grandaddy said " Let him go. Better to do it now while we are here than when we are at work." "You're right." she said. " OK Hunter, be careful." I will. I slowly walked to the tree and sniffed. It didn't smell like any tree I knew. I walked around it, kept my head low and my tail in check. So far so good. " Good boy Hunter! That's right just sniff it. Now you leave grandma's tree alone, OK?" Sure! I had passed the test and was so happy my tail got to wagging real fast and CRASH! I had knocked the candle and the candy dish off the coffee table. "Oh my!"grandma said " at least nothing is broken." Whew! "I guess I won't put my nativity sets out this year. Don't know if we can control that tail well enough to keep from breaking them. They certainly can't be replaced." She sighed heavily.

The next night grandma and granddaddy's other daughter and her family came to visit. They have 3 pups and all are bigger than Elyse. Two girls and a boy. The boy, Lee was very happy to see me. " I love big dogs!" He says wrapping his arms around grandma in a giant hug. "Can I pet him?" "Sure." she says "remember though, he's not been around big kids before so go easy with him" Lee nods his head and comes to me slowly. I try to be very careful and let him pet me. He pats my head and grins real big at me. Nichole, the oldest comes by and let's me sniff her hand and gives me a gentle pat in the head. I wait for the other one, Alexis to come by but she hides behind her mom. I figure that she is just shy and I need to go to her. So I get up and approach her and she bursts into tears and runs into the other room. Well that was rude. I didn't do anything to her, I didn't even bark. Well I did when they first came in the house but I was excited to see new people and grandaddy made me sit still and be quiet. Grandma stands up and goes to the kitchen. When she comes back she has Alexis with her. They have one of my favorite snacks in their hands. Cheese. Grandma says to Alexis " Honey you will have to get used to Hunter being here. He will be here for a few years until his family comes home. I don't want you afraid to come visit us because of him, so you need to make friends with him." I waited until she looked at me and said my name, then when she held out her hand I took the piece of cheese very carefully so I didn't scare her. She giggled and patted my head. The other kids came up then and told her what a good job she did giving me a treat and they wanted to as well. Great! I like it when I get treats. We all played together. I had to be careful around  them and the tree. It was hard but I did it.

  Later on that evening another tree in box was brought in (Yikes!) and grandma and the kids decorated that one. It had colored lights on it and lots of mismatched ornaments and ribbons and bows. Everyone laughed and had a good time. The very last thing they put out was a musical carousel. Finally it was time for the kids to go home. Hugs and kisses were given and Lee and Nichole both hugged me as they went out the door. Alexis timidly patted my head as she went by.

After everyone had gone grandma says "That went pretty well." Grandaddy says "I almost forgot! I got Hunter a toy today." Yay! I love toys. He gets out a bag and pulls out a tug toy. One where he can hold one side and I can hold the other and play tug of war. I like to play tug of war. It was a favorite game I played with my dad. We started playing and it was so fun! I didn't want to stop but grandaddy and grandma had to go to bed. They were going to church the next morning and needed to get up early. "Goodnight Hunter. Sweet dreams. Merry Christmas. You did well ." and up the stairs they went. I got my new toy and jumped up on the couch to go to sleep as well. I decided to practice the game grandaddy and I played so when we played again I could win. I practiced and practiced. The next morning I didn't feel good so I went up and laid on the floor in their room. Grandma said " Good morning Hunter. Did you sleep well?" Actually I didn't sleep too well. I don't feel good. " Urkk"" I said. Grandma turns around and looks at me and says " What's the matter boy? Too much excitement last night?" No, not too much excitement. Too much toy. Uh oh! Here it comes! "Blech!" Oh no! "Grandaddy! Come quick! Hunter is sick!" " What happened!" " I don't know he just...well you can see what he did." Oh great now I have really made a mess. "I'll get some towels." Grandaddy said and brought back some towels and cleaner too. "Wonder what brought this on?" Grandaddy said " He was fine last night." It's the toy I said, the toy. "What's this?" Grandaddy says. " it looks like part of the toy I got him. Hunter did you eat the toy?" Not all of it and I didn't mean to. It started to come apart last night while I was practicing and I swallowed part of it by mistake. " Hunter, I'm sorry. I should have gotten you a better toy. " Actually, I feel a little better now. " Is that all of it?" Grandma asks. "I hope so." Grandaddy says. Me too! Uh oh! "Urkk!" Oh no! "Burp!!! Yep that's all of it. "I'm sorry buddy, I'll get you a safer toy tomorrow. Lets get you cleaned up." Grandaddy said. The next day true to his word grandaddy came home with a safer toy. A great big bone. I like bones. Especially big ones.

Hunter settles in

Too many times in life we expect things to be a certain way and in my life things had been a certain way for a few years. I had a routine that was flexible and easily changeable to allow me to do what I needed to do when I needed to do it. The only thing that was set was my work schedule and that varied depending on the needs of my job. If I needed to work in the morning and run errands later I could or vice versa.  My days off were not set so I could make appointments and not have to lose time at work or use vacation or sick hours to go. With an elderly parent that I help take care of that is important. I could stay up late and work on emails or play games on the iPad. I could get up early and do my workout routine. I could fit most anything I needed to do into my day. It was my time. It revolved around me. Not anymore. Now it revolves around Hunter. His schedule is flexible and easily changeable to allow him to do what he needs to do when he needs to do it. His time, not yours and he isn't shy about letting you know either.

Since he has become a part of our family we have had to make a few adjustments. He has too, but mostly me and Charlie. Actually I'd say we made 90% of the adjustments. I am afraid  that number will rise in the future. Actually I'm sure it will.  Enjoy.


Hunter settles in

At my mom and dad's house they were always up early and would put me or Coco out first and feed the other one then switch us. Mom would get Elyse up and ready for daycare and then soon after that all of them would be gone for the day. They would come home in the evening and repeat the process spending more time with me and Coco. We would play with each other or with Elyse. She couldn't play a lot because she was so little and couldn't walk or talk much. Coco and I would be very careful around her and Coco would lie next to her bed and keep an eye on her when she slept. We had a routine and it was easy to follow. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do. Here at grandma's it's different. Sometimes she gets up very early and sometimes she gets up late. Sometimes grandaddy would be home all day working and sometimes he would be "on the road" all day. There was no routine that I could see. It was all jumbled up. Since there was no routine if I needed to go "out" I needed to let them know. I would be in the crate and couldn't get out by myself. The first few mornings I almost didn't make it to the "spot" by the mailbox. I needed to figure out a better way. That night I decided I wouldn't get into the crate. I wouldn't even go up the stairs. "Come on Hunter time for bed. Grandma has to get up early in the morning." She said. Nope, I'm not doing it. " let's go Hunter. Up." Said grandaddy. I sat down in the floor at the bottom of the stairs. "Now look. I'm not playing with you, dog. Let's go!" Grandaddy said. " Grab his harness and he will have to follow you" said grandma " and I will open the crate." "OK here goes." Grandaddy tugs and pulls and I just lay there. "Man he's heavy." Said grandaddy. " want me to help?" Asks grandma. "No. I have a feeling we are fighting a losing battle. We leave him out while we are at work so let's try it for the night and see what happens." " Well, OK if you're sure." Grandma said. " I'm sure I'm not dragging a 70lb dog up the stairs." Said grandaddy. Success! I got to sleep on the couch that night. The next morning. I walk up the stairs into their room. I go to granddaddy's side and paw at him. He doesn't move. I blow in his face. He doesn't move. I move to grandmas side and do the same. She finally wakes up and with a lot of grumbling gets up to take me out. It's cold and dark outside. Fortunately there are a few street lamps to light the way. I would love to go for a long walk but grandma complains about how cold and early it is and how she needed another couple hours of sleep before she goes to work so I give in and we go inside. She puts out fresh food and water then goes back to bed for a little more sleep. After I eat a bit I jump on the couch and go over in my mind the events of the morning. Things went pretty well. I went out in time and didn't have to rush. Had a nice meal. Hmm. I think I have found my new routine. Now, about this pillow...

An Explaination

Welcome! 

I hope you have enjoyed the first couple of posts about Hunter. He is a special dog, and he has certainly provided Charlie and me with a continuous source of entertainment and angst. Oh and hair, lots of hair. Those of you who know us are aware that we are not pet people. When people would ask if we wanted a puppy or kitten my response was always “I have a husband and two children. I don't need anything else to care for or clean up after."  

We did have pets when the girls were young. Mostly to help them learn responsibility and how to care for others. We had cats. With their aloofness and ability to entertain themselves, without any input from us, they were the optimal pet. Charlie had a favorite cat as a young boy named Tom. My family had the occasional mutt whose job it was to run varmint patrol and sound the alarm when strangers approached.  

Not so with Hunter. He requires large amounts of attention, but on his terms. While he and cats do have something in common, they both sleep a lot, he needs to be walked, fed, watered, petted, groomed and entertained. You must talk to him and engage him when he wants or he sulks. If you take too long to respond he will swat at you with one of his big paws.

In the mornings if you aren't up and ready to take him out when he is wants, regardless of the time, you get hit with a paw and he huffs doggie breath in your face. One of his very favorite things to do is lie on or lean up against you. This requires you to pet him the whole time. When he is satisfied he will get up and move to the couch, lay his head on the pillow and go to sleep. Then you are free to go about your business until he is ready again.

All that aside, he is a loving animal and while he may not be super excited that you interrupted his nap by coming home, he is always happy to see you if you have a treat ready.  These stories are all based on the reality of taking care of Hunter and how we have to muddle through and learn by trial and error. Charlie and I hope we do a good job so we can give him back in at least as good a shape as he was when we got him.

Thanks for reading!!

Sharon

Then it happened. Mom started crying and dad got upset. They would talk to one person and then another and another until finally the last one came out. He must have been important. Granddaddy stood with his arms crossed and a scary look on his face and Grandma kept chasing Elyse. Mom and Dad came over and spoke to Granddaddy who got mad and all I could do was watch. I heard Mom say "...won't let him on the plane. They gave out incorrect information and now he has to go as freight." I don't know what that is but it sounded bad. Mom just looked at me and cried more. I didn't know what to do. Dad said " ...earliest they can get him out is Thursday and it will cost $2000.” The way he said it made me think that was a lot. Then Mom said "What are we supposed to do? Leave him here at the airport!?" What! No! Wait! Finally Granddaddy said “ok, don't worry about it we can take him for now. If we need to come back we can. Grandma has all week off from work just in case something came up." Phew! That was a close one!

I like Grandma and Granddaddy. I haven't been to their house before but that's ok. Mom said “You really will take him? I know you aren't pet people". "Of course" Granddaddy said. “It won’t be for long." Mom and Dad were not happy but needed to get on the plane themselves. Grandma picked up Elyse and hugged her tight, gave her lots of kisses and handed her to Granddaddy. He did the same. Mom and dad took me outside and tried to explain what was going on but they just hugged me and cried. I was very sad. I finally got them back and now they were leaving me again. Granddaddy got my stuff together and put it and me in his car then he and grandma hugged everyone one last time. My family was leaving me again. I was heartbroken. I didn't understand. I just lay down on the seat and closed my eyes.

We got in very late that night and I was exhausted. Granddaddy put my crate upstairs and I got in it and stayed. I didn't want to eat, or play. I was sad. My family was gone and I was someplace else. Everyday Grandma would take me out for walks and pet me and hug me. Granddaddy did too but not as much. It made me feel a little better. Each day I could hear them talking on the phone trying to find a way to get me to my family. Sometimes Mom and Grandma would talk on the computer and I could see them. Mom always said she loved me and Elyse would call my name. Dad would say he missed me. It was very nice to hear, but it also made me sad. I wanted to be with them.

One day while talking on the computer I heard Mom crying again. She was saying how they couldn't afford the cargo fees to bring me over because I was so big. I would need a special crate and it would be a long roundabout trip. It could take a couple of days just to get there and they hadn't found a place to live yet. I then heard her say" I'll put the word out that we need someone to take him and give him a good home. You guys have been great keeping him these past few weeks but I can't ask you to continue. He's our dog and we will find him a nice new family. I'll let you know as soon as we get a response. I hate to lose him but I don't know what else to do." WHAT! NO! I don't want a new family! I want my old family! My heart was pounding in my chest so hard I was afraid it would jump out of it. I looked at Grandma and then at Granddaddy. Do something! Please! Help me! Please!

I live with Grandma and Granddaddy now. They have a nice house and there is a new fence in the backyard so I can go out and play. We get along great and they take good care of me. When Grandma said “don’t worry about it, we will not let you lose your pet because the airline gave you false information. It was inexcusable and unacceptable but not your fault. We will take care of him for you. He's a good dog and very little trouble." I knew I had been saved! I was so happy and so relieved! Mom told me to be a good dog for Grandma and Granddaddy. Treat them like I would treat her and dad and not to worry, they would come back for me.

We talk on the computer often and Elyse is getting so big! She still calls my name and now she blows me kisses. Mom and dad smile at me and tell me they miss me. I don't get as sad as I used to. Grandma is fun, but she can be bossy just like Coco. Sometimes she shares her treats with me and sometimes we go on adventures. I can hardly wait.

Tales of Hunter, the Accidental Pet

Hi, my name is Hunter and I am a dog. I don't know what kind of dog I am, just that I'm a BIG one.  I remember Mom saying I was Weimaraner/mix.  She wanted a Pit Bull like Dad's dog Coco.  I guess I'm supposed to be one but I sure don't look like it.  I'm tall and long and my tail can clean off a coffee table in a single swoop.  Dad is in the Army and Mom is a probation officer, whatever that means.  They have a pup named Elyse, she's a girl and real small but that's ok. I like her. She lets me lick her face and she gives me kisses.

 When my family moved I had to go to the kennel for awhile. It was alright and I made some friends but really missed my family. I was there for a whole month.  Coco got to ride in the car with them and take a trip. Since she's a pit bull and couldn't go overseas with us she went to stay with Yaya and Papa. They have 2 dogs already but were able to fit Coco right in.  I hope it works out because she can be very bossy!

I was so happy when my family came back to get me.  Mom just hugged and hugged me.  Dad was doing paperwork so I could get on the plane with them but when he was done he squeezed me tight and petted me a lot.  I had to get all kinds of shots and have a chip put in.  What that is or why I need it I don't know but it must be important.  It didn't hurt or anything but it was sort of scary. 

When we got outside I found Elyse, Grandma, Granddaddy and Yaya all waiting for me. That was a surprise. I was so happy!  I ran all around them and jumped and wagged my tail.  I didn't want to get in the car, I wanted to play.  But we had to go because we needed to get ready for the big trip the next day.  I was a little scared but I knew Mom and Dad would take care of me.  I also knew Coco was jealous because she couldn’t go and that made me feel a little better.  The hotel room was nice but I had trouble going to sleep.  Too excited I guess.

The next morning we got up and packed the cars with all of our stuff…even the crate.  I didn't like the crate but knew it was how I was riding in the plane.  I wanted to be with my family and the rules said I had to be in a crate.  We stopped for breakfast and finally got on the way to the airport.  It was a long drive.  I rode in the back and just slept most of the way.

When we got close I looked out the window and saw all the big planes.  There were lots and lots of people, more than I had ever seen before.  It was frightening.  I sort of liked the crate better after that.  Mom and Dad, Grandma and Granddaddy and Yaya all started taking stuff out of the cars and putting them on carts.  They were piling stuff up pretty high.  They even put me on one.  I sat very still hoping nothing would fall.  Finally the cars were empty and Yaya gave hugs and kisses all around and drove away.  Dad and Granddaddy pushed carts inside and Mom and Grandma carried bags and Elyse. 

Boy was that a big place!  Big and loud. I made myself as small as I could and waited.  Elyse would point and say "Hunter" sometime and stick her hand in to pet me.  Grandma kept walking her around and chasing after her.  I decided I would let her do that.  I was safer in the crate.

Then something went very wrong...