Best Laid Plans

There are so many things about getting older that I enjoy, and one of them is that there is a certain amount of wisdom that just comes with age and experience. I know that some people are freaked out about getting older and run off to botox every wrinkle and line, but I am grateful for the opportunity to age -- it is a gift my own mother, who died at age 45, did not get to experience. And so I try to find the blessings in getting older and I think one of those is just getting smarter about what we can control and, more importantly, what we cannot.

This came in quite handy yesterday morning. I got up at 3 -- not by choice but more from anxiousness -- and began the packing and getting ready process. It was finally time to start loading the two cars (we rented an extra one for the drive down) and we started with the cats. My daughter, Nicole, rescued three kittens last summer and somehow I wound up with two of them -- both orange boys. One is sweet and friendly, and Galen calls the other a sociopath and is convinced the cat is plotting our demise. Well, the sociopath cat was no where to be found. We searched and searched, and narrowed it down to the laundry room but he must have a secret headquarters where he monitors our activities and plots his strategy -- and that location is apparently VERY secret.

After a frustrating hour we conceded defeat, and set out supplies for the Kitty Survival Camp. Heidi is checking on things twice a week and so I figured the cat would be fine for the time being, and what was I supposed to do -- tear apart walls to find the secret headquarters? Given the importance of family, I let his brother out of his crate to stay and keep his errant sibling company. We loaded up the four adult dogs, two medium puppies, eight small puppies, and the two cooperative cats and we hit the road.

Unfortunately for us, snow had hit the road first. Did you know the state of Montana apparently has just two snowplows and both were needed elsewhere yesterday?! It was a stressful, slow drive through most of Montana but we made it, and the weather improved through Idaho and most of northern Utah. We arrived home to find about four inches of new snow, and Faith and Zoey thought this was delightful.

We stopped several times for puppies to nurse and everyone did well. A couple of puppies have had some diarrhea for the past 2 - 3 days but otherwise act normally and are gaining weight so I have just been keeping any eye on things. We had a couple of messy mishaps in one of the crates but I was prepared -- and you know how Cadi is -- and so puppies and crate were soon clean again.

We got the puppies settled in their new space and then left to return the rental car and buy two more x-pens -- I have SO many x-pens now! I arrived back to find Cassie, Jake's long-time girlfriend, sitting on the couch watching puppies. She immediately asked who Sydney was -- I picked that name in honor of the fact that both Cadi and Cassie are half-Australian. I picked up Sydney and gave her to Cassie, who apparently had been afraid to pick up a puppy and so had just watched them and waited for me to get back. Cassie is very artistic and the things she notices remind me that there really is such a thing as an artist's eye -- she marveled at Sydney's ears and all her neat little parts -- it is fun to see puppies through the eyes of other people. I gave Jake (one of our kids) a puppy identification lesson but I suspect he won't remember a thing -- he definitely does not have a discerning artist's eye!

My daughter, horrified about the abandoned cats, immediately set out to plan a search and rescue mission. I volunteered to drive up with her next week but she decided to go up today to save the sociopath from himself. The cats were to spend winter break with her and I guess she was really looking forward to having them -- or else she just wants an excuse for a road trip! She lives farther north so it won't be as long of a drive for her -- let's all hope she can actually find the little evildoer.

And so that is the story of our excellent adventure. We are all well and happy to be at our other home in Utah. We will miss all the space we have in Montana and so for a few weeks we will be crowded and wondering why we have so many dogs, but we are thrilled to be together -- even if it is VERY together!

Utah puppy fans -- give us a day or so to get settled and then we will have a puppy meet and greet -- details tomorrow.

The pictures today are from our homecoming evening. I included a picture of the puppies' new home, and you will count just seven because Cassie is holding Sydney. There is a picture of Jake is pretending to study a puppy, and a close-up of Ireland. Sydney and Toronto were playing and this was the first extended play session I have seen so I quickly took some pictures. I love that picture of Cadi with her baby, and isn't that a funny close-up of the sleeping puppy?!

I hope your day is filled with adventure but free of sociopaths, who provide a little too much adventure. Thanks for checking in and for your good thoughts yesterday!