Well, um, 'later today' seems to have extended itself by several days but do have the excuse of alot of things happening...however if you are reading this blog 'top down' hopefully the number of other posts will back me up and also spring has sprung here so lots of skiing to get in before the snow vanishes.....
Anyhoo, back to the tail (sorry!) of the young Otter and it is a tale of 2 halves and i will start with the Blighty bit....
...as is the curse of an very early morning start, you get no sleep the night before as you are constantly springing awake thinking 'was that the alarm' 'OMG have I missed the alarm', 'will X stop snoring and let me get some sleep' ...perhaps the last one is just me and perhaps not restricted to early flight days...but I disgress.... the point was that the parents spent a rather restless night before arising at 4am to take the pup to the 5;30am ferry, one plus point of the time difference was able to give them a call at the perfect respectful time of 8pm Canadian! Don't think my chipper tone was the best thing at 4.10am but the thought was there!
Transport crate was in the boot and Otter on the backseat curious about the early hour but ready for an dawn run on the beach with balls....no doubt there was some confusion about boarding the ferry and the run up to Heathrow but the pup was ready for anything.
Air Canada Cargo at Heathrow were great, having been told horror stories of dogs being turned away at the gates of the plane, he was accepted with copiuous amounts of documentation to prove that a) he was a dog b) wasn't foaming at the mouth and c) wasn't going to conk out and joined the doggy choir angelical mid Atlantic!
M&D also managed to get £100 off the flight so shipping him became expensive downgraded from extortionate! He arrived at check in at about 9am but his flight wasn't until 13:30 so he was able to go for a hour's walk and get a few treats in before being shut in the crate canada-bound...
M&D then went for a WELL deserved rest in Kew Gardens although am given to understand that concern was raised with the rather short text message 'in Kew without dog' which could have been taken to mean either a) utter disaster, dog missing, but nice flowers and can nick some cuttings or b) all's well, Otter's on flight, nice daffs....
Meanwhile, across the Altantic, I was having a similar night to the earlier one in the UK, imagining a doggy popsicle if they forgot to turn on the heating, or a wonderful combination of doggy outputs if the flight was a bit bumpy....and who would be there to tell him to swallow when his ears popped (and those are some ears!).
But my flight wasn't until 10:30am on Saturday (4th) so plenty of time to pack the doggy treats, new lead and collar (with $50 dog licence! per year!), bowls,etc etc, stop for a Timmy Hortons (just hot chocolate, no donuts, v good!) and on the plane to Calgary.
Recommend the Westjet flight to Calgary as you fly below the clouds and we had a perfect day - you fly out over Big White Ski Resort and you can see all the tracks/mountain roads up to the lake on the top of the hills around Kelowna where you can go camping and kayaking in the summer. Then east towards Alberta, over the Arrow Lakes and Nakusp which is famous for its hot springs and down into Calgary - what is most amazing is the space and the total absence of people....
Landed in Calgary at 12:30 so had a bit of time to kill before Otter arrived at 15:30, checked out the customs process and as suspected it involved alot of paperwork, unfortunately matters were not helped by the fact that the Air Canada Cargo office was 10 mins from the airport and nothing could be done until Otter arrived. So had lunch, saved half a burger for Otter as a treat.....waiting, wandered up and down arrivals, bored...told it would be an hour after the plane arrive that Otter would be at ACC...more waiting...getting excited/impatient...
Finally take taxi to ACC office ($12!), nice lady called Laurie, can't see Otter (boo!), have to take papers to Customs back in the airport and then come back to collect Otter (Boo!), but Ziggy from ACC drops me off saving $12 (yay!). Forms stamped and $31 in customs fees later can go back to Otter. Note: Calgary taxis are surprising un-dog friendly! Eventually find a nice chap who will take Otter and wait for me at the ACC office. More forms stamped, told I can go to collect him next door....why are they taking so long to answer the bell...!...fortunately Laurie sees that I am about to break through the wire with my bare hands and lets me in! Otter!!!!! And he's fine, having a bit of a fit in the crate so either he remembers me or he's gone mad! Unfortunatly can't take him out of the cage for the taxi so try to explain that its nearly over (don't think I am believed!). 20 mins and $40! later arrive at the dog friendly Travelodge!
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