the flight of the fisher...

First of all... I would like to thank all of you readers for your emails and messages about the new blog. I went to bed last night thinking I definitely was crazy for sharing my life, but am encouraged by your notes! Especially my mom who commented on my last post. She is my best supporter. When you think a mom should tell you to stop doing something insane she always supports us in our decisions and cheers us on our way. Even when we moved her new grandson across the country! Thanks Mom!

In my last post I breifly mentioned how Mark flew to Florida yesterday with one of our dogs. Well here is the whole story... We are preparing to move back to Florida for the fall and winter from Colorado. (I will have to explain more later.) It is a challenge how to best get five bodies across the country safely and with sanity in tact. We decided we wanted to get the dogs back to Florida somehow earlier than the rest of us and of course my husband :) thought of an amzing idea. A few years ago I took our dog, Polly, to training to be a therapy dog. She passed and has a vest and everything. Well a few months back Mark was making one of his trips back to Florida and sat next to a woman who was flying with a therapy dog. He talked to her about how easy it was to fly with her dog. How no one questioned it. If you know my husband the wheels in his mind began turning!! I knew one day he would want to try this plan and yesterday was the day.

photogenic Fisher...

Now before I tell you about Fisher's flight I first have to tell you about Fisher. Fisher is one in a million. He is the cutest boy you have ever seen I mean look at his face! But the boy has issues. The funny thing is that when people come to visit us they are more likely to fall in love with him over our sweet, mellow girl Polly. Polly is content laying on the floor, chewing a bone... while Fisher is in your face, usually a toy in his mouth wagging his tail so hard his whole back end is shaking! But again he does have issues!! He would not be winning any best dog awards anytime soon. There was actually a period where we looked into finding a new home for him, but it is hard to do that with a troubled dog. So we see him as one of our children. He is part of our family and we must take the good with the bad. After much contact with vets, behaviorists and even herbs he is doing MUCH better. I do love him. But to fly?... he is not the calmest of dogs!!

We decided to have Fisher fly first because the next flight, we are all going, including Polly and she will be better to handle along with Gavin. The day before, we exercised Fisher to the limit to prepare him for the big day. That morning the imposter was happy to put on his big sister's therapy vest, took a triple dose of herbs and was ready to pretend he was there to give his daddy psychological support. I know... that is what Mark was prepared to say... Fisher was a psychiatric therapy dog! Early yesterday morning all 5 of us drove over to the airport shuttle stop that would take Mark and his "therapy dog" down to the airport. I had to work hard not to laugh when the shuttle driver asked, "Is the dog riding with us?" and Mark calmly answered, "Yep." In they went into the van and off they were on a big day of adventure. Mark said everything went so smoothly. Nobody questioned Fisher or even asked for papers. He said Fisher did great. Of course his bright personality couldn't be contained. Mark said he was curious about everything and everyone in the airport and on the plane. He had a hard time playing the part of an obedient service dog laying at his master's feet. But he made it, and I was so proud of my little boy. I miss him so much and am so glad he is a member of our family. I can't wait till we are all together again back in Florida!

fisher sitting in first class of course!