ROSIE GOES FLYING!! March 2010

Hugs and woofs everyone!  I have missed you all so much and apologize with my wagging tail for so long between posts.  Mom has taken me EVERYWHERE and beyond! She has had her ups and downs lately including a new health problem.  We were definitely UP on our trip to Prince George, I was right beside my Mom on the airplane!! WEEEE!! (actually I slept the whole way..YAWN!)  I noticed when I was carrying my food dish for breakfast that it seemed lighter..hmmmm?  Mom is no longer taking her anti-anxiety medicine! WOW! I am SO proud of her! We travelled 500 miles together! I am such a great service dog you know!

That is us on the airplane, ready for take off! Look how happy Mom is!! Thank you Jazz Air for taking such good care of us! There was plenty of room for me to curl up under the seat, I fell asleep for the whole trip! YAWN! This was a small airplane and an even smaller one on the way back.  We sailed through security and everyone was so nice!  Ahem..I do attract crowds and loved every pet and smile I got! Mom was so calm but my Auntie Ti Ti was a little nervous when we hit some turbulence. I flashed her a comforting smile and she felt much better.

I just could not stop my tail from wagging! What an adventure and victory for my Mom! A couple of years ago she could not even leave her house, now she is on an airplane flying to Prince George! Gotta love her! We touched down up north and I shook off my fuzzy nap.  Prince George was lovely! The air so crisp like sheets dried in the wind. A windy sunny day greeted us to the north, but no snow! Woof! I wanted to get my paws in the cold white stuff and I did when we travelled 45 minutes out of Prince George to Murch Lake.  Fun!! The smells were heavenly!! Bears, deer, SNOW! Hey Mom, havn a GREAT time, I know you are too! We settle in our motel room and freshened up, (YUM, snacks and that lovely northern water), to explore my Mom's hometown.  A lovely walk in the beaming sunshine as we laughed about the grey, slushy weather back home!

Oh, and that is RUSH HOUR by the way!  So quiet and almost eerie! We hardly looked before crossing the street.  We felt a warm endearing culture shock, good for the soul.  The native people in Prince George were SO friendly as everyone was, they adored me.  Mom was never questioned as to her condition or told she could not bring me in to the resteraunts, subway, Wendy's, Civic Centre, anywhere! The only question she had to answer was, 'can I pet your dog?'.  Needless to say, I received more friendly pets than ever before! Love you too Prince George! I have NEVER seen Mom so relaxed, remember no anxiety meds, happy and at home.  She made it her first priority to find me a potty spot and make me comfy too.  Not hard to do in such serene surroundings.  The 'flashiest' place in PG was the Civic Center. Awesome totem poles and native culture. There was no one there, no one! Quiet, peacefull, room to breathe and stretch, we must have walked for miles!

Look at the crowds, woof!  Mom and I posed by the totem poles and soaked in the space, so much space!
We met my Auntie's real estate agent Margaret to go look at some property at Murch Lake, and I am so happy to say that my Auntie has closed the deal and now owns the property. Big woof!! I love it there! Margaret was so nice and gave me the whole back seat of her car, I was a very good girl and curled up for a relaxing ride to the lake. These people make me feel so at home! We arrived at the pristine lake after Margaret was nice enough to cruise around to show my Auntie and Mom their old house and neighbourhood.  I hear my Mom say how everything looked so small!  The 'giant' mountain Mom remembers is just a hill, Caunaut Hill..heehee. Prince George has grown but the downtown where we stayed was just the same, not a thing changed Mom said! I got to play in the snow! Murch Lake was so much fun! The air felt soft and I have never heard the sound of complete silence.  Magic moments for me and Mom, she would not be experiencing this without me and I would not without her.  We sparkled like the shimmering snow with it's gift from the sun. We are magic me and my Mom and so is life together.

I think I am a snow dog! I am definitely a northern dog, I love the air and the peaceful feeling I get looking at my Mom and feeling us connect.  The north was a place for us to become even closer and we did.  We became a part of the land as my Mom's grandfather owned 160 acres before he died.  We took pictures by the farm and I felt my Mom become complete. I did not want to be anywhere else in the world that day but beside her!  What a team we are!  Life is full of miracles and magic places for us! I wonder what Mom did before me, I think she just did not.  Woof! I love life with her!

Murch Lake is a place for the soul to rest, I cant wait to take my Mom back there!  We walked on the snowmobile tracks and when Mom went off the track she sunk to her knees in snow! Anxiety attack? NO..we laughed! I stood bye as Mom pulled herself to the trail.
We said goodbye to our beloved Murch Lake and pondered when we could come back.  Now I know we can! Yea Auntie Ti Ti!!  You have a piece of heaven.

After our full day of emotions and sparkly snow we headed back to our motel room for a well deserved rest! I was ever loyal to my mom and checked on her in the bathroom.  Ya ok Mom?

I need to make sure my Mom is ok at all times! I will be loyal and committed wherever we are in the world to her well being, that is my job! What a wonderful job to have, especially with this trip!  I was pooped after our busy day!! I stretched out on the queen size bed and even went over to visit my Auntie on her bed for a comforting cuddle!  I never slept so good, CRASHED!!

Homebound!  The plane turned and flew right over the ocean! I could tell Mom was quite nervous looking at all that water!  Even in my sleep I know she needed me.  I looked up and gave her my, 'all is good' look. With a pet and a smile she was calm, we are so in tune with each other now! I even got patted down by security in Prince George on the way home, it was fun!  I wagged my tail and gave kisses while the nice security guard human patted down my service cape, she was so kind to me!  We DID see a bear..haha..but only in the PG airport, so of course posed for a pic!  Smoke break in the wind at PG airport, I loved the wind, and looked so pretty in it I might add!

Mom wants to thank with enormous gratitude to Jazz airlines and all the security people, stewardess's, (the one on the way home was HALARIOUS!), Captains, Days Inn personnel, (especially Laura! you rocked!), taxi drivers, (I jumped in the trunk when Mom and Auntie put their luggage in their, you are not leaving me behind!haha..all had a GREAT laugh!), and everyone we met up north.  You made our stay so memorable!  Special thanks to the lady, dont know who you are but you saved us getting off the plane and not being able to get another flight till the next day!, who was severely allergic to long haired dogs..thats me! You made it clear to the supervisor who was quite upset at not being informed of your condition that it was ok.  Mom was very tired and had a very long trip home, much thanks! Big woof! To the airline attendant on the way home, you make us laugh so hard! Your joke about 'working like a dog, a service dog', was priceless!  Mom is going to write the airlines a letter thanking them, yea Mom!  We passed by soul-gentling landscape and the bright shining northern sun that warmed our faces with the northern air adding comfort and softness.

The trip home from PG was a much welcomed, want to go home flight. I was a little squooshed as it was a smaller plane, but so comfy! We had a wonderful discussion with the airline attendant regarding service dogs in the bulkhead.  She even took the whole flight to look up the regulations and told us how concerned she was that if we dropped 1000 feet that I might go flying around if in the bulkhead! She cared so much and I kept looking at her, which she announced on the speaker to all the passengers!! Just doing my job and keeping an eye on all who love me!

 WHOA!! Makn the turn...Mom needed a couple of comforing pets...all fun!

A couple of twisty turns in the airplane and we are home!! A bittersweet return, but now that my Auntie has the land I can take Mom there! With me she can go, and not only go but have the best time of her life.  Just with me..no anxiety meds,,just me! Beautiful Mom, you are my hero.
Like the patchwork shape of the ground from our window on the plane, our lives have become connected like a complete jigsaw puzzle. I am honoured to be the part of the puzzle that makes you complete.

 We flew over the water before touchdown on home ground! Flying over that huge mass of water was nerve racking! Not for me..remember I was napping! Mom gave me a nudge with her foot, a little stroke of my fur and thats all it took for her to video touchdown to mother earth!

Life is worth living! Go figure! My Mom and I are living it, sometimes not so much on a bad day but we have challenged opportunities and adventures and are victorious!!  Every one in this world matters, you do.  Without you in this world I would not have the joy of writing this blog, my paws are so busy with things to tell you! That is because you count, you make a difference.  Thank you for listening, many more adventures to come!

I love you very much!
Remember,
"Who I Am Makes a Difference"