I got up to take Tal-y for our last walk together this morning for a few months and she actually wanted to walk today. We wandered around the park for a while and then headed back so she could have a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs before our long journey started. The drive to Miami airport was not too bad, it took us about 5 hours in total with a few stops along the way for potty and food breaks. Nell got us to the airport well ahead of the time we were supposed to be there so we went into the cargo place to find out what we had to do. The Virgin staff there were great, and even though we were way early they had us complete all the paperwork then so we could take Tal-y and not have to put her in her crate so soon. The paperwork took about an hour to do. There were loads of forms to sign, the crate to check and weigh, and of course we had to pay. It turned out we had bought the right size crate but the plastic things that locked the bottom to the top were not acceptable. Mike had already thought about that in advance though and had bought steel bolts to put through the plastic; the shipping guys were then more than happy with the crate. When it came time to pay, the fare was cheaper than we had been quoted by $100. I don’t think that the people in cargo could measure as the dimensions I gave when I booked the ticket were stamped on the crate; but according to them the crate measured less than I had said. I’m not complaining, a hundred bucks is a hundred bucks.
After everything was filled out and signed we still had about 2 hours before Tal-y had to go in the crate so we went and sat in the car in the car park since there was really no place to go from the airport in the time we had. Mike and I took it in turns walking Tal-y so she could take care of business before her long journey, and then spent the rest of the time cwtching her. By the time we had to check her in it had gotten dark and I took her for one last pee along the road. The stupid bloody puppy found something really gross and smelly to roll in as we were walking; something that smelled suspiciously like goose poop. I tried my best to get it off her but there’s only so much I could do with paper towels and cold water. After spending 12 hours in a plastic box with herself she’s going to be very sorry she ever went near the poop. We finally had to say goodbye and put her in the crate. She looked so sad and all forlorn but the Virgin guy promised to stay with her until she was put on the plane. I only cried a little bit at the airport, but there were more tears on the drive home; three months without my girl is going to be a long time.
We headed back to Clermont around 7ish; we had intended to spend the night in a hotel on the way home, but since we didn’t have to stay with Tal-y till the plane departed we headed for our own bed and made it home just before midnight. Now I just have to wait for that text from mam and dad in the morning, although once they smell her they might leave her at Heathrow.

Mike: Instead of the ordeal it might have been, everything went really smooth! Yippie!