Homecoming Day

Oliver at the Richmond International Airport

The weeks leading up to Oliver’s arrival seemed to last for months.  The hour  spent watching his crate sit on the tarmac seemed to last an eternity.   I had taken the red eye out of San Jose on Thursday evening and had flown all night to get to this moment.   I was fortunate to have my super sweet house sitter, dog sitter, former yoga studio employee, Kathleen with me that afternoon.   We watched from the back of my SUV as the plane descended, then landed.  We watched them unload the passengers, the luggage and the crate.  Oliver was the only pet passenger on that flight from Atlanta.  It was so frustrating to be 100 yards from him unable to do anything but wait.   I started to worry about everything.  What’s taking so long? What if something is wrong?  Won’t all that noise hurt his ears?   When the transport vehicle started in our direction, we were like giddy 5 year olds.  When the representative brought him around, he was lying perfectly still and staring forward.  He was stunning.  I opened the door and he hesitantly crawled forward on his belly.    I think I almost squeezed him to death.    He was hungry – which I obliged with lots of treats.  I got a pretty quick return on that investment..on the family room, hallway and kitchen floor J.  He rode quietly in the car and I talked in my best Alabama accent to make him feel at home.    He was so quiet the first night, content to just sit in my lap.  When it was time to go to bed,  he went quietly into his crate and slept all night.  Well, he fussed for about 90 seconds and then he was just quiet. That is a testament to his trainer, Selena, and having already having experienced that at Puppy Prep School.   I was so excited to have him home, I woke him up at 4 a.m. just to hold him and our first full day together had begun.   Oliver has officially come into my life and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Finally Home!