THREE suitcases!

Flying off to Calgary with Chelcie Dog

This will be my first flight with her.  But what an expense!  Not so much the $100 fee for the joy of stashing the dog under the seat -- but all the rest~especially since flying from Oregon to Calgary is now considered an International Flight.  (Yes I know it is a different country--but still it is far less miles than flying back to Atlanta).  I'm having trouble teaching her to bark Canadian but there is still time/hope.

So far:  Chelcie expenses:  $55 for a specialized Pooch Carrier medium size.  The specified brand is Sherpa.  Unfortunately not readily available in the size medium I needed locally.  Instructions were to leave it out for the dog to get used to it.  That worked until I tripped over it in my tiny apt one night @ 3am. I've been jamming "stuff for the dog" into it for a month or so.  NOW there is little room for the dog.  I can't even imagine the horror it will be to get the pack thru Security and Customs.

Shots and stuff - I needed a new rabies certificate altho she was up to date.  So in February I discovered a $5 rabies shot special @ a local Feed and Grain Store.  (Actually, having a reason to go to something as exotic as a Feed & Grain store was equally compelling.)

International Health Certificate:  I'm not sure I got this one right.  After spending $141 at the vet for a mandatory physical exam, kennel cough shot and something else shot wise - I drove out to the airport to see if the form they gave me was correct.  Turns out it is only good for North America.  After a brief geography discussion with Alaska Airlines, it appears that Canada is currently considered part of North America - so the State Certificate will do.  I was warned, however that if we were flying to - oh say - Bolivia or Singapore - I would have to get a specialized ( read more:  expensive, Pain in the butt, etc) form of the US federal govt.

Side expenses:  Despite the 100 bucks extra fee, Chelcie counts as my one carry on.  Therefore all my luggage except my purse will have to be checked and paid as extras.  Alaska Airline charges $20 per suitcase for the first 3.

 Given the Uncle Bill/Gail road trip will last almost a month and incorporate a wide variety of locations - from the wilds of Canadian Rockies, to a Glacier drive by and several cities - I need lots of clothes.  The concept of stopping along the roadside to wash clothing in a frigid mtn stream is fairly abhorrent. So, it is three suitcases!

Back to packing and perhaps straightening up my miniature apt. Eh?!? 

It seems to take forever to blog.  Things I think about to share never meet up in the same time spot as when I'm hunched over this poor worn out laptop.  I am amazed to see how long it has been since I got around to posting.  Perhaps I will become better later this summer.

Right now my life seems to revolve around a most excellent trip to the Canadian Rockies.  At the largesse of my Uncle Bill, I shall stuff my dog Chelcie into a carry on doggie bag.  Then I will stuff her under the seat in front of me.  Off we will fly, first to Seattle and then to Calgary.  Doesn't that sound almost exotic?

After spending some time in Calgary and Banff, we will start our trek across the Canadian Rockies.  Bill is a marvelous driver and has a huge super size van.  He is always the driver.  He's been planning this trip for months and months now.

Bill came late to the Internet but now uses it with great abandon, except for email.  The few family members he communicates with via email all know to telephone him with a reminder to read his emails.  I think he has used Google map to look up almost every intersection we will cross in our three week journey.  He has even found  a three star kennel for my dear dog for part of the time in a teensy town at the Alaskan/Canadian border

  Of course another communication issue dear Bill has is the telephone.  He refuses to set up his answering message.  I think either his son or son in law has now put a warning on his cell phone.  We callers receive the message, " Bill doesn't respond to voice messages or texts, so don't even bother to leave one".  It is rather amusing in a Luddite way.  Nevertheless we have spent hours and hours on the phone, during a long winter, debating where, when and how we will see what we want to see.

Some point in the trip - near the summer solstice - we will arrive in a British Columbia port town.  After boarding Chelcie Dog, we ourselves will board a huge ferry for a 13 hour trip.  Then on land for  mere 5 hours.  Then back on board for the return trip North, back to our starting point.

We are not allowed to stay on the ferry so I had to figure out place to hang out for 5 hours.  I think I made everyone at the little motel giggle when I asked if I could rent a room by the HOUR instead of overnight.  The implications of what my innocent request stirred in the mind of the motel proprietor escaped me until I heard her somewhat nervous giggling but negative response.  Oh well.  Like I said, it has been a long winter for me here in the Northwest.  It must have been even more so for a hotel owner in a tiny BC town.

Getting a passport to go to Canada seems inherently wrong to me.  However I was forced to do so.  Passports have become so much more expensive than when I got my first one- over 15 years ago.  These new ones have a micro chip in them.  I'm not quite sure how it all works.  But then again I paid about the same to have my DOG microchipped 5 years ago.  I hope we don't set off any alarms due to crossed chips when we go through Security.

It turns out getting Chelcie flying status to Canada is a bit of an ordeal within itself.  So far I've invested $55 in the special, guaranteed to pass Airline rules of a "sherpa" brand carry on bag.  I've had her Rabies vaccination renewed.  And then
within the 10 days prior to flight... well... .more in a later blog.

ttfn.