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Cali took two road trips to Colorado with Klunkers and Libby.  12 states and 5,007 miles in just one trip.  Most people we told thought cats couldn’t or wouldn’t travel.   Cali is certainly the opposite.  The first year we adopted her we left for 4 days and she stayed home.  We came home to find the covers peeled off 50% of the bed, right down the middle.  She also took a spare pillow we left in the hallway and pulled it halfway under the door frame.  She let us know she did not like being left by herself.  After that we took her with us everywhere.  One year we took her to Colorado in an SUV where she could sit on top of our luggage in the back in her crate and see out the windshield.  The next year we rented a Volkswagon and she lost the vantage point of sitting on top of the luggage to see out the window.  Instead, she hopped onto the dash and watched the scenery this way.  It didn’t occur to me that this was unusual until she was about to jump down so this is what I was able to capture.

Fletch likes to go with us hiking.  On this trip he came back with a yellow nose because he sniffed everything despite it being pollen season.

Ok, so this is not a dog on a plane.  It’s indecisive Bates on the couch trying to decide if he is going to break the rules and jump over the baby gate into the foyer where he can reach the dining room with the cat’s food bowl.  At this point he heard me call his name so he knows he’s busted if he jumps.  Last week I took a trip.  I had no idea there was a dog on our plane until the flight attendant sprinted up the aisle toward the cockpit then bent down and picked up a tiny blonde Pomeranian puppy.  Apparently its Mom or Dad was blocked by the beverage cart once the Pom took off running.  Do you find yourself homesick for your kids when you are on vacation?  I absolutely do.  I limit trips for that exact reason.  Well that, and Tippy had to be put to sleep when I was out of town for work in 2009 and Prancer’s health took a nose dive when we were gone on vacation in 2005 and we had to put her to sleep 3 days after coming home.  Those experiences give me a nagging feeling every time I am away from them for more than just a few hours.  Trust me if it was possible to fly with all of my kids I would do that!  That is why we’ve done the road trips to Colorado.  There are so many dog friendly places there.  Hotels, house rentals, shops, restaurants, parks, etc.  I love seeing the tiny dog-height hitching posts outside of the stores where locals are very trusting and actually tie their dogs outside of the stores.  There are taller hitching posts for horses but so far I have only seen the smaller dog ones in use.

These kids look similar but when you see them side by side you notice that Polly is not just a mini version of Fletch.  They share Papillon backgrounds, but she is part Chihuahua as well and he is part Pomeranian as well.

 

This is the routine while Polly is getting her collar and leash put on.  The other kids are checking out the yard and ready to go outside.

 

Cali doesn’t normally get on the coffee table.  I was working on my laptop and looked up to see this collection of kids looking back at me.  They reminded me of album covers where usually the lead singer is closest to the camera.  So in this band Cali must be the lead singer.  Bates was sleeping under the table she’s sitting on.  He likes to be near but still have his space.

Bates and Fletch

 

Bates and Polly

 

Bates and Polly

 

Bates was quick to cuddle up to everyone, including Fletch, who did not want to cuddle anyone just yet.  You can see from the look on his face at the top photo that he didn’t know what to make of the attention.  In the photo at the bottom, Fletch was laying near his Dad on the couch with his belly up and Bates just came over and plopped his legs onto Fletch’s belly.  Back then Bates still had the stitches from having his eye removed.  When the rescue showed video of him, he was cuddling the other larger dogs just like this.  The middle photos are Bates and Polly.  She adopted him from the beginning as her BFF.  Bates is in the unique position to be everyone’s BFF in the house.  He is Fletch’s wingman.  He is Polly’s BFF.  He is Cali’s kindred spirit.  He treats them all like the close family that they are.

 

Polly has quite a few collars to express her personality.  A red white and blue striped bowtie, one with blue and yellow flowers, red flowers, simple black and grey.  This one might be my favorite.  It makes this tough little one look girlie for a couple of hours.

Polly loves a good art show.  Not only for the art, but because it means she gets to meet so many new friends.  She is such a social little dog.  She pulls her leash to meet humans and dogs of any size.

Fletch and Bates just goofing off and being silly!