Sometimes I don't think things through very well. This is one of those times. I know I promised you all a Part 2 to the story of my dog breeding adventure. I've realized, however, that what I didn't tell you in Part 1, what I meant to be Part 2, isn't very exciting. I sit here at my computer wishing that I'd spent a few more minute writing part 1 and concluded the story. But I didn't, so,.....
...Having made the decision to leave Ginger in Maine for the week it was time to get her back. Sadly, she was either unable, or uncooperative, and her and Tommy never tied. We won't be having puppies this go around. To make things easier for Jim's wife we decided that we'd drive back up to Maine to retrieve her. It should be noted that both my wife and I very much enjoy the state of Maine, and go there often for a number of reasons. It doesn't take much to convince us to head north. So we again pointed the car north, and were off to Maine.
It's here where the adventure part of this trip begins to take form. The meteorologists began talking about snow, again. We soon realized that unlike the previous week when we'd driven up in the snow, this time we'd be driving home in the snow. With our knowledge of the imminent white stuffs arrival we made a couple of quick phone calls. First we called the hotel and had our room changed to a dog friendly room. Should you find yourself in Belfast Maine, with a dog, and in need of lodging, the (newly renovated) Belfast Harbor Inn has a few dog friendly rooms. Next, we made arrangements to pick up Ginger that evening on our way in, rather than on Saturday morning on our way out. We already knew what the road to the kennel can be like in the snow, and didn't feel like taking any chances. Following the same theme, the previous weekend we'd driven up in my wife's Toyota Rav-4. This time we decide to give the all-wheel drive traction of my Subaru Outback a spin. Glad we did, too.
The next morning, after a few beers, a pizza, and binge watching Brain Games in the hotel room, we awoke to a blanket of snow as predicted. Tuning in to NECN (New England Cable news) we learned that basically it was only snowing in the mid-coast area. Once we made in far enough south, the Booth Bay area, we'd be out of the storm. This certainly wouldn't be as slow going as the previous weekend when we'd driven the entire route in snow. We slowly packed, enjoyed the free continental breakfast, and inquired with the hotel staff as to which route they'd recommend to go south. Then we were off, making our way slowly down route 1, on our way home. Two weeks in a row my wife would be navigating slick, nasty roads. She's the best.
So,.....the weatherman. I think it would be fair to say that everyone has had their fair share of "damned weatherman" moments, cursing the TV or radio when the forecast has been off and they're stuck in a down pour or a squall. I have. Well, the weather forecast was wrong. And I sure am glad it was! The snow line ended well before the Booth Bay area, and we were cruising along shortly after we left Rockland. Soon we were the only car on the road covered with snow.
And that's about it. See? I should have just put it all in Part 1, right?
Puppies will have to wait for a little while longer. Hopefully our next attempt won't be in the wake of a surgery, and relatively free of snow. I learned that Ginger's mother, Bee, was a reluctant breeder, and had the same result the first time an effort was made to breed her. Looking forward, not having to worry about a litter allows me to continue working steadily towards our goal of finishing up Ginger's quest for a Master Hunter title. We will attempt to breed her again, but I have yet to decide if it will be in the fall or next year.
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