The Road Warrior

This weekend I’m heading off to get Halo in Butte, Montana. Ah Butte … I can’t remember the last time I was there.

Halo has had quite a year of ups and downs. She started it off with a litter, went to live for the summer with Tanja, came home briefly, went to live with Erin, then spent two weeks with Zuli in Vegas and is now back with Erin. This is the last bit of traveling she has to do to get bred and once babies are off to new homes she’ll retire from motherhood.

It seems like such a hassle to leap frog her across the country. I could have AIed her and made life so much simpler but something in me just prefers live cover. I trust it more because the dogs know what they’re doing. Humanity is obsessed with tweaking to ‘improve’ what nature has already perfected. I call it meddling. We were also dealing with unfortunate timing with her due in heat at Christmas; this means no flights for dogs, delayed shipping for semen, reduced hours with vets and it was all a chance I didn’t want to take. Let’s hope Halo and Zuli got it right!

Raimi will be beside himself with glee to see Halo again. He’s done some growing up what with teaching Leeloo the ropes these past few weeks. I’m sure he’ll return to his smothering self once Halo is back. She appreciates smothering less when she’s in whelp so Leeloo will take some of the pressure off.

I’m changing Halo’s food to something called Orijen. I bought the non-fish kind because the fish smell makes me gag. Halo gets really itchy when she’s in whelp and I’m hoping that a grain free diet will make a difference. I think she has a mild grain allergy which is exacerbated when she’s in whelp … pregnant women the world over will probably agree that having a baby sends your body into a roiling hormonal vessel you no longer recognize. I think the same happens with Halo.

So it’s off to Montana tomorrow. Nice and early. I want to drive in the daylight. I sure hope the US Border Guard is as cheerful as always … such a pleasure you guys … always a pleasure.