After receiving a call from my sibling advising me our father had passed away, I checked the weather forecast for NW Ohio. Basically it was cold, snowing, and raining. Now in Austin, it was sunny and averaging in the upper 60's.
Packing for my canine kids was simple. In one large tote bag I placed their personalized first aid kit, several towels and a small roll of paper towels. In the side panels of a carryon bag I placed their toothbrushes, a brush, and four sandwich bags filled with dog food. This bag along with their bowls and a gallon of water would be taken into our pet friendly hotel room.
My plan was to stop every four hours to walk my canine kids around and give them water. At a few rest stops women and children asked to pet them. Mousse, a chocolate Lab, truly enjoyed when a male child scratched him near his tale. This child has a Lab so he knew exactly how to please him. One women needed her dog fix because her furry family member passed away a few months ago. What I thought would be simple stops turned out to be mini social meetings.
In Kentucky it was clear and 38 degrees. At a rest stop in this state Mousse got sick after eating and drinking water. This surprised me because they travel with me everywhere and have never gotten sick. Little did I realize this would be our last stop before arriving at my father's home. Just 90 miles from our destination it began to snow and quickly turned into a storm. The temperature dropped to 18 degrees and my speed was reduced to 40. My canine kids were absolute angels during this entire journey.
Now yes, I could have boarded my canine kids or had our Austin pet sitter care for them but those were not options. I needed them at my side for comfort and to remind me that life is fun even during this sorrowful event. It was gratifying to watch siblings interacting with them and forgetting about why we came tougher even for a few minutes.
They survived a thirty-three hour trip to spend a long weekend in NW Ohio. Due to a busy schedule for my father's funeral we never had an opportunity to experience a dog park or a pet friendly restaurant like we do in Austin. They walked around in the snow which covered the backyard and we enjoyed a long walk within the neighborhood.
Our journey back to Austin was truly enjoyable and easy. No social meetings or snow storms. My canine kids are the best travel companions ever!
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