Lane, Got home last night at about 2 am--my second flight
was delayed (of course). And, they lost my luggage..... Anyway, Smudge was absolutely fantastic! I was a little nervous because, frankly,
he had already outgrown the Sherpa bag I had for him. You never know if the
airline is going to give you a hard time--but they just checked his health
record and didn't say anything. When I approached them I had him in the bag
with his head sticking out so it looked like he fit. I took him into Telluride
the night before and carried him around in the bag to get him used to it.
I ended up in the Last Dollar Saloon (?). They have a sign "No Dogs" but there
was already a dog in there and the bartender and a patron were pointing at
Smudge and smiling so I brought him in. They loved him, of course. And I even
got a free beer out of it. They guy who bought me the beer knew your, or Dan's,
father. We totally bonded the first night. I guess being away from his family
made him just focus on me. He wouldn't let me out of his sight and slept on
top of me or right beside me the whole night. He loves to lie on me like a
sack of potatoes. As long as he could see me, he seemed extremely happy and
content. At the Telluride airport, Smudge settled right down into the bag
and slept the whole trip. When I got to Phoenix, I got him outside and he
took care of business and I got him some water, etc. From then on about 30
thousand people came up to me and asked about him--kids, women, husbands,
airline workers. Just as you warned me. Unbelievable. It almost got to be
too much (although I wish I had Smudge when I was 25--women seem to be exceptionally
attracted to him). For the 4 1/2 hour flight, he was also great. He slept
a lot and I left the top of the bag open to let him sit up. He didn't make
a sound. Just wanted to know I was there. Incredible. When we arrived in Newark,
it seemed like everyone on the plane knew him and came up to say goodbye to
him. I've never seen anything like it. Now at home, he's already made a tentative
relationship with our cat Lily. Of course, when we walked in the door she
was there to greet me and then immediately got a little freaked when she saw
him. She's sweet, though, and came up to him and rubbed his nose with her
nose. They should get on. Our other cat, Stripes, is a little more wild and
has kept her distance. I'm sure they'll work it out eventually. I've already
started the watch game with Smudge. I show him where I'm hiding it and then
try to get him to get it for me. I'll put my kids on the job when they get
home from school. I was sleeping when my kids met him but I'm sure they're
already in love with him. My wife definitely is. This is the most amazing
thing: when I look into Smudge's eyes, it's almost scary how smart & alert
they are. Almost human. Anyway, that's the report from the east coast. Hopefully
I'll be hearing from the airline about my bag. All Smudge's papers were in
it (along with a laptop, digital camera and an iPod). What a trip! I do have
his health records because I needed to carry that with me. Smudge seems happy
and secure. Will be in touch soon, Chris
