We officially welcomed Piper into our home last night (6/13) at about 9:30pm after a long day in the car and in the air. The two of us said our farewells to Phil and Karen at Brandywine Creek and headed to the airport around 3pm IN time. Around 4pm we arrived at the Indianapolis airport and got checked through security. Then the car ride and walk through the airport finally caught up with poor Piper and she got motion sickness. Couple that with a morning trip to the vet for a last checkup and we had one worn out little girl on our hands. Our 1 hour flight to Chicago was uneventful as she slept the entire way. Knowing we had a close connection I was hoping the plane side bags would be waiting for us, no luck. As the minutes ticked away and our chances of making the connection decreased the stress level started to rise. Finally with bags in hand the mad dash had begun, only 20 minutes to get from Terminal F to Terminal C. Anyone familiar with Chicago O’Hare airport knows that this isn’t a short trip, add a dog and a roller bag and the degree of difficulty increases substantially. Long story shot we sprinted to the shuttle, arrived at Terminal C, raced past 22 gates and finally got to Gate 28C with honestly 60 seconds to spare. Disaster avoided, we were off to Portland! Piper proceeded to sleep 3.5 of the 4 hours we were in the air so all in all it was a great trip home considering all that could have gone wrong.
When I got home Amy and Conner were anxious to meet our new little girl. Sera on the other hand is my “sleeper” and she decided to just wait til morning to introduce herself. There should be no surprise that Piper was a big hit! Finally it was bedtime and Piper was off to the kennel for a good nights sleep. I’m sure it was a bit lonely for her but she did great and was ready to go at 5:45am this morning. A quick trip outside to potty, some food and water and a quick intro to some very important words (no, sit, here) and her first official day was underway.
We are very much looking forward to charting her development over the next year so check back often to see her progress. Who knows, with any luck you might see us 10 months from now in South Carolina competing in the Puppy Division at the Boykin Spaniel National Championships. I know Piper has the ability but only time will tell if I can coax it out of her!
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