Dashing Into Surprises

I've always enjoyed a good Christmas surprise. With this years "dash" for a white Christmas for Blowfish we've gotten quite a few! (see previous post)

First off, Blowfish was leashing up the pups to take them on their own little Christmas vacation when the kennel fella called to say....don't come he wouldn't be there. This fella is a friend of Blowfish's. He isn't one of those doggy spa people where your pups come back smelling like a streetwalker with polished toenails and hair bows. Nope. This fella breeds and trains hunting dogs for himself and some serious huntsmen. He's been off and won the National dog trials a few times and is a serious dog person.

Our dogs don't spend anytime in crates there ..... his facility has really nice dog runs with real houses and acres of "exercising" grounds where he teaches his dogs their trade. He likes our little spanielly pup so he gets to go out and work with the big dogs. Mermaid's hound is skit headed and can't be trusted but he takes her out to the work sessions too but on a leash and reminds her dawgs is suppose to have manners. He doesn't usually "board" dogs for folks but he does this for our dogs as a friendship to Blowfish.

Obviously this phone call thru the brakes on the dashing away plans. We hate the idea of the crate places and who knows at this late date if there was any room at the inns so to speak. So I asked Blowfish did he mention we were bout ready to dash and when would he be there? Nope. He didn't ask. So five minutes of persuading later he called the Dogman back and asked about time frames. Dogman good naturedly said...oh yeah you folks are getting on the road aren't you....well go on and just leave the pups confined and I'll come by and fetch 'em when this appointment is finished.

Wow! dash away and hope he remembers to come get the four legged family members? The same fella who just called to say he forgot he had an appointment and don't bring the pups out? Blowfish was sure it would be fine. It is. But we were three anxious states away before he called to say he had the pups and thanks for the wines.

The dashing itself went pretty smooth, no horror traffic, no holiday nerves fussing us up the road. Pretty easy really...until the 6th hour. Mermaid called to say there was some great clog on the interstate but maybe it wouldn't be too bad. We asked directions for alternative paths to get there in case the clog required exiting the interstate early. Nope, seems like it was another surprise. Mother nature was showering the area with slushies and roads were hazardous. So far it was just rain in our locale but apparently we were headed for the rough stuff soon. As mercy would have it, we exited where planned and the cars immediately behind us stopped to become part of a "clog" that stretched for 18 miles in both directions. As we exitied and turned left to cross over the interstate we felt really blessed cause the sherrifs cars were just getting into position to shut the section of interstate which had not been salted or sanded and was rapidly changing from slushies to sheets of ice skewing and scattering semis and cars every which way.

I cannot overstate how grateful I am to not be in one of those skewed and scattered vehicles.

So while we were gleefully counting our blessings and telling Mermaid the news we drove slap into slushy world and bout ended up in a Ram's muffler package. Wow! Blessed again, cause it was as close as you can get without contact. We were also noticing the continuous wailing of multiple sirens as we were on the last stretch of the dash and coming into the holiday shopping traffic of a good sized city. Lots of those sirens. The "authorities" were closing off those slushy turning to sheet ice streets in every direction. No salt on the roads and no first responders available, they were all out at the interstate clog. Declared emergency condiditons said the radio.

So we were kind of like the pups...where to now? It would not be possible to actually get to the hotel with the Christmas tree pond, the heavenly spa and the Library. We recalled a place where we had stayed once before and figured it wasnt too far away from our current location. We got there and yep they had rooms and we checked on in. Good thing too because all those folks who came swarming in from the closed interstate had maxxed out the interstate stradling chains and were now coming into the city determined not to sleep in their frozen cars. Before we finished getting the luggage on the cart there was a queue at the desk vying for rooms.

It isn't bad. We have a nice suite @ a Doubletree. A little kitchen area, a giant jetted tub, nice beds, 2 flat screen tvs, on board nintendo in the sitting room, etc. They even give you nice warm cookies when you check in. Polite staff, nice Christmas decorations.... really just fine.

Out the window , there is no "white" in this Christmas cause slushy world is mostly nasty gray ice and when those 30mph winds throw some of that on your bare face, well, it will sure get your attention. I know how Paco feels when he's up to the goods in snow.

While I was on the phone with the original destination seeking to be credited for the prepaid in full to get the discount spa-library-resort hotel.....

Mermaid came rushing thru the suite door eyes all aglow, heart shining with joy guaranteeing bliss for Christmas!

Peace be with you all!