The Journey

Friends.

I want to tell you about a journey.  A journey that seemed impossible.  But by God's will all things are possible.

I know a few of you who are friends with me on Facebook know some of the journey but there is so much more to the story.  I must warn you that there will be ALOT of photo.

The Story begins with this picture.

 

My friend sent me a text with this photo.  Oh My Goodness!  Would you look at that face.  My friend was driving along and saw this dog roaming around and playing with children at bus stops.  My friend can not help but pull over and grab the dog.  No collar, no chip.  She took him to the vet and he got checked over.  The it was off to Bullseye Rescue.  This is a rescue group that I support and so does my friend.  The first of the many beautiful miracles in this story.

The friend who found Woody (that's the name Bulleseye Rescue gave him) was none other than Lydia, the president and CEO of See Beautiful!!  Over time Lydia sent me photo's of Woody as she would take him for walk often.  I just fell in love with him.  I expressed to Lydia and Bullseye Rescue my interest in Woody.  Normally Bullseye does not adopt outside the sate of Georgia.  BUT Lydia told the people there about me and about Goose.  So they decided to make an exception.  Ellie, from Bullseye told Lydia that puppies get adopted right away, but adult dogs are not so fortunate.  Just about as soon as she said that a family, from Georgia emailed Bullseye of their interest in Woody.  I told them that it was OK, whatever was best for Woody.  A meet and greet was set up with the family.  It seemed to go OK.  But a few days later the family decided not to adopt Woody because they have an older lab and they were afraid it might be to much for him.  So Ellie told me he was mine!  Oh My Goodness.  Over the next several days I wondered and worried how I would get Woody here.  What to do.  I had several options, fly out there and drive Woody back.  Try to get a transport to get Woody to Utah.  Not bad options but all very costly.  I lost sleep over it.  Then this happened.  There is a woman who volunteers at The Lantern House (formally St. Annes Homeless Shelter) where I am the Kitchen Manager.  Next thing I know I get a phone call saying Charlie, her husband, was going to another state and he would not mind making a detour to take me to Atlanta Georgia!

This is how he was going to get me there.  His own private jet!!!  He was flying me to Atlanta on his plane!  I had never met Charlie until 4AM on Wednesday September 23rd.

I sat right up front.  What an amazing experience.  I learned so much about planes and how they operate.  Don't get me wrong I could not fly anyone anywhere, but I have a greater understanding of how aircraft works, totally amazing.

I got to watch the sun come up at 27,000 feet.

We stopped in Oklahoma to top off with fuel.  That's Charlie out there talking with the jet fuel guy.  Then we were off to Atlanta.  Lydia met me at the airport and what a surprise, her mom, Jennifer drove in from Tennessee to meet me.  Warmest greeting ever.  Then we were off so I could meet Woody. 

We met Ellie at a park she brought Woody too.  Again, Oh My Goodness.  What a love bug he was.  We played and walked.  Then we all went to a restaurant to have dinner.  And yes Woody came along too.  He was great.  Sat, mostly, while we all talked and ate. 

After we ate I signed Woody's adoption papers.

The next morning Woody and I were set to go back home to Utah.  But we would not be alone.  You see about a year and a half ago See Beautiful had a book drive for the children at the homeless shelter.  The goal was 10,000 children's books.  The 10,000 represents the number of meals I served to children at the shelter the previous year.  People from all over the world sent books.  They sent them to me as well as to See Beautiful.  I had a few thousand here and Lydia had several thousand. 

So a cargo van was rented and Woody and I set off for Utah. 

Woody and I stopped many places along the way.  And to my surprise he LOVES sticks.  We now have a stick from every state we passed through.  Although Map Quest said it was about 1,800 miles between Atlanta and Ogden and would take 30 hours (the hours are none stop), I can tell you we drove over 2,200 miles.  And it took 36 hours.

Woody was a great traveling partner. (How can that possibly be comfortable?)

We did stop often to stretch our legs, play in grass, and for me to exercise a bit to keep me going.  Our trip was pretty much none stop.  I did stop at one point at a rest stop crawled in the small space between all those books and the back of the front seats to sleep for two hours.  And even though Woody snuggled in next to me, it was perfect, on my side, head on a backpack, and a big snuggle love bug beside me.

A long the trip we decided his name was Buddy.  Not sure how this happened.  Even before I left Utah when I talked about him sometimes I would call him Buddy.  Even Lydia would call him Buddy sometimes.  It just seemed like he was a Buddy.  So Buddy it is.

 

I wish it was not so dark when we got home or I would have a video of this.  When he got out of the van he was not sure, that's understandable.  We walked to the back of the house and I turned on the patio light and told him this was his forever home and that was his yard.  He looked at me and I told him again it was his yard, go on check it out.  And then he was off.  He did the most amazing zoomies for like a HALF HOUR!

When we walked into the house I noticed someone had broken in.  My wonderful and beautiful friends, Jenni and Theresa (although they say it was Jenni's cats and Theresa's dog, who is Belle, Gooses gal pal) had decorated my house with welcome home posters and streamers.

Things were hanging all over the place.

Even balloons.  And a wonderful card that read: CONGRATULAIONS, You've earned your stripes (there are zebras on the front of the card.).  Inside it says: You've earned your stripes! Your driver's license, the award for longest distance traveled, the award for the first cross-country traveling library and being the luckiest dog ever!  Welcome home Buddy and/or Woody and/or Angus.  I can't wait to meet you.  Love Belle, Sadie & Sweet Pea.

This boy LOVES his yard.

He'll chase a ball all day long.

Seriously, all day.  Bert I think you have some competition.

He loves toys and has dragged every single one out to play with.

He even plays with more than one at a time.

And he has not de-stuffed one yet.

Belle, Sadie and Sweet Pea even gave him a pack of tennis balls.

He is still trying to figure out how to carry all four balls at once.

Would ya just look at those cute wrinkles on his head. 

He is oh so happy to be here.  And I could not be more happy. 

His name is Buddy, he is a Pit Bull and weighs 60lbs.  He is in good health and all he wants is to be loved.

Yes friends we See Beautiful...... Do you?

 

Many many miracles in this journey.  And yes I do believe that through many people and situations it is God's will, God's blessing that Buddy and I are together.

Blessings,

Michelle and Buddy


Buddy will be blogging.  For now we will still use Gooses blog until I decide what to do, as far as starting a new one or just continuing on with Gooses.