OMFG...if I don't have a handful of gray hairs after today, there's nothing on this earth that will give them to me. :yikes:
The drive went well enough for most of the way out. I got to see the amount of ice on the grass/trees increase significatly the further west I went, though thankfully the roads were completely dry. There really was a solid inch of ice over everything and the sun shining over it was just spectacular. I-70 was def. not a boring drive this time! All the dogs were doing great, Sawyer was up in front me with, the three GoldenX and the hound puppy (cutest little brindle thing!) were all just chilling out in the back. Holiday, the puppy, liked to stand with her paws on the console and look out the window at the scenery, though Sawyer made it quite clear that she was not to come up front all the way.
Then about 40 miles from our destination, I realize that I really could use a potty break and I'm sure Sawyer could as well. So I go into a gas station outside of Wilson, do my thing and chat with the guy a bit who is madder n' a wet hen because his power went out about an hour before and the next town that had power was Hays, which was where we were headed. I go let Sawyer out off-leash so he can stretch his legs a bit and do his thing, then go back and got Holiday and one of the Goldens out (no one was really sure who was who, because the owner apparently didn't care enough to point that out, other than that the male was Bear). They did their thing and Sawyer and the puppy bowed to each other a few times. Went back to the car to switch out dogs and that's when things went horribly wrong. I had to put Sawyer's leash on one of the other Goldens because I was using my long line and one of the rescue leads and was just getting ready to tie the first dog up when the puppy decided she wanted to jump back out. I grabbed her with one hand, the first dog (we'll say it was Wishbone to keep everyone straight) evaded me clipping the leash on at the same time the pup jumped and then Wishbone jumped out after her. Sawyer follows. Ok, I grab the puppy, make a grab for Wishbone, who ducked out of reach. A truck pulls up to the pump and two guys get out. I ask them both to make a grab for the yellow dog (Sawyer is trying to keep her close to me) and they both just stare at me and don't do a fricking thing. By this time Bear and Snuggles decided they weren't going to miss out and slipped their collars, hopped out and took off as as well. %$#@&^!!!!!!
I now have five dogs, four with no leashes on, running around this parking lot that's all of 200ft from I-70 and not one fricking person is doing anything to help. I got Holiday's leash and tried calling the other dogs...who just ran up the hill onto the road that went over I-70. Double ((&%^#@#...I'm swearing a blue streak under my breath as I pick up the pup and dash back to the car to throw her in, grab all the leashes/collars, slam the door shut and take off down the road after the dogs. I'm also waving my arms like a madman trying to get people to slow down and, oh, I don't know...maybe stop to help...which no one does. They do slow down though. Sawyer is trying his utmost to herd the Goldens back to me, but he likes to herd with his chest apparently, so while he was getting one to come my way, the other two were splitting around him and heading the other direction. The one he was driving back to me was the Wishbone, the shy one, and kept ducking my hand. I finally got the bright idea to clip Sawyer's leash back on him so when he went to one side and I to the other, there was a barrier between us. A semi came up the ramp right about this time and I guess Wishbone figured I looked safer than what was coming, so I was able to grab her, tie the handle to her collar and looked up to realize I cannot see the other dogs. Anywhere.
I about go into cardiac arrest right there.
I hustle Sawyer and Wishbone back to the car, toss them in and go driving down the access road to see if I can see these dogs running in the field or something...everything is glittering white, they're bright yellow, I should be able to pick them out. Yet I still can't see them anywhere. I'm dreading hearing the sound of screeching tires or thumps at any second, wondering what in the hell I'm going to tell the rescue: "Hi, I have two of the four dogs were you were expecting..." and just basically about to start crying. A truck pulls up as I'm turning around and I ask if he's seen the other dogs. He says no, but he just got off the highway and didn't seem them running eastbound, so that was something. I thank him and drive off...get on the entrance ramp and pull over to take another look around and THERE THEY ARE...on the last itty bitty triangle of grass right before the ramp and I-70 merge OH MY STARS AND GARTERS....how they got there and I didn't see, I have not a clue and I don't want to think about it too hard. So I flip on my hazards, grab the other leashes and start calling "Doggie doggie doggie!" to get their attention. They look up, then go back to sniffing. I crouch down about 30-40 feet away, open my arms, say a heartfelt prayer and called "here puppy puppy!"
Both dogs come hightailing right to me like "hey! We kind of know you!" I get both collars and leashes on and just start hugging and praising and almost crying right in the middle of the on-ramp. At this time a lady pulls up and asks "Is everything alright?" Yeah...now...I get the last two loaded in and walk back to the driver's side and just had to bend over and take a moment. I've got so much adrenaline running through my system at that point that spots are floating in my vision and I feel quite nauseous the rest of the way.
But we made it in one piece!! I told the rescue what had happened when I called to say I was going to be a little late to the rendevouz and she just said "it's happened to all of us at one point, thank you so much for driving all the way out here!"
My hands are still shaking and it's been over 6 hours since this happened. It's making it kind of hard to drink my beer.
And as much as I love Virgo, I thank God, my lucky stars and my gut instinct that I decided to take Virgo to daycare and have Sawyer as my traveling buddy today. He got a hamburger all to himself for being such a good boy and helping me out!!