Family Day Long weekend,
 Feb 2008

Photos at the bottom!

Edmonton has a Family Day festival every February We were asked to bring our dogs to the celebrations as they were playing the movie Snow Dogs! The most exciting part of this story was actually what happened just before we got there.

I got into Edmonton with King, Torch, Ayla and Flo. I was about an hour early so I thought I would take the opportunity to go gas up. I pulled into the station and opened the door to get out when King SHOVED his way out and began prancing about showing off. I immediately called him and as I was shutting the door it went thud against Torch as he took the opportunity to slither out!  "Boys! Car riiiiide!" I called out, hoping to fake them back into the truck. They bounced about saying hi to the other people gassing up, As they came around the gas pump I opened the door (ok, I'm not that smart sometimes) and said "Lets go!" hoping that they would hop in. Out pops Ayla. Now I'm chasing the three of them as they gleefully leap about saying hi to everyone. Ayla slips into the convenience store to do a little shopping, Torch and King head in different directions. Meanwhile my angel, Flo, is sitting in the back seat watching  the hullabaloo. I get my wits about me long enough to reach in and grab a leash, people are calling the dogs but by now they are not falling for any of it. The three amigos skip and zip across the parking lot then zoom down the residential street. This is a very busy area with three major thoroughfares all with in a few blocks.  I leap into the truck, which is almost out of gas, and race out following them.

It had been warm and snowing heavily, the streets are mushy with about 8 inches of snow, slush and an underlay of ice. The truck is sliding about and I cant get any traction, by now they have turned a couple of corners. I watch them hop and bounce and have a great time turning back every so often  to make sure I am following. They went up an alley and I couldn't get turned, so I went to the next intersection. Now I can see Torch and Ayla but not King. I grabbed my cell phone and phoned my friend, Zerilda, who was coming out to help. I shrieked into the phone what was going on and she said she would be there in 5 min. It seemed like and eternity. I kept looping and following and eventually managed to get beside Torch and Ayla and drive along with them until they began pacing with the truck. When they stopped to pee I managed to get Torch, but Ayla danced about, then the old cow made a break for it. I followed her for another 3 or 4 blocks before she went up to someone's front door. I manage to wrangle her into the truck and turn back to trying to find King.

Nearly in tears (I was sincerely worried that he will be hit by a car, or hurt, or get into the expansive river valley never to be seen again) I go back to the gas station to meet Z. There I see a police car. I pull up to him and explain what is going on. My friend pulls in behind me. The Police man, armed with my cell number, says he will have a look and see if he can spot him. Meanwhile Z and I pull out to cover more streets, and we have NO CLUE as to where King could be. I look down to my gas gage, which is reading near empty now, and realize we have to be at the festival in 20 minutes. Wonderful Flo is still sitting silently in the back seat. Not 5 minutes later, as I was trying to not skid and slide around a corner, my cell rang. "Is this Shannon? I am in hot pursuit of a red husky traveling north in the alley west of 76th". I phoned Zerilda and told her where King was, within seconds she was behind me as I tried to figure out where 76th was. I am very fortunate to have a 4 wheel drive pick-up, in that the street was beside me, so I hopped the island, leaving Z in her van unable to follow me off roading, and got into the alley heading south.

There he was, trotting right up the middle of the alley, the police car following behind. When I stopped and leaped out I saw him moving quickly, head way up, eyes WIIIIIDE open... the poor boy was freaked out!  Well, he was being chased by the police after all. King barely said hi to me and jumped up against the truck door "LET ME IIIIIN!" I profusely thanked the police officer, who just grinned and laughed. With King glued to my side we left for the festival and made it there with about 5 minutes to spare.

PHEW!

So, here we are at the festival. I was so busy talking with people we only got a few photos. Sorry I didn't get any pics of Monique, who brought our Hugo and her Dreamer. We all had a great time and the dogs loved it.

   
Princess Ayla

 

 
Torch, Zerilda, King, Flo and one of the festival goers.

Torch managed to get himself a hotdog from a little boy, King and Ayla schmoozed a great deal of cotton candy and popcorn from festival goers. Needless to say they slept OUTSIDE that night!

 
Flo loves having her picture taken, but
I had to laugh out loud when she gave me this look.
The gentleman was having serious camera troubles.........

   
Ayla, Zerilda, Torch and King with a new friend.
King and Ayla made Best Friends Forever with the Hot Dog Stand people.


Ayla and her new buddies

 


Zerilda and Monique watch over Dream and Hugo as they pose for another photo.

 


This is a very special photo of Linda Fair with her old boy Dexter who is 15!! He was one of the dogs that accompanied her on her 3 year cross Canada odyssey by dog sled. She has written a book about it. If you would like to get a copy you can reach her at muttlycrew@hotmail.com

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