Having heard nothing from Lorraine since Thursday about Millie and Heidi leaving on Wednesday, I began to suspect it wasn’t going to happen until Ursula contacted me to tell me she’d finally received an email from her. Lorraine graciously decided that Millie and Heidi should be the dogs to go as Heidi is Ursula’s dog anyway. She said that only the small ‘cabin dog’ from Kissamos and two others would be able to travel as she had been unable to reserve places for all five of the dogs originally planned for.
So here we are, on Monday evening around 20:00 being told that the dogs will be leaving at 09:00 on Wednesday morning. I must admit, that it was about this time, that I became particularly annoyed. Poor Ursula, who ‘volunteered’ to be escort for the dogs, only finds out what is happening less than twelve hours prior to her UK departure. It was only by accident of me talking to Heike, that she discovered there would be five dogs, of which one was huge. In the original plan there was to be a stopover in Athens. If, for any reason, there had been a delay, Ursula would have had to look after all of the dogs on her own. Technically the dogs are hers, and Goofy although huge, is harmless, but that is no real consolation. Furthermore, Heike, who was to be supplying two of the dogs for transport, only discovered that they were not going this morning when she read the email from Lorraine. The email I finally received omitted one vital piece of information: the time I was supposed to get them to the airport! I replied to Lorraine that I had assumed the trip to be cancelled having heard nothing for several day and that I was unsure that I would be able to get someone to take me so close to the event. She replied that my dogs could go on a later trip if this was the case. I wanted to suggest that Ursula’s only reason to volunteer was because she would be escorting two dogs she knew and that she might decide to opt out if my dogs didn’t travel. However, as Antonis wisely points out, one should never argue with an idiot: you only bring yourself down to their level and they win anyway due to experience.
Why Lorraine did not contact Ursula on Sunday evening when she received the confirmation from the airline, we do not know. As all of her transports are oversubscribed, why did she leave it so late to make the booking for the dogs?Does she not realise that it is July and others may be travelling? I have never met Lorraine but I suspect she is a very well-intentioned person who tries to do more than she can take on. I suspect she is also extremely disorganised so it’s a wonder anything gets done at all. Hopefully her husband is more organised and manages to pick up Ursula at Paris Orly tomorrow afternoon.
I contacted Antonis to see that he was able to get me to the airport for 09:00 on Wednesday then contacted Lorraine about transit boxes as she’d said she could provide them. I then had to get in touch with Heike for Millie’s passport without letting on that my dogs had been chosen over hers. Antonis came back to say that Wednesday was still good and that he’d bring the passports from Paleochora. Ursula is checking-in for her flight as I write so it looks as if all systems are go.
The photo shows the benefits of an online check-in
All we need is the pet passports and we have everything required.
Millie is out in the main compound for her last opportunity of freedom other than tomorrow morning’s walk. Little do both of them know they are getting a light meal this evening and an even lighter one tomorrow morning. I’ve suggested to Antonis he arrive with plenty of time so that we don’t have heaving dogs in the first few bends of the road. Like children in a coach, one throws up and then they all join in. Children can be given sick bags.
The wind got up earlier than forecast so I took down the sunblockers and the main awning. Little clutter underneath meant it was a quick job. I’d prefer to be sitting on my decking rather than under the trees being deafened by the cicadas but I can always poke the ones nearby.
Sitting inside the van a few minutes ago I can see why it looks that much more attractive in the evenings under subdued lighting. Even I will admit that it’s in dire need of a good hoover.
The wind is now strong enough to picky up the dust an leaves and scatter them back down all over the place. It’s hard to see where I swept up all the leaves and other litter only on Sunday.
I found myself complaining at the supermarket this morning. There was no brown bread although plenty of white. Whenever I mention this to the nice lady on the deli counter she responds that you have to be there early as it all runs out. If I were more capable in Greek, I would reply that it’s only a matter of ordering more from the bakers. It must be obvious to anyone with half-a-brain that if you’re running out by 09:30 in the morning, you need to have more in stock. Hardly rocket science! The way some people think amazes me. This morning I arrived at the checkout with a white loaf complaining of the lack of brown bread. I’m told by Georgia, the owner’s wife, that she likes brown but that people want white. I replied that I don’t like white and want brown. I pointed out that there was no brown left by 09:30. Georgia called over to the deli lady to ask how many kgs of brown is ordered each day then promptly picked up the phone to call the baker. Waitrose eat your heart out!
I think a rat just fell out of the tree as there was a lot of sudden dog activity. I feel sorry for any rat which falls from a tree here. Not much of a chance for you with this hungry lot about!
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