In an earlier post 'If you dish it out' said

"And by the by - where is the previously faithful Olivia, always jumping to Maureen's defense? Strangely silent since meeting at Potomac to get her dogs??'

FYI

I actually met Maureen on April 4 after collecting my dogs at the Dallas/FW specialty. I had driven from LA (left LA at 8pm April 1). Drove to the specialty and watched the judging then drove to Maureen's home in Kansas. The following day, we attended an all breeds show near Maureen's home and afterwards went back to her home & loaded the vehicle in order to leave for Potomac the next day.

After Potomac we took a quick sightseeing drive through DC then commenced the journey home via Kentucky so that I could see a bit more of your wonderful country. We also took the opportunity to take an up close & personal look at the Now Ch Stone Cliff's Another Fine Mess . Thanks to Tom & Gail Shearer for making that possible.

Once in Kansas we had a couple of lovely days with Boonchai Laohawattananon joining us.

After that we paid a visit to OK city and went to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum where I was in awe of the magnificent paintings and sculptures on display.

Oh, I forgot that we also took time out on the way back from Potomac to have Doppler testing done on the two young boys.

My journey back to LA was to have been over the Rockies and down the west side of the country, but there were some road closures due to snow storms so I decided to go via OK city, and follow the I40 stopping along the way wherever fatigue dictated. I made a point of visiting Flagstaff AZ and of course the Grand Canyon. WOW what a sight!

I arrived back in LA on April 21 for a meeting with the organisation shipping Yank and Vanna to Australia for me. The next day Gary Wingate (Shipping Agent)collected the dogs to prepare themn for their journey to Aust. I drove out to Anaheim to my next motel and stayed there in order to attent the LRCSC specialties on April 24 & 25. At the conclusion of the show i drove back to LA, dropped off my rental vehicle (collected brand new April 1 with 1 mile on the clock returned April 25 with in excess of 7000 miles on the clock), took the shuttle to LAX to catch my flight to Sydney at 10-15 that night. I arrived back in Sydney on April 27 and had a few hours stopover until my flight to Perth (another 5hr flight) that evening.

I got back to Perth late that night and spent the rest of that week collecting my dogs and my 81 year old mother for whom I am full time carer.

Last Monday May 5 I again flew to Sydney, collected a rental car, visited my dogs in Quarantine, drove back to Sydney and caught my flight home to Perth on Tuesday night. Wednesday was spent collecting my mother from the respite center and my dogs from the various friends who have kindly looked after them for me.

Next week, I will be doing the same aagain and the following week, I will repeat the journey on Monday/Tuesday and again on the Saturday night to collect the dogs on May 24 to bring them home to Perth. Oh, I forgot, I am judging on Saturday May 23 before I go to Sydney.

What have YOU been doing apart from taking every opportunity to rip the S@#t out of Maureen and then have the cheek to drag me into it as well!!

good morning from finland,
so happy to hear you are home safe, after your touring big america, i followed your tour, via maureen as i had maureen staying with my family for her week in finland.
we were touring southern part of small finland, 2-day int. dog show and several labrador kennels and one day in tallin.
i was worrying how your labs get shipped safely, (being the retired finnair stewardess) how your driving goes etc...glad all ok.
i´m now waiting for my daughter-in-law + husband to return from japan kyoto, where she is judging today, i would have loved to join her, but 34 years around the world was enough, i hardly leave home and my labs.

all the best from finland to all of you
ritva

What a spectacular trip! Wish I had your energy, Olivia.

You go girlllllllll!!!

What a trip you have had. I agree, what energy to do all that. Know you miss your dogs. Some need to just mind there own business more and stay out of yours.
Hats off to you.

happy news from japan fci international show as well, my daughter-in-law judged, female judges rare in japan, her american akita was BIS, female labrador bitc puppy best puppy and female labrador group 8 winner, judged by my daughter-in-law, so what a mother´s day present for me, i know she is good, not enjoying the rest of their (my son and daughter-in-law, the fci judge)of to dinner and food is good, she has trained with chop stiks for a month. will soon get them home. best
ritva

Wow! What an exhausting adventure you've had! I hope you enjoyed your travels in the US. Like others have said- wish I had that kind of energy!

Thank you all for your kind wishes. My trip was an absolute blast. I would visit again in a heartbeat.

A lot of my friends here vascillate between calling me a total looney and the bravest person they know to travel alone to a strange place where you drive on the opposite side of the road and embark on a 7000 mile road trip.

I am fairly adventurous, but don't make me stand on a chair without a wall to hang on to. I have a terrible fear of heights. lol

Maureen and her husband Charlie made me feel like part of the family as soon as I arrived in Kansas and Maureen and myself got along like a house on fire.

I think that Maureen would have preferred me to be awake for more of the trip to Potoamc, but I will plead Jetlag for that

Oliva, may I ask if the qurantine in Perth has closed, as you have to fly to Sydney to see your dogs?

Gunilla

may I ask if the qurantine in Perth has closed.
***************************************************

Hi Gunilla

Perth Q/t has not closed. We had a mix up with some documentation and by the time it was sorted, Perth was booked out and unable to take any dogs until May 19, more than 3 weeks after I wanted to ship my dogs

Regards
Olivia

Thanks Olivia.
What a pity and such a long distance to visit.
Good luck for the future with the immigrants.

Gunilla