Saturday, we got up at 3:30am to get the pack here fed a light breakfast and pottied, and we packed up the van with 3 of our kids AND HENRY C - it was his special day! We drove through rain and drizzle and April-like weather (was forecast to be a high of 82, but we only saw 69 degrees, and that was for a few short miles) to Iowa City, IA. Joe and Michelle, Henry's new parents, drove from St. Paul to meet us there, halfway for us both. We met at a park where we could get the kids out on a grassy area, and because of the weather, there were few people there, so it was a quiet and wonderful spot to meet.
Joe and Michelle are two of the warmest, quietest, calmest people I've ever met. And it was obvious they had already fallen in love with Henry. We handed them Henry's leash, and they let him come to them on his own accord (which for outgoing Henry, greeting them took only a few seconds). We let the kids investigate the new smells and wander around while we talked. We had to laugh - Henry's bandanna - even though I'd rolled it a few times to make it smaller - became like a sling for his left front foot as he kept stepping into it and catching his foot, so he'd hobble around until one of us saw him caught and released it. We took our pics and then took his bandanna off so Henry could maneuver more easily. Michelle asked about grooming, and I'd taken my favorite tools - a pin brush for just quick clean-ups, a metal comb, my 32 tooth Mars, and a regular bristle brush for the last brush to catch any hair that's clinging. I showed her how to use them on one of our kids that I hadn't done anything with in quite a while, and she'll be purchasing the Mars and probably the comb off the Mall :-)
Joe and Michelle are both professionals - no children - and Henry will be their first dog since they married, and their first Cairn! They'd done their research on breeds and decided that the Cairn's energetic personality was the dog for them and their active lifestyle, and they wanted to do the right thing and adopt a rescue dog. Henry's the perfect dog for them as even though he came from a breeder, he's young and few little mill issues. For such a young dog, he can be a little lover, spending time on your lap to get loved on, in between finding things to entertain himself (stealing items from a low trash can, prancing thru the house with your dirty laundry, shredding a napkin left on a sofa table, relocating your shoes, etc. . . . ..LOL).
And Joe and Michelle are undaunted about his bobble head - which since he was a little stressed from the long ride, he did have a bit of a head shake a few times, so they got to see it before we'd gone. Joe works until noon during the summer, so Henry will have short days alone for a while, and they'll be able to work with completing his housetraining. We talked about the area they live in and our love of lighthouses and found they do frequent trips up the shore of Lake Superior, and they like to visit Split Rock Lighthouse, so I know a picture of Henry with Split Rock Lighthouse will be coming my way over the summer. LOL And they've told us if we ever come up their way to make sure we plan to stop and visit!
We completed the paperwork, handed his bag over to them, and it was time for us both to get on the road and start our five hour drives home. I don't believe Henry looked back - he was content in Michelle's arms and ready for the next chapter of his life :-)
And I did ask about his name. They think Henry fits him perfectly and are keeping it :-)
So Happy Forever, little Henry C! We'll miss you but know you're where you were meant to be -
Kathy H in MO
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