ABOUT MISS LUCY'S JOURNEY;
 
  SHE IS A SWEETHEART! MET LARRY, THE SHIPPER CELIA'S HUSBAND, IN KILGORE,TX AT 5P.M. CT AT A LITTLE T/S ON SATURDAY 10/4/08. {1st PIC- MAN IN OVERHAULS} WHEN SHE 1st SAW ME SHE WENT A BARKING & GROWLING. I LET HER SNIFF MY HAND THAN SHE LICKED IT & THINGS WERE FINE FROM THERE. MY CO-DRIVER WAS STANDING BY THE TRK & SHE WENT RIGHT TO HIM, SNIFFED, LICKED & LIKED. SHE GAVE US HER APPROVAL.
 
  SHE SETTLED IN NICELY AFTER SNIFFING EVERY INCH OF THE TRK. HER & I SPENT THE DAY GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER AND SNOOZING THE NIGHT AWAY. {SHE IS A GIANT BED-HOG!!!} THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS MY TIME TO DRIVE. WELL, SHE DID NOT WANT ANY OF THAT.
SHE GOT UP IN MY FACE, AS TO SAY 'HEY, I WANT YOUR UN-DIVIDED ATTENTION'.  AS SHE PROCEEDED TO PAW & DIG HER CLAWS INTO MY ARM & HEAD, SHE REFUSED TO LEAVE MY SIDE. TRYING LIKE HECK TO GET BETWEEN ME & THE STEERING WHEEL, SHE DECIDED LAYING ON MY FEET SO I COULDN'T GET TO THE PEDALS WAS THE SOLUTION TO HER PROBLEM. NOT! OUT CAME A LEASH & WE ENDED UP HAVING TO TIE HER TO THE VENT WINDOW HANDLE TO KEEP HER IN THE SLEEPER. WE ALSO HAD TO PUT A BLANKET ACROSS THE SEATS TO BLOCK HER VIEW OF ME. FINALLY SHE SETTLED DOWN & NAPPED WITH MICHAEL. THINGS WERE FINE AFTER SHE SPENT SOME TIME WITH HIM & DECIDE WE BOTH WERE O.K. TO BE WITH.
 
   THAT EVENING MICHAEL WENT INTO THE T/S & WE STAYED IN THE SLEEPER. WHEN HE CAME BACK & OPENED THE DOOR, SHE WENT BALLISTIC!!! I HAD TO WRAP MY LEGS AROUND HER BODY & HOLD BOTH COLLARS WITH BOTH HANDS TO KEEP HER FROM LUNGING AFTER HIM. NEEDLESS TO SAY, HE STOPPED IN HIS TRACKS & EXTENDED HIS HAND OUT TO BE RE-SNIFFED FOR APPROVAL TO ENTER. PERMISSION WAS GRANTED. SHE THEN WENT RIGHT TO HIM WITH KISSES AS TO SAY 'SORRY FOR THE SCARE. JUST DOING MY JOB.'
 
  ON SUNDAY WE STOPPED TO GET THE TK WASHED IN PHOENIX. NOW RIDGEBACKS HATE WATER.
I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS TILL I GOT HER. WHEN IT WAS OUR TURN I HOOKED HER UP TO THE LEASH, JUMPED OUT & PULLED ON THE LEASH TO HAVE HER FOLLOW. YHEA RIGHT! NO GO. SHE DUG IN & PUT UP A FIGHT TO THE DEATH. WE BOTH TRIED PULLING HER OUT & IT WASN'T HAPPENING. SO I LIFTED HER IN THE DRIVERS SEAT. WELL, WHEN THE WATER FIRST HIT THE WINDOW, SHE JUMPED FROM THE SEAT TO THE BED WITHOUT TOUCHING THE FLOOR & THERE SHE STAYED TILL I WENT TO PULL OUT. ON THE BED SHAKING LIKE A LEAF. WE PARKED TO TAKE A SHOWER. DOGS ARE ALLOWED INSIDE AT DANNY'S [BIG RIG RESORT] SO SHE WENT INTO THE SHOWER WITH ME.[ SHE TRIED TO DRINK THE TOILET DRY.] SHE SAT AT THE SHOWER OPENING LOOKING IN BUT WOULDN'T GET IN. AFTER I GOT OUT SHE WALK INTO THE STALL, LICKED
THE WALLS SOME, SNIFFED IT OUT & STOOD IN THE OPENING TILL I WAS DONE. SHE WAS A BIG HIT WITH EVERYONE WHO SAW HER THERE. BUT SHE HAD 'SELECTED BARKING' AT A CERTAIN FEW WHO WENT BY. THE OFFICE STAFF [EXCEPT 1 GRUMPY LADY] LOVED HER TOO.
 
  SUNDAY EVENING WE MET JANAY WILK [ AREA RIDGEBACK RESCUE COORDINATOR] AT 3 SISTERS T/S IN FONTANA FOR THE HAND OFF. AFTER A BIT, SHE & I WERE OFF TO HER NEW DADDY'S [DAVE PIC#4] HOME IN SAN BERNADINO. HE WAS SO HAPPY TO FINALLY HAVE HER THERE. SHE MET HIS 3 OTHER MALE DOGGIES RANGING IN AGE FROM A 7MO PIT PUP, 1 1/2 YR OLD BIJON TO A OLDER LONG HAIRED GR. SHEPARD. ALL WERE HAPPY TO MEET HER. EXCEPT THE OLD GUY. HE WAS NOT TO HAPPY HAVING TO SHARE DAD WITH YET ANOTHER DOG. WE WENT INSIDE TO LET HER SNIFF IT OUT & IN HIS LIVING ROOM HE HAS A COFFEE TABLE THAT MISS LUCY THOUGH WAS HER STAGE. SHE JUMPED UP ON IT & BEGAN TO DANCE A LITTLE. WE ALL LAUGH SAYING SHE WAS DOING A TABLE DANCE FOR HER NEW DADDY. [PIC #3]. WHEN WE LEFT, SHE JUMPED THE GATE & RAN AFTER US UNBEKNOWSTED TO US. BUT SHE CAME RIGHT TO DAVE WHEN HE & THE 1 1/2 YR OLD WALKED DOWN THE STREET AFTER HER. SHE IS SETTLING IN WELL & DAVE IS VERY HAPPY TO FINALLY HAVE HER HOME. OBEDIENCE CLASSES START THIS MONTH [OCT]. I LIFTED KNOWING SHE WAS AT HER FINAL HOME WITH A MAN WHO'LL LOVE HER FOREVER.  LOVE YOU LUCY. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.
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Follow up: Lucy could not stay with David due to aggression toward cats and too strong for him to control when a cat was in the area. Janay with the Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue took her to a meet and greet event in San Bernardino. A family from San Diego, who has an avocado farm of 5 acres, adopted her on the spot. She has 2 of the 5 acres in which to run. She did test positive for heart worms but is under treatment with the University of California at Davis campus and her prognosis is very good. She goes on walks everyday with another Ridgeback and is also enrolled in advance obedience classes to protect the family's 3 y/o daughter.
Sounds like a happy ending after all.
Team Leader Nancy R pu 10/4/08 del 10/5/08
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