Clark. First a big thank you for helping. Those 7 pups and 2 larger dogs had to get to Denver and Mountain Pet Rescue and we REALLY appreciate your graciousness and volunteering your time. If it will help, I'll donate something to your fuel fund since I didn't spend my flying budget for the day.
Now to share my day with the gallery.
We had the following dogs to move today:
- Asilo a chocolate lab (MPR)
- Teddy a Pyr/Assuie mix (MPR)
- 7 black lab pups (MPR)
- Malcolm, a Black Lab (MPR)
- Puzzle, a Aussie/Healer mix (MPR)
- 2 Pittle mixes (MissyRedding)
It was a challenging day for sure....The original plan was to split the dogs between myself and Clark. Clark would return to Denver via Borger, TX, and I would go only to Borger and transfer my charges to Pilot Dana from Boulder, CO.
But it all went TU from the start. I hit my 3 strike rule... near minimums IFR conditions prevailed over DTO through our departure time and beyond and I'm a VFR pilot. My aircraft developed an electrical problem that could not be fixed in time allowed (new battery but when I flipped the master, no juice to anything). And pressure to do the mission (get there itis)
So I made the decision no flying by me while Clark was still in the air between Borger and Denton.
Forecasts the day before all said that the weather over DTO was going to be better than it was. But something over the greater DFW area held the low clouds more than the surrounding area until noon. Yes, by the time we traveled 30 miles we got out from underneath it into improving VFR (and very much VFR by the time we arrived in Graham), but it was still enough of a mess at DTO that even held the Houston based pilot who brought Malcolm and Puzzle (an IFR pilot who did shoot the ILS18 approach, but picked up ice on his leading edges during the descent from the FAF to the runway).
We did take longer than needed to get rolling toward Clark in Graham (KRPH). This was because we were trying to determine if we could get a replacement flight going toward Borger and meet Pilot Dana. After first being told that Missy had a pilot in a Cessna 310 or 340 coming that would go to Borger and Dana, I find out from her (after she disappeared for 30 minutes to exercise one of the pitties) that her pilot would only take 2 dogs, hers, and none of MPR's (Puzzle and Malcolm). This left us really stuck because this was primarily a MPR mission and Missy and her dogs were an add on. She was making it out that only her two dogs would be going on her pilot's airplane. To add to it, we already knew Dana won't fly that long of a distance for just 2 dogs. So we told MPR to thank Dana and ask him not to fly, and told Missy to thank her pilot, but he was not needed. She immediately departed in a very unhappy huff.
Again... This took way to long to happen, but sometimes thats the way of volunteering. Again I apologize to you Clark for the delay but also thank you patience in waiting for us.
We quickly loaded up the puppies, Asilo, Malcolm, Teddy, and Puzzle and drove 90 miles to Graham to meet Clark. We get there, and figure out that we can only load Asilo in a crate, the 7 puppies in 2 crates, and Teddy (who was a priority transport) between the crates and front seats. Every crate and dog fit, but only just. We said our thank yous to Clark, and watched him depart.
That still left Malcolm and Puzzle behind. Both are very awesome dogs and would make MPR proud. Bill Phelps took in Puzzle and I am fostering Malcolm until transport to Denver can be arranged.
Again, a HUGE shout out of thanks to Clark for coming all the way from Denver and flying the puppies and two larger dogs.
. Once I finish my IR I hope to get more involved