The Beginning of the End – Dec. 9, 2012

We’ve been back in the US for nine nights but we are finally home; a night in Salt at the very hospitable Duck Creek Campground just east of Paducah, Kentucky.  The rain is coming down in waves and we are enjoying a gin and driving day chips in our full hook-up spot a mere thirty yards from the fully fenced, large, grassy dog area.  (Those of you who have been reading through Europe know the importance of every word in that last sentence!)

We picked up Salt & Pepper from the docks in Jacksonville, Florida on Thursday morning and took them immediately to Camping World for Salt’s new LP tanks (we had to leave the others behind before shipping from Belgium.) Friday we drove to Savannah for a delightful night with some dear, but don’t call them old, friends.  That night was the first time we had spent the night in a house in over fifteen months.  Yes, there was the Paris apartment, but nothing compares to the solidity of a house; it was heavenly.   (Not to mention the Seabass roasted in banana leaves and chocolate bread pudding with German chocolate drizzle.  C'mon Man!)

Becoming friends with people from all over America is one of the greatest benefits of our previous careers; after that wonderful night on Skidaway Island we were treated to another divinely home-cooked meal and night’s rest suffused by southern hospitality with friends in Atlanta.  Don’t get me started on the Butterfinger pie—lord I need some time to get some exercise!  The Noses especially loved this stop as they were provided with a fully-fenced back yard.  Complete with Teasing Squirrels. 

Now we are headed to Colorado almost as fast as Pepper can pull us all.  We will have two nights in St. Louis allowing one day for me to fly to Boston and back for a job interview.  After that it is Colorado, Baby!

-K

PS:  The picture above is of Rosco on Main Beach in the city of Fernandino Beach on Amelia Island, Florida.

Musings – On Returning to the USA

As John Denver would say, “Gee it’s good to be back home again”, if only we had the farm that he sings of in the next sentence we would be in absolute heaven.  But with no farm and, as of this writing, no Salt & Pepper, we find ourselves at the Comfort Suites on Amelia Island, Florida awaiting US Custom’s release of our beloved rolling home.

The flight back came off without any trouble despite the stress and panic clearly reflected in both Rosco’s and my eyes.  If you ever get the opportunity to fly Air France La Premier out of Charles de Gaulle, by all means take it.  The exceptional service starts upon your arrival at the terminal:  Before you even check in, they have a lounge waiting for you where they sit you (and your dogs) down in plush leather chairs (ok, The Noses remained on the carpet) while they arrange your boarding passes and check in your luggage.  If you happen to have Tax Free items that need to clear customs, they walk you through the back doors and into a private Customs office where your documents are all stamped post-haste.  This is the way to travel!

The flight seemed to take forever as I was worried about Rosco, but eventually we landed in Atlanta and they delivered the Alive (!) But Shell-Shocked Noses to us near the baggage carousel.  Atlanta is a wonderful place in which to arrive from an international flight:  The customs and immigration lines are almost non-existent (unlike, LA, San Francisco or NY) and the southern hospitality simply engulfs you as you disembark.  Indeed, our luggage porter knew just where to take the dogs for agricultural clearance and then led us directly outside to the pet area.

As the old New Austerity hadn't caught back up with us yet, we stayed two nights at the Westin in Buckhead getting a quick but deep dive back into the commercial aspects of living in America.  With streets full of Porsches and sidewalks full of people with large shopping bags we knew we were home.  Being all shopped out from Paris, we saved our money for Manhattans and wine in the lobby bar where The Noses were a huge hit and the wine was over $15 a glass.  Au revoir vin du maison at $2 a glass! 

One five hour drive later we find ourselves on the aforementioned Amelia Island in the delightful small coastal town of Fernandino Beach, just 30 minutes from the docks where Salt & Pepper await Customs clearance.  With any luck they will clear within a day or two, then it’s a quick jaunt into Camping World for the installation of new LP cylinders (had to remove them for the shipment home) before heading to Colorado.

And more John Denver:  All together now, “Colorado Rocky Mountain hiii-yiiii.”

-K

PS:  As expected, The Noses weren't even examined upon our arrival into Atlanta.  The officer looked at their Pet Passports, specifically noting the rabies vaccination, and that was the extent of it.  Likewise, we slipped right on through Passport control in France despite our Schengen violation.