The Imagine Home Adventure Crew.
Way back in December, when we were just starting out, one of our regular foster friends (Monique) had four wee kittens who had been saved from one of the worst places in North Carolina (they claim to call themselves shelters, but I won’t give them that honor). The only obstacle in our way was getting them to Ohio and Michigan to their new families. It was quite a haul. So we started recruiting for drivers. We got a lot of interest, but were still short some crucial legs. We tried for weeks. Then the Paw of Jack stepped in.
I told my colleague slash boss (Gene) about them. He and his wife foster dogs regularly for one of the rescue veterinarians close to Raleigh. He also happens to have a plane. We talked about it, and he agreed to fly me and these kittens to Ohio, where Shawn and Christine were each adopting two. We picked an airport close to Shawn, and Christine would drive 3 hours from Michigan to meet us there.
Meanwhile, guess who found a place to stay while we waited for the next week and the flight? These 4 rambunctious monsters – Misha (fka Mischief), Fiona (fka Petey), Quinn and Taylor – were having a ball in my foster bedroom. You can click here for videos of their stay. Having them in my home was a great pleasure and they will always be in my hearts.
Day of the flight, attempt 1: Grounded by weather. Although Gene the pilot is instrument rated, light planes (us) were grounded, and better to be safe than sorry with all that precious cargo.
Day of the flight, attempt 2: It’s a go! It was extremely windy but sunny and not a cloud in the sky. Imagine loading 3 carriers holding 4 kitties, plus all of their bags and gifts into your car. Not so bad, until you get to the airport, look at the size of the plane, and realize you have to repack it into that tiny space. But we did! I was astounded how calm the kitties were. Maybe the rumbling of the plane was like mama purrs, who knows, but they were perfect angels the whole trip.
We took off from Youngsville, NC (about an hour north of Raleigh), and flew to Parkersburg, WV, where we had a short break and topped off the tank. The wind over the mountains was still so strong we almost had to land sideways to go straight. Scary to be sure, but Gene is an excellent pilot and his wife Donna knew her co-pilot stuff. They made a great team. I had never been in a plane that small and I think I only freaked out once when we hit a wind shear and dropped. Once on the ground in Parkersburg I got the opportunity to check on our passengers and they were all sweet as can be. No indication of the little terrors who had lived in my bedroom for two weeks. 😉
Back in the air and the hardest part was over. Next stop Ohio! We landed at a tiny unmanned strip in the middle of nowhere to a whole welcoming committee of Shawn and her family, and Christine fresh from Michigan. It was wonderful to be able to meet all of them and see their faces when they met their new babies for the first time.
Four more kitties HOME!! You can see more pictures and even videos here.
The flight home was uneventful and we made great time so did not have to stop. As for our oh so generous pilot and his wife: they liked the experience so much that they are now regular pilots for Pilots N Paws. They recently helped participate in the 400+ animal annual PNP rescue bash. You can read more about that in this article here, or on the Pilots N Paws facebook page.
So to all the pilots, truckers and long distance drivers who offer their time and gas freely, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
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