Lacey’s Road Trip, Day 1

Yesterday morning, at 5:30am, Lacey and I hit the road for what would turn out to be the longest drive of my life, and her first long-distance travel experience….

 Our first stop was at Bow Lake, which is fed by Bow Glacier – the source of Calgary’s drinking water.  Everything was new to Lacey so I allowed her to explore as much as possible; she took full advantage of the time to smell everything and deal with all the strangers, loud buses, trucks, cars, camper-vans milling around us, and process her first experience with a mountain environment filled with strange new scents and sights.

Our next stop was to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier, the main glacier on the Columbia Icefield. Lacey did an awesome job processing and dealing with everything; she was so excited to be exploring that she didn’t show any fear, nervousness, or anxiety at all. Everything was new and very strange – and maybe even a bit overwhelming for her – but she took it all in stride and handled it like a true pro.

We did make several more stops during the drive, but time was a factor so I didn’t take any more photos. As it was, we didn’t get checked into the hotel until after midnight. Lacey proved to be a fantastic traveler; she just laid down in the kennel and slept until we stopped for a break.

This morning, Lacey is experiencing a bit of travel-lag, so she’s not doing much more than sleeping. But she will be back to her normal self by this evening.  I’ll be working her in a bit, and I’ll be introducing her to some new people. She’ll have lots of opportunities over the course of the day to practice being calm and relaxed.

Have a great day. I’ll update later. And who knows? I might even be able to get some photos of Lacey doing her job. I did bring the long-line for her….