smartin436
New member
Heidi and I were very fortunate to be able to combine 2 of our favorite things last weekend, Spyder riding and retired racer greyhound adoption. We needed to deliver a very sweet 19 month old brindle boy to Louisville ky. Our deadline was 12 noon on Saturday the 29th. He was scheduled to catch a PilotNPaws flight to Columbus Oh., spend the night and do a second leg Sunday morning to his new furever home in Rochester NY.
We fixed up out time out trailer so that we could haul him safely and comfortably, and left Mobile at about noon Friday, headed north. We stopped several times in the first couple of hours to make sure that Rebel was good. We would take him out of the crate to potty and he would quickly beeline it back to the crate and jump in and lay down. It was obvious that he was comfortable and warm.
We stopped that night just south of Nashville Tn. temp was dropping and we were tired. Our grey baby snuggled into his blanket next to our bed, flipped over on his back and was good for the night.
We rolled out early the next morning, temp on the Spyder was reading 31, stopped again several times early in the ride to check on him. He was snug as a bug in a rug. We got to Bowman Field in Louisville at about 11:00AM and met up with our pilot. Did a little hand off paperwork on Rebel and he was ready to go. The pilot allowed us to take him to the plane and load him up. We only had him with us 4 days but were very attached to him. If you have never been around Greyhounds, they are amoung the sweetest, gentle and loving breeds there is and he is true to the breed.
I loaded him in his crate in the plane and stepped down. Heidi jumped up on the wing and told him goodbye. we shook hands with the pilot and walked back to the terminal and watched as the pilot went thru his checklist, started up and taxied out to the runway. A few minutes went by and we heard the planes engine rev, shortly after the plane lifted from the runway and as the pilot fly over head he gently rocked his wings, waving goodbye, and made a gentle climbing turn to the right and out of sight.
At this point, Heidi and I both had a lump in our throats and were trying to keep dry eyes. We had the honor to be part of something very special. Taking part in getting a wonderful deserving dog to a loving home.
A few hours later I recieved a text, he had made it safely to Columbus. The next morning his new mom sent me pics of Rebel at his new home in Rochester.
So here we are in Louisville, on a Spyder, got a day and a half to get back home. We ate a bite of lunch and headed for the Dragon. We made it to marysville TN. at about 8, tired and ready for bed. We would have made it sooner but at the first rest area south of the KY/TN border on I75, after taking a stretch break we got mobbed at the Spyder for over an hour with folks walking up wanting to see it and ask questions. This is the first time this has ever happened to us and finnaly we just had to suit up and start backing out. The attention was neat, but we had to go.
The next morning, up at 8:00, we were on the Dragon by 9. Pretty much had it to ourselves, awsome ride....Picked up the Cherohala Skyway and rode it too. Saw a white RT and gave a big wave. By this time it's about noon and we are 560 miles from home and I gotta work in the morning so we put her in the wind. Atlanta was thrilling as usual but other than that it was a quite smoth, long ride home.
We rode 1497 miles from Friday noon till 11PM Sunday night. The Spyder ran flawless. Did have the belt vibration thing, a little annoying but I'll take care of that soon. This was our first real road trip on her. Can't wait to do another. Fuel mileage, running about 75 pulling our little trailer was about 26.
A Very memorable trip.....I posted some pics...check them out, most of the leaves had already turned but not all.......
We fixed up out time out trailer so that we could haul him safely and comfortably, and left Mobile at about noon Friday, headed north. We stopped several times in the first couple of hours to make sure that Rebel was good. We would take him out of the crate to potty and he would quickly beeline it back to the crate and jump in and lay down. It was obvious that he was comfortable and warm.
We stopped that night just south of Nashville Tn. temp was dropping and we were tired. Our grey baby snuggled into his blanket next to our bed, flipped over on his back and was good for the night.
We rolled out early the next morning, temp on the Spyder was reading 31, stopped again several times early in the ride to check on him. He was snug as a bug in a rug. We got to Bowman Field in Louisville at about 11:00AM and met up with our pilot. Did a little hand off paperwork on Rebel and he was ready to go. The pilot allowed us to take him to the plane and load him up. We only had him with us 4 days but were very attached to him. If you have never been around Greyhounds, they are amoung the sweetest, gentle and loving breeds there is and he is true to the breed.
I loaded him in his crate in the plane and stepped down. Heidi jumped up on the wing and told him goodbye. we shook hands with the pilot and walked back to the terminal and watched as the pilot went thru his checklist, started up and taxied out to the runway. A few minutes went by and we heard the planes engine rev, shortly after the plane lifted from the runway and as the pilot fly over head he gently rocked his wings, waving goodbye, and made a gentle climbing turn to the right and out of sight.
At this point, Heidi and I both had a lump in our throats and were trying to keep dry eyes. We had the honor to be part of something very special. Taking part in getting a wonderful deserving dog to a loving home.
A few hours later I recieved a text, he had made it safely to Columbus. The next morning his new mom sent me pics of Rebel at his new home in Rochester.
So here we are in Louisville, on a Spyder, got a day and a half to get back home. We ate a bite of lunch and headed for the Dragon. We made it to marysville TN. at about 8, tired and ready for bed. We would have made it sooner but at the first rest area south of the KY/TN border on I75, after taking a stretch break we got mobbed at the Spyder for over an hour with folks walking up wanting to see it and ask questions. This is the first time this has ever happened to us and finnaly we just had to suit up and start backing out. The attention was neat, but we had to go.
The next morning, up at 8:00, we were on the Dragon by 9. Pretty much had it to ourselves, awsome ride....Picked up the Cherohala Skyway and rode it too. Saw a white RT and gave a big wave. By this time it's about noon and we are 560 miles from home and I gotta work in the morning so we put her in the wind. Atlanta was thrilling as usual but other than that it was a quite smoth, long ride home.
We rode 1497 miles from Friday noon till 11PM Sunday night. The Spyder ran flawless. Did have the belt vibration thing, a little annoying but I'll take care of that soon. This was our first real road trip on her. Can't wait to do another. Fuel mileage, running about 75 pulling our little trailer was about 26.
A Very memorable trip.....I posted some pics...check them out, most of the leaves had already turned but not all.......
I almost teared up reading your thread. How wonderful! 
