Sue writes:
THANK YOU TO EVERY ONE OF YOU, FROM MY HEART, FOR YOU HAVE BROUGHT ENZO TRULY HOME - AT LAST.
Indeed he is - truly home at last.
At 4 p.m. on Monday, March 5, 2007, Enzo's long long journey ended.
How can I hope to adequately share such a moment with you all, who have traveled with Enzo ten thousand miles from Brno, Czech Republic, to the final minute of his reunion with Atia & Maia in Sydney, Australia.
Ten thousand miles & twelve long months, to the final steps of a short walk up a garden path and into the heart of his very own family.
Tears, floods of them, from Atia & me, as we flung our arms around each other and stood sobbing; watching as Enzo eagerly & unhesitatingly pushed through the doorway and did a quick search; back he came to deliver a nudge to Atia, off again along the passage, his big paws padding on the timber floor. We all crowded indoors, laughing, crying, catching our breath - what will he do?
Where is Maia? Enzo . . . find Maia! here she is, giggling & shy all at once, curled behind a curtain in the spare room, squeaking in excitement & overwhelmed all at the same time.
Enzo! Maia! here she is! look!
Another nosepoke, and off again to explore this unfamiliar place, yet so full of familiar smells . . . how can this be? I don't know this place but there are smells I remember. This person I know. She is my Mum but where has she been? It's a bit confusing - but it's okay because they are here too and I feel safe, but just puzzled.
Let me go down those steps . . . ah, that's nice grass. Oh - now who's that? he's a nice dog on the other side of that fence. I wag my tail and he sees me and wags back. Name of Jerry. Okay, Jerry, let's be pals. wag wag . . . wag wag. I like you. wag wag.
Hmmm . . . might just go and poke my nose along here & there & over here & over there again. Nice. It's okay. Different, but okay. Yep, they are still there. Watching me. Sue & Bill & my MumPerson, & Maia. I'll go and tell them I'm okay, they look a bit uncertain.
I need a drink. Maia brings me a nice bowl of water, clean & cool. I drink & drink. Let's go back inside. The floor is cool and I lie down. I'm fine, just a bit tired. Sue says let's just sit down too, so that's
good, it makes me feel good if they settle. I can settle. I watch. They are all smiling at me so I just lie still and my eyes move from face to face. It's all okay, it's okay, okay ........
My eyes close and their voices drift a little; I don't really sleep but I doze a bit. It's been a long long journey to here, I'm not at all sure why it happened but I know there must have been a reason..........
So ---- Let us leave him dozing, while I gather up the photographs you have all been waiting to see, and then I'll fill in the journey from Wombat Bend to Sydneytown.
Sue, back home tonight at Wombat Bend
- happy? yes
- missing Enzo? yes
- mission accomplished? yes
- did we do it all together? yes
Let's rewind the tape to Sunday, 4 March, just over a week ago, yet it feels like yesterday.
Leaving Ascha & Aerem &Chester in the wonderful care of Lizzie Hurtt was the best part of our departure, knowing that despite Ascha's heart-rendingly disconsolate 'why can't I come too?' face, she would soon adjust to our absence.
Leaving Wombat Bend, Sunday March 4. Guess whose ears these are?
Bill & I decided to take two days to reach Sydney from Wombat Bend. It's possible to do it in one, but considering the heat of our wearyingly ongoing summer, there really was no need to endure a ten- to
twelve-hour trip which would have got us into inner Sydney well after dark. Far too stressful on Enzo, and on us too.
Comfortable & relaxed on his big soft cushion, Enzo travelled beautifully. He slept or dozed, or looked out of the window and watched the countryside going by, as peaceful a passenger as one could ever wish. Dressed in his scarlet Airedale Rescue Australia bandana, and his splendid collar from Sally in Colorado, he looked a picture of handsome health.
We reached the border where the great Murray River divides Victoria & New South Wales. Lunchtime seemed a good reason for stopping at Albury, where beautiful old botanic gardens beckon many a traveller on the road between Melbourne & Sydney. Enzo shared our sandwiches happily and was content to stroll with me on a little leg-stretching jaunt before the next long drive to Goulburn, where we had booked our B&B for the night.
We stop for lunch at Albury, on the border of Victoria and New South Wales.
The rather charming B&B has been established as part of the still-functioning Old Goulburn Brewery, and upon arrival we were treated to Mine Host's very effusive welcome, along with samples of his ales. Enzo inspected the resident dog through a picket gate, and spent much of the evening happily wandering around the old gardens before dinner.
We stop for the night in a lovely old B&B. It's the original brewery in Goulburn (not far from Australia's capital, Canberra), built in 1853, and still brewing a v-e-r-y nice drop of ale.
Enzo inspects the B&B accommodation.
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