Dennis Hollingsworth

Swirl

I've been building the last panels I'm likely to paint in CONUS for 2004. I'll be prepping works on paper too, so that'll do me for the next two months. I pretty much done with the panels, except for the sizing with mat resin, but that'll be fast. Today, I want to buy the material for- and build the crates. That way, I'm done with them once I finish painting.

The preparations for departure are going on simultaneously. We've found a shipping service that seems good and priced right. As you can see, we are beginning a two month festival of packing. I imagine that we will be living out of suitcases for a month or more until we unpack in Tossa.

We've been wrangling the schedule pretty hard, getting family together to make a coordinated decision. Research into air fares is tinged with Al Queda poop. Should we take Lufthansa (muy caro!) or British Airways. What's with the air pilots' union and their antipathy towards air marshals? Stroking their moral vanity matters more than the safety of your passengers? I read that they think that their ground prep is superior enough to guarantee a highjack free flight. As it is said: "From their mouth to Gods ears." Only El-Al can make that claim.

Also, Juno's fate is a terribly touching issue. She has mast cell tumors, a form of cancer. It's not a communicable disease, one that is more like weeds: it will clutter up her system someday. Four months ago, the vet gave her six months to go. (We thought she was fitting right into our schedule! -gallows humor ;-)) She looks fine today. So it seems that we will take her with us to Spain, which is a small bit of trouble compared to the agony of leaving her behind in someone elses' care... or worse, putting her down prematurely, even if it is anitcipating the eventual by a month or two. Who knows, maybe she will live another year, maybe two... which would take her to the normal lifespan for a dog of her size and breed.