A Mission for don_budge...Yep...deep into the heart of Finland. Five hour drive to Stockholm capped by a ten minute ride following a cabbie to get me to the harbour. GPS had me going around in circles. After the first circle and into the second I stopped at a cab stand and asked this foreign looking guy to take me to the harbour. Drove the car onto the ferry and fifteen hour cruise to Finland...the water was as smooth as glass.. You could have waterskied on the sea that day. Arrived in Finland at ten in the morning and had to drive the car off the ferry so I parked at the terminal where I was to meet the lady and the dog.
They arrived right on time at one in the afternoon. We walked around and talked. She had her man with her...an ex special forces guy who owned like fifty some dogs together with her twenty-eight or so. He was into eighteen dog sled teams. International competitions. Fascinating people. She said she was a feral person. I totally understood. But the dog was and is a beautiful animal. York is his name. Funny thing...while we were chatting and walking around the outside of the terminal with York there was this homeless guy. Odd looking...half of his head was shaved. I don't know that he was homeless actually but he was perusing through the trash and I assumed that he was looking for bottles...if not something to eat. I don't want to be presumptuous.
But later on after the couple had left this fellow came around where wolf boy and I were sitting. Waiting. The dude came up to talk to me. He spoke to me in English. He was curious about the creature. Funny thing is he was wearing a t-shirt that said "Los York, New Angeles". Get it? But I took it to be some sort of sign. Los York...my York. York and I got in the car and drove it back onto the ferry. We went to the room and briefly went out on the deck a few times. Everyone was very curious about my boy. He was pretty shy in return. We went back in the room. All that I had to eat was a bit of lunch leftover from when I was laid over in Finland. Some chicken something or other. Some fries. Fifteen hours return to Stockholm. I never took my eye off of him. Worried he would make a mess. He peed twice but I managed to get the towels under him. Didn't want to soil the carpet in the cabin. He was great though...a real trooper. He had a six hour drive to the ferry himself from somewhere deep in the heart of Finland.
As we were down in the hold in the car I asked the semitruck driver who was parked next to me where he was going. Gothenburg...he said. Same direction as me. I asked him if it was tough getting out of Stockholm to get to the highway. He said to just follow the signs. As I was leaving the harbour I found myself behind his truck so I followed him. I was a bit gun shy after the GPS had me going in circles when I arrived. No problem...we found the highway and it was clear sailing. A brilliant sunny day...and hot. I didn't eat anything or even have a coffee. Couldn't leave my boy for a moment. I drove until I was well over half way home and stopped at a McDonald's of all places. Sweden is like the 51st state. I got a little chicken burger and a coffee. Nothing else as I remember.
When I got home it was life at first sight for the wife. This was her hairbrained scheme. She made all of the arrangements for my mission. A mission it was and still is. York is getting me in touch with my inner wolf. Puntzie loves him. Puntzie needed this partner. Dogs need other dogs. I get up every morning between 4:30 and 5 to walk them.
Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton
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