Leaving PA......for CA

Rowdy, Calvin, & Chelsi

It was late April and snowing when the movers came to pack our things up. Then two days later when they came back to load up the truck, it was lightly snowing again. A day or two later, we packed up our cars and headed south to Virginia to visit our relatives in Virginia and North Carolina, before leaving for San Diego. Chelsi was riding in the backseat of Charlie’s car and I had the two cats, Rowdy and Calvin in their kennel, in my car.

Calvin always meowed for the first hour of the drive. Rowdy was the silent sufferer, but you could see how he felt when you looked into his eyes. Chelsi was the perfect traveler. She sat in the backseat and then when she was sure she was on her way, she layed down and took a nap. Of course, we didn’t know until we got to San Diego, that she had been quietly chewing the seat belt almost in half!

We spent several days in Virginia with Charlie’s mom and really enjoyed it. The cats and Chelsi were always welcome at “grandma’s” house. We had our own room and the cats were right at home. Chelsi ran around the house like it was hers.

Then we went down to N.C. to see relatives there. Everyone got together at my mom’s house. She was the other “grandma” who always welcomed the pets. We again had our own room and the cats and Chelsi adapted very well, even with all of the people there.

Chelsi loved running around with the little nieces and nephews. Of course, it made it much more fun if they were carrying a cookie or piece of candy. She ran along behind them, hoping to get anything they dropped. Jerod, my sister’s little boy, was Chelsi’s favorite because he was only 3 years old and the smallest.

Then we left the families and drove across country to San Diego. The cats were in their kennels all day and when we stopped at night, the first thing we took into the room was their litter box. I remember one night when we brought the kennel in and opened it, the cats looked around the room and then headed for the litter box. Rowdy stepped in and as we watched him, we could see the “relief” on his little face. He had held it all day. What a feeling! I’ll never forget that look he had.

We had a rental house ready for us when we arrived in Chula Vista. When we had come to San Diego a couple of months earlier to find a house, we were looking for a good place for Chelsi to be in during the day while we were at work. This house was perfect. It had an enclosed “California room” where she could go out in the yard when she wanted to. We left the door to the yard open wide enough for her and were able to lock the other door into the house. We didn’t want her to be cooped up in the house all day and we didn’t know if she was completely housebroken.

She ran in and out, even on rainy days. The carpet was indoor/outdoor and held up well.

About a month after we moved in, we decided to go to a movie one night. We were gone a few hours. When we came home, we were surprised to see Chelsi sitting in our front yard. We don’t know how long she had been out, but we were very relieved that she was in the yard. In just a few years, that would be a different story........

........More later.