Happy Holidays,
I’ve been meaning to write this for 4 weeks now. Every time I get to the end of this story, the computer locks up and I loose the letter before I get a chance to save it. So I’ll try one last time this morning.
As some of you know, we have moved from Miami to Scottsdale Arizona. We finally arrived 5 days later than planned.
Jon accepted a new job with a different company. More room for advancement at a quicker pace we all hope.
Anyway on October 22nd we put the last of what we could fit into the big moving van. We once again, had to move ourselves. We wanted to be able to rent a vehicle to tow our jeep, and all family could ride together. But… that didn’t happen.
Jon, Jay and Bluto, our chow rode in the big truck as Heidi and I drove the jeep with all the birds stuffed in the back. We sold our canoe because I couldn’t make room in the big truck for all my bird supplies and cages. Breeding cages were tied on top with weather proof toys thrown inside of the flight cages. Rubber made totes filled with supplies also tied on top!! Wish I had a picture, I looked like the Beverly hillbillies.
All Snidely’s ladders, some perch’s, 2 very large cages broken down and laid in on the bottom of the jeep. All the birds were in smaller cages, and Gazoo the Eclectus on my shoulder as I could not stuff one more carrier or cage in!
All my bird books, magazines, food, house plants, our lock box with people shot records, birth certificates etc., as well as bird records traveled with me so I could have it close in an emergency and be able to enroll kids in school without searching through a 26ft truck to find it all in a hurry. What a sight!! LoL
We drove as far as Naples on the first night as we were all anxious to just get on the road. We slept well, and hit the road early the next morning. Gazoo got rather spoiled along the way as he became king of all! I traveled with his t-perch so he could have somewhere to rest when we stopped. That afternoon, as we drove through the panhandle, I started to encounter some minor jeep trouble. We decided that we would stop for the night and give the jeep a quick tune up after dinner. We got to the part store, and headed for the hotel to get the birds and kids settled into the hotel for the night. Everyone needed fed and watered as well as cages changed. What luck, Denny’s was right next door? We all stepped in to grab a bite. When we were finished Jon said he was just too tired to do the tune up and would get up at 6:30 am to do it quickly while we got up and showered, and reloaded the birds for the trip.
He got up like he said, showered and opened the door to the hotel room, calmly shut it and touched the end of my foot. “we have a problem” he said. I sat straight up, looked around the room and asked what time it was. Figuring we slept past checkout time as we do so well in a dark hotel room. He stated that it was only 6:30. I asked where the big truck is. I feared someone stole my house. But he assured me it was there, then I asked if it was raining, figuring if it was, it would delay fixing the jeep. He said it was not raining, but that was part of the problem. What else could possibly be wrong I wondered?
As he stood there looking rather calm and behaving extremely calm, he said to me that someone stole the jeep!!! NO!!! I couldn’t believe it!! Who would want to steal that thing with all the crap tied to it?? Police were called, and reports were begun. The paperwork on the jeep of course was all in the glove box as it would have been easier to find. I had taken all pertinent information out of my purse and put it in the jeep for easy access. So when the police asked for registration, license # etc, I didn’t have any of it!! We called the DMV in Miami where we plated and tagged the jeep 2 times since our arrival. There response to us was that we never registered a vehicle in the state!! HUH?!??! How could that be? So there is no documentation showing we owned the vehicle there. Needless to say the jeep is still missing. Actually they can have it, just give me my bird stuff back as well as personal belongings! We started calling around looking for another vehicle to rent to continue our journey now in a different frame of mind. THANK GOD IT WAS ONLY THE JEEP, NOT MY FAMILY OR BIRDS!! We were all safe, and together. Anyway… we found out that no one in town had rental cars, in fact no one in the pan handle had a car period!! We waited in the hotel room for 3 days waiting for a vehicle to free up. Finally they called and said we have a vehicle for you to rent, you can go pick it up. But the bad news was that we had to drive 120 miles back to Gainesville to pick it up! The only thing we had to drive was the BIG truck. Getting 3 ½ miles to the gallon fully loaded. Jon and I left the kids and birds in the hotel with the demand that no one leave the room unattended. I did not want to return to know the robbers came back to clean out my room as well. The cops were no help and still aren’t. There was a stolen car ring in town that we were obviously unaware of. Maybe the local sheriff was in on it!! lol
Upon arrival to pick up a vehicle they said that there was no SUV available. Here’s a Ford Taurus they said! UGGHHHHH!! Now what!! Just a little upset, I drove back 120 miles with Jon following trying to figure out how I was going to get 7 cages and Heidi in the car. Luckily the seat folded down into the trunk so ventilation would get in there. 2 cages and a small cage fit in the trunk, and the rest barely fit into the back seat!! Gazoo once again on my shoulder, his t-perch shoved into the trunk!! We made a stop in Austin to pick up another bird that was waiting there, with a cage. No where the heck was this stuff going to go? LOL the lady never showed up to meet us as we went out of our way to get there! This bird was a female Eclectus to go with Gazoo. But it didn’t happen, and with the luck we had been having why should I think it would have?
Anyway, we continued our journey to Arizona. We finally arrived 5 days later than planned. Moved the kids, dog and 30 birds into a hotel room and began our hunt for a house. Within the week, we found a little house that would suffice for the next year.
Finally able to get the kids in school and start to settle the birds again. A lot of them were improperly caged due to loosing 2 large cal cages, 4 smaller cages and 3 breeding cages along the way. I was fortunate enough to run into a pet shop that gave me a cage for Gazoo. Snidely is still in a cage that is inappropriate for him and his handicaps. We work on looking for the next miracle to get him settled. Things continued to go rough for us, as the money we had was in cash in the jeep. So there are no funds to replace food, supplies or cages at this time. I had just gone to the Aviary in Miami to stock up on all the seed and pellets I would need for 2 months. I knew it would take some time to find a reputable aviary. I won’t just buy food from the grocery store or petco.
I’m not looking for pity, but I would like to say that if anyone is able to help us get on our feet, whether it be by helping give supplies, seed, cages or wire to build cages or whatever than that would be appreciated. I never planned on this to happen this way; I was very well prepared when we began this journey. I am unable to pay for these things now or it would be taken care of. We are trying to get settled in with deposits, and stuff, as well as saving for a vehicle. Jon is walking about 5 miles a day to the highway to catch a ride with a friend, and I am bicycling around town trying to find a job. That is very limited without being able to drive any distance. Please pray that this situation remedies soon. I just want to settle and get on with our lives.
If any of you have allowed me to adopt your pets rest assured they are all with me and making the best of it like we are. Everyone is healthy and anxious to make this our home. The land is awesome and the people seem to be kind. But after the incidents leading up to the trip (the break-ins in Miami, and now the jeep stolen) who do you trust!! NOONE and that is a difficult way to start in a new town as well.
I didn’t mean to make this so drawn out; I’ve been meaning to write this for a couple weeks now. Hopefully, things will work themselves out in the next 2-3 weeks. Until then I could use a hand.
My address book was also in the jeep. Please send me your addresses again so I will have them.
Hope things are going better for everyone else. And that your holiday season will be cheerful. We are doing the best we can to see that we have a happy holiday as well.
Look forward to hearing from you all.
Love Kim
AllSqwak Feathers-N-Petals Gang
