The Ponce Chronicles 2025, Part Five

As the full moon rises in the early evening sky over Ponce, we are wrapping things up in preparation for returning to Boston. And by “wrapping up,” I mean trying to get all the things done that we haven’t gotten done in the last two months. In fact, we’ve gotten a whole lot of repair and maintenance work done, and also hosted several sets of friends from various locations. I’m sorry I haven’t posted as much as I would have liked. Sadly, my writing surge was short lived. And now we’re packing a ridiculous amount of stuff to carry back with us—including an extra dog.

It proves to be incredibly complicated, not to mention expensive, to fly a dog home from Puerto Rico, when that dog is too large to travel in the cabin under the seat of a regular airline. Shadowfox is traveling on a cargo plane by herself. A facilitator is seeing to the arrangements for us, which involve SF arriving not in Boston but in Newark, New Jersey. What this means is that I’m flying back first on my own—laden with oxygen paraphernalia as well as the usual huge checked bag. It’s not a pretty sight. Although it may be a comical one.

I’ll be arriving home just in time for some long-scheduled medical tests. And then I load up the campervan and head off to Newark! I must pick up the Fox at 9 a.m. at a cargo facility at Newark Airport, and not be late. (Not my strong suit.) Then the poor critter, hopefully not too traumatized, will head home with me—to her new home! She has calmed down considerably. If we survive the first year of puppy energy, she’s going to be a great companion. (McDuff already is.)

The next day, Allysen and McDuff fly home. I hope, when McDuff arrives to find Shadowfox already there, she doesn’t run away to join the foreign legion.

Here’s a final picture. I couldn’t get McDuff to stick around for the shutter.