Monday-Tuesday, September 28-29, 2026 – Travel Day, Worst Possible News

Hey Darlin',
Was up bright and early, had breakfast, and was heading out at 9:00, with a stop at another ruins, then to the Cusco airport. Dropped off at noon, flight went off on-time, arrived in Lima with a six hour wait for my next connection. During that time, I worked to find a tracker, someone who could bring in a dog and drone and learn where Lola went. After being on the phone nearly an hour, I found someone, she was very expensive, and had to drive down from the Tri-cities, but she could be there in the morning. No sooner were those arrangements made than I got a call from Linda with the worst news ever. Her neighbor found Lola dead by the road, obviously hit by a car. I don't know what to say. I had instructed her in the need for Lola's confinement, but she didn't do anything I asked, and this was the result. I am heart-broken and devastated. This trip had gone so well. It was the first trip where I wasn't sick, in extreme pain or been injured by falling off a horse. It was a wonderful trip, and should have had a wonderful reunion, but now Lola's gone and I can't stop crying. What a miserable way to finish. At least I know what happened to her, it beats not knowing, but she had years left in her life, and now she's gone. The rest of my trip was on schedule. I barely slept on the Lima-Miami leg, had no problems with customs or immigration control, didn't have too much of a layover, and was surprised that the Miami-Charlotte flight was on a 777, and first class had the individual pods with the lie flat bed, which I wish I had had on the Lima flight. Was kind of sorry it was such a short flight, but I did stretch out and got a good hour or so of sleep, which helped a lot. About the only hour in the past 31+ hours I've been going since yesterday morning. Arrived on schedule, with Linda picking me up at the aiport. I couldn't talk to her, I was so angry and grief-stricken. It was so unnecessary, so avoidable, if she had only followed my instructions Lola would be greeting me excitedly. Instead, I found her wrapped in a garbage bag on a skid. I couldn't stop crying. Richard eventually came by and asked to bury her, so I had to go. I decided I just couldn't stay there, compounded with the fact the electric on her motor home where I was supposed to stay quit, and I was in no mood to deal with that, so I moved to a hotel for the night, and glad I did. Was pleased to see a bathtub (so few hotels have one these days!), so I took a long hot bath, and was in bed shortly thereafter, though I did some computer work, reading and grieving before I finally slept. I'm so heartbroken, so sorry that our lovin' Lola is no longer here, she was always a constant reminder of you and how much you loved her, too. I hope, if there is an afterlife, that you and her are together again some way or another, that your spirits are together, and that we'll all be together again, our energies eternally mixed forever. Love you, love her, good night.