Abandoned

We conducted an experiment this weekend - we left Mollie overnight. We rather selfishly went to Spanfest - Steeleye Span's first ever festival of their very own, at Kentwell Hall in Suffolk. There weren't any camping tickets left and anyway Tracy was on a course yesterday (Advanced Back with Dan Stretton) so we drove down both Friday and yesterday. Dogs not allowed, so we left her with the neighbour. When we got home (2.30 Friday, 3.30 this morning) we wedged the living room door open so that as soon as the neighbours let her out in the morning she could jump the fence and come and find us.
Yesterday morning she came in just as Trace was getting ready to go out - in fact she ran past her initially! We all had big cuddles and then Mollie wouldn't leave my side all day. Yesterday evening when I took her next door she snuck through their front door and ran home! I had to catch her and hand her over, she looked really pathetic as I walked away...and this morning when she came home and found us in bed she was very excited but calmed down quite quickly and snuggled down under the duvet and went to sleep.
I think, overall, it went well - certainly in terms of leaving Mollie. Because she's with the neighbours virtually every day it's a natural extension for her to stay overnight, and it sounds like she wriggles much less in their bed than she does in ours..they enjoyed having her, too (toasty feet!). My only regret of the whole weekend is really that we couldn't stay over, as the drive home from Long Melford in the dark and rain this morning was hard work - but doable, and there wasn't much in the way of traffic. The festival had a good atmosphere, the surroundings were amazing and the music was mostly great too.