Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Best Dog


For a lonely only-child college student in the middle of her second year of school, this dog was the answer.  My parents really did not want me to get a dog.   My dad was afraid it would tie me down, prevent me from doing all of those college things.  My mom was afraid I wouldn't have time.  
I KNEW... I needed a dog.   So I got Bonnie.  


You've heard me mention before that Bonnie is a very confident dog.  She is.  I used to ride horses for a lady who did a lot of parades and she was always talking about the best horses being "bomb proof." If Bonnie was a parade horse I'd like to think she'd be described in this way. 

Getting a dog during the middle of a college career could have really messed me up.  Especially if it wasn't the right dog.  But somehow, I ended up with not only the right dog, but the perfect dog.  


All my life up until Bonnie our family had two Golden Retrievers and a German Shepherd mix.  Goldens are the quintessential American family dog and my dad's favorite.  Our goldens were sweet pups but they lacked a certain gusto... and much to my dismay, they did not retrieve.  Now perhaps this was some failed training effort on our part, but none of our dogs retrieved.  No interest in balls whatsoever.   I tried.  And tried. No success.  

Our dogs also spent a lot of time outside.  They were backyard dogs.  There is nothing wrong with this, but I always wanted more.  I wanted an inside dog.  I wanted a dog that would sleep under the covers with me... because now I was doing the laundry myself.  


Bonnie came to my life at 7 weeks old and has and will always be the Best dog.  She retrieves, she sleeps under the covers with me, and she is always up for something new.  She travels well and has lived in 5 different houses with several new people over her life.  She was my co-pilot on many 8 hour car rides from Sacramento to San Diego.  She flew across the country to Virginia and walked out of the crate like it was nothing.   She likes water, cats, every kind of food imaginable.  She seems to have a very good vocabulary because she always knows what I'm asking her to do, even if now in her older age she isn't always willing to do it.   

I love this dog.  She is the reason our family will have corgis for years to come and she will likely be the standard to which they are all held.  She is that dog that changes everything. 



And she is entertaining. 










I am still young.  And I am still enjoying time with this sweet girl.  This best and first dog that will always be the one to beat.  And while she is still far from leaving us I often think about how sad it will be to be remembering her instead of reaching over to touch her ears while I'm writing this post.  

Many of you have loved and lost your "Best Dogs" already.  Here's to you... and to them :) 

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Jump Bailey!


Bailey still takes a bit of encouragement to get into the water.  But when he finally decides he's going in... he's jumping in! 







Friday, September 28, 2012

Full moon -- No Corgi Content


Shake Shake Shake!


We went for a walk down to the stream on tuesday. Everything is still pretty green here in Virginia despite these first days of Fall.  You can see the few leaves that are now in the water that weren't there only a week before. 


As you can see Bonnie is "off leash."  I don't quite trust Bailey yet so it'll probably be several years before he will have that freedom.  I brought a ball this time and was throwing it out into the water for Bonnie to retrieve.  Not wanting Bailey to miss out on the swimming I dragged him through the water a few times on the leash.  I love how he starts trying to shake off the water before he is even out of it yet!  


Bonnie got a few good shakes in as well! 




Thank you to my husband Christian for these great shots with a not always cooperative camera.  :)

Thursday, September 27, 2012

May I help you?

Darby:  "So, need a little help getting in there, Harry?"

Darby:  "Alright, alright!  You don't have to get so mad!"*

Darby:  "I'll just stand back and watch."
* No claws or teeth were used in the filming of this blog post

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

One Word Wednesday

Kin*


* On the left is Darby's mother, Bryn.  Her roommate, Dinah, is probably a cousin of some sort to Darby and/or Pumpkin,  If not, she is technically "kith", not "kin", but we consider her kin just the same.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

More of her




Monday, September 24, 2012

The past weekend


Nice headrest!
When I was out watching Glenn on our roof, a neighbor walked by and asked me if I was "guarding him."  I guess I was!  Like the person who stays awake on a flight across the US in order to keep the plane in the air, I was watching him in order to keep him on the roof.  Thankfully, there were no accidents -- but, he isn't done up there yet, so I have more guarding to do!

A year later, I'm not aware of my dearest wish having come true...but maybe that's because I haven't identified my dearest wish.
 

A tree that won't need irrigation.

I never get tired of those colors.
It didn't last long.  When Pumpkin decided to join them, Harry decided to leave. 
A little strange to be knitting a wool scarf on an over-100-degree-day, I suppose.  But, it was the perfect thing to do in the cool, dark, air- conditioned living room with a movie on TV.
 
A mirrored sunset.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

I love this dog

I love this dog!


I love this dog, too.  Even though she won't look the camera in the eye.