How much is that doggy in the window?

It seems a little callous to be writing about new baby puppies when I've never written about Jack, who left us on August 27 but the pain is still a little too sharp to write for public consumption and yet time continues to flow out towards TheNow and in the now there is room for joy and something good to share: A New Baby Puppy. 

We are Dog People and within kingdom we fall under the Phylum Lab People. Mind now - first I love dogs so I'd have been perfectly happy with a pound puppy. My only requirement was that it be a girl and it be under 6 months. I wanted something that could keep Callie busy and take her mind off of being an Only Dog. 

BD, though, was really feeling the Labrador Lust and had been talking to breeders all over the state. Some had pups, some were going to have pups, some had names of people who might have pups. But it was the Times Dispatch on-line Classifieds that hooked us up with a kennel in Goochland who had one girl left. On a lark we decided to go have a look on my birthday and you can see what we found. 

It was a gorgeous day and the drive is very rural, very pretty, over rolling Piedmont Va, with a stop for Cheetos (it was my birthday after all) and Diet Pepsi in Sparta. When we pulled up to the kennel, though we had a moment's gulping pause. There, pulled up in the drive, was a van and beside it stood a mama and a daddy, holding a yellow wiggly puppy, and 4 assorted children reaching out to stroke soft downy fur. Both BD and I held our breath and schooled our expressions into generosity and charity, knowing that if it came to a choice between a family with 4 cute kids who needed a puppy - and a couple of geezerettes who already had a dog ... well ... we were prepared to be nice about it.

Only it wasn't the case. That one was the Next-to-Last puppy. We came to look at the Last Puppy.

 It took almost no time for this little ball of fluff to pass every test. In fact, this was the easiest puppy picking expedition I've ever experienced. And as you can see - she's a perfect fit.  It took Callie no time at all to get friendly.


Even generous

 Because even though this ball is hers - she can share

So here are lots more pictures of our newest addition to the family.

 Lots of outdoor play in this yard

But how much is that doggy in the doorway?

 First real bone

A walk out the pier to the marsh

And a splash into the muddy water

When will you take me for a boat ride, Daddy?

 Ooops. Slipped off the pier

Daddy to the rescue

 My first dip in the dog swimming pool.

 Brrrr this water is cold

Life is good, down on the farm.

 

So once again, there are enough dogs at TheCastle for TheQueen and BD.  What a Happy Birthday.