First, like I’m sure everyone writes, one year has gone fast. I was tickled just remembering the day we picked her up from the foster home she was staying in. That car ride home was one of the best in my life.

We went from a long hike and swim on Sunday to celebrate at a local dog haven.

Katie Lynn is in good health, still quite frisky and playful. She is now 5.5 years old.

In the past six months, a dear friend of ours (who fell in love with Katie while she was watching her for us one weekend) adopted a yellow lab of her own, and so they get to play all the time now. It has been really rewarding to watch Katie interact so regularly with another dog; you get to see a whole ‘nother side of her.

She is quite adaptable to our hectic lifestyle. Some days she comes with me to school; other days she goes to work with my husband; other still she gets to spend the day with Sadie for company; and sometimes she goes solo for a while, too. I’ve taken her for overnights to my parents house. On errands. To my brother’s, who has a 1 year old daughter that she adores. In all these situations, she’s just great.

I love waking up to her; taking her places; coming home to her waggly ways; and finding new ways to surprise or delight her.

Thanks again for helping us connect. She’s a great friend.

Fenway is doing quite well. You would be surprised to see him in person as he has actually grown. He is a little taller and has filled out quite a bit. He no longer looks like a puppy, but a giant dog. He was 86 lbs. when we got him and is now over 90 lbs. but is not fat.

He has been hiking quite a bit up to 10 miles in a day. His feet were sore the last time and so we’re researching shoes for him. R. bought a tent to do some overnight hiking and got one that would fit one person and a big dog. He got Fenway a mat and is now looking for an appropriate sleeping bag for him. He has his own backpack and carries his food and a little bit of water. He’s gotten really excellent on the trails, ignoring most people and keeping to himself.

He is such a great dog. So loving and fun and has become so well-behaved. No more jumping. He only barks when necessary and though he does have that Lab stubborn streak, he listens quite well. We’ve put him in the crate for sleeping and when we’re not home because he has a taste for my dress shoes. But he is fine in the crate during these times.

The newest development is that Fenway is now a foster brother! The local shelter accepted some dogs from Hurricane Katrina. Generally, I do not really support bringing in dogs from the south, but under the circumstances of a disaster of this magnitude, I felt compelled to help. The shelter brought up about 15 dogs (out of 800!) from a shelter in Mississippi that were owner surrenders. We ended up with a three month old mixed breed. Fenway is excellent with him. He corrects him when he needs it and plays mostly gentle with him and even lets the puppy pretend to win at tug-o-war.

The puppy thinks he is dragging Fenway around when really, the puppy is no more than 25 lbs. It’s very cute. When Fenway is sick of him, he swims out into the lake as the puppy doesn’t dare go that far.

So, all is well here. I’ve attached a couple of photos of Fenway and the foster puppy.

As promised, here are a few pics of my recent adventures in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. I must admit that I’ve come home with a bit of a swollen head…everyone I met couldn’t believe I am 9 years old and kept commenting on how fit I am :) I just smiled and said, “I know—now tell my parents that’s worth another biscuit!” Just call me Chance: Hiker Extraordinaire—I also managed to impress people with my stellar hiking abilities. We’d see people at the summit of some of our hikes and they’d ask where the ‘easy route’ was that we had come up…no easy route for me, I’d say, straight to the top! Besides, I was quick to see the connection between long hikes and extra treats—and we all know I’ll do anything for a treat or two. We had fantastic weather and I did a fair amount of swimming too. I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a water snob—no salt water on this fine fur—I’m a much bigger fan of the spring fed ponds. We had some long days, but we made frequent pit stops. No big surprise to Mom and Dad, but I can still take a nap just about anywhere…see for yourself.

Just for fun on our way home we stopped at the Stephen Huneck gallery and Dog Chapel in St. Johnsbury, VT—I met some BIG new friends (which I attempted to sniff like any other new neighbor) and Mom & Dad had fun with the camera—check out the pics!

I have an appointment with the Doc tomorrow—just an annual check-up (which always comes with some tasty biscuits if I sit pretty). Vermont is starting to show signs of fall, which is fine by me. I love the fall, the weather is cool (just right for me to be co-pilot with Mom in the car), and the air has a great smell—perfect for hanging your head out the window :) Mom says she’s amazed that I don’t hyperventilate with all the sniffing I do! Well that’s it for now—I’ll keep you posted on any new adventures. Enjoy the weather…pats and wags to everyone!

Hudson has been doing great! He is truly a member of our family. He went everywhere with us this summer. We think he is a little sad that the school year has started and we must go back to work. Although, he gives the best welcome when we return, he jumps up off of all 4 paws and his tail is wagging furiously! Over the summer we started obedience school and Hudson is doing well. He has even gotten compliments from his teacher! We are so proud! We are looking forward to the fall weather and hikes at the state park near us. We can’t wait to see Hudson in the snow! This is one of our favorite pictures of Hudson from our annual Softball Game, he was the MVP!

Dasher is a joy! He fits in so well with us. He loves just being with us
and that is pretty much most of the time. He really likes coming with us to
work and meeting everyone. Dasher, is our official greater at the office
never barks at anyone just a big wag of the tail then goes back and lies
down.

He has been going on two mile walks with his buddies Trudy and Carly, I’m
sending a picture of Dash and Trudy (can’t see Carly). Dasher loves to see
them (usually on the weekend). The other two pictures of Dasher are right
after he took his walk on the trail. He was a bit tired.

Dasher is really great at not getting on any furniture, doesn’t even try.
At night he doesn’t sleep in the bed. He has his own, which is in our
bedroom. The one thing is when he is left home alone (once in a while) he
will get on our bed because he can look up the driveway. I let him think he
is getting away with that one.

We started obedience classes last Thursday night. He was a very good boy.
He likes being around other dogs. He should do very well. Dasher knew some
of the commands when we got him. Sit and Down. He does very well on the
leash especially after he has been walking a while. So I think he will be
a very fast learner.

Dasher is a very calm and gentle dog, we are so lucky to have gotten him.
You look at that face of his and eyes and he melts your heart. Thanks NEARR!

It’s been quite a while since you’ve had a Skylar update. He’s fine! Skylar is such a goofy lab. As you know, he’s a big one but he thinks he’s a lap dog, wanting to be in my lap or on top of me in the bed. He’s a snuggler. At night, he goes to sleep on his bed on the floor, right beside me. He waits until I am dead asleep and climbs up to get some human contact. He is very funny. He definitely is a two-year old human with four legs.

His skin condition is just about gone. I think his problem was one of stress. He gets really good food, fish oil with omega 3 & 6, a lot of stability and love at home. No more medications except his thyroid pills. He’s got a routine and I think that has worked wonders.

He loves the beach and the ocean. He will fetch a ball in the waves for hours. I’ve had to schedule his playtime just before supper so that I can get him off the beach and home for food. He’s become a great watch dog. When Skylar and Sadie bark together, no one wants to tangle with them!

He has learned to sit, stay (more or less), get down, and a lot of other things. He loves his Nylabone Frisbee, though I’m not sure it will fly at this point. He also loves his blankie and tennis balls, both big and small.

His bad habits? He eats paper! You’ve heard of the dog who ate the homework? Well, this one ate my gradesheet, medical notes, adult ed registration forms, etc.! When I’m gone, he’ll eat any loose paper. He also can bolt out of the car/house if I am not very careful and he’ll roam the neighborhood. I live on a very quiet cul-de-sac so he isn’t in any major danger but I don’t like it when he does this. He always comes home in about 20 minutes if I can’t find him. He’s then scolded and that is a very funny scene. He slinks away with his head down. After a few minutes, he tries anything to get a love - nose under the elbow, licking feet, nuzzling, He gets no response until I’m ready to acknowledge him but his antics are comical.

All in all, he’s great. He has bonded to me extremely well and is not at all happy when he is left with my son for a couple of days. When I return, he just goes nuts for about 5 minutes, welcoming me home. He’s then a Velcro dog for a day or two.

Sadie is lovely and getting older. She is now 10 but she thinks she’s a lot younger. She has no mobility or aging problems though her endurance at the beach isn’t what it use to be. She will fetch her Kong in the water for hours if I would let her. I moderate her activity because she really doesn’t have the stamina of a 5 year old. She still loves the beach, waves, swimming, routing out crabs, and sniffing everything. She’s great with other dogs, too.

Sadie is a true NEARR story. I don’t think any of you were on the Board when I got her. She was the most pathetic dog you’ve seen both physically and emotionally. Today she is a loving, beautiful animal that has a great life. She is a ‘pal’ for me, often wanting to ride in the front passenger’s seat in the car so she can be petted. (I don’t permit that unless it’s an emergency.) She is a very well behaved dog (unless she sees a cat) and a true Labrador friend.

So - that’s the update on the dogs. I love them dearly! Thank you, NEARR.

Well, it’s been one year since Life With Bella began – it has been quite an adventure. When we brought Bella home, she was so shy and scared to leave her foster home, where she had wonderful parents and a sister to play with. We hoped we could create the same safe environment, and I think we’ve succeeded. For a while it was one step forward, one step back. Then it was two steps forward, then five, and now it’s a marathon of steps before a step back. It’s hard to imagine what life dealt her while she was a stray, but it has been the most rewarding experience for us to help her along and to see her gain confidence and courage. And there’s nothing like it when she tries to crawl, all 75 pounds of her, into your lap!

She is smart – tell her “go get your kong” and she’ll scour the house ‘til she finds it, then she’ll drop it into your hand so you can fill it with cookies. The site of socks or shoes sends her into a frenzy of joy at the prospect of a walk. She wants to be a fierce protector of our home…she races bravely to the fence when anyone dares to come near and she barks gruffly, for a minute anyway, before running back to the safety of the porch! She hates the 4th of July, thunderstorms, loud airplanes, nail guns and empty boxes. She loves walks, cookies, her kong and her squeeky ball. And it took a few tries, but now she loves boating, swimming, camping and meeting new dogs. Some days she wants to snuggle up with us, and some days she goes off by herself and finds a quiet spot where she feels safe. Sometimes we think she would love for us to adopt a friend for her, but we’re not sure we’re ready to share her yet! I could go on and on, but if you’re reading this, I’m sure you have the same stories. She is just pure joy. And I mean that sincerely. Even when she’s just peed on the carpet!!

Here’s several photos of Sadie for her two-week update. Sadie seems very happy. She’s on a regular schedule of walkies and is interacting well with our cat, Simon. They’re still not best buddies, but they’re getting there. It’s so nice to have a doggie again!