Well it’s been one year since Lily arrived at her new home and what a year it’s been!

Lily arrived as a “surfer girl” so we old folk had to change our habits and watch every counter, basket and such as well as each piece of food just to correct her habit.

Lily on the other had had to learn house rules (sit for your food, etc.) and had to learn to eat fruits and veggies. The 1st night here she received her bedtime snack, a piece of carrot. I gave it to her and she spit it out. Three more tries without success and off to bed she went without her snack. On the fourth night she decided that maybe, just maybe, a carrot isn’t too bad since her house mate is enjoying the heck out of them. Lily munched down and the rest is history. Now it’s watermelon, broccoli (yuck), apples, oranges, beans and everything else that she drools for.

An energetic Lab, Lily enjoys chasing that bouncing ball or the bumper and will spend all day at the task if you would just never stop throwing them. Critters are also on her mind and she enjoys trying to catch those pesky things but so far she hasn’t succeeded. And of course it goes without saying that swimming is another of her favorite things.

In the house, Lily likes to spread the wealth so to speak. She spends some time with me and then disappears and she’s found downstairs with other family members. Lily has decided that she now likes hugs (took a while) so she makes herself available for a long hug whenever possible. She is very aware of what we are planning. If we decide to go out without the dogs, Lily races into her crate because she knows that there will be a peanut butter stuffed bone in there as a reward. And of course she quickly learned the house rule of “sit, stay” before exiting the crate. Smart dog!

She loves to travel and enjoys going in the truck even if it’s just to the end of the driveway and back. Lily is still in the process of trying to relax at outside events like farmers markets and local fairs. She is doing much better and each event brings her closer to perfection.

Her greatest thrill is “day care”. Once a week or so we take the dogs there for a few hours of playtime. Lily loves it so much that she almost jumps out the truck window to get into the center. She plays hard, has fun and two hours later she is just as glad to leave that place and jump in the truck! It’s an amazing thing to watch.

For a year now we have been privileged to have the company of a really wonderful dog. Like a fine bottle of wine Lily gets better with age. She is smart, friendly, loveable and a great companion.

We are lucky indeed. We’ve attached a picture of Lily and Fenway in one of their quiet moments.

Great dog!