For the past four years, Adi and I maintained a certain morning routine. We got up, ate, then settled on the chair near the front window. While Adi enjoyed a post breakfast snooze, I enjoyed an hour of quiet time with the Lord. That time was a balance of devotional reading, Bible reading, and journaling. …
Our first adventure of the summer is our annual fishing trip. I pack up my children, my younger brother packs up his kids, our Dad packs up the fishing boat, and we all meet at a state park for a week of fishing. Our Labrador Adi was only seven months old when this trip rolled …
The call of a blue jay, the buzz of a cicada, the bark of a distant dog, the roar of a passing truck. These are among the sounds that will bring our puppy Summer to a standstill. She’ll cock her head and gaze in the direction of these unfamiliar sounds. The flight of a white …
Summer came and our family grew. That would be both the season that comes with the longest day of the year and the arrival of a Labrador puppy. Those who have explored my blog know that each of our animals come with a unique homecoming story. This month’s lesson is Summer’s story. As Summer is …
(One thing five weeks of abiding by stay-at-home orders has taught me is that loneliness has many dimensions. I hadn’t planned on sharing a second lesson this month. Only as I was filing papers into my writing binder, I came across this lesson written last fall. It spoke words I needed to be reminded of …
365 days and counting. The number of days our wild kitty has lived the domestic life. The number of days since she has had to live by the code of the wild- self-preservation. The number of days she has received the care of human hands and the love of a Labrador Retriever. Reeses, our tortoise …
At two years of age, my southern pup had limited experience with snow. As Adi explored our property the morning after her first big winter storm, she saw the familiar coated in the unfamiliar. Her nose had to dig under seven inches of snow to find everyday smells. The wood pile that once seemed a …
Continue reading Snow, Squirrels, and a Southern Pup: A Lesson on Understanding
On this day in 2016 a litter of Labrador Retriever puppies was born- one yellow male and three black females. One of those females (Adi) came to live with us, while another (Nova) went to live with my brother’s family, and the third (Maxine) stayed with our friend. Adi and Nova live close and play …
When your dog’s breed contains the word “retriever,” you anticipate that your pup will love a good game of fetch. What I didn’t realize was how much my retriever would also enjoy carrying things around in her mouth. On any given day you’ll find her carrying various shoes, socks, stuffed animals, rope toys, gloves, balls …
Our Lab isn’t much of a talker. As a puppy, days would pass between barks. Early on I thought we might have a pup like the main character Gyp in James Herriot’s children’s book “Only One Woof.” Gradually, Adi developed her voice. Only she uses it sparingly. She much prefers to communicate with her eyes, …
