There's a Star for Bella (and Polly)

As many of you readers already know, a star behind the dogs name means that there is an application for our pupper. As of this week, both Polly and Bella have stars. They are the last of the beardie six to find their forever homes.

How am I feeling? Next question, please.

I am happy. I am sad. I am elated. I'm totally bummed, dude.

She has grown into such a beautiful girl. Her personality is just beginning to show through.

We've been trying some new things to get her ready for her new life or just get her on the right path for the one here. I've been taking her to school during car pool duty and she's really enjoying the kids. She's stopped barking at the kids going by, which I think is a good thing. She loves on the boys when they get in the car in the morning and again if we do pick-up in the afternoon.

We've been spending a lot of time playing in the front yard with tennis balls. If she gets the balls before Te'a after I kick it, she runs around with it, playing with it like a puppy. Nothing like stealth and connivery to bring out the best in your foster dog.

Today I had every intention of taking them to the Jefferson Dog Park, off Hwy. 26. I've got family in "Crick" that I haven't seen for months so I stopped by. My "surrogate dad" said that I didn't need to go to the dog park. He said that I should go up to the house, have my "surrogate mom" set me up with some skis and take them all out that way. So we did.

My "parents" have 40 acres of land with all kinds of trails for the humans and smells galore for the doggies. They have the biggest, mellowest, yellowest lab I've ever seen and a sweet little border collie. Combined with my three, and all those fields, we had the start of our own dog park.

I left Bella's leash on so that when it was time to get back into the car, she would. All of the big doggies took off a hundred miles an hour through the pine trees but Bella, not Bella, she stayed on my ski tails. If we stopped to talk, my mom and I, she would run around with the big doggies but always returned to place behind me when we started moving again.

We got about halfway through their property and stopped to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and mild temps and all of the doggies got into a HUGE run and tear around fest. Bella was herding Te'a and Kayla, the Border Collie, was herding Bella. Pretty soon the big ole' yellow boy, Custer, was in on the fun and Mocha too after a fashion. Five dogs running and playing and Bella jumping over the hummocks and hillocks in the field. Even my mom said that she looked so happy.

However, as does happen when one is out in the fields where bunnies and other critters take care of business, there is fun stuff to roll in. Bella was smelling some of that debris and was makin' moves like she wanted to roll in it. All I had to say to her was, "Ah, Bella. No."

Bella still got jittery with the garage door going down, oops, forgot about that. But I called her and put them all in the car. On the way home, Te'a hogged the front seat until Bella decided that she wanted "shotgun" and sat on Te'a to get it. What a change from those first few car trips where she shook and rattled (and pooped) in the car.

Furever Family, I'm looking forward to meeting you. You are adopting one very special dog. I know that Bella will make you oh, so happy with her silly behavior. However, just so we're all on the same page, I'm not expecting her to show too much of that to you in the first few weeks or maybe even month.

But enough of that. Time to head out and take Bella on what may be her last car pool trip. Sniff. Furever Family...talk to you soon.