Year One

Today is Jane’s and my one year anniversary. I mentioned this to a friend earlier this afternoon, and she marveled that it’s already been a year – said it seems like just yesterday Jane came to live with me. I know I’m supposed to agree – say that the year just flew by – but it does feel like a year. Jane and I have been together 24/7, and I’ve been highly conscious of her development and our bonding. It’s been a wonderful year, and I’m thankful that I’ve had as much time to spend with her as I have. I feel like we’ve accomplished several years’ worth of work.

Today began just like any other day. I rose early to drink coffee and read. Jane stayed in bed scratching and yawning for an extra half hour.

After breakfast, she spent the morning lounging in the garden, alternating between napping in the sun and harassing the squirrels who’ve gone into overdrive getting their stores in order for the winter.

It was a cold and sunny morning – every dog’s favorite combination (mine, too). After lunch we went to LeFurge Nature Preserve for a lovely autumn walkabout. Jane and I have been practicing about thirty minutes of off-leash walking every day, but today we did a couple of hours. We’ve been working off-leash mostly in fields, prairies, and parks. This afternoon, though, we expanded our repertoire to include the woods at the back of LeFurge. The woods were the final frontier for me – so many distractions – but Jane did great. I talked to her most of the thirty minutes or so, and she stayed close by me, sometimes following, sometimes leading. While I let her run ahead in open areas, I’m still not comfortable letting her out of my sight in the woods. She’s just such a hound. If she picks up a scent, she can vanish.

And speaking of hound, she’s become quite the bird dog, too. Though she doesn’t point, she’s developed patience and great stealth, and today she brilliantly flushed numerous pheasants in the brush along Vreeland Road. It’s really a joy watching her work.

After our outing, Jane rested and let me get some work done. Our routine really is like clockwork, and we rarely stray from it. This evening we took our pre-dinner walk around the city. We saw Pelu the puggle and played stick in Riverside Park. It got dark early – cold, too. The shadows were long, and the streets were empty. It’s my favorite time of year. I get the whole world to myself.

For dinner I made Jane’s favorite – sweet potato casserole (with blueberries, apples, and assorted raw veggies and ground flaxseed) – and a butcher bone bigger than her head for dessert. It was a great day, just about perfect. I couldn’t ask for a better one, nor a better dog. I am blessed.