Bike Dog

You really can't beat philanthropy and beer.  Ammaright??

We've made a valiant attempt at checking out the giant variety of craft breweries in the Sacramento area since we've been here, and not too long ago we took a ride over to Bike Dog Brewery in West Sacramento.

The day we went, Bike Dog was having a fund raiser for one of the local dog shelters.  A dollar for every beer sold went to PBSOC - which is the Pitbull Socialization and Obedience crew.

It's a section of the Bradshaw Shelter that focuses on making the Pitbull breeds available for adoption as appealing as possible for potential adopters.

Because the reality is that many of the "Pitbull" type dogs are overlooked in the adoption process.  They have an inaccurate reputation for aggression and often sit on the adoption floor for longer than other breeds.  Kind of like black cats.

As an owner of a Pittie mixed breed, I can say with authority that they are one of the sweetest, snuggliest pups out there.  So checking out a brewery we haven't seen yet while also supporting PBSOC was a win-win.

Of course, we brought the boy with us.  Because we could.  Bike Dog was pretty standard as far as breweries go.  An industrial vibe, friendly atmosphere, and an unexpectedly excellent band called The Sasha and Jimmy Show.

We sampled the local brews, and to be honest I can't even remember what I had...but if I had to wager a guess, I'm sure I ordered a wheat, a pilsner, or perhaps a Kolsch.  But I know for sure we enjoyed the afternoon, the music, the sunshine, and the beers!

Vintage-cool Sasha and Jimmy Show

 The boy did his job helping to dispel the myth that Pitbull breeds are somehow meaner than other breeds...as only he can.

Apparently it was Converse Day at the brewery.  ;)

I had to snap a photo of the bumper sticker I spotted on one of the musician's guitar cases because it made me chuckle. 

Mostly because "Janky."

I need more scenarios where I can relevantly use that word.

Bike Dog was a fun day out and one of the last Sacramento breweries we managed to check off our list. I bet we'll make a dent in the DC craft brewery scene when we relocate! 

Hopefully they're not too janky.  Too soon?  Yeah. Too soon.

Ta-ta for now.

So Long, Kodiak

It finally crept up on us.  The inevitable.  It was time to leave Kodiak.  I was more sad than I ever thought I would be, that's for sure.

Based on the amount of bitching I did about the rainy, gloomy weather over the last 3 years, you'd think I would be doing a jig as I danced onto the ferry.

Not so.  To my surprise!

And of course, it was sunny out as we waited for our ride, the M/V Tustemena, to arrive at the port.  Kodiak's last laugh, right?

Our ride, the M/V Tustemena

We had a whole bunch of folks surprise us and come by the harbor to see us off as we queued up to board. It was unexpected, and so welcome!  Yet another very Kodiak touch to our last day on the island.

We popped up the Cricket, cracked some beers, and were practically camping at the port while we waited for the boat.  Add in the steady stream of friends dropping by to say goodbye and it was a damn party.

Our road trip gypsy wagon, popped up while we waited for the ferry

We reserved a room on the ferry since we opted for the 11pm departure time, and the plan was to sleep until we arrived on the mainland in Homer about 10 hours later.  Worked like a charm.

I get extra points for not getting sea sick.  Thumbs up to calm seas!

Our stately state room

He makes for a good bunk bed model, no?

Ferry fun

We spent the day in Homer, and stayed at the same hotel we stayed in on our way up here, The Driftwood Inn.  Cute place, lots of character.  We took a walk around downtown Homer and along some of the trails and beaches, mostly took it easy before hitting the road.

We also had an out of this world dinner at a local place called Fat Olive's.  Incredible pecan crusted salmon with roasted veggies.  Top notch eats!  So of course, I was a happy lady.

Oh, by the way, the dog was beyond pissed off at us.  Dogs are allowed on the ferry, but unfortunately they have to stay in your vehicle on the car deck for the duration of the trip.

So he was alone in the Jeep all night.  This did not make for a happy Pugbull.  I swear, he wouldn't even make eye contact with me for the whole next day.  How hilariously grumpy is he here?

That's one angry pup!

Not to worry, he bounced back to himself pretty quickly.  He's nothing if not adaptable.

So, our reality for the next several weeks will be driving, camping, driving, hotels, driving...and more driving.  With magnificent scenery and some stories to tell along the way.  It's our Grand Adventure, part deux.  Stay tuned!

Ta-ta for now.

But We Still Love Him

Note to self:  Dogs who roll in rank, questionable things on the beach do not easily de-stink.

It's not my first rodeo with a smelly dog, but this particular brand of putrid, fishy stank is unholy.  And bonus points for us?  It doesn't want to go away.

Even after an exceptionally sudsy bath.  And the addition of baking soda to the still repugnant neck area where he got all up in it.  And even after copious amounts of baby powder and some essential lemon oil.  It's tenacious.

So about now I'm basking in a lovely combination of dead salmon and rotten sea kelp with a dash of lemon.  We'll call it Eau De Cheety.  Tantalizing, no?

Hey, at least he had a good time, right?  Case in point:

Rolling around in mysterious, decayed nature makes for one happy pup!

We were treated to another precipitation-less day not too long ago, so we hauled ourselves out of the house and went for a hike.

I wish I could say it was legitimately sunny out, but I'll take not raining and run with it.

Adventure dog extraordinaire

F/V Leslie Lee

Hubby and stink butt

We hadn't hiked this area on Near Island in a while. - It was a reminder to us both that we have so many different perspectives to see the shores of Kodiak from at our disposal.

It was excellent to get outside without it raining, but as is always the case when it comes to bald eagles, my day was made when we spotted this handsome guy:

I love catching a bald eagle at a head on angle. They somehow exude wisdom and just epitomize nobility. They also look completely bad-ass. Especially when they look directly at you:

He's all, "Come at me, bro!"

While we were tromping around, we got to see the Tustumena coming in for the afternoon.  It's one of the ferries that serves Kodiak on the Alaska Marine Highway, and might be the one that takes us off of Kodiak for good this summer.  

We see it docked all the time because it comes and goes twice a a day several times a week, so it was kind of fun to see it in action from such a close spot on the shore.  Of course I had to take a few pictures.

People jokingly call it "The Rusty Tusty."  I've only been on the Kennicott - the other Alaska Marine Highway ferry that serves Kodiak, but the hubby rode the Rusty Tusty twice.  It's smaller than the Kennicott, but still a pretty damn big boat.

 We had a good day trekking around with the boy and enjoying our not quite sunny, but blissfully not raining day off together.

Even though somebody decided it was the ideal day for next-level stinkiness.  But we won't name names.

Ta-ta for now.

Inadvertent Fustiness

Fustiness?  Um, yes.  Unfortunately.  Let me start by gushing about my new favorite & then we'll get into the funk.

I've fully embraced another way to use essential oils, which I know won't be a newsflash to folks who are into oils - but it's new to me.

And in short?  I'm in love.

It's called a Spa Vapor, and it's my new favorite toy.  It's basically a diffuser that uses water and essential oils to create a scented mist.

So, it's a humidifier and aromatherapy all wrapped up in one.  I loved it so much after the hubby got one for me for the bedroom for Christmas, that I bought another one for the living room a few weeks later.

The one I use in the bedroom is perfect because I fill it with calming, relaxation inducing scents, like lavender, or combinations of bergamot, marjoram, and others.  It creates such a soothing atmosphere for sleep, and I love how it leaves a faint, lovely scent in the bedroom even when it's not in use.

The aromas from the oils linger in the air after using it each night...which is perfect.  You'll agree even more after I tell you this fetid story. - And the title of this post will make sense.

The hubby gets up for work in the wee hours of the morning, so he has the pleasure of witnessing that closed up bedroom stinkiness that tends to happen when there's no airflow.  And I suppose it doesn't help that the Pugbull sleeps in the bed with us.

And I quote, "It's nice that the bedroom doesn't smell like a combination of dog and dirty laundry in the morning."  Hmmmm.  Dog and dirty laundry?  I had no idea I was all up in that.  Gross.

Let's all have a collective "ew" to the fact that the bedroom even had that unfortunate stuffiness going on.  I guess that's what you sign up for when you close the bedroom door, don't open the windows or have a ceiling fan, and snuggle up with a hound for 8 hours.  It is Alaska in February after all. It's not like we've got the windows open this time of year.

The hubby said, "Yeah - you could tell a bunch of mammals were nesting it up in here."  Again - ew.

So, hooray for the Spa Vapor!  Banishing bedroom stank for the rest of us.

In the living room one, I love to use any citrus essential oils.  My current favorite combination is 5 drops of rosemary and 5 drops of tangerine.  So fresh and lively!

Not to mention it'll be so festive around holiday time, when I can bust out with cinnamon and cloves and different types of spruce and pine. 

Another thing I love about it is the nightlight.  It has a light that rotates through a whole rainbow of colors.

This is the version I got - and I don't think it's even the most recent type.  I think there's a "Pro" model, but I didn't look into what the differences between the models are.  I'm happy with what I have.

If you're looking for a humidifier or aromatherapy option for your home, this is a great way to go.

And if you're inadvertently bunking up in a fusty room without realizing it...Spa Vapor to the rescue!  Try not to think we're completely disgusting.  I blame him:

It's Cheety's Elvis impression.  "Thank ya...thank ya very much."

Ta-ta for now.

Kalsin Ridge

I have one word for you: bushwhacking!  That's basically what the entire first half of our hike up Kalsin Ridge was about.  Definitely not my favorite hike.

Taking a rest after thrashing through the bushes

We're talking alders thick as a mass of cable wires, the dreaded pushki, thistles, rampant thorny branches, and endlessly scrambling through seemingly impenetrable bushes. - Until we got above the trees and brush to the alpine level, anyway.  Sounds fun, right?

This was also the first guided hike we went on.  The Kodiak Audubon Society has a guided summer hiking schedule each year, and one of our acquaintances was leading the hike, so we decided to check it out.

It was an excellent weather day with sunshine to spare, and the views were spectacular as usual. - But it's not a hike I would go on again.  We weren't even on a trail, we had to bushwhack a path through all the not very friendly vegetation as we went.

It was a big group, so that helped in the whole hacking our way through department, but it was mostly annoying.  I couldn't help thinking, "Where's Jack T. Colton with his machete to clear the trail for us?"  Bonus points if you get that 80's movie reference.

Once we hiked up and out of the alders, it was much more pleasant.

Getting higher...and less thorny!

So the trek through all the brush was slow going, as you can imagine, but once we cleared the treeline, it was nothing but outrageously green mountains & stunning views as far as you could see.

This really is what it looks like.  No enhancements here!

Another favorite hubby & Puggy Boy in Alaska shot

It took almost 2 hours of not that much fun jungle wrangling just to get to the first ridge.  At one point, the woman ahead of me started singing "Welcome to the Jungle" while we struggled to create a trail. I think she sang what we were all thinking.

The first ridge was about where we decided we'd rather renew our energy with our standard PB&J hiking lunch and head back down. Somehow ascending that final ridge became less compelling after the morning slog through the alders.

I have more than my fair share of scratches and bruises from the Kalsin Ridge hike.  There's nothing sexier than a three inch, mottled, blue contusion on your thigh, by the way.  It was totally the tree stumps fault.

Cheety was a trooper, too.  I'm pretty sure our short-legged pup wasn't that into crawling under and over branches for as long as we did.  The big Labs and Hounds that came along on the hike had it a little easier than the Cheety boy.

He kept looking back at me as he struggled through the chunky undergrowth as if to say, "Are we really going to keep going?" I have to say I was thinking the same thing.

Oh who am I kidding?  A mud puddle or two and the open fields were enough to erase any unpleasantness he might have had on the way up.

Now that's the face of a content pooch.  He slept well that night!

Even though this hike was tedious & a little light on the fun-factor, it's still not a bad way to spend the day.  Kind of like bad pizza.  It's not really that bad...it's still pizza!  Sure, it was on the harsh side...but it's still hiking in Alaska!  Fresh air, exercise and sunshine? It's just good for the soul. 

And I have to remind myself that I'll pine for days like this when it's thirty degrees in December and still dark at 10AM.  Perspective, right?

Kalsin Ridge gets an "eh, you may want to skip it" review in my book.  Unless you need a good excuse to channel Jack T. Colton. 

Ta-ta for now.

Termination Point

That was a long walk!  We decided to hike the entire Termination Point trail last weekend, which we've talked about doing since we first settled in here almost two years ago.  When all was said and done we hiked for six hours and clocked 10 miles.  It was a long day, and I'm pretty sure I hiked off more than a few bottles of wine in our travels!

Our hiking buddy, Bobby.

It was around 11:30AM when we arrived at the trail head, and we climbed back in the car with our wiped out, sore bodies at 5:30PM.  Like I said, it was a long walk!

This is more or less the route we hiked. I marked our approximate, round about way on the map with the dotted red lines. We started at the bottom left where it says parking lot, and hiked north on the route on the left side of the map.

There was some meandering around before we finally made it out to the point because the trail gets a little squirrely at certain points.

By squirrely, I mean that we'd be hiking along on a firmly established trail, and then suddenly it would just peter out and disappear on us.

So then we'd be wandering around through the moss and trees heading in the general direction we were supposed to be going in, but not actually on any trail to speak of.  Hubby was completely confident the entire time, meanwhile I was convinced we were wandering lost in the woods every time we would lose the trail.

All we had to rely on - other than the hubby's hiking app - were these inconsistent trail markers along our way:

Just as quickly as the markers & trail would disappear, boom we'd be back on it again.  That happened several times throughout the day, so there was some roaming around that added more time to the hike.  But it was so beautiful!

One of our many moments where the trail disappeared!

One of the memorable experiences from the day was coming upon a working beaver pond.  The beavers were hiding out once we came on the scene, but it was incredible to see the freshly gnawed trees they were nibbling away on just a few minutes before.  What razor-y little teeth they have!

We got to see their damn and beaver den while we poked around, too.  Can't say I've ever seen anything like it in person before.  We've had so many experiences here that are straight out of National freaking Geographic, and this one easily falls in that category!

They were busy little guys gnawing the trees to build their den and dam.  The den is on the bottom right. 

And of course there was no shortage of over the top nature to gawk at throughout the day.  How about these huge mushrooms and beautiful Harlequin Ducks?

How can you not imagine little gnomes living in those mushrooms?

Once we finally made it to Termination Point, the view was worth it!  It would have been truly spectacular if we had a clear sunny day, but even overcast was pretty impressive.

Somebody may have tried to hurl himself off the cliff side while attempting to catch a bird.  The hubby really likes birds.  Just kidding.  It was Cheety, the unsuccessful bird ninja.  Nearly gave me a heart attack. He was promptly leashed up after his unintentional attempt at suicide.

Cheety's a great little trail dog.  He loves getting out with us and rampaging around off his leash in the wilderness. He only gets into mischief with a lowercase m. You know, rolling in gross things and eating bunny poop, which he predictably throws up later.  Mini-mischief!  He's adapted really well to Alaskan life from his drastically different beginnings down in Key West.

This was a terrific kick off to this year's hiking season.  I think I'm going to join the hubby when he tackles the Seven Summits Challenge again this year.  I've got at least 3 mountains I need to knock off my "gotta hike" list.

And the Puggy Boy needs to knock a few rolls off his neck while we're at it. - Let's just say the pup added some winter weight during his many leisurely days napping on the couch this winter!  Hiking off a bottle of wine or two a weekend works for me, too.  Cheers to the 2015 hiking season!

Ta-ta for now.

Love my mossy trees

And Then There Was One

Peering over my laptop while we watch Highly Questionable
P.S. - Bomani Jones sucks

I have a Bella update.  Bella is the shelter pooch we took on as a trial adoption for the last few weeks because we wanted to get a companion for Cheety. This was not at all an easy decision, and I didn't expect to get as emotionally invested in the whole process as I did!

Let me tell you...two dogs is way more time, effort, energy, etc. than I anticipated! You wouldn't think it would be such a big difference, but holy Lord.  All dogs all the time.  24/7.  Especially with a big girl like Bella.  Seventy pounds of overbearing, but innocent, mixed breed lab love.  And the filth factor?  Don't even get me started!  Our vacuum and dust buster have been on overtime and then some.
 
The dogs kind of take over your life and routines in a big way.  The prince Cheety already had his little paws in us...but add another pup to the mix?  It's...ummm, a lot. 

Bella is a very sweet girl, but ultimately we decided that we're not ready for a two dog household.  It's too much.  Too much dirt.  Too much poop.  Too much hair.  More mischief, too many walks...it's just more of everything.  Two dogs = triple the work.  And Bella is still a work in progress.  She has lots of potential to be a great dog, but she has some basic manners she needs to learn and some negative behaviors she needs to unlearn.  She doesn't come in a pretty box with a big red bow, but she can definitely get there with time and effort.  We're just not ready to sign up for everything that would go along with having two dogs and getting Bella to a manageable level.  It took some time to get to that point without beating myself up about the decision.  We were torn about what to do all throughout her time with us, and flip flopped about what choice to make somewhere around, oh I don't know...lets just call it 37 times. 

 She looks scared because her ears are
 back, but this is actually her imploring,
"I'm a good girl, right...right?!" face

And it didn't help when she looked at us with that imploring face of hers!  She was just happy to be included.  Wherever we were, she was.  Just glad to be involved!  And she rivaled Cheety in snuggle mastery.  Hard to do!

Like I said - we had conversation after conversation about whether we wanted to take the leap to two dogs, and we're finally at the point where we're not feeling like terrible people for not going through with the adoption.  Sort of.  Oh, who am I kidding, I still feel guilty as hell for letting her down.  I've had to remind myself over and over, sometimes through tears to be completely honest, that it's ultimately our decision.  And that if we're not feeling up for it, that it's okay.

We originally agreed to a two week trial adoption, but decided toward the end of the second week to extend it for another week to see how we felt.  Like I said, we changed our minds every freaking hour.  It sounded something like, Look at that sweet face.  She just wants to be someone's dog.  To something like, Two dogs is a big commitment.  Are we ready to commit to her and this somewhat chaotic lifestyle for another 10 years?  We basically had that conversation on repeat for 3 weeks.

And Cheety seemed to enjoy her for the most part, but in more of a tolerating way.  They had fun and played most of the time, but he had plenty of grumpy Pugbull moments where he was growling at her because she over stepped some dog-created boundary.  I think he's more of a play date kind of dog, and less of a Hey, let's share a house, and beds, and toys, and people forever! kind of dog.  I wouldn't describe him as being happier since she joined the party.  If a dog's expression and demeanor could equal an exasperated sigh, that's about where Cheety falls.  I don't think he'll miss her for long.

Can't you hear him? "Taking up my couch and shit..."

I was relieved to learn through a co-worker whose wife sits on the board at the animal shelter that there's a waiting list at the shelter of over 100 people  looking for dogs.  This is a very small & remote community, so there isn't a large selection of pups that come through the Humane Society's door.  And the ones who do, are usually adopted pretty quickly.  Especially a sweet one like Bella.  All good things.  He assured me that Bella would get snatched up in no time, and that little bit of info was a welcome comfort.  I hate to think about her back in her run, waiting for a home.  So, I try not to do that.

What started as a potential addition to the family evolved into a kick-ass, 3 week fostering experience for sweet Bella.  And a learning experience for us.  We gave her a nice long mental break from the confines of her run at the shelter, took her on a bunch of long hikes, taught her a few manners she was lacking, (let's hear it for not charging the door if there's a hint we might go outside), helped her with some needed weight loss with all the exercise and walks we took her on, and provided a fun-sized playmate in the Cheety boy.  Dog wrestlemania occurred like clockwork on a daily basis.  Highly entertaining, by the way.  And don't even try and do yoga in the living room and expect to be left alone with two hounds roaming around!

Of course, I cried when we dropped her off.  My goal now is to stop feeling bad about it, and to stop imagining her feeling sad and lonely while she waits for her new family.  There's no point to feeding those thoughts.  I know she'll find a good home with someone, and I'd like to think she's a little more stable and balanced after her time with us.  All the best to sweet Bella girl.  This family is going to stick with just one spoiled pooch.  Just as he would like it, I suspect.

Ta-ta for now.

I'll miss that sweet face, but I know she'll find the right home

I'm Not Sold Yet

Bella's "Adopt Me" Photo - Look at that sad face!

"We should get Cheety a companion." 

That's been a running theme for about 2 years now.  Well, we pulled the trigger.  Sort of.  We're 4 days in to a two week trial adoption of a 5 year old, brindled, mixed breed Lab named Bella.  The first question everyone has been asking is, what do you know about her background? 

Well, we know she's a very sweet, timid girl who was raised by her former family from puppy-hood until a few weeks ago.  I try not to judge, but I can't imagine any scenario where I would give up my Cheety boy. 

She's a casualty of divorce, and according to the folks at the shelter, Bella didn't get the attention she needed at her former home, was left alone often, and crated for long periods of time.  So maybe this turn of events is a blessing in disguise for sweet Bella.

Apparently neither the husband nor the wife could take care of her after the divorce, so they gave her up.  Off to the shelter she went.  Poor thing.  She's probably been wondering when her family is coming to get her.  Enter Cheety and his people.  We had a meet and greet at the shelter with Cheety and Bella, and they had a ball.  He's the master of doggie romping, so I knew he would have fun. 

After the initial meet and greet, we went and picked Bella up for another round of get to know you with Cheety.  We took them both on a nice long walk together, let them frolic and run in the backyard, and basically just spent the afternoon hanging out.  It was nothing but playing, running, & doggie nonsense pretty much the whole time.  They were such nerds together.

There's one primary decision maker here, and that's the Cheetster.  He has to be the one to sign off on the whole deal.  And he did.  With a resounding yes...at first.  He was all about cavorting and fun before she became a constant in his house.  Now - we'll just say he's less enthusiastic.

We're in that  transitional period where the dogs are establishing themselves and their roles in the household.  I have no problem with Cheety asserting himself as the top dog.  In fact, that's what I prefer.  I'd much rather see him declare his territory and establish himself than the alternative.  It wouldn't work at all if he was intimidated in any way by a new dog.  So, I don't mind that he's asserting himself. 

But the whole goal here is for Cheety to have a friend and companion - not to just tolerate sharing his living space with another pooch.  And I'm not sure at this point whether that's what we have here.  Potential friends for life or just eh I guess I have to deal with you.  It needs to be a good match, and I don't know if it is yet.  That's why this two week trial is such a good idea.

Again, I know we're still in the early stages at only 4 days in, but Cheety seems to have mixed feelings about Bella's presence.  He's fickle.  He goes from yay let's play to get the eff away from me throughout the day.  She sort of goes with the flow as the house interloper.  There's been some growling on his part in his attempts to let her know her place. Which is fine and normal dog behavior in this type of situation.  (But very unlike his usual demeanor, I have to add) 

There's no aggression on the part of either dog, but we've had one little scuffle that escalated to where I had to get involved and take away a toy they were playing with together.  It's important this is the right step for both Bella AND Cheety.  And just existing in each others company without any kind of bond isn't a good match.  I know, I know - it takes time for a bond to grow.  But I think it needs to start from a place of genuine enjoyment of one anothers company and not just tolerating each other.

That's my primary issue.  The secondary issue is - well, Bella's kind of a handful.  I don't think she had enough appropriate interaction throughout her life because she doesn't have some basic manners that a 5 year old dog really should have. 

Things like not putting her front paws on the kitchen counters and table.  And not jumping up on people when she's excited.  I can't tell you how many times I've given the "off" command over the last few days!  It gets old quick.  She also goes off the deep end if she thinks there's a chance she might be going outside on a leash.  If she could just take a note from the Pugbull on how to chill.  She's a ball of energy, and gets really excited at times.  And her behavior in the car?  Ugh.  Terrible.  She needs consistency, exercise, and stability. 

She's also still understandably unsure of what's going on in her world.  She tends to whine a lot, and is on the restless side.  She's already attached to the hubby and whines significantly whenever he leaves.  Her life has been a series of upheavals over the last few weeks, and I'm sure she doesn't know what to make of all the changes, so it's completely understandable.  I'm hoping she'll relax as she adjusts to her new surroundings.

All that being said, she is such a sweet girl.  She wants to please, and looks to us for guidance.  She snuggles up, is playful and doofy, likes to take it easy on the couch next to us, and just wants to be with her people.  She has the potential to be a great dog, (the best-est girl, perhaps?) but it's going to take some time and effort to get her there.

All dogs on the couch!  And here's the he hubby's No Shave November mustache in all its horrendous glory.  It
looks much less like a dead squirrel than it did at the beginning of the month.  But I can't wait for him to shave it!

What I need to remind myself of is that the best-est boy (AKA Cheety) wasn't the best-est boy when we first got him.  He became that with the help of a consistent routine, a comfortable, calm environment, regular exercise, and positive reinforcement for good behavior.  The transitional period after we first brought Cheety home wasn't exactly smooth, and there were several hundreds of dollars worth of items of ours destroyed during Cheety's bumpy evolution from scrappy shelter dog into best-est boy.

The Pugbull was a chewer.  He destroyed at least three pairs of very expensive sunglasses, several pairs of flip flops, slippers, two coffee tables, a futon, and I want to say between two to four different area rugs.  And I seem to remember somebody stealing an entire tray of brownies off of the kitchen counter, eating every last one, and miraculously living another day to tell the tale.  And that's just a glimpse.  I know Bella won't be that level of nonsense at 5 years old versus Cheety's 1 year old antics, but she does have lots of energy and needs some work.

Another consideration is what the reality of a two dog household looks like.  Obviously something we contemplated before moving forward with Bella, but all things dog times two is a little different in reality!  Especially with a big girl like Bella.  Dog hiking adventures equal two dog baths when we get home - and I thought one dog bath amounted to a messy bathroom!  Good Lord.  Talk about an operation.  But Bella was so well behaved during the bath.  She hopped right in the tub and was perfectly happy with getting washed.  Unlike Prince Pugbull.

Our first dog adventure with Bella

So there we have it.  Cheety might have a sister.  We have Bella for two weeks...or the rest of her life.  It's a significant decision & we'll use this trial period to figure out whether it's the best thing for everyone.  Maybe in the future we'll joke that we almost sent her back...or maybe Bella is meant for someone else.  I'm not sold yet on the two dog household, but we'll see how it goes for the next week and a half.  We've been spoiled with our relaxed, dainty (who knew?) Pugbull these last few years.  If Cheety does adapt and seems to be on board with Bella, it'll be time to say goodbye to a calm and mellow household - It's a big commitment and not a decision to be made lightly!  Sorry for the excessively long post - I've got a lot on my mind with this potential addition and had to hash it out.  Writing helps me do that!

Ta-ta for now.