An Addition

 My last post talked about a subtraction in our household. Thank you all for cheering Jaycee on as she starts the next chapter of her life. But this post is about an addition. 

You'll remember that the lovely Daisy joined our household in late June 2022. 

~Daisy June 2022~

Daisy was given to the rescue by her family because she was "having accidents" in their home. And, because they were renovating their house, they didn't want those "accidents" to occur in their remodeled home. It took several months for us to sort everything out medically for Daisy. And I'll add that no expense was spared for those answers, and in the end, what was really a simple but tenacious infection was cleared up with antibiotics - With very, very few "accidents" in our house in the meantime.  

All that made Daisy available for adoption. She would fit into most any household. Daisy gets along with everyone and everything, because she's so easy going. She knows all her manners, having been to advanced obedience, or "finishing school" as I call it, she always does what she's asked. I really could go on and on about Daisy's good qualities, but you get the idea. 

The thought of Daisy leaving kept making me a bit choked up. This was because I or we, including the dogs, have loved Daisy since the day we met her in June - When I got her home that rainy day in June, she was wet and it was a little crazy and chaotic, and all she did was sit there and smile at me ...  I took her picture (below) and at that moment she stole my heart. 

~First photo - The day we met Daisy~

I just couldn't let Daisy go, and I felt so selfish in considering keeping her. But in a conversation with a longtime friend, who is also the rescue's foster-home coordinator, I realized it really wasn't. The heart knows what it wants, and how some things are meant to be. So, we pulled the proverbial trigger and adopted Daisy. She is here to stay. Daisy is truly a gift for all of us in our household. And one I am beyond grateful for. 

Welcome to Daisy as a permanent member of the Golden Pines Gang 

A Subtraction

For nearly a week we kept a secret at our house. And it was that Jaycee, our foster girl for Lab Rescue, that we had for just over one year, left us last Sunday for a 'trial adoption.' We decided on a "trial adoption," because of some of the insecurities that Jaycee has that didn't and don't make her a fit for some homes. Added to her not always liking some people, for reasons that only she knows, made a "trial adoption" a good option. It gave the family an "out" if it didn't work - and of course, Jaycee would be returned to us. With so much on the line, I just didn't want to jinx anything out there in the cosmos, so we silently kept  all fingers, toes crossed and paws crossed, and hoped it would be a match for Jaycee.

It was a cold and snowy day last Sunday when "Semi-Retired-Couple" and their Lab Ian, made the more than 2 hour drive from Annapolis Maryland to our corner of Virginia. They spent nearly an hour alone with Jaycee, walking her around our property, and just getting to know her, while I watched from the inside. 

"Semi-Retired-Couple" decided that they and their boy Ian wanted to take Jaycee home. So, I took their photo together....

and with a kiss on top of Jaycee's head, she was put into the back of their car and I said good-bye and they were off. 

It didn't take as long as I thought it might for "Semi-Retired-Couple" to decide that they wanted to adopt Jaycee. I will confess that I tried to get them to hold off for a few more days, but their hearts knew that they wanted Jaycee to stay with them - With their saying more than once, how much they already loved Jaycee, and how well it was going, I knew it was time for me to let her go.  

~Jaycee now at home~

"Semi-Retired-Couple" could not be any more perfect for Jaycee. I liked them right away. They are previous adopters from Lab Rescue, and with no children, being home most of the time, not too many comings or goings and being no strangers to dogs like Jaycee, who as a retired breeder girl, can be shy and unsure of herself, they really are perfect for her. 

It was and is bittersweet, and we miss Jaycee. But those hard and discouraging days where I felt like her family would never come, are now replaced with the joy I feel at knowing Jaycee is where she should be.  

~On our way home -
A first photo of Jaycee, when we met in March 2022~

**And I know that some of you may be wondering why we didn't adopt Jaycee. It goes without saying that we loved and adore Jaycee. But she just wasn't a fit for our home. As hard as my brother and our dog walker tried to be friends with Jaycee, for reasons only known to her, she just didn't like them, and was afraid of them both. Unfortunately they both stopped trying to be her friend, something I wasn't happy about it, and I tried to understand. And with that, I felt strongly that Jaycee should be in a home where everyone loved her, and she loved everyone. All dogs deserve that. ❤ **

Lily Arrives at Golden Pines

If there’s anything else you should know about me, it’s that I’m actually awful at managing my free time. I think it's because I chase the clock from the moment I get up in the morning and all day at work. So when I get home, it's gotten to the point where all bets are off as far as me really rushing to get anything done. I think it's happening partly because I am easily distracted, usually by the dogs and I am simply losing track of time. Which is easy to do sometimes.

~Ree and I enjoyed a warm sunny day a couple weeks ago~

And as disappointed as I am in myself, because I'm not keeping up on some things, like my blog, I am determined to just keep going. 

With that, I'll skip over some of the smaller things that have been happening including the 2 vet visits that I had this week with Iva, who had an abscess, that also blew up into a really ugly hotspot. Thankfully she's finally feeling better, and that's what matters most. 

~Iva, worn out from her vet visits this week~

Lets get to the bigger news, and that's that a week ago today, we welcomed a new arrival named Lily to Golden Pines. Lily comes to us via the Golden Retriever Rescue. 

~On our way home~

Her previous owner is a single mom, balancing kids, and a busy schedule. Part of her e-mail to the rescue is below.

Hello, I am inquiring about giving up my golden retriever. This is really hard to even inquire about as I don’t want to give her up, but she is being neglected from love and care that I know she deserves. She is 11 years old. She can barely go up the 3 steps to outside.....  She was my world for about 5 years, then I had kids. Now I’m divorced and a single mother. I don’t have money to take her to the vet, for medications, even to have her groomed. I am too busy to brush her, to love her, to care for her. I am too busy. I barely have enough time to see my kids as I work full time. When I am home, I don’t want to see the dog I want to see my kids. I feel so badly for her. She has arthritis so she needs medication probably, that I can’t afford. She is disheveled, overweight, and never taken on walks. I am so guilty about all of this. She does deserve better.

Needless to say, when I read the e-mail, my heart went out to the Mom, and Lily too and so of course I said I'd take her. How could I not? 

Lily is a lovely senior girl, and she is getting along really well with her new packmates. She is however, a pretty nervous girl, and more than once during the night this past week, she starts howling. We aren't quite sure why she's doing this - She has the company of another dog or two - So we are thinking it may have to do with her not being able to be with us, despite that she can come into our room if she'd like. However, since it's only been a week, we really think and hope that maybe with a little bit of time she will relax and feel right at home.

Welcome Lily!