2 YEARS OLD!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOLLY!

Well, the day has finally come!  Holly has turned two years old!   I’m watching for the magical change in her behavior that folks have so confidently told me about.  I watch Holly as she steals the dish towel and races to the dining room before I can snatch it from her.  I watch her as she enters the living room carrying my wet drippy boot that I had tucked away on the second shelf.  I watch her as we circle the table – me telling her to ‘stay’ and her switching directions back and forth opposite of me – while she carries a pair of scissors in her mouth.  I watch her as she runs interference with Helen, consistently cutting Helen off forcing her to zig-zag to the safety zone of the garage steps.  I watch her quietly walk along the side the couch, stretch her nose up and goose Gracie as sleeps tucked in her favorite spot. I watch her stretching up on her hind two legs, front paws on the fireplace mantel, and her long snout trying so hard to grasp the whispy hairs of the Christmas gnome.  And I watch her place her front paws on my lap, stretching her head up inviting me to do a long and loving belly rub, in just the right spot.  I watch, and wonder if once again my directions are turned around.  Instead of looking forward for this magical change in maturity to occur, perhaps I should be staying in the present and wishing for her puppy spirited antics to carry on as long as possible.  Don’t grow up on us Holly!   Keep the household guessing, keep  us all taunted by you with grins on our faces and warmth in our hearts!   Keep us as young as you. 

Holly had a special birthday with all of her friends!  Kooper, Keltie, Rainie, Helen, Gracie, DeeAnn, Lana & I had a festive day.  Holly hasn’t had a lot of experience with gift opening so Helen took it upon herself to do demonstrations.  Holly is a quick study and was soon ripping the paper herself.  Lana & Kooper gave treats and an interactive toy that comes apart dispensing treats.  This is high up on the favorite list!  On Helen’s too because though she is not strong enough to disassemble the treat holding toy,  her nose is small enough to fit in the hole and capture the treats (that Holly is so desparately trying to get).  Everyone has their strenths & weaknesses!  DeeAnn has Holly looking spiffy in a new bandanna, one with snaps on the collar and darling golden retriever dogs to show off their breed. It’s important for a pretty girl to look pretty!

Here we go into Holly’s third year.  Ironically on Holly’s birthday, I ran into Tammy, her breeder, while shopping.  The serendipity was too strong, I had to interupt her at the check out lane to say Hi and blurt out ‘Holly is 2 years old today’ and showed her my phone’s wallpaper picture of a smiling Holly!  She gave a big smile and just as enthusiastically said ‘I know!  That popped up on my phone this morning.  Tell her Happy Birthday!’  I’m forever grateful for Pride of the North Goldene Retrievers and her breeding scruples and litter raising practices.

Ironically, as I finished this up I notice that Holly is napping holding Lana’s new toy between her paws, tight enough that Helen can’t get her nose in the hole without waking her up.  Maybe year three will be the year of Naps!