The 1st anniversary of 'Lucky' (formerly Rita's Seven)

It is hard to believe that it was one year ago... August 1, 2010 that Rita's Seven came 'home', and became Lucky. He was a tall, handsome, very skinny boy. He was terrified on the ride home from Fullerton to San Clemente and he kept trying to climb into the front seat and get into my lap. Honestly, it is amazing we got home unscathed. We spent that first full day with him mostly pacing around and looking at stuff in the house (like couch, TV, frig, bed, etc) like he had never seen anything like them before. He was so thin that his head looked almost disproportionately large for his body, and his coat was kinda short and straight, but nice... and he had the LONGEST tail I had ever seen on a Golden. I had no idea if he was house trained or not, so in almost a paranoia, every hour, I slapped on his leash and out we went for a short walk to give him opportunities to do his business and to see where he lived. He must have thought I was crazy. In those early days, clearly he had no idea what dog toys were for, how to enjoy a tummy rub, or what to do with a Milk Bone.

As those first weeks passed into months, the daily routine has become as comfortable as his cherished spot on the couch. We play with vigor with our fleece stuffed toys and things that squeak. He enjoys his daily brushings, and he tolerates like a trooper his probably all-too-frequent baths. Then after about 6 months together, one day I looked at him when we were out for one of our walks (we walk together between 6 and 8 miles every day) and said to myself, "Where did those curls come from... and those tummy feathers that are about 8 inches long?" And his REALLY long tail... all of a sudden there were feathers on his tail that were about a foot long! I guess that good nutrition has had a very positive impact on his coat, which if I do say so my self, is to die for.

But mainly, it is just the love and the level of comfort... we both know that we are there for each other. No matter what, there is always a cold wet nose and a kiss for me, and no matter what I have a huge fluffy hug I can inflict on him. Lucky has doggie friends and people friends and aunties and uncles (like David and Sonsee and Denise) and cousins (like Lani, and Kai and Fletcher and Cooper and Max), He has regular meals, regular grooming... but mostly he has a home where he knows he is loved and appreciated. I guess if you ask him, he would tell you that the past year has been a good one. So would I.