A Mellow Brick Road...: Our New Dog, Allie

Today was a big day! It started with usual flare for Daddy, though today it was off to work especially early, so there would be time to go get Mommy’s car washed and cleaned, and then get gas. That good deed apparently forebode good Karma as when Daddy stopped for gas he discovered in his wallet a gas card GiGi and GiPa had found months ago and given Daddy with instructions they didn’t know if it was worth anything. So, when Daddy found the card, he tried it and discovered it was a twenty dollar gas credit!

After going from the gas station to work, Daddy hurried home immediately at 10 a.m. so we could do our routine (but never really routine) adventure along the mellow brick road. Mommy asked that we try to stay out until 1 p.m. so she could finish a project and prepare for picking up AllieJ, so off we went to the Farmer’s Market where we encountered some of Daddy’s very special friends, Bob and Judy Sargent and Jane Horner. Sarge (Mister Sargent) was one of Kokomo’s finest police officers, and Sheriff, and Mayor of Kokomo; like your Mommy and Lynn Rudolph and T Wilson and Charlie Hackett and Bruce Rood, Sarge stood by Daddy and was in his corner when it wasn’t a very crowded place to be (you’ll both understand what that means someday, and how important it is as a measure of faith and friendshipJ)! Jane Horner is Daddy’s dearest colleague from Ivy Tech, and she and her husband Gary helped take care of you when you were just a little baby, BodhiJ. She was with her class she teaches on some Saturday mornings, doing a field trip to the Farmer’s Market as an example of how a family can involve themselves in community activities such as the market—so we became part of Jane’s lesson plan todayJ.

At the market, we purchased an iced herbal tea and some cookies, and what later proved to be a delicious rhubarb breadJ. It was an incredibly hot morning, and Daddy was really feeling the strain of the heat, and frankly worried about how you two would hold up as well. That concern was soon abated when we next went to Foster Park to discover there was a Christian music festival ongoing, so we enjoyed a hot dog and chips, some refreshing cold water, both of you danced like the dickens to Christian hard rock (Buddha, you definitely have a taste for heavy metal, your little head was flailing during the concert—people around us couldn’t get over the two of youJ. Then, we had our very special treat, a Hawaiian Ice (you of course had blueberry, Bodhi, and you had bubble gum, Buddha, since you are always wanting Daddy to sing bubble guppy song to youJ. Daddy knew Mommy would be surprised to see all the stains on your faces and clothes, but it was well worth the treat in 90 degree heat!

After we got home, the two of you went down for a nap, and Mommy and Daddy continued to work and get ready for AllieJ. You wouldn’t stay asleep, Bodhi, you were too excited so Mommy got you dressed and the two of you went off to bring Allie to her new home! Mommy and you (and later joined by Buddha) gave Allie and Arlo baths and put flea medicine on them, and we started our efforts to acclimate dogs with each other and with cats and with us and…well…Allie is a beautiful, well-mannered Australian Cattle Dog, and a new chapter in the lives of all of us along our mellow brick road begins tonight…

For now, “night, night.”

Daddy forgot to mention that Mommy took the two of you on a secret mission for Daddy's Day presents :) Sister Kelly also came by to confirm tomorrow's Father's Day plans and visit with the two of you. Afterwards, Mommy let you two play outside filling your watering cans with water from your pools... you both ended up getting into the pools with your clothes on ha/ha it started to rain too, so you guys got double wet hee/hee! Yay for rain! Mommy then both gave you a bath :)

It’s 11:47 p.m. and Allie will not leave Mommy’s side. So for now, Ms. Allie is sleeping at Mommy’s feet enduring Daddy’s LOUD snoring J She has been such a good baby girl today. She doesn’t bark, she doesn’t bother the cats, she sits, stays, and lays on command, she doesn’t have to be on a leash, and she is so sweet with the two of you! Oh, most importantly, she’s very smart… she avoids Mr. Arlo like the plague! We'll all have to come up with a middle name for Ms. Allie :)

AND... our kitchen cabinets are officially complete, go Momma!