Lucy Rock

So, yes, it's my birthday and people are letting me do what I want. One thing I will try to accomplish is to account in some way for how we came to welcome a five year old Pit Bull named Lucy into our family. Well, who could explain it? We'd kind of talked about--driven by a desire, but mostly Ida's fixation (she had been buying dog treats with her allowance, then seeking dogs)--adopting a dog in a year or so, then a neighbor told us about this no-kill shelter nearby, and we made the mistake of looking on their website.  Lucy was mostly described as being sweet.  Sweetness was her main virtue.  I decided to meet her, and then a week later her Foster Mom and Adoption Coordinator (serious people, these) brought her by Nehalem Street to meet the whole family and survey the place.  This is three weeks ago or so.  It went so well that the girls climbed into the car with Lucy when she had to leave.

So we decided to make the plunge, and a week later we went down to Family Dogs New Life and signed the papers.  This is what she looks like if you walk up to her on our back patio.

She settled right in.  Someone cut off her ears.  Weights 47 pounds, doesn't get up on furniture, is trained to her kennel, doesn't really bark very much.  Loves kids.

The record should show that she is very strong and has powerful jaws!  I knew this, and have known sweet pit bulls, but wasnt' ready for the anxiety that having her with the girls brought up in my heart.  It was hard on me, readers!  Couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, really thought that Lucy would be returned (part of the reason for the delay in this post).

But the more time I spent around her, the more comfortable I felt.  And the girls became so devoted to her, and, surprisingly, Ella became her resolute friend and really wanted to keep her so Bad.  Even when I discussed returning Lucy to her Foster Mom, I started to cry, so we kept her around.

She really is quite noble.  Knows how to sit and lie down and stay, pretty well.  And she usually comes.  Likes to fetch a ball.  Can get cranky with bossy female dogs, beware?  And is kind of pushy with little dogs because, we think, she is trying to figure out what they are.

So there were a couple tough days of limbo--would she stay or would she go?--and eventually we unwrapped her new dog bed and the seat covers for the moving van,e tc, and we took her out to the Beach!

She likes to ride in the car.  When on a long trip, she just sleeps in the back; but around the neighborhood, like picking up Miki from school, she prefers to ride shotgun.

Doesn't swim, but likes to wade around.  Also can't stand to let her ball get sandy, so drops it in the water to rinse it off.  No one likes sand in their teeth, after all.

And yes, so far she has passed the inspection of the dogwalker Bradford himself!