Welcome home, Dionne!

Friday morning we got the good kind of call from CCI -- informing us that Dionne's heat cycle was ending. So Steve and I drove up to Oceanside late this morning to retrieve her.

Reunions with puppies are such happy affairs! Her wriggles and extremely fast and forceful tail-wagging convinced me she felt the same way I did.  And despite his steady stream of cracks about our "vacation" ending, Steve looked happy to see her too.

We were pleased, too, to get the "boarder report card" from the kennel worker who handed Dionne over to us. It noted no significant problems (while noting her very high level of energy.) "Good dog; well-behaved," it said.

Even Tucker looked happy and excited to see her, once we got home.

She's settled in so beautifully in the two hours since then we're wondering if kennel life subdued her. It's early to conclude that, but far from exploding into mischief-making, she's been hanging out with us and napping.

What's especially nice about her homecoming today is that today is her first birthday! And kind of mind-boggling to reflect on how much she's changed in the past 10 months. She now weighs 52 pounds and looks like a full-grown dog. She understands at least two dozen commands and can carry them out without hesitation.

What a difference 10 months makes!

Clearly, we'll have more adventures together in the 6 months we have left together. But just as clearly, that time will fly by.