Adventures in Puppy

Koopa Troopa changes things a bit. We have to think strategically about any recreation we're going to have outside the house. If we can't bring him with us, or if bringing him would effectively ruin the fun of whatever it is, we have to crate him, and we've not yet done that for more than a couple hours at a time. But I don't resent this at all, and I don't think anyone else does either, because he's brought so much joy to the house. 

Last weekend we took Koopa downtown to the Riverwalk. Being able to bring him to the Riverwalk without worrying that he'd menace any people or animals was a primary criterion for me in choosing a dog. 

We chose well! He pulled to get to people; we still have to work on little trick of his. But all he wants is to luuuurve them!

The tourboats on the river make me happy.

Look! a gondola!

Pueblo, city of fountains:

We wear him out every day.

Because I take him for runs every. day. Often, twice a day. I have no idea where I'm getting the energy, but it's doing so much for my mental health. Nothing beats anxiety like just running full tilt for 25 minutes. Sometimes you have to sit with it, and sometimes you have to take anxiety for a vigorous ride.

This dog is saving my sanity.

So we treat him, when we can, to trips to the dog park. He's been three times now, so he's basically an expert.

I could never have taken one of my childhood dogs to a dog park. They would have created a lawsuit situation in no time. It's such a joy to watch Koopa go tearing after his friends! Sometimes he seems like a medium sized dog to me. Then I see him next to a real Labrador and realize, no, he's a shorty. 

Wednesday night we crated the Koopa and hit up the rides. This coming weekend is closing weekend! The pools also close this weekend, as if to drive the nail in the coffin of summer. 

Proof that I'm feeling better inside: I rode the kiddie coaster with Miles. 

I can enjoy the little moments so much more since I've started exercising more (and also, remind me to tell you about magnesium supplements sometime! That stuff is golden).

She stares at us as if to say, "I'm never going to be younger than this. Remember this." 

Every morning as I take the dog for a run, the sky is clear and blue and the mountains are sharply visible. I turn on Beyonce and we just go. I'm so grateful, for everything.

The new semester has begun, I have already completed two assignments and Facetime-ed in to one class. I have my textbooks and my desk and I am interviewing a new babysitter for Adele on Friday. 

Bless the Lord, my soul, and forget not his benefits. Indeed. 

Outdoors

We are packing the sunshine into our days. Just 12 days until Miles is in school. Adele has three more weeks (oh help!) but my semester starts Monday the 22nd! So we're about to become even more domesticated.

Trying to get out as often as possible, given Koopa's needs.

Last week, we gave Koopa his first car ride since we adopted him. To make it a positive experience, we took him to Jon's campus. This was the first time we'd really walked around and looked at other buildings besides the library. It's lovely! But reeeeally different from Virginia Tech.

See the Thunderwolf statue howling in the background?

Then, we tried crating Koopa during the day, to prepare him for the reality that we will come back and let him out.

We fairly ran out of the house to get to the pool and back before Koopa could miss us too badly.

Friday, we went out to Lake Pueblo State Park, a park we've been meaning to visit since we started researching Pueblo. We went to the south side, to a smooth and low-grade trail near the shore. We were officially there for the stargaze that the Southern Colorado Astronomical Society was holding, but as you can see, the sky didn't really cooperate.

It was a perfectly lovely evening, though, and the rain had the grace to wait until after sunset to start. I had really missed water! To gaze at a large(ish) body of water when you've been living in a desert quenches a kind of thirst you didn't really know you had.

I took kind of a lot of pictures.

Koopa dove right in. He proved himself at least half lab with his delight in the water.

Look at these desert bluffs next to a lake! Unreal.

Fabulous sunset. Serene, perfect weather.

...and a tarantula! Right out in the wild!

We live on Mars now.

Saturday we busied ourself with complying with the law which states that dogs need an outdoor shelter.

He's stopped growling and barking at his house, and has even gone in there after treats. But he doesn't really abide in there, yet.

It turned out cute, though, don't you think?

I'm looking at the new semester as a real possibility now. The only thing I could have to wish for, besides that each and every one of you visits me here, is that we could make some friends. We took Koopa and the kids to Jon's all-faculty year start BBQ last night, and despite the stress of fixing plates for the kids while keeping the straining puppy out of everyone's business, and despite that the event ended early when Pueblo came under a flash flood warning and some heavy rain and hail commenced... we were still actually able to talk to some folks! The head of the Chemistry department and his family go to our church, so there is some chance I might be able to remember some names. I even met someone who teaches high school in district 60! This might be useful to my future. More importantly, it's contributed to my sense of optimism about our life in Pueblo. As Peter Pevensie said, "We've fallen on our feet, and no mistake!"

Koopa Troopa

When we decided to take the job that brought us to Pueblo, we used the book, Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move by Judy Viorst to help the kids cope with the emotions of leaving their beloved home town. In the book, Alexander is consoled for having had to move away from everyone and everything he knows with a new puppy in his new house. We had thought that the time might be right to get a dog soon, but that book really got the wheels turning in our minds. As we pursued the dream of home ownership in Pueblo, in our minds all the time was the idea that if we got a house, we could have a dog, and the felicity of that picture made up a part of the charm of this house.

While we were still tossing the idea around, the kids decided on the name they'd give to a dog if we were to be able to have one. We name pets after villains in our family (the cats are "Grendel" & "Dragon" after all) but everyone knows dogs aren't as villainous as cats. So the dog would have to have the name of a more benign villain.

After weeks of waiting for a home inspection from the Denver-based org we chose, and after the chain of communication finally connected us with a suitable candidate, and after we were finally able to make a trip, as a family, to Denver, we were finally, last weekend, able to bring our puppy home.

He is six months old and his name is Koopa Troopa! Yes, after these:

I wanted a lab, because, though I'm not a dog person across the board, I've always been charmed by the positive energy in a labrador. 

Koopa is a lab mixed with... something short-legged. But his low-key and loving personality made him a match for our family's needs.

Everyone says he looks like a "wiener dog." I think he looks like a lab, but with legs about half the length that they should be!

His foster mom thought probably his father was a basset hound. I prefer this explanation. Jon and I used to dream of adopting a basset hound, so a basset-lab mix would pretty much be a dream combination.

Basically, don't tell me he's a wiener dog. He's a lab mixed with a mystery, as Miles likes to repeat.

All the way home from Denver to Pueblo (about 2 hours' drive), Koopa lay calmly in the back seat and accepted the kids' pets.

It was like some kind of lite version of bringing a new baby home (though MUCH, much easier and less emotionally intense) to show him around those first few days.

Isn't he handsome??

He came at just the right time: just when summer vacation had the kids literally climbing the walls...

...and just before I was too overwhelmed by the beginning of my (last) semester of grad school.

Perfect timing, buddy!

We're wearing him out.

And he's fitting right in. He has so far destroyed nothing, nor has he peed or pooped on anything he shouldn't. He's walking on the leash, playing with us in the evenings, and sleeping all night in his crate- provided the crate is located where he can see Jon or me.

I'm getting outside a lot more and getting more exercise than I know what to do with. The good thing though, is that the tiredness is easier to handle in the Colorado sunshine than it would be indoors!

Adele's dreams have come true. She's always wanted this arrangement:

The cats are handling it better than expected. They have even been known to allow themselves to appear in the same room as the dog, from time to time!

He's done a lot for all of our moods.

He even keeps us company while we exercise indoors!

Koopa not only gets me exercise, but he gets me alone time. I need this badly, after an entire summer of full-time parenting!

Yesterday, Jon and I agreed: this dog couldn't have been more perfect for us, and we can't believe it hasn't even been a week since came home with us.

Koopa is another blessing afforded by our move, reminding us that God has indeed strewn every path with gifts. We have a relationship. I may never be exactly a dog person, but I am a Koopa person. 

Old Fashioned Fun

Last week was a week we spent concentrating on potty training. When Adele was successful, she'd get to choose where we spent the afternoon. Twice she chose to spend it here, at the El Pueblo History Museum. She has good taste.

On Monday, it was free. On Wednesday, it was back to the usual summer fee: $5 for student me, $0 for children.

I feel like they're practically paying us to come.

Corn husk doll day!

Making adobe brick day!

On Tuesday night, the zoo was open late. I recommend going to the zoo on a summer's evening if at all possible! The animals are active and the evening sunshine doesn't glare so badly. And eating dinner next to the lion family is a pretty good time.

That was the first time I'd seen the Pallas Cat out of hiding

The rainbows are at an epidemic level this summer!

Sometimes when we walk the neighborhood I see houses wanted to buy, most of which were sold before we got to Pueblo to look. Not one of them has made me regret the house we got. In this neighborhood, to have a school and a church across the street makes for some peaceful front porch sitting. 

Back at the Pueblo History Museum, I practiced making El Movemiento signs.

Adele learned the rules of checkers:

We stopped at the downtown library again...

And finished out the week by buying a dog crate, collar, leash, toys and puppy food! Really, not a bad ending for the week. 

Coming up: our first days with our first dog!