Harper

Keeping it in perspective

November 13, 2023

I’m not sure how you all are when you walk – be it alone, or with a dog, or even with other people.

I’ve tried to walk as much as I can for several years now – even before Harper. Most of those times, I’m off into my own thoughts and daydreams. Maybe it’s about the future, or the past, or even the present. When I used to walk solo, I’d often have earbuds in with a podcast or some music playing.

Once Harper came into my world, I was focused more on her. Especially in her puppy stage. I still have to watch her somewhat closely now as she loves to try and get things in her mouth, such as clumps of grass. But as she gets older and more predictable on walks, I find myself getting lost in my thoughts again.

A lot of times, it’s about life. After passing the big 5-0 in September (and, yes, I am still working on my series about that …), I’ve been a bit more reflective. Sometimes it’s about the past, sometimes the present, and yes, the future. While I’m maybe not where I had thought I would be when I was in high school, I’m not actually doing bad. I have a good job with pretty decent pay and great benefits. I’ll have a pension and a couple of other retirement accounts when I reach that age. I own a home. I have a good car. I have family and friends.

Dog walking on a path, leashed — *Harper out on a walk*

It’s hard to complain.

But we all do, right? Maybe it’s because I don’t see some friends as often that would be nice. Maybe it’s because waking up earlier isn’t always as easy as it once was. Maybe it’s because of the price of things, or because I have to figure out how to pay for something a little bigger. Maybe it’s because I’m no longer as free wheelin’ as I once was. Maybe I just don’t feel fulfilled or happy at times, and other times I feel that I am.

We need to keep things in perspective.

Over the years, I’ve had my own personal battles. I’ve gotten into some dark places in my own head. And some days, I get there again. Thankfully, it usually doesn’t last too long. And more often than not, I do a really good job at masking and hiding it.

Life is about ups and downs. Unfortunately, because of human makeup, we aren’t perfect. That means the odds of being happy every single moment of one’s life is just not possible. So we do the best we can.

I have been reminded of this recently, especially on my walks. The reality is, we have no idea about the people who we may pass each day etc. What some may decipher as an unhappy person may be the complete opposite, and vice versa.

As I walked Harper recently, there’s one person I saw walking down the street. He has a slow pace about him and always seems a bit down. He wears headphones and just meanders along. I know I’ve seen him working as well, and it’s always the same look.

Does that mean he’s unhappy? Not at all. Not every book is the same, after all. And I wonder, too, if I sometimes look in an unhappy state when I’m out and about – even with Harper.

My “inner circle” isn’t the biggest in the world as I’ve grown older. Sometimes you lose touch with people; or other times you just become a hermit (I have done this). But either way, not a lot of people will notice certain things. But for those I let into the circle, I care about them and their thoughts and opinions matter to me. Recently, one mentioned that Harper is such a good emotional support dog for me.

Initially I brushed it off. I thought – she’s much more than that. But as I thought about it later in the night, it got me thinking about a few things. First, she absolutely is an emotional support dog for me. She’s been such a huge part of my life since I got her and I hope that continues. But it also made me think about the wording.

Why did I shy away from “emotional support dog?” Did I think it was bad? Was I worried about the stigma of it? I’m not sure. But the reality is, she does help me emotionally. And knowing I go home to her each night helps in tough times. And, truthfully, me being happier now than I was two years ago is a direct connection to Harper.

That’s why I say we need to keep things in perspective. What is one person’s happiness is another’s lows. We can’t just look at somebody and think they are unhappy, when it could be completely the opposite.

When I walk now, though, I’ll try to at least be a little more upbeat. It feels good to smile.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook!

2021: A year in review

February 22, 2022

In the past when I did my year in review post(s), they tended to come out in late December or earlier in January.

But that’s OK – I haven’t done them in a few years, so this turned into a much longer post.

I have a feeling many of us would say 2021 was a year of craziness. Between Covid and all of the other things happening around the world, it was going to be nuts right off the bat.

But, when you get into personal worlds, things can be different. Depending where one lives, you may have been able to do things differently or were able to kind of have a “life” of sorts.

Living in a small area has allowed me to live life a little more loosely, all while making sure I follow the guidelines set in place. So let’s take a peek back at 2021.

1. Harper

To say my life changed on July 2 would be an understatement. That’s when this little furball of a puppy came into my life. We had picked out Harper from a breeder about 1.5 hours away and got her at nine weeks. I had done so much research on dogs and golden retrievers over the past year or two, so I thought I was ready for this.

To a point, I was. But in a lot of ways, I wasn’t even close.

Puppies are a lot of work.

I took two weeks off from work when she came home and I was naive to believe that’s all I would need to get her into being the perfect dog.

Ha!

I can’t even say how wrong I was.

Let me say this … if I didn’t have the emotional attachment I have to Harper, and I could go back in time knowing everything I know now, I wouldn’t do it. I would likely still be dogless, or would have tried to find a rescue I could bond with. But, I can’t go back in time and with Harper being more than eight months old now, it’s amazing to see how far she has come.

That doesn’t take away how hard it was for a few months, physically and emotionally. I also think it’s quite safe to say I will never go through having a puppy again. One time is enough for me. I was at the end of my rope many times. I questioned if I should keep her or talk to the breeder about returning or maybe rehoming.

Then she’d look at me with that golden look. And she’d sit at my feet.

Like I could get rid of her?

I also was fortunate in finding a great doggy daycare/boarding place. The owner owns goldens, so that was great. And Harper loves going there.

But…

The biggest thing that happened was finding the right trainer. I had one session with a trainer and I just didn’t agree with the style, so I contacted another who was highly recommended.

Life. Saver.

I truly believe it’s safe to say that if I hadn’t found her, I’m not sure where I’d be. She doesn’t just train the dog, she trains you. She’s always there to help and work with you. She’s also into dog sports and we’ve worked to make sure Harper is, too. While she enjoys everything so far (toss and fetch was the first), it seems her love is dock diving. I want to also try some agility, eventually, with her, but I love dock diving and that’s what I want to focus on. It’s so much fun and Harper showed great strides in the fall. I can’t wait until spring to see where she can go with this!

One thing I’ve learned, however, is this is going to be constant. She will continue to learn and grow. And it’s a constant growing experience for me. We are still working on some things – such as her wanting to jump up on people or trying to get stuff on counters. But that will come in time.

Over the six months she’s been with us, what have we learned? A lot. She’s grown into a great dog. She’s one who will cuddle and snuggle. She loves to play fetch, more with tennis balls. And she will go for a long time if I let her. She’s curious. She’s stubborn. She loves to walk, but she needs a job so she is usually carrying a stick or a stuffed animal.

I’ve been told I seem to smile more and laugh more. I hope that’s true. She’s brought a lot of enjoyment (and frustration at times) into my life, but I’m really starting to have a crazy good bond with her, and I’m trying to plan more places I can go with her. I also love when I come in from work and she comes running to see me.

Where from here?

Well, I want to work on her with photography more. She tends to shy away from “posed” photos, but I can get plenty of sleeping and action photos. The jumping needs to be worked on as well. Finally, the other big thing is working on her in cars more. She gets motion sickness at times and will throw up. I have a lot of places I want to take her, so this is something I need to keep working on. With my 50th coming up in a couple of years, I’m already planning an epic road trip and I want her with me, of course.

I post plenty of things about Harper on my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hoohaa29/), and I’m sure there will be posts on here. But, Harper also has her own Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/harper_dublin/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/HarperTheGolden), but I need to do a lot more work on that one.

There is no doubt that Harper is my No. 1 item for 2021. I look forward to watching her grow and develop and continue to be part of my world.

2. My health/personal life

I was doing so good.

For the first part of 2021, my A1C continued to go down. It was awesome. And the last 3-4 months of the year changed that. High stress – from work and Harper and the holidays and everything else, I just wasn’t good. I was still working on Harper and walking, so I wasn’t moving as much as I should have been. And I also ate more crap and my portion control went out the window. Thankfully, I haven’t put on a ton of weight, but at the same time my A1C took a jump up (got my results a few days ago).

It’s not an excuse, but I know what happened. And I know the reason. So it’s time to dial it back and get myself on the right path again. I have done it before and know I can do it again.

Harper walking more will help.

I’m also trying to utilize my normal planner into a life journal. The weekly look at things has more on it than just the normal stuff. If all goes well, that will give me some accountability. It won’t happen overnight as I don’t have a ton of self-control at times, but it will happen.

All of my other blood test results looked fine. My blood pressure and such was fine.

In regard to other things, I’m pretty content in life. I was able to travel a little and get out and see things. More on that below.

Being able to get away some, like this short trip to the Jersey Shore, has helped my mental and physical well being.

I think the reality of our current world situation – not just the pandemic, but everything political and all, has made me realize that I need to find the more fun things in life. I have to find the simple pleasures.

Part of that, of course, is trying to find things to ground myself and enjoy the steps in life. That, in turn, should help with my health.

See, I’ve always been a bit high strung when it comes to stressful things. Over the past few years, I’ve worked on that to try and dial it back. Part of my issue is work. I tend not to say no, or take on way too many things. When I was at the newspaper, I rarely turned something down or made a case why I shouldn’t do it. I just did it. I’d have vacation days at the end of the year that I needed to take or lose them because throughout the year, I’d not take them.

In the end, I was laid off due to cuts. The newspaper didn’t show me any loyalty when all was said and done, so what did I get in the end? Notta.

Therefore, as I moved forward, I knew I had to watch for myself. Everybody is replaceable. At my current job. I still push myself probably too far. But I don’t sacrifice “me” time. I take vacations. I take care of myself. And, for the most part, those above me encourage and support employees to take care of themselves. Mental health issues are real and I’m lucky that my employer(s) take things seriously and don’t want to see people have issues.

That means I take vacations and unplug. I try to get outside and explore. I look to see new things and experience different parts of life. With Harper, I like to go and see different things.

And a lot of times, when I do this, I don’t look at my email etc.

Exploring the world around me has been beneficial healthwise. I tend to smile a bit more when I get outside and I’m seeing different things now. Everything is new to Harper, so it’s enjoyable to explore with her and see what she finds interesting.

My health – both physical and mental – are doing much better since the start of 2021. Though I took some steps backward with my diabetes control, everything else seems to be doing better. It’s a long road and I will keep working on it.

3. COVID

What a world in which we live.

COVID has taken over everything. And no matter what side of the fence you are on when it comes to the severity of it, masks, or vaccinations, the reality is we are still deep into it.

And we’re also at a breaking point.

The reality is, the majority of people who are going to get vaccinated have already done so. Those who are against it are likely not going to change their mind. And masks? Those who will wear them do so. Those who won’t, don’t.

We’re two years into this. Almost 5.75 million people around the world have died from the disease, including more than 900,000 in the United States.

People are going to be set in their ways and beliefs. Sure, you’ll get some who might change their minds some. But the reality is, most are staying along the path. At some point, though, you have to wonder when we start coming out of this. Is there herd immunity? Is there something with the variants getting weaker as they come out? Will it become a yearly “flu” shot?

I’m vaccinated. I have a booster. And I wear a mask. I’ve been exposed a couple of times and am thankful I didn’t show any symptoms. I haven’t had to be quarantined because I am vaccinated. But at the same time, it still wears on me. I try to do what I can to stay safe and healthy. And I hope others, even if they are against the vaccine and masks, will take others into consideration when making decisions. The sooner we can all get closer to being on the same page, the sooner we can hopefully move away from this and get back to some sort of normal.

4. Baseball!

One thing felt a bit normal in 2021 – being able to go to baseball games.

It started in April when we went to a Phillies game. At that point, there were limited seats. Only like 10,000 people were in the stadium, and masks were to be worn.

As the season continued – at the minor and major league levels, more people were allowed in, of course based on where you were. Mask mandates were lifted or softened. By the end of the year, it truly felt like baseball again.

I didn’t make a lot of baseball trips this year. In fact, I only hit four stadiums – Syracuse, Binghamton, Philadelphia, and Aberdeen. The last one was on a late-summer trip to the Baltimore area for geocaching.

It was nice to be able to hit a few baseball games this year, even if the majority of them were closer and quick trips

It was nice to be back in a stadium for games. I likely would have been to more games, but with getting Harper, it was harder. We did take her to one “Bark in the Park” in Binghamton and will do so again this upcoming season.

The little things truly do help you cope with the bigger picture. Even just a fireworks night at a baseball game can help make you smile a bit.

It’s funny, though. A few summers ago, I was pushing 75 games. At the end of the summer, I was thinking how crazy it was. Fun? Yes. But still crazy. And it wore me out. Then the first summer of covid, where all minor league games were canceled and no fans for MLB came and went. And, shockingly, I didn’t miss being in the stands as much as I thought I would.

It was great to get back to it this summer, though. I’ve realized that if I stay in the 25-40 game range most summers, I’ll be quite content and not feel burnt out from going to games.

It’s only January, but baseball will be back soon enough. Well, hopefully. They still need to figure out the CBA.

5. Travel

Travel returned this year to many people. With the loosening of requirements, people got out and visited friends and family. Went to new places. And tourism started to come back into the world.

I can’t say I went a lot of places, but I got out a little bit, even if just for a few small trips. I had the chance to go see some baseball games this past summer and I also hit up the shore twice, so that was nice.

I didn’t travel as much as I might have liked this year, but one thing is for sure — I’ve realized you can travel closer to home and still find fun things to do!

I will admit that I’m still a little skeptical about flying. I realize it’s probably overall safe, but I’m not sure how I feel about being masked up for a several-hour flight. And remember, I’m pro-mask for myself in most situations – and being in a tube above the world for a few hours would be a place where I’d wear it.

But, as things seemingly start to slowly once again improve (I hope), maybe things will get better.

One other thing to consider moving forward, though, is Harper. I plan to hopefully take her on many trips, which will scratch flying. I am not one to want to put her through that experience if not necessary.

I’ve also realized over the past year, there’s a lot of things within driving range I’d like to see. New York State has a ton of amazing parks to explore. There are different places throughout the Northeast I’d love to see. And heck, there’s much more in the United States and Canada I’d like to see – and it can all pretty much be done via car, which also means being able to bring Harper with me.

Look around your own backyard and parks and such near you – sometimes traveling doesn’t have to be far to find some fun things to do.

6. Geocaching/getting outside

Getting outside was a must in the past two years.

And though I haven’t geocached as much as I once did, it was nice to get out there and do it again. There’s plenty of them to find around me, so it has been good when I’ve needed to do something. I’ve done a few geocaching trips as well, which has allowed me to see some new areas and parks.

I’ve tried to be out more and to also get back into geocaching a bit. It’s been fun and it’s also nice to find some creative hides.

In 2021, I found a total of 231 geocaches, which isn’t my best year by far, but also isn’t my worst. The good part of it is that it was toward the end of the year that the numbers started coming around. I did 23 days worth of geocaching, averaging 10 per day.

The good part is many of those caching days were toward the end of 2021, which means I started getting into it again. As 2022 has started, I’ve already started getting some days in, which is great. And I’ve been bringing Harper along, which is even better.

Obviously, Harper won’t be logging in her finds and such, but she seems to enjoy wandering around and exploring as we’re out on the trails caching. It’s just been really nice to get out and find some caches as well as place a few.

7. Financial

I’m in a better place at the end of 2021 than in the beginning, that’s for sure, I’m still not where I probably should be overall, but it takes time.

If you think back to when I came out of college, I went to work for a daily newspaper. Needless to say, I wasn’t getting rich there. Looking back, I have to wonder how some people survived (or still do) working for newspapers. It’s definitely not a way to get rich. Hell, in many cases, it’s not a way to even be middle class. And while I’m currently not on track to be rich, I’m comfortable. And even better? I’m saving for retirement, and doing so rather aggressively.

A few years ago, I opened a new credit card and transferred all balances because it gave me interest free on the balance for like 21 months. I paid that off last January, which was outstanding. That meant I was out of credit card debt.

Now, I use my credit cards sporadically for purchases and then work to pay them off as fast as I can. It was nice because I had a Lowe’s card that I put the fence for Harper on. That will take some time to pay off as it was an investment, but I felt a lot more comfortable doing it with having a clear balance.

I also am adding more to my retirement accounts as I know it’s something I have to keep building. When I started this current job, I had zero savings for retirement. And what little amount I did have, I had to use when I was unemployed.

With working for the state, I have a pension now, which is nice. I also have two retirement accounts I’m building. Who knows where this world will be when I finally can retire, but I want to be as ready for it as possible. I wish I had worked for the state a lot sooner in life, but there’s not much I can do about it now. The end result is I will just have to work until at least 65, if not a bit beyond that, to maximize certain things. I’m OK with that. It’s just nice to know things are building toward that age.

Finances are tricky and always a work in progress. I’m definitely better now than I was 10 years ago, if not just the understanding part of things.

8. Looking back

I know many people will look at 2021 and yell about how bad the year was. With Covid still running rampant, and everything else in my country and the world as a whole, the year was tough for a lot of people.

The one thing with the pandemic is I’ve tried to find the silver linings. I do think when this is all done and past us (and I do believe it will at some point) we will find some positives. I can think of a few. It’s just a shame we’ve had to go through a lot of negativity and a prolonged pandemic to find any of the good things.

To me, 2021 will always be the year of Harper. It’s hard for me to think of it as a bad year when she came out of it. The key is for all of us to keep pushing forward and try to make this world a positive and better place for all!

And, at the same time, will anything positive from this ever outweigh all the bad that happened? Will we ever have a normal again?

For me, I look at 2021 in a few ways.

I feel I became more in touch with different things and I really think I appreciate things a bit more. The little things, anyway. We’re only here for a short bit of time, so we need to start realizing what is important.

In 2021, I got Harper. For that alone, it’s a pretty good year. Though it’s been hard and frustrating at times, she’s become such a big part of my life. I’ve learned a lot from having her and I know the future with her will be a fun journey.

And 2021 ended with hope. Will we get out of all of this in 2022? Will things start to return to somewhat normal? Time will only tell but we can continue to hope.

Until then, try and be good to one another and yourself. Here’s hoping 2022 is a good year for all of you and that we have a lot to be thankful for when we flip the calendar.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

20 Days of Chill 2022: Woof (Day 19)

January 27, 2022

Like I wasn’t going to have a few themes that covered the dog world and though Harper isn’t much of a barker, woof indeed!

As we come to an end of this January’s challenge, Harper will be approaching her nine-month “birthday.” It’s crazy how fast time has gone by with her. From this cute little furball to a beautiful “adult” dog. I feel as though she’s reached her growth peak – give or take a few pounds and such – and I’m happy she’s not huge. She’s the right size. Now, that’s not to say a growth spurt isn’t coming, but my vet seems to think she’s peaked and I’m OK with that.

Everything else I’ve seen in Harper since I got her in July is truly amazing. I look back at the initial thoughts I had from getting her, the ups and the downs, the frustrations and celebrations, and everything in between and it’s been a journey unlike anything I’ve ever had.

I had wanted a dog for a long time. But I never really found what I had wanted. I went looking at shelters and everything else and I contacted rescues. Nothing fit and nothing clicked.

Then, it did.

I had been on a waiting list for a golden (after a couple of years of breed research) and I never heard anything back. Well, when I contacted, nothing was ever happening. I knew I didn’t want to try and train a dog in the winter (goodness… I look back now and realize how much I would have hated doing it in the winter!) so I was in a spot where I needed to find a dog.

A couple of late-night searches via Google allowed me to find a spot and soon enough we went and looked at the puppies, met the pup’s parents, and put a down payment on one.

Seems she was the runt, too.

The roller coaster began a few weeks later when I picked her up. She was nine weeks old. Within 15 minutes of leaving the breeder, she threw up. I stopped, cleaned it up and got her settled (I had brought a laundry basket for the front seat). She settled in and slept the rest of the way home.

Then she was home. So much excitement. She explored the yard and sniffed around. She ran and followed me around. That night, I had her sleep near me in the basket. Midway through the night, she was out and exploring on her own.

Exploring is a theme she’s followed throughout her existence.

That first month was extremely hard. We had a session with a trainer the day after I picked her up. Two hours of a session was extremely tough to take in. In the end, I didn’t feel a connection with the trainer. I needed to start anew.

But the emotions. As I look back, I have to be honest. I was looking for any reason to bring her back to the breeder or rehome her. Anything. Despite taking two weeks off from work – I was a true idiot. I thought she’d be everything I wanted in two weeks.

Here’s the kicker – when I would see other dogs who weren’t well behaved or barked a ton or whatever else, I’d always say “That’s because they aren’t trained well.”

And here I was ready to give in because Harper was yet just a baby and needed to learn.

I had emotional breakdowns. I second-guessed every single thing I did. There were times I fully regretted getting a dog. I hated that my life changed so much.

And a side note? I had researched so much and knew what I was getting into and I still wasn’t ready or prepared.

But, I persevered.

Two saving graces for me – finding a trainer (who I still use) who had empathy and the uncanny ability to not only train your dog with you, but also train you. As a first-time dog owner, I was lost. I was frustrated. And I was drained. Nanci was one of the most important pieces for me keeping Harper and making sure she was my dog.

The second was finding a doggy daycare that I trusted and that had an owner who looked at it more than a business. For a few years I had driven past one on my way to work. One day I called. I asked if we could stop by and meet her. So after a training session, we stopped. She met Harper and us. I felt at ease. She owned goldens. It was warm and welcoming. Harper still goes there once a week, and that’s also where she gets boarded if needed. I trust my dog fully with Moriah and I can’t speak highly enough about her and her services (she’s also a groomer!)

The fact is these two ladies truly saved me when it came to Harper. I can’t speak highly enough about their professionalism, humanity and how they treat animals. I feel fully blessed to have both of them be part of this journey I have with Harper.

Over time, things improved. The lifestyle change for me is still hard at times. I have said many times that if I could take what I know now, and go back to last June – I would say I’m not doing it. But that would also mean taking away the emotional connection I have with Harper.

The emotional roller coaster is a little more level now. I can’t say I don’t get frustrated at times – I do. I know I have to be more diligent about Harper’s training. I have to set her and myself up for better success. Overall she’s amazingly well behaved. But, she’s still a puppy. We need to work on jumping and making sure she doesn’t do it.. And we need to work on drop/leave it because she constantly is picking things up on our walks. She still nips and bites at times, but it’s pretty playful. That doesn’t make it right, though, so we’re still working on it.

She’s involved in dog sports and I look forward to the spring when we can start dock diving again. We did it at the end of last year and she really enjoyed it. I see dock diving as her sport, that’s for sure. And I have so many ideas for videos and photos surrounding that!

Nine months old. It’s truly crazy to think how fast the time went and all the different emotions that went along with it. She’s a true gem. She doesn’t really bark. She’s usually pretty chill. And she loves to have fun. In time, I hope she likes car rides more than she does now as I look forward to exploring so many places with her.

There are times she’ll be on the couch near me at night and she’s off snoozing. I’ll sneak a peek over and she looks so peaceful and it always makes me think how lucky I am and still be in disbelief that she’s mine.

This post is part of the 2022 20 Days of Chill Writing Challenge hosted by A ‘lil HooHaa. Please check out the links (intro I themes) if you’d like to see the setup and themes! You don’t have to do every theme if you don’t want to! And for those participating, take a moment and check out the other participants!

Link up:

Harper is six months!

October 28, 2021

Six months old.

It seems like yesterday that I brought home this little bundle of floof as my first puppy. In the four months that we’ve had Harper – it’s been quite the process. But oh how you’ve grown.

A dog is quite the undertaking, as I’ve learned. From the lack of sleep at times, to you (and all around you) having to learn so much of the human world, it’s been one hell of a process. Sometimes it’s been good; sometimes it’s not been good.

The financial commitment, too, has been something else. But that was something I had actually planned for coming into this.

Six months is a milestone to be proud of. This, according to the AKC newsletter I get, is the start of the “teenage years.” I’m seeing that a bit already. I’ll look forward to the end of April when you turn one year and hope adulthood soon follows!

I can honestly say you will likely be my only puppy in my lifetime. Depending how long you are with us on this Earth (hopefully a long time), you might be my only dog. I thing we chose a good one, though.

You have personality. You have spunk. Your confidence is growing. You’re loving, kind and playful. You’re a little shit, too, but that’s to be expected.

You’re curious, too. You love sniffing and exploring. You also love grabbing too many things when we are out and about, but I think you are starting to learn that no matter how hard you try and no matter how strong that jaw is, if you get something and I am in panic mode – you will not be keeping it!

It’s funny when I think about you.

After having you for two or three weeks, I was at the end of my rope. I had emotional and likely mental breakdowns with everything. I was ready to give you up as a rehome or to call the breeder back.

But, we plodded along.

I think back to those moments often. Especially as I walk around the house and I see your toys all over the place. You really don’t care where you drop them! But there are certain toys I see and I get a little teary eyed because I know if I had given up on you, there would be a pretty big hole in my life.

And we’ve had the chance to watch you grow!

You are probably around 40 pounds now and you are lean and a mini machine. You dove off the ladder at the dock by yourself not once but three times! You scored not one but two points at toss and fetch (and though it was after the time ended, you actually grabbed a third!)

You are friendly to everybody – maybe too much so! You don’t bark unless you are really playing or when you don’t want me to take you off the couch! If other dogs bark, you sit right down and watch them wondering what they are yapping about!

Harper, you are definitely something else. We believe you were the runt of the litter, but you are far from the runt in our eyes.

You love your treats and toys. You love being pet and scratched. You love your bully sticks and elk antlers. And sometimes you love naps at my feet, even if that means one of my feet goes numb because you are on top of it for too long!

Today, you are six months old. Happy “half” birthday and here’s to many more milestones ahead!

You can follow Harper on her adventures via Instagram at harper_dublin, or she’s also on Facebook!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

National Fetch Day!

October 20, 2021

Let me preface this to say that I’m a fan of giveaways. I like it even when the big companies do it despite knowing the odds of winning are slim.

But I also like when there are opportunities to purchase said prizes. We can’t all win, but many of us may like the opportunity to buy.

This past Saturday was National Fetch Day, which is celebrated the third Saturday of each October and is obviously connected to Chuckit brand items. For those who have dogs, you likely know what Chuckit is. For those who don’t, you probably do as well. You’ve seen those ball launchers? Most likely it’s Chuckit.

Now, I’m going to just go through this part quickly … then talk about the day itself. I do want to show my PR side here a little bit, though.

So heading into this glorious day, Chuckit held a contest where you posted photos of your pooch and you had the opportunity to win one of 250 “party boxes” that were loaded with goodies, including limited edition balls. Those balls were really cool looking and would be fun for Harper to be able to play with.

Alas, I didn’t win one of the party boxes.

Following that, I contacted Petmate (Chuckit) to ask about the ball. Alas, you can only get them in these party boxes, or maybe with an upcoming social media contest, or at one of the events throughout the US (note: The closest one to me was like six hours away in Maryland).

I did purchase the “special” box they released, which had one special ball, but not the one I had interest in. This one was a confetti ball, which wasn’t the best as pieces of the confetti came loose a little after Harper retrieved and chewed a bit on the ball. Not sure it will be used much because of that.

The public relations (and marketing) side of me wonders why they didn’t sell more, or have many more ways to win the balls. While I am happy for all who won party boxes, or could attend the events, many of us couldn’t and would have loved the ability to pay for one or three of these balls. Not everybody lives on social media, either, so if you missed the one other contest they gave, you lost a chance there as well.

I get that they are limited edition. But also remember people buy a lot of items of yours and would love the ability to spend a little more.

As for the day itself …

In my area, the afternoon and evening was slated to have rain. So I knew I needed to really do stuff early, including any photos I wanted to take.

And, if you didn’t already know, Harper’s a bit of a little shit when it comes to photos! I am still working on getting her to sit and stay so I can get the shot. As it is now, she comes right at me when the camera comes out!

I did get some though, especially when it’s action.

We spent several hours on Saturday playing fetch. The balls, or the cube, or the frisbee – everything I could get her to have fun with. Other times, she’d just sit there and chew on said object.

She dozed a lot and relaxed at my feet that night, so I know we had a lot of fun.

Some things I know about Harper now, though:

She prefers chasing tennis balls over most items, especially if they squeak (like Kong ones)

She loves the Chuckit cube, as it’s fun to chase around and “kick” around

Discs are OK, but she loses interest fast

The kick it ball by Chuckit is OK for her, but she seems to like the cube better.

In the end, we had fun. We mixed in some walking and treats as well, so it was a good day.

Maybe next year we’ll get a chance to win a party box, or attend an event if one is closer. Or, maybe buy the special limited edition balls … but either way, the third Saturday is marked down in anticipation of National Fetch Day!

You can follow Harper on her adventures via Instagram at harper_dublin, or she’s also on Facebook!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!