When we last talked I was doing some traveling for work. That travel cut into my updating time and into my "real life." I love seeing my friends and colleagues across the country in a face to face setting. We have the opportunity to be more casual in our interaction and to get to know each other better. However, I hate travel - planes are uncomfortable no matter where you sit, other people are everywhere, leaning over your book, interrupting your thoughts, listening to your phone calls, gazing at you from across the aisles - and that doesn't even account for the security lines and checks, the indignity of being treated with complete disregard, and the lack of trust. Add in the unsanitary public rest rooms and the rudeness of fellow passengers, and you have a perfectly dreadful experience. Yuk.
So glad to be home, folks. So very glad.
Getting back home meant catching up on everything. While I was gone, Mr. Bryant and Mr. Rentschler were working on the new old pick up truck, and did some very cool work on the engine.
They also replaced the horn and Mr. Rentschler was able to drive home in the very cool 66.
Mr. Bryant had been working diligently on the fence and made some good progress. And plans were in place for Mr. Bryant senior to come down to Charlotte on a Friday and spend a day and night for visit and a trip to the car show!
We cleaned up and organized the guest room and got a brand new bed in preparation. The kittens love the new bed, especially since it provides an unfettered view of the parakeets!!! They enjoy watching them, and as long as we are in the room with them all is well.
Mr. Bryant senior slept quite well in the guest room, and our cousins enjoyed the suite above the garage. The trip to the car show was excellent fun, and the visiting afterward lasted late into the evening. We had an amazing four course breakfast and then our company went off in search of more adventures. Meanwhile, Mr. Bryant went outside and finished a pergola.
He is working diligently. He wants to have the fence and all gates completed before Christmas. He is feeling the pressure more than we expected, because over the course of the last five days we made a decision.***
It has been almost 10 years since we have had a big dog around here. We have, of course, our wonderful Gizmo, who has become a fabulous friend to the new kittens.
And we have our new kittens, that make us laugh ever single day. But we have always had big dogs, and we have missed big dogs since we lost Chrissie, and we have been talking about dogs for years now. So with the advent of the fence we began some dog research.
We looked at Bernese Mountain Dogs. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs. Kuvasz. Great Pyrenees. And then we found the Leonbergers. We had never heard of them, and as we began to do our research, we were both enamored. The Leo's are big dogs, rare dogs, very athletic. They swim, have webbed feet and layered coats (like our Newf), and are very intelligent.
***
On Sunday, after all that cleaning and buying and organizing and visiting and eating, we went to meet some Leonbergers at Mandolin Trails Kennel in Virginia.
What amazing and wonderful dogs. They had longer legs than we expected, and fantastic personalities. We visited with the owners and talked dogs for quite a long time. After getting home we really reflected on dogs, what we wanted, what kind of dog we wanted, our favorite characteristics. We talked about how many dogs we wanted, and why, and talked about how much we missed Chrissie, Buck, and Tony.
We talked about why now was the right time to get a dog - or two. And when we came to a conclusion, we called Mandolin Trails and asked about getting one of their female puppies in December - and are working with other breeders to find a male puppy to get quite soon as well.
!!!!
Take a look at this lovely laughing momma.
And then, these two leos - one a youngster and one much older - and their patience as they obey the "LOOK" command from their owner, rather than much on the tempting treat that is on their paw. :)
So it looks like we will need that fence soon, and we will be heading back up to Virginia in December to get our first Christmas Present. We have been busy this month!
For the rest of today I am going to take it easy, as Max and I work on our plans for NaNoWriMo.
