Joy lives up to her name everyday, which has helped immensely in light of the state of our country. She always make me smile and i think I do the same for her. She is the light and beauty of every day. She is always happy, always ready for an adventure to go seek out the turtles around here or the fish in the bay. “Let’s do anything,” she says, even it’s cuddling or playing with her toys in the house. She is the best of our world and I am sure many people feel this way about their companions. This is love the way it should be. Pure and unconditional.
If you have never been around Border Collies, you cannot imagine their intense and seemingly never-ending amount of energy. I wish I could bottle up Joy’s energy and give it as a drink to certain people to spark them into life.
Today we went on a 2 mile nature walk in a state park near us here in Southwest Florida. We wanted to go for the full four, but it was just too hot. Fortunately there is water on either side of the path so that made it a little better.
Joy is always so excited to be going somewhere, getting there and participating in whatever adventure is presented. She fully embraces each day and it’s one of her many qualities that I just LOVE about her. After, she is equally enthusiastic to go home and we got home right before “lunchie” as it known to her. She eats three smaller meals a day and looks forward to every bit of each one – always different and always healthy.
My sister says it’s good that I have my little girl companion and I agree. We are together constantly. I know she is spoiled because of all the time and attention she is given. That is okay. I have more than made up for her rough start in the Amish puppy mill she was born into. Fortunately she got into a good rescue, and I adopted her when she was just turning 2. I know everyone says this, but I personally do not know another rescue dog who was as happy to be adopted as Joy. We show each other everyday with kisses, affection and genuine heart because I was as happy to adopt her .
I thought about all this today because I don’t know anyone else who provides as many activities as I do for Joy. Everyone tells me Joy is like a person. She really is because she is always doing interesting things and here in Florida she can even go into many stores and she has come to love shopping; although the pet supply stores remain her favorite along with dining alfresco at some nice restaurant by the water.
Whether we are on the boat, in the car, at a store or just out for a simple walk, life with Joy is always full of adventure. It makes me happy not to just give her a home, but a life well lived.
Fall is a tough one for me but Joy certainly makes it better and that is the way Bailey would have wanted it. After all, it was Bailey who found Joy to begin with. When I walk at Buhl Park with Joy I always think what great friends they would have been, perfect companions for each other. Joy might have been a bit too crazy for senior Bailey, but still I think all in all they would have had fun together.. It’s been lovely there and Joy certainly has proven to be quite the leaf cruncher. She is spirited and whines like a baby as soon as we enter the parking lot! Some kind of slushy snow is expected tomorrow, so I am hoping that we will get to the park and take some pictures and perhaps Joy can catch a few snowflakes on her tongue before we head South to Florida next week.
The ride to Fl is 1100 miles long, but who loves a ride in the car more than Joy? Rest stops, hotel stays, treats all day long and long naps, she says, “what’s not to love?” I always tell her I wish I could lay with her in her crate! She has the best ride of all – well so does Safari. He is the only cat I have ever had that loves his cat cage. He loves to sleep all day anyway, so a long ride is right up his alley as well. We get no sleep because he wants to run around the room all night! It’s awful! I am hanging on to my last days of Fall, my favorite season with leaves of Joy.
Joy's Tale 