The Life of Riley

A little over a month ago, I took a giant leap of faith. I adopted a puppy. I wrote about it before it happened, before I truly realized what I was getting into. Make no mistake, I've got no regrets, but I'm mildly surprised by the change in my routine.



We found her on the internet and picked her up in Ohio. I'm in Michigan, so, not really a pilgrimage. I'd named her Maggie, sight unseen, but that proved to be wrong. Just wrong. A friend came up with Riley, and that one stuck. It's a reference to an old tv show and it seems Irish, so we ran with it. Riley Rae, to be exact.


Riley is like a blender without a top. I recently put my old girl, Ms. Georgia, to sleep. I was in a comfortable routine with her, with her personality, her loyalty and the calm that is present in the mature dog. We had it down. No surprises, nothing more than the very comfortable routine that two souls who've spent a lifetine together enjoy.


"Gone, like the wind that swept through Georgia." (apologies to Margaret Mitchell)


In place is a new day dawning. A change has come and has rocked my world.


This little thing is a mistress of mischief !  She is so comical, so full of surprises, neither of us are ever bored. I wish I knew how that tiny brain works. It's best I don't, I could never keep up, I'm sure. I'd forgotten so much after all these years, of the chaos that is puppydom.



Riley gets ideas that are mind boggling., She's such a personality and her antics are so off the wall that it's almost a joy to see what she comes up with next. I know this: I should've named her 'Bandit.'  She's a thief in the night. She has a cache containing such interesting and often, indispensible items including, but not limited to : the stereo remote, car keys, eye drops,laundry...really anything that isn't nailed down or out of sight. I'm learning and her cache is less full, but really, we have a long way to go.


Riley has no schedule. This is crazy. Hard to fix, though, as I haven't got one either. One of my biggest challenges is consistency. We're getting nowhere (fast) in that arena.


She's a jumper. It is hilarious to be engrossed in a book or a tv show and all of a sudden have a dog jump into your line of vision. Literally and repeatedly. bongboingboing!  She's not a chewer of things, thank goodness, but she is rambunctious and loving, quite a cuddler, and I'm full of little puppy bites. We both have a lot to learn.


I'm so glad you're here, Riley, welcome to my world. I'm having a grand time in yours.