Following my departure from Oliver, and during the intercession between old homes and the new one, I stayed with Sharon, and then from November 9 to the 16th I dog-sat at Val and Jay’s place. Halle is a gorgeous and at times, challenging dog. At a little over a year, she’s still a puppy (in Chocolate Lab terms), so is full of endless puppy energy. On the first day, she knocked me down, not because she’s mean, but because she’s a powerful dog who doesn’t quite know yet how to reign in her energy. Always game for a game of fetch in the backyard, and forgiving when I throw poorly (always) or accidentally over the fence (once).

For most of my stay, there was no snow, but we still didn’t go for walks. I was uncomfortable with the choke collar and I was afraid that she would get away or pull me over. She has a bit of the wanderlust, apparently, and has broken through a screen. However, we had lots of plays inside the house and especially outside in their vast backyard. In her quiet moments, Halle was a wonderful cuddler and snoozer. And a gobsmackingly beautiful model.

I was grateful for a place to stay, but it was a lot mixed with all the moving stuff. Once Tom’s house was cleared out, he joined me at Chez Halle. She really loved him. Not so sure it was mutual, but the stay was short-lived!