Lucy has been “crated” since the first of September. She is now a free dog.

And sometimes you must improvise. All puppies love to chew and shoes are a favorite. I’ve modified a cheap pair of canvas loafers that I wear around Lucy. Masking tape covers the leather laces so she can’t get at them. More importantly, the soles are smooth. This makes it easier to hose off the dog shit. This is important because it’s no longer possible to simply avoid stepping in dog shit.

Our house sets on the corner of about three acres but we only use about one. But that’s still a lot of yard and woods. Even with two dogs shitting twice a day, you’d think it unlikely you’d step in a pile that often. I’m running about 20%. I know the dog shit is there and I make an effort to watch for and avoid it. But I keep stepping in it. As one that looks for –and finds– life’s lessons, this one is pretty obvious. If you want to live in a world with lovable Golden Retriever puppies, you must be prepared to step in dog shit and deal with it.

We’re spending so much time with this new pup that it’s a little hard for me to observe that she is getting bigger. Of course, she is. Happy, playful, getting along well with Ripley. Trying not to go nuts with photos but couldn’t resist posting a few new ones at Fotki. Barb and I keep our Casio Exilim “Wearable Card Camera” close at hand. I can’t get over how cool these things are. This brief (40 seconds) video clip was shot with the Casio and edited in Studio 8. The camera can only shoot 30 seconds of video at a time but you’d be surprised how much fits in half a minute. If you’re thinking about a digital camera, the Casio Exilim is THE camera to buy.

I’m only a few hours from the end of my Weekend Alone with an Eight Week Old Puppy. I think it’s gone very well and Lucy and Ripley have expressed no opinion on the subject. Ripley is getting more comfortable with the pup every day. They both want to play but need a little more time to get there.

And for those that need one more Life Lesson: Life is like our big back yard/woods. Dog shit everywhere. You know it’s there and you do you best not to step in it… but you do. And you will again. Just clean off your shoe and keep going.