2019 Life Logs, Day 323: Life with Shadow, Day Three
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Weather: Mostly Cloudy; High 55, Low 38 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA

If I count Sunday when Shadow first arrived as Day One, today was Day Three. And already I feel those growing pangs that all parents feel. He is maturing so quickly. He is no longer the little puppy that arrived on Sunday. On Sunday, he had never been outside before. He had never worn a collar or been on a leash. Already, he can walk just a little behind me on the leash and he loves to romp outside. Yesterday when I threw a ball, he retrieved it but wouldn’t bring it to me. Already, today, he brings the ball to me. My friend Detta just reminded me via text that I need to get video of him before he matures too much. So that will be my goal tomorrow. I feel very much like a new mother, just after the birth of a baby. Many of the personal freedoms I enjoyed before Shadow are gone, but the tradeoff is certainly worth it. I have to put Shadow in the crate so I can take a shower or when I need to go out shopping. I’m used to coming and going at will, but that has all changed. This afternoon, I had a Wine Group gathering from 4 until 6 pm. I hated to leave him so long, so Jonah offered to come over after school for an hour. I was so grateful. Ollie and Sam had after school activities, so Jonah would have been alone at home anyway. So, this was perfect and gave me peace of mind. I instructed Jonah to put Shadow in the crate when he left and when I got home, the puppy was just fine. Day by day, we will grow into this partnership together.

Karen Baranowski came over to meet Shadow late morning and they bonded immediately. He had also met the guy who picks up my compost earlier in the morning and he seems to love meeting new people. Right now he is sleeping on the sofa beside me as I write this log and watch news of today’s Impeachment hearings. Life is good.