Bailey

It all started while we were on our extended Michigan sojourn this summer, and it was all this little guy's fault!!!

This is Buddy.

And through a long and convoluted story he found his way into the home and hearts of those on South Trail in Twin Lake.

The problem with Buddy is that he likes everyone, I mean everyone!  What a little sweetheart he is.

And a smarty!

We taught him how to play 'fetch' within minutes, how to swim for just the pleasure of it, wading in from the steps as I uncovered the pool for the day.  Collecting all the leaves that had fallen in, I would turn and there would be Buddy swimming his morning lap.  And oh how he totally enjoyed getting all 'loved up' with the towel afterwards!

The one thing that he didn't learn very well was 'coming when called', but then maybe that was just a bit of his stubbornness, or his last stronghold of trying to be Alpha in nature.

Between Lew and I we would have packed him up for the trip south to live on Free N Clear without a second thought!  In the bag! Ready to go!

But alas, Buddy had found his home on South Trail.  And he had it made.  Like I said, totally surrounded by people that love him.

And really, is it right to have a dog on board a boat?  Is it fair to him?  Those are questions that we have asked ourselves time and again.  If the boat was sold and we had moved on into our next chapter, an RV, then maybe it would make sense...  And when that time comes we will search for our own four legged critter...  Decision made.

 Lots of people do have pets aboard their vessels.  Cats and Dogs and Birds and such.  I'm not saying it is right or wrong.  It's just a personal choice.  One that we had made.  And then discussed again.  And made again.

Until just the other day.
Lew said "Let's stop by the shelter."

?

So we did.
But none of the little guys there really tickled our fancy, not really, not like Buddy.

But then the lady at the counter told us she had a call from someone looking for a good home for her pet...  she passed along the phone number.

We called the number.
We met Bailey.
We fell in love.

We would like you to meet Bailey.

A little guy that is filling that void in our hearts.

Bailey is a 9 1/2 month old Lhasa Apso.
And he is getting used to 'living aboard' on Free N Clear.