Peaches is all over her kennel cough now, but I took both her and Bubba to the vet yesterday for a checkup. Both were in fine condition according to Dr. Fisk. She was quite taken with my new adoptee, and it's easy to understand. She's such a nice little dog. A real sweatheart who just worships the ground I walk on. We bond more strongly each day, but like Daisy, she gets upset (and naughty) whenever I leave for very long, even with Bubba here. I am likely to come home to find a shoe or other personal item that has been transported elsewhere, but she doesn't chew them, thank goodness. Not that I'd much care if she did. They're only things. Things can be replaced. A dog's special brand of love can't.

I've taken them to the park the last couple of days and slipped into the baseball diamond through the hole in the chain link fence. If they didn't keep us parkgoers locked out, people wouldn't cut holes in the fence. The ball park is safer because it's enclosed. I don't dare let Peaches off leash just yet if there's no security. She gets very easily spooked by things and doesn't always come when I call her, although she's getting better. The other day when I took her to the park, she got scared of the big lights in the park. She kept looking up at them as though they were big green monsters. Today when I got both dogs inside the diamond, Peaches took off after some sandpipers and Bubba took off after her. I haven't seen that much life in our old boy since before Daisy died. They raced side by side, then Peaches whirled around and let out a big bark at Bubba, which ended in a full basset howl. I think it surprised her. She paused for a moment as if thinking, "What was that?" It was a delight to watch. She had not been very vocal up until now and we tried to get her to howl along with Bubba early on, to no avail. She is becoming more relaxed in her new life, I think, and becoming fully basset. Both dogs slept in the bed last night and when I awoke and looked at Peaches she was belly up and wanting a tummy rub. A sure sign of a happy, relaxed dog.