Evaluation Begins

We have a busy day today at Puppy Central. Eden flies in to begin the more formal evaluation process and Susan from B.C. arrived late last night just to spend the day with us! The snow flurries have stopped, much to my relief, and so soon we will get started on making the decisions that will impact lives for many years to come -- yikes.

Here are some pictures from yesterday's puppy visiting:


Here are Zoey and Faith -- can you believe there is just 2.5 months between them and the Glitterati? Both have grown some long legs, but especially Zoey Rose.


Here is cute Whitby trying to poke his eye out with a stick.


Our friend Vicky stopped by to meet the Glitterati and guess who is sitting on her lap?? Yep -- Geneva, the Lap Dog.


Here is Geneva and another pup fighting over a collar.


For some reason Jamaica is in several pictures today -- she does get around! This is Jamaica and Sydney in a rare moment when Sydney was not giving us heart attacks by getting through the fence and hiding under the neighbor's van.


Ireland and Jamaica.


Hudson and Jamaica.


And here is cute Damien visiting again -- the puppies now offer a jacket removal service!

It is time to meet another family and if you could have been at visiting hours yesterday, you could have met them as well. Gail and her husband came all the way down from Montana to visit puppies and their son, who lives and works near us. Gail is the only home that has not previously had experience with berners and so we welcome her to a new community :) She and her husband will be getting a boy Glitterati, and here is her intro:

"I am Gail Foresman-Plumb. My husband Tom and I live in the mountains of Montana, up on a ridge above Georgetown Lake. Our three children are grown and are off pursuing higher education and careers. We have one dog, Maggie, and currently four cats - though one belongs to our son and is just "visiting" Grandma and Grampa ;)

I have worked for many years with people with disabilities - in the public schools and at a sheltered workshop and group home for adults. It was a few years ago while I was working in the group home that I first met Major, a Berner therapy dog who belongs to Vicki Whitney of Bozeman. I fell in love with him and the whole idea of a therapy dog! It was fun to watch the people in the home respond to Major. What a sweetie!! Right then and there I decided that was something I wanted to do. I have considered other dogs for the job - but my heart was stolen by the Berners! I am currently semi-retired (only working about 10 hours a week) and now seemed like the right time to dive in to raising a therapy dog. Vicki gave me Mary-Ann's name and I contacted her this last fall. Tom and I are so excited and HONORED to be getting one of the Glitterati! I feel the same excitement and anticipation as I did when I was about to become a new mother. I guess I AM
ABOUT TO BECOME A NEW MOTHER!! (Yippee!) I feel sooooo fortunate to have found Mary-Ann! I'm on my way to making this dream come true!"

We are excited to have a puppy going to join Gail and Tom, and look forward to living close enough to see all of them on a regular basis. I hope you will join me in welcoming Gail and Tom to the crazy, wonderful community of Bernese Mountain Dogs.

We will be making videos of the puppies today as part of the evaluation process and will try to get those on YouTube before the end of the day, although Galen will likely want to get paid more than just dinner for that job since it is outside his usual Puppy Nanny duties.

I hope you will be able to evaluate your day and your life, and find all the gifts and treasures that are part of all of our lives -- even when they seem hidden. Thanks for visiting and enjoy your Sunday.