Goodbye, Puppy

Well, Madeleine left for Gainesville today. As I write this, she's with 2 UF freshmen, Sebastian and Jason, barreling up the Florida Turnpike.

Mads, as she's called, is D1's 8 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She's our first grand dog. D1 bought her last Spring from a breeder in Wellington, and the dog immediately grabbed D1's heart.

We had Mads all summer, and though she had some bad habits, like peeing inside every few days, she was rather adorable. She'd pick fights with the 4 year old Bassett Hound, which resulted in the hilarious sight of the Bassett chasing her until Mads hid under some furniture. Sometimes Mads would let herself get caught, and Hound would soft mouth the puppy, engulfing her entire little head.

We took MAds to a hotel in Palm Beach for a weekend trip, and she instantly became a favorite of the guests and staff there. She really is a charming little critter.

D1 moved into a townhouse for her senior year that allows dogs. Her two roommates, the Laurens, are thrilled to have the puppy. D1 just got certified as a therapy dog handler, and plans to take Mads to schools and facilities where people can read to her, or just pet her. D1 is looking forward to her senior year.

Wifey called after MAds left, and was pretty sad. She was supposed to drive her grand dog up to UF, but some foot pain cancelled the trip. Jason and Sebastian came to the rescue --reuniting D1 with her precious "muffin," as she calls her.

I guess I'll break the news to the Bassett Hound and the aging LAbrador later today. The Lab will be nonplussed; the Bassett will probably pee some more inside, too.

So --enjoy college life, little Madeleine. They're the best years of your life. You're in great hands with D1 as your mommy.