I have always had an amazing life.  I mean...who gets to make parties for a living?   However, there is one thing in my life that has been missing.  A dog.  That's right, for all of my adult life I have wanted a dog, and at the ripe old age of 56, I have finally achieved my dream!  

Let's go!

Being a newly minted Fur Mama is amazing!  I have to thank the folks over at Rocket Dog Rescue for fixing me up with the four-legged love of my life, Carmelita. She is, in a word, the perfect dog for me.  Although, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure exactly how old she is.  After having talked to a bunch of rescue dog owners I'm learning that the pat answer for rescue dog age is 6.  Let me relive the adoption scene for you:

Me:  Soooo...how old is this little sweetheart? (stroking the head of this tiny little fur bundle who has literally just collapsed in my lap and is no looking up at me with big, longing eyes)

Rocket Dog Rescue:  Ohhhh (looking at the ceiling, looking at the floor, hands behind their backs, looking anywhere but in my eyes where the truth can be read) 6...definitely 6.

Riiiight.  After having her teeth done it looks like she's more like 9 years old.  But who cares...that makes us the same age.  It also makes her a very seasoned and mellow pup.

Anyway.  I discovered I had a lot to learn about life with an animal.  Thankfully there are sites like thegoodypet.com.  This site is chock full of helpful blogs about everything from choosing the 

right shampoo (did you know there are dry shampoos for dogs?), the perfect CBD oils (well, I do live in California), and even the best doggy treadmills (Carmelita and I hike at least three miles

a day, so this isn't on our list, but I was intrigued by the notion of setting up my own private "24-Hour Fitness" for my pooch).  The site links all products reviewed to both Chewy and Amazon so that you can compare prices. They even have an entire section dedicated to helping you find the cheapest cost for your specific dog food needs.

I have to admit that the first month I was terrified.  She wouldn't eat.  She had diarrhea.  She hated her harness.  She was giving me the furry eyeball!  I was losing my mind!  What had I gotten myself into?

 Carmelita snuggled up in her favorite blanket.

Then I started scouring websites like thegoodypet.com, contacting all my friends with dogs, consulting all my Facebook followers, chatting with other dog owners at the park, peppering the vet with questions, and texting Rocket Dog Rescue.  By the time all was said and done I was not only exhausted but extremely confused.  Everyone had their own opinions.  However, like any new mother, when I relaxed and stopped expecting myself to be perfect, I discovered that I had this inner voice guiding me.  When I calmed down and just listened to Carmelita, she was able to show me exactly what she needed and when.  Scratch on my arm at 7:30 AM?  Time for a walk.  Sitting on the couch looking longingly at the food dish?  Time for a snack.  Sitting her rump down on the middle of my laptop keyboard?  Time to stop working.  Slowly but surely, like with any roommate, we got to know one another.  It just took time, trial, and error.

I am happy to report that Carmelita has changed my life.  I'm now an avid hiker who searches out new and exciting trails (I'm embarrassed to admit that I've lived in San Francisco for 30 years and I never knew that all this wonderful beauty was literally right outside my door).  And, thanks to the fact that Carmelita is an adventurous dog, I've got a Stand-Up Paddleboard companion who is up for anything.  The two of us are setting our sites on further travels up and down the coast.  My dog, thankfully, does not have fleas, but she has infected me with the travel bug.

Away we go!

 I'm not sure where our future will lead us, but for this newly minted Fur Mama I just have one thing to say -  as long as Carmelita is by my side, "the sky is the limit" (and yes, that does include

applying for a puppy passport).