LDOC + Molly the Pug

Happy LDOC friends!

As I walked home from some of the LDOC parties today, we ran into an unleashed pup on Franklin Street. Her name was Molly, AKA "Molly the Pug" on Facebook. She belongs to one of the guys who works at the Blue Horn Lounge. He told us all about her. She is thirteen and half and looked a little gray, but she was no worse for the wear. What a sweet little dog. The owner told us that he never liked small dogs before her. He had labrador retrievers all throughout his life and never would've thought he'd end up with a pug. After a breakup, he ended up keeping Molly and has loved her ever since. "She's a big dog in a small dog body", he said. She's relaxed and friendly, doesn't bark incessantly, and sticks right by his side. What more could you ask for? I felt so lucky to run into them today. All of my friends wanted to pet her and her owner was very friendly to us. A little dog time does everyone some good.

I don't know if the owner will ever see this, but if you do, thank you!! I hope everyone is having a lovely day. I'm trying to pretend that this isn't really my last day of class of college!

Until next time,
Lily

Walter Humphries

Walter Humphries

Just a few short years ago, Walter Humphries took a flight to NC, headed to his mom Haley upon her graduation from UNC. Walter came from Oregon, where he lived with Haley's mom throughout her undergrad career. Their family got him from the Oregon Humane Society in 2006, after he was found wandering and scavenging through dumpsters on the streets of Clackamas, Oregon. He is thankful every day that Haley rescued him and he is now in a very happy home. He's a border-collie + lab mix, and has a beautiful black and white, fluffy coat. If you every have a chance to pet him, you're a lucky dog!

The dumpsters of Clackamas were the start to Walter's love of trash. His mom and dad, Haley and Matt, had to put baby locks on their cabinets so that he'd stop going through it when they weren't looking. He's a silly little mischievous 11-year-old puppy, and has the best heart. Though he started out with Haley, he fell in love with Matt quickly, and enjoys sitting right by his side as he does his work at home. Walter also gives great hugs, and will tuck his head over your shoulder when you lean in to hug him. He loves people and it is clear that people love him.

One of Walter's favorite places to be, besides Chapel Hill of course, is Winston-Salem. His grandparents, the Humphries, live there and have a sunny backyard full of soft grass, a sunny porch, and lots of space to explore. No doubt there are plenty of smells and squirrels for sure. Another one of this pup's favorite places to go is the American Tobacco Trail in Durham. Though he now only goes for a short distance run, he loves to get outside and explore the trail. And speaking of trails, he was even on the hike when his dad proposed to his mom on Stone Mountain a couple of short years ago. What a lucky pup to live with these two great parents!! Even though they no longer let him have access to the trash, they all do a lot of other fun things together. And they give him cheez-its... really made to be treats for people and dogs I think. Those are also a favorite of Layla's... she knows that red box when she sees it.

I met Walter Humphries on a Sunday afternoon at Pantana Bob's in Chapel Hill a couple of years ago. I loved him from the start. He's a calm dog who likes to be near people and who is friendly to everyone he sees. He's the softest to pet and will snuggle up right at your feet. That loving nature is also portrayed to his stuffed animal friends, who he pulls out of the toy basket all at once to surround himself with all his buddies. His favorite, the opossum, has received a lot of love over the years. Though the opossum is missing a few limbs and all of his insides, he's still a staple friend in the Humphries household. 

Big Walter is one of my favorite Dogs of Chapel Hill and I am so grateful to have him in my blog. No to mention have him close by for more fun together. Thank you to Haley and Matt for coming along on this journey! Y'all are awesome!

Everyone have a great LDOC!

Until next time,
Lily

Walter with Haley & Matt in Engagement Photo at the Old Well

Mickey the Chihuahua

Hey peeps!

Molly and Mickey

Let me tell you a little bit about a dog I know. Mickey the Chihuahua found his home with his mom Molly in March of 2015. This lucky little pup had no idea just what he'd gotten himself into. Soon enough he'd be going on fun weekend adventures, drinking puppaccino's at Starbucks, and getting trendy at Tru Wine + Deli in Chapel Hill. Right off, Mickey got a girlfriend, thanks to his mom's best friend Kerry and her Jack Russell Terrier puppy named Stella. They were soul mates and were even named purposefully with the other in mind... think Stella MICKartney (McCartney), the fashion designer. Molly and Kerry are quite the handbag lovers, so the names came to them with ease. Both living in the triangle, Mickey and Stella became fast friends and continue to see each other on the weekends now. Though Mickey is now a Dog of Atlanta, they have a very functional long distance relationship.

Molly got Mickey and many friends questioned why she'd get a dog when she would be moving to a new town, living alone, doing a lot of traveling, and going to work from 9-5 every day. However, it came down to the simplest thing, companionship. I agree, dogs are dependable, loyal friends who will always be there for you. It's quite easy to see now why Mickey was adopted when he was. When I asked Molly how she'd done keeping a dog all by herself in a new town, she responded positively. I believe "the freakin' best" is how she described it. Thanks to Mickey's good behavior, good friends, and now good roommates, Mickey and Molly are well taken care of in Atlanta.

Mickey and Molly have a very close mother-puppy relationship. They bond over excessive sleeping, popcorn, sun bathing, Starbucks, and of course their love for Chapel Hill. They love to travel together too. Mickey is an excellent rider and is always up for an adventure, especially to NC. As his mom says, "it's always worth it when he gets to see Stella." His favorite two places to go are Cinco de Mayo in Chapel Hill (no dogs allowed really, but the parking lot is nice), and Piedmont Park Dog Park in Atlanta. He's a friendly dog and gets along really well with others. He'd play all day long if it weren't for his love of sleep. Mickey's roommate Charlie, a black lab, loves to play whenever they can. Often the two can be found sleeping in Molly's bed too. Can't say I'm surprised about that!

As for other things that this little dog loves... ice cubes are at the TOP of the list. Whenever he hears the freezer, he pops up and takes off toward it. My dogs have always loved ice cubes too... and popsicles! Maybe it's something about the cold, who knows? Another thing at the top of Mickey's list is when his mom comes home at the end of the work day. He'll cry and cry, letting her know just how much he missed her. Can't blame him on that one. I love seeing my mom too, Mick.

I look forward to seeing this city pup and his mom back in Chapel Hill before long! Thank you guys for being sweet enough to do a remote interview. Have a great night everyone!

Until next time,
Lily

Stella, Mickey & Charlie

Mickey doing his favorite activity

Photos provided by Molly Ball (@mdball)

A Day in the Life of a Dog

I've always wondered... what would it be like to live a day in the life of a dog? From my experience of living with a dog and watching too many talking dog cartoons as a child, this is what I've come up with so far.

Goals for today: Make my humans smile at me, snag a few minutes on the forbidden couch, eat people food off the counter, bask in the sunlight on the fresh grass, chase the cat and make her be friends with me

Morning:

Mom is waking up. Mom, Mom! Come get me, oh I want to give you kisses right now! Can you feed me too? I'd really like that a lot. 

FOOOOOOOOD, eat eat eat as fast as I can. Oh man it tastes so good. I wish Mom would put some of those steak scraps in this bowl like last time. Those were, mmm, so good. *Hears Dad tink the cereal bowl with the spoon* Milk is coming!! Sugary, tasty milk. I love my family, and breakfast. Breakfast is great. 

Can we go OUTSIDE??? I see a... SQUIRREL! *Takes off to the squirrel and barks at it from beneath the tree for 5 minutes*

Did you say W-A-L-K? Yes! Those are the shoes! We're going on a walk! Trot trot trot, I've never been so happy. I see kitties in the yards and all the other dogs in fences are barking with jealousy. Poor guys in their fences. But wow, this walk is nice. Mom keeps looking at me with admiration. She likes to look at me like that. I think she likes me. She gives me treats on our walk too, just to remind me that she loves me and to let me know that she likes snacks too.

After our walk, I get to lie in the grass, one of my favorite activities. Sometimes there are hidden pieces of bread from where Mom threw out stale bread to the birdies. Sorry birds, that crusty bread is all mine today.

Afternoon:

After my busy morning relaxing and patrolling the yard, I take to the house for LUNCH time. The humans say that I don't eat lunch, but they always give me a big bone so I'll be quiet and sweet while they talk to each other. I would've been quiet anyway, I'm TIRED, but I'm not telling THEM that. Why would I give up an opportunity for a bone? Goodness. Also, they "accidentally" let things fall onto the floor for me to eat. I even eat these veggie things... it's food, am I right?! Sometimes they taste funny, but my mom and dad are always saying that they need something to balance out their dessert.

Later on, I sneak to the forbidden couch while my mom is on the phone with grandma. Grandma helps distract mom for me, I know she does it just for me when she calls. While they talk, I plan my getaway. My bed is over in the corner by the living room, so I trot over there to lie down, just out of sight from the phone, but in just the right spot so that she thinks she knows where I'm going. After a couple minutes of rest, I very quietly tiptoe over into the next room, home of the couch. I know that as soon as I pop up onto the couch that I'll be caught, so I must cherish these moments as much as possible. What an amazing invention, the couch. The pillows look just like my babies so I play with them sometimes too. Mom likes to come play along... tug of war especially. But then she always gets mad when I win, so I don't know why she plays that game every time.

Night Time:

Time to W-A-L-K again!!!! But first, FOOOOOOOD. Oh man, there are scraps in my bowl tonight!! Ah! Chicken leftovers. My parents are the BEST. Let's get going on the W-A-L-K, I want to gooooo. Off we go, trot trot trot. The kitties are tucked away, but the kids are out to play. They always kick this red ball right to me, but then they scream loudly when I try to play too. How come they don't like when I poke the ball with my teeth? Silly kids. I thought they'd be impressed by my kickball skills.

After playing with the kids and finishing my W-A-L-K, it's time to go home and watch TV for the night. Mom and Dad love to watch shows with dogs in them so I'm not left out during TV time. Sometimes they even let the cat in to watch with us and have some late night play time. For some reason, I don't think play time is what they intend to happen when they let the cat in at this time of night, but I have to run to her as soon as she steps in the door! I want to make her be friends with me... remember?? Goal #5 for the day.

It's been the best day in my favorite place. I love being a dog, surrounded by my favorite people and things all day long. Dog life rocks. Off to my dreams where I'll finally catch the cat! Goodnight, human friends.

Am I fit for the dog life or what?

Until next time,
Lily

For a hilarious account of a day in the life of a dog vs. a day in the life of a cat, go here: http://www.funny2.com/dogscats.htm. I was laughing so hard that I nearly had tears. Enjoy!

Graduation Pictures + Cavapoo Sighting

As you all know, the end of the school year is quickly approaching. I'm pretty sure I've been thinking about that since August when the school year, my senior year, began. It's been an incredible year, one filled with the best of friends, the best of sports, and the best of a college experience. This Sunday, I woke up early with all of these friends and met at ADPi for what would be our most organized photo shoot ever. My friend Jill's mom came and was amazingly patient with us. We switched in and out of our gowns, creating every possible combination of outfit changes. Some with hats, others with just the stole, and even a few with jerseys. It was a really fun day and we ended up with pictures that we are certain to cherish for life.

As we stood at the Old Well waiting our turn to have it to ourselves, we all gawked at this teeny little cavapoo (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel + Poodle). Her name was Ladybug and was only 9 weeks old. Her mom Desirae had gotten her only a week before. Needless to say, this precious puppy had to be in her graduation pictures. Sorry people, she's not in ours! It's always funny to watch people flock to puppies. Of course, I was one of them, but you should've expected that. At first, I thought she was a golden doodle puppy because of how small she is, but really, she's going to stay pretty much that small forever. We ended up seeing Ladybug down at Wilson Library too, getting more great pictures I'm sure. What a great looking dog, just fit for a frame! 

I had a great time getting these pictures done with so many of my closest friends and wouldn't trade that time together for the world. A big thanks to Jill's mom and Kevin for being such good sports.

Thanks for reading everyone! I'll be back soon.

Until next time,
Lily

Pros & Cons of Getting a Puppy in College

If you're a student suddenly thinking, "ugh puppies are so cute and sweet and cuddly and I'm under-loading next year, so I'll have tons of free time to spend with a puppy. It won't impact my life at all except for making it better." Well first of all, you're wrong, even though I am the biggest advocate of puppy love. And secondly, I have generated a little Pros & Cons list here for you. I'm here to help you make an informed decision. Take away from it what you wish...

Pros:

The love and comfort of a dog, of course

Don't need to find a boyfriend/girlfriend because you have a puppy to snuggle with at all times

Makes you exercise - it's proven that people who have pets live longer and have better blood pressure & heart rates

Unconditional love

You know you're giving it a good home

Teaches you responsibility

A dog is a loyal friend who will never judge you or talk behind your back

Guys with dogs get girls

Cons:

More responsibility... this is a living thing we're talking about you being responsible for

Puppies require constant attention

Messy... Oh you used to like waiting 3 weeks to wash your sheets? How about that white carpet?

Paying for food, toys, treats, and the puppy itself

Thinking about going away for the weekend? Sike?

VET BILLS

Time required to raise and train a puppy

I don't know about your parents, but mine would make me return it and that would be the worst.

Good luck!

Until next time,
Lily

Denali

Denali

This week I had the opportunity to meet yet another sweet little golden retriever puppy. She was so fluffy that my friend Kellum asked, "Do you think golden retriever puppies are fluffier than they used to be?" Haha I don't know the answer to that, but I do agree that she had a beautiful golden coat and will certainly grow into a perfect adult dog.

This particular little pup's name is Denali and she belongs to a recent grad and nurse named Kendall. I owe all of you seniors and recent grads a big thank you for getting puppies this year, probably against your parents' wishes. You're all great support for the success of this blog.

Funny enough though, I met Denali while she was being babysat by my friend's boyfriend's brother. Remember the six degrees of separation theory? This is the theory that we're connected to anyone through six connections. We're pretty much there in this situation. I met Denali at lunchtime at Merritt's on Monday and we hit it off right away. She's a four-month-old golden retriever with about as much spunk and energy as you can imagine a puppy might have. She pulled me all over the place in a desperate search for bacon amongst the gravel. As other dog's approached, she let out her first barks of the day. Once the other little dogs came over to greet her, she played gently and was so happy for the puppy-to-puppy interaction.

Denali & New Friends

The curiosity of young dogs in particular is so intriguing to me as a bystander. I love to watch how interested they are in every little thing. Every smell, person, sight, and sound is something new and exciting. Someone once explained to me that babies often cry just because they're introduced to something new and they don't know what to think of it. I think dogs are the same way. They have their natural instincts with people and their surroundings, but they're often caught off guard by new things. Same with us, really. Ever tried talking to your dog on FaceTime? They recognize your voice, but they can't find you. Of course, they instantly bark. If you haven't yet tried this, do it. My family's dog Crockett tilts his head to the side, looking like he's trying to figure out what's going on. It's so interesting to imagine what they're thinking.

That type of curiosity about new things is something I try to act on in my life. Being curious helps you to try new things, learn about new things, and get the most out of what the world has to offer us. In the LDOC for Branding of Me today, the professor Gary Kayye (@BrandingofMe) inspired us all to try new things and to be curious. I may or may not go to a new place and not book a hotel room until 3pm, but we'll see. If you want to be bold like that, be my guest and get the @HotelTonight app. As I prepare to leave UNC soon, I plan to act on my curiosity and lead the most impactful life that I can. Thanks for inspiring me Gary the Professor and Denali the Puppy. It's the little things.

Until next time,
Lily