Scott Linden Outdoors

Yes, he is a hellion. Less of a hellion than a week ago, let alone a month ago, but as Flick turns 13 weeks old, he is still quite the mischief-maker. I have the scars to prove it. The furniture, so far, has survived.

The joy, though, is in those moments when the switch is flipped and he does something altogether unexpected – and pleasant. He’ll whoa when asked, hit the water with relish, retrieve something with reckless abandon, tumbling into my arms. He will follow a hand signal, or simply run in that puppy way (when called, no less!) that looks like a constant, horizontal fall that never occurs.

Those are little reminders that some day, most of the challenges will go away and we’ll have a dog. In the meantime, I’ll take the good with the bad.