Our 14th Anniversary With Bella

It was 14 years ago today that Bella became part of our family. She was the second dog to join our household and, since Cindy and I just celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary, that means she has been with us for half the time we’ve been married. I thought I might look back on the years she’s been with us as we celebrate our 14th anniversary with Bella.

I’ve already mentioned how we came to have Bella in our lives in previous posts here and here.

But if you read our travel blog you know how important she is in our lives each and every day. The joy, love and comfort Bella brings to us day in and day out, up and down miles and miles of roads, and in campgrounds all over the country is difficult to quantify. She’s been silly, playful and comedic. She’s been a protector, a guard and a defender. She’s been a constant friend, companion, and sidekick for all our adventuring.

Bella never liked car trips. When we would drive from Orlando to our cabin in North Carolina or back, she would always get carsick. First it was regurgitation, then diarrhea. We would always have to make several stops early in the trip for her to go to the bathroom before she would get it out of her system and settle down.

So we worried about how she would do when we were driving from campground to campground across hundreds of miles of distance. But once we started she adjusted. It was almost like she figured out that this was life as it would be for a while. Now, she is never nervous about getting into “her seat” (which is a nice, comfy dog bed with her seat belt on and her peeps directly in front of her. In fact, on moving days, she is only nervous as we “pack it up and tear it down” UNTIL I pick her up and put her in her seat, slip her seat harness on, kiss her on the head and tell her she’s a good girl. Then she settles down for the length of the drive, mostly snoozing as we ride down the road.

She loves to go on walks at every campground we visit. When we get to a new one she is like an explorer; seeking out every new sight, sound and smell. Even today, in her later years, she has a spring in her step and her tail in the air as she sets out to see what’s in each new place. She equally loves every opportunity to sit outside with Cindy during the day, lying on her mat and soaking up the sun, breeze and scent of woods surrounding our site.

Bella is smart as a whip, but likes to pretend otherwise. She always gives me a knowing look when I say that to her. She also likes to pretend she can’t hear you if you’re telling her something she doesn’t WANT to hear. But if, while she’s napping or off in our bedroom, you open the creaky cabinet door where her treats are stored, she is there in a flash with her ears up and her tail wagging.

Below are some collages I’ve put together of Bella over the years. Choosing from hundreds of photos and remembering each event, adventure or memory was an incredibly joyful trip down a 14-year long memory lane. Suffice it to say that our mundane existence has been unbelievably enriched by Bella’s presence in our lives and home. If you have a furry family member, you know what I mean.

I hope you get as much enjoyment looking at the collages as I had putting them together.

Happy 14th Anniversary With Bella!