One month in Lille

We left Virginia on July 31 and today is August 31. It's been a month but we've been very busy so the time has flown by. Here's a few observations in no particular order of importance.

• Bailey has adjusted to a lot of things very quickly and very well. She has no problem being on a leash and no issue with doing her business while leashed. The biggest aspect of city life that still bothers her is the traffic, and motorcycles in particular (too loud and fast).
• I've been walking an average of nine miles a day, most of that with Bailey. What I don't know is whether the increased calorie burn is making up for increased consumption of bread and beer. We are eating much more fresh fruit and vegetables, but I don't yet know the net result in terms of its effects on my weight and blood sugar.
• Speaking of beer, I have a new favorite style, which is the Belgian Triple. A nearby French brewery called Paix Dieu makes my current favorite but I've yet to have one that I don't like.
• Clay's exhaustive research and planning have really paid off in terms of finding a nice Air B&B as a temporary home, getting our immigration status settled (and Bailey's), getting internet and phone service that works, finding our way around, and even finding a new apartment. I don't know how anyone would ever make a move like this without Clay.
• I'm enrolled in an language course beginning the second week of September, three hours a day, five days a week, and although that sounds onerous, I'm looking forward to it because I really would like to be able to communicate better, especially with people in the dog park.
• Everything has been going very well. The locals are friendly. The only bad, really devastating, thing to happen occurred yesterday. We were riding the subway back after visiting a brewery in a nearby suburb. It was fairly crowded so we were standing when some young man looked at me and offered me his seat. While that gesture reinforced my point about the locals being very friendly, it dealt a death blow to my ego and self image from which I may never recover. I will accept senior discounts wherever they are available, but I prefer needing to prove my age to get them. I guess it's time to start a skincare routine. 

Pictures and video below are of Bailey on walks and at the dog park. 

Daisy needs a new home

Daisy came up from Texas with a batch of shepherds rescued by Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue back in 2020.  I had her for just a short time and then she was adopted by a woman who had adopted two or three rotties from me in the past. Daisy's paperwork gave her a birth date of July 4, 2019, making her six years old now. She's small for a rottweiler, probably not more than 80 pounds. Daisy's owner suffered a brain aneurism a couple weeks ago and is facing a very long road of recovery. There's no family able to take her so Daisy needs a new home.

Daisy was adopted during Covid and like many Covid-era dogs she never really got properly socialized. She loved her owner and was very protective of her. She was always fine with me and she stayed with me over the years whenever the owner had houseguests or went out of town herself. She had several good human friends in and around Crozet where she lived and walked with her owner. However, Daisy is not always quick to warm up to a stranger, especially if she feels the need to protect her human.

Daisy's world has been turned upside down and she's been boarding at Green Dogs for the past week. She started out being scared and growling, but now she's a big wiggling pile of sweetness around the adults and children. I'm sure she's had more interaction with more humans in the past week than she's had in the past five years because she was only around her owner, a couple of dog walkers, and myself since she came to Virginia. 

Daisy may need some time to warm up but it will happen and it will happen more quickly than you might think. She will be an extremely loving and loyal companion. Contact me at vadogrescue@gmail.com if you can either foster or adopt Daisy.

Official paperwork

Bailey is now, for all intents, constructions, and purposes, a French citizen. Or at least a permanent resident. She has a national registration card, and today she got a French passport. Clay and I are more than a little envious. 

The week that we arrived we had a vet visit. That vet reviewed her U.S. documentation and submitted the information to the French government. Just a few days ago I received an email with her registration card.

Today we had a follow up vet visit for the second lepto vaccine. We repeated another vaccine that wasn't yet due in order to have the proper documentation for the passport. The vet filled that out and issued it on the spot. With this we can take her anywhere in the E.U. 

Today's vet visit was fairly early in the morning. When it was over Bailey and I headed directly to the park for our morning walk and dog park visit. There were three setters in the dog park when we arrived although two of them left soon after. The third was a puppy who really wanted to play with Bailey. After they figured out how to make it work they had a great time. The pup's owners were a young couple in grad school, both of whom spoke English, so we had a nice visit. They really appreciated the fact that Bailey wanted to play with their pup. 

Some other dogs arrived and soon there was a nice play group of five or six other dogs. Bailey played well with everyone and all of the owners had at least some English so I was able to participate as well. We all had a good time.

I didn't get a picture of it, but after seeing Bailey jump up and walk across the log, the puppy found a way to scramble up there with her. It was a first for him and his owners were very pleased.

Later, Bailey at my feet while I had a cup of coffee in the cafe at the park.

The most fun dog

Bailey has always considered herself to be the most fun dog. She played with all our fosters, at least after a brief introductory period. She's beginning to make friends with some French dogs as well. Language is not an issue for them. Dog is a universal language it seems. They communicate with body language and sniffs to get acquainted. 

I've been walking about nine miles per day, sometimes more, and more than half of that is in one big walk with Bailey each morning. We stop by the dog park at least once a day and often twice, to see who's around and if they want to play. We've met a young male Malinois who is very playful and they've had some good interaction. We also meet several dogs while walking every day and she's been very appropriate with everyone. She will go up to female humans at the dog park as well, because she has figured out that they usually have treats. She's still much more suspicious of men. 

Bailey has learned two new commands: "through" for the log tunnel at the dog park, and "switch" so I can move her from one side to the other when making our way on the streets and sidewalks, past cars, sidewalk cafes, and lots of people. "Up" remains her favorite command, and we use it a lot on the fallen logs and picnic tables at the park, and even concrete barriers in town. 

This is a little cocker puppy who loved chasing after Bailey. 

He face-planted when following her down the big hill in the center of the dog park.