Today - Sept 16th - is ๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐, which seems especially appropriate here in Haven.
First, because many of us are exactly the kind of wonderfully weird people who will stop in the middle of a walk, pick something up off the ground and announce:
โLOOK AT THIS ROCK.โ
And everyone else will appropriately admire the rock. ๐
But there's an even better reason to celebrate todayโฆ
Because sometimes you stumble across a little nugget that turns out to be absolutely priceless. โจ
And that's our Nugget.
Nugget got her name because, unlike most Labradorsโwho come equipped with long, coffee-table-clearing billy clubs for tailsโour girl has the most adorable little stubby nugget of a tail.
And WHAT SHE LACKS IN LENGTH, SHE MAKES UP FOR IN VELOCITY.
When Nugget gets excited, that tiny tail starts going approximately 10 wiggles per second, at which point her entire backside has no choice but to join the operation.
It's less โwagging her tailโ and more โfull-body joy has been activated.โ ๐
But underneath all that wiggly Labrador silliness is one of the sweetest souls you could ever hope to meet.
Nugget knows when someone is hurting.
She doesn't approve of crying.
She doesn't particularly care for bad days.
And she certainly doesn't believe anyone should have to go through either one without a Labrador nearby.
If your heart hurts, Nugget wants to comfort it.
If you're sad, she's coming closer.
And if you're happy to see her?
Wellโฆ INITIATE THE BUTT WIGGLE. ๐พ๐จ
So on Collect Rocks Day, Haven, go ahead and pick up the sparkly ones, the striped ones, the weird ones, and that completely ordinary-looking one that nevertheless tells you it MUST come home with you.
But remember:
Some people spend their whole lives looking for gold.
We already found our Nugget. ๐
Happy Birthday to our tiny-tailed, whole-butt-wagging, tear-detecting, heart-comforting, absolutely priceless little treasure.
We love you, ๐๐ถ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต.
May your birthday contain treats, belly rubs, people who need comforting, and enough excitement to register at least a 9.7 on the Labrador Butt-Wiggle Scale. ๐๐พโจ
Photos:
I've added a pic of her cute face and a baby pic from her host mommy in Michigan (way before I ever met her at Leader Dogs for the Blind)