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If you know my littlest one, Shay (1st grader), you know her animal friends. Two horses named Komet and Little Bit along with two dogs named Lightnin’ and Buda. (Not like the town, but like Buddha) We have also housed a three-hoofed cow named Hot Rod. Its backside rode higher than its front, hence the name. Her sister, Michala, has a guinea pig named Odie. We have the neighbor’s cows that often find their way on to our property, which just excites Shay to no end. We have fun little ‘Oreo’ cows to the west of us. Shay loves them all.

But the one she loves the most is her dog, Buda. What’s in a name? I tell you it is the very best name for this dog we could have ever found. In the long translation it ends up being ‘complete blessedness’. This dog is the ultimate meaning of nirvana. He is the most laid back, easygoing, gentle creature you could ever find.

Buda is a black lab and if you know anything about this kind of dog, you know that they have to be entertained for the first few years of their lives. They tear up things. Buda has completely flattened all the ‘monkey grass’ surrounding our home. He has pulled the doorbell off the wall, while bringing out about a yard of wire with it. He has eaten all of the plastic play fruit that goes with Shay’s kitchen. He has eaten filters that go to our water softener. But he is one of the best dogs ever.

How? I don’t know. Coy had a dog when he was about 8 or 9 named Tank. This was when we were living in town. He had a huge back yard and plenty of kids to play with, but he insisted on running off and getting into mischief. Tank had to go away. Coy just cried and cried over that dog and his dad felt just terrible. The next dog in our lives was Lightnin’ and Tokpa promised the kids that nothing would ever happen to Lightnin’, no matter what. Well, he did not make that promise with this Buda dog and believe me, he has tried our patience.

But when it comes to Shay, she would rather spend the entire day with her dog than anyone else. She tackles and rolls and just lies in the grass soaking up the sun with Buda. She has been known to put sweatshirts on him from time to time, telling us that he wanted her to. Shay and her Buda dog have given us many smiles and laughs.

I came home Saturday night and Tokpa was on the porch whispering ‘come look at this’. Tokpa had been barbequing that night and had just left the dogs out to play when he and the kids went in the house. He went out to check on them and Buda was coming around the house with a box in his mouth. So Tokpa went to check on what else he had destroyed. (Leaving the door to the house open.) When he came back, Lightnin’ was waiting on the porch and Buda was nowhere to be found. Tokpa called and looked, only to find him on the couch with Shay. Shay was asleep and her Buda dog just laying on top of her. He just sat there and posed for the photos. Did not want to leave her side.

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The next morning we showed Shay the photos and told her the story. She just smiled and said ‘he just loves me’.