Sweet Bessie May

Bessie May Mucho - named after the song "Beseme Mucho" which means 'kiss me a lot' in Spanish.

She is my friend, sweet Bessie May. She's my hiking buddy, my ball-obsessed, enthusiastic partner in life. Just look at that happy dog.

This one is special. She understands everything I say. Never have I had a dog with such comprehension of our language.

When her dinner time draws near, she comes to me, begging like any dog. If she is early I will tell her, "It's not time yet." She walks away. When we are working together in the front yard and it's time to leave, she knows if we're going in the front door or around the side gate. She knows because I tell her, and she understands. Seriously, she gets it. All of it.

Sweet Bessie May even thanks us for dinner. After she eats she searches throughout the house to find the person who fed her. She seeks us out and comes right up and says thank you - every time. This girl touches my heart.

She's rarely destructive. How many young labs do you know who could be trusted to walk through the garden and stay on the pathways? When I open one of the little garden gates, she waits to be invited into the garden. I never taught her to wait, she just does.

Now if there's a lizard around, all bets are off. If you're a lizard, you have to be chased. No manners will ever interrupt that impulse.

Smart, athletic, sensitive, intuitive. If only I could get her to be calm when people visit, that would be something.

We all love our dogs. For those of us who have furry friends, it needs no description, this friendship we share.

Happy is the labrador who plays with the hose.

Bessie came into our lives as our children went to college. My worry was that I would be lonely, a little lost after years of being busy with them and my volunteer work at their schools. So I decided to get a dog, someone to take on hikes; a friendly distraction, a companion. A local football coach was having a litter of labs. I chose Bessie.

She is priceless, a true friend who is with me every step as I find my way.