I have to begin this New Year of 2024 with a message. Here goes:

Round and round and round we go, For what? To where? Does anyone know?

It's all good fortune as you remain, To know your gift
And share the same. Trust can be what soothes your needs.

To rely on source Your mind is freed. For once and all: All is ONE.

To know God's love

Through dusk, through dawn.

The above was sent to me by a very dear intuitive friend who lives in St. Augustine, Florida—the oldest and most classic city in all of America. Once I read these poetic words I had to pause and reflect. She alone receives messages from her Spirit Guides and delivers them to those who need to hear them at precisely the moment they need to hear them.

Her timing was epic, as her email landed in my inbox a few days ago. Wizard is now 7 months young and I have to turn everything over to Source. Let go and let God, as many know to be the mantra of the spiritual community. Our little pup is growing up so fast; yet, as proud as I am of him with his maturation and development, I truly want him to remain a puppy for the rest of his life.

Thankfully, his body structure stays small and his intellect grows large! What a joy Wizard has become to Greg and me. I refer to him now as “little man” only because his raw smarts have surpassed what Border Terriers are supposed to be at this young age. This breed exudes it all; robustness, versatility, happiness, spunkiness, affectionate, portability, and lovable. Wizard is ALL THAT AND MORE!

We’re getting set to ante up his intellectual ability by having him dock-dive. It’s where Greg or I toss a long tuggy thingy up high into the sky as Wizard runs down the short dock in Baywood to leap, retrieve the tuggy in the air, land in the water, and swim back to us. Borders have been known to showcase this talent in spades, therefore, to play into keeping Wizard learning new things, that’s what we’re going to accomplish in 2024. He can do it, as I sense his jumping tactics and focus to be quite strong right now.

Also, his recall is improving. It’s not stellar by any stretch—especially when other dogs are around to distract him—but he comes when called, he loves to receive a treat morsel as he sits and stays after returning to me or Greg, and his adorable black bowling ball eyes are to die for. He gazes up at me, cranks his head to one side as if to understand and get every word I say, and takes it all in. We are so in love with this pup of ours, it’s beyond the beyond. Even Greg begins a howling ritual with Wizard when they’re together. He does it a few times each week and I get such a kick out of their connection.

We have our daily routine (that tends to evolve as we/Wizard evolves), we take our pup everywhere we go, and we play into his persona to reap all the benefits of this awesome little brown gentleman. Cherishing these moments from the past 4 1/2 months has shown us more of ourselves, more of what Wizard is capable of, and more of what we plan to do in 2024. For starters, taking more road trips. Wizard is a master of road travel so we’re going to keep going and staying in Airbnb’s, or camping in the truck, or whatever; nothing is off the table.

Giving it ALL to Source. Letting go and letting God. Trusting in the process of life. All that I need is always taken care of, I am safe. I recite these words as well on my early dawn walks. Speaking of which, we had a mountain lion sighting very close to us the other morning! What a treat! Wizard and I were walking/running down a new-ish path that leads to our local Sweet Springs Preserve and as we were rounding the corner to head back home, a large figure crossed the road in front of us. A car was coming our way with its headlights beaming bright, and it turned out to be a neighbor of ours who saw the mountain lion crossing so he rolled his window down and shouted “Get in the car!”

Wizard wasn’t one bit fazed by the big cat, nor was I. We thanked our neighbor for his concern, never got in his car, but rather watched the large cat traipse into the forest, look back at us, and move on away. We slowly resumed our walk/run home. I couldn’t wait to share the news with Greg. He was equal parts delighted and freaked out. We tend to approach safety situations differently, and it all boils down to Greg’s more logical background and past work-life history. I tend to approach occurrences with a willingness to surrender. It’s not always beneficial but it has served me well over the years. Plus, it raises my happiness factor! Funny thing, Greg says I have a lucky shamrock embedded in my skin. :)

Now that 2024 is off to a rousing start, I’ve got more creative endeavors up my sleeve that I will share with you in the coming months. It’s such a joy to be part of the Los Osos community. It feels as though—since we live so close to the ocean—that everyone looks out for one another, that everyone truly cares for one another, and that everyone is genuinely interested in one another. Wizard and I have had more playdates with local pups in the past month than we’ve ever had, and our circle of pawed friends continues to thrive.

I love watching him play and wrestle with other dogs—both large and small. Granted, he gets checked now and again, but these lessons from the wise elder pups are just what he needs. If he’s learning how to behave, how to read body language, and when it’s okay to get rowdy with another dog, I’m all in. Wizard is incredibly unique. I think our daily yoga rituals together are helping his psyche be calm when needed, protective where warranted, catch up on rest after a morning of play and a long walk, as well as being part of a peaceful connection. This is what 8 Paws Wellness is (and has always been) about. Gratitude for the presence of a pawsitive human and dog interaction.

With that, I’ll bid adieu for now. We wish you nothing but kindness, good health, and much prosperity for 2024. Seems as though lots is happening and seems as though every human and animal is getting in touch with their true nature. This is the year to remain who you are and have a Divine connection with all sentient beings. To honor all is to love all.

Have a blessed month and we’ll see you soon!

Hugs, paw licks, and howls,

Gerry Ellen and Wizard xoxo