Bud came home to us today. We met a huge transport truck in a parking lot behind a Burger King in Brattleboro, Vt., and lined up behind anxious and happy adopters just like us.

It was a beautiful thing ot see, these dogs coming out and melting with joy at the people taking them to their new homes.Bud was anxious and tentative at first, and we put him on the back seat with some treats.

He ignored the treats and jumped into the front seat and into my lap, where he sat for the nearly two-hour ride home.

It was extraordinary for me, it just seemed that Bud and I had been waiting for one another for a long time, and I was aware of how long and hard  his journey was from Southern Arkansas to Bedlam Farm.

After awhile, he just put his head on my shoulders and gazed out the window. At home, he met Red and Fate – Fate, of course, giving him a hard time, snarling and growing, and Red being gracious and welcoming.

But loved Red, and their coats are shockingly similar. In the back yard, he barked at the donkeys, then  looked amazed by the sheep, and then got a belly rub from me, which he seemed to love.

I just put him in a crate in my study, he needs a rest and so do Maria and I. We haven’t eaten since an early breakfast.

So far, Bud seems like a  wonderful dog, loving calm, and still anxious in new situations. Hopefully, he won’t have so many of them. We are very happy to have him here, it is even better than I expected.