Brandy continued to grow and blossom. She had an incredible coat…very shiny…like a seal. 
She also had these wonderful feathers on the back of her haunches. I had never seen such on Labs before but research told me that Brandy’s feathers were a throw back to the Labrador of yesteryear. In any case, I loved them. Probably the trait I loved most were her eyes. I called them “Walt Disney eyes” as they were like the eyes drawn in “Lady and The Tramp” and other Disney movies of those years. So cute, so expressive…so loving…
Brandy was my buddy, always at my side or lying nearby…always keeping me in her sight. We used to take her fishing with us, putting her in the fishing boat that first time without a thought. She behaved perfectly. At night, she liked sleeping on the outside between me and the edge of the bed, the length of her back up against me and her head on my pillow. Not always the most comfortable for me but I never complained. Because of limited room (there was usually a dog between Bob and me, as well!), I usually had to lie on my side and wrap my arm around B’Dog’s chest to keep her from falling off the bed! Alas, she did fall off sometimes..! One of our special times together was when I got home from work each day. She’d come into the bedroom with me and I’d close the door behind us. We’d get up on the bed and snuggle…just mommy and Brandy time…for brief minutes before the others started scratching at the door!
We started calling her B’Dog because Bob started calling Cara “C’Dog”. C’Dog. B’Dog. Hers stuck more than Cara’s for whatever reason. And the middle name “Katherine”? Well, you know how you will call your child with authority and use their full name? We’d already given Cara the middle name “Elizabeth”… no particular reason…just happened and once when I called Brandy I added “Katherine”. The rest is history!
Brandy was well behaved and almost always waited for permission to do otherwise. For many years I fed the animals at a farm next door (a subject for many stories!) and none of them (sheep, goats, donkeys, geese & cats) ever showed worry in her presence. And unlike many Labs (possibly most Labs), food was not a driving force for her. She liked to eat but exhibited good manners about it – never considering whatever food was in her sight as her last meal. All our puppies have/had different-looking stainless steel food bowls. Each got only their bowl at meal time…in their specific spot to eat (no free-for-all allowed!). One evening I accidentally put someone else’s bowl down in front Brandy. She moved her face toward it then pulled back suddenly as if to say, “Whoa…that’s not mine!” I corrected my error…