In Richmond’s West End, we looked after Hannah, a sweet Yellow Lab, who showed us around her charming, historic neighborhood.
For one week, we relocated to the Wilton neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia to care for precocious four-year old Hannah.
The area, near local landmark Wilton House Museum, is one of Richmond’s more established districts. Populated with trees, winding streets, and quaint older homes, it’s ideal for strolling. While suburban in feel, it offers convenient access to many local hotspots. A pleasant, mile-long stroll leads to popular Westhampton, a happening enclave of cafés, shops and restaurants.
Hannah is a gentle, good-natured pup. Typically in the thick of family activities, it was important we included her at all times. On our first day, she was definitely missing her regular humans. For comfort, she retrieved various stuffed animals from the kids’ rooms. She walked around, gently holding them in her mouth and whining softly. By afternoon though, after a long walk and lots of cuddles, Hannah accepted us as a decent replacement. Soon, her whines were replaced with lots of tail wags.
Mornings came early for Hannah – 6am to be exact.
Like clockwork, she’d jump on the bed, then politely lie down as she waited for us to stir. Her tail thumped hard with excitement. We’d groggily get up to feed her and take her outside where she’d leap around, sniffing at all the new morning smells. Within ten minutes, the enthusiasm would all be over. Having gobbled down on her food, Hannah would fall back asleep. And us? Well, we were definitely up for the day.
Before lunch, we’d take Hannah for a long walk around the neighborhood, passing beautiful homes and exquisite landscaping among pockets of dense forests. In the afternoons, she would find various places to lounge or take naps: her bed, by our feet, or curled up in her favorite spot, the blue armchair in the den.
Hannah can also be a very silly pup – earning her the nickname, “Hannah Banana.”
We’d often find her lying on her back, all four legs up in the air, entertaining herself by chewing on one of her many toys. One day, Hannah enjoyed a surprise visit from another one of our petsitting clients, Bella. The two Yellow Labs bonded over special treats and playful stare downs.
Hannah is also a very good sport. For St. Patrick’s Day, we dressed her up in glittery green sunglasses and beaded necklace to send Irish greetings to her family. The kids especially loved her festive look!
Our favorite time with Hannah was in the evenings. After an action-packed day, we’d relax on the couch together. She’d often rest her head on our legs. Her eyes would grow heavy and eventually, she’d fall into a deep sleep. We’d see her tail wag every now and then, clearly dreaming of her humans. We’d like to think we might be a part of that esteemed group now.
