Apparently, the Universe Was Listening
A little while ago, I wrote a blog called “Not a Bucket List — Just Things I’d Still Like to Say Yes To.”
It wasn’t really about checking boxes.
It was about the things still sitting somewhere in the back of my mind. Places I would like to see. Experiences I would like to have. Things I might like to try before I get too comfortable saying, “Maybe someday.”
One of them was raising dogs in Montana.
Apparently, the universe was listening.
Maybe not perfectly.
But Idaho is Montana-adjacent.
And the dog part moved considerably faster.
Ozzy and Hatty
Our two Aussiedoodles, Ozzy and Hatty, have become such a big part of our family that it is hard to imagine the house without them.
Hatty, for the record, is short for Hat Trick.
She was our third dog.
I am a hockey coach. Nobody should be surprised by this.
Ozzy and Hatty are smart, affectionate, funny, energetic and just unpredictable enough to keep us on our toes.
They are there when the house is chaotic.
They are there when everybody gets home.
They somehow know when somebody needs a little extra attention.
And like most good dogs, they have figured out exactly which people in the house are most likely to give them something they are not supposed to have.
I won’t name names.
They have also made me appreciate this type of dog in a way I probably did not expect.
There is something about their temperament, personalities and the way they fit into a family that just works for us.
Which is where this story takes a turn I definitely did not see coming when I wrote that original blog.
Sometimes You Say It Out Loud
My wife Casey and our neighbors recently had an opportunity to purchase Copper Cloud Labradoodles, an established Australian Labradoodle breeding program.
And they said yes.
There is something pretty cool about watching somebody you love take a chance on something.
Life gets busy.
Kids. Work. Hockey. Schedules. Bills. Responsibilities.
The thousand little things that can convince us this probably is not the right time to try something new.
And if you are not careful, “not right now” quietly becomes “never.”
That was really part of the reason I wrote the original article in the first place.
Not because I feel like I need some massive collection of accomplishments before I die.
Quite the opposite.
I think I just want to remain curious enough to keep saying yes to things.
And I am proud of Casey for doing exactly that.
She saw something she cared about, something that fit naturally into our lives, and decided to take the opportunity seriously instead of finding ten reasons why it would not work.
That takes courage.
Funny How Life Works
I do not completely believe in the idea that you can simply put something out into the universe and suddenly it appears.
If that were the case, I probably would have written considerably more about winning the lottery.
But I do think there is something to identifying the things that matter to you.
Once you say them out loud, you start noticing opportunities differently.
Maybe the universe does not hand you exactly what you asked for.
Maybe it just gets close enough that you recognize it when it shows up.
You still have to decide whether you are going to walk through the door.
I wrote about raising dogs someday.
A short time later, my wife owns part of a dog breeding business.
I would call that a pretty decent response.
Copper Cloud
Copper Cloud focuses on Australian Labradoodles bred to become great family companions, including dogs with the temperament and characteristics that can make them excellent therapy and service dogs.
And this is no longer something that is just coming down the road.
Their first litter under this new chapter arrived on September 25, with another litter expected around October 1.
So when I say the dog part of this story moved quickly, I mean it.
That part makes me smile.
Because apparently my future now involves being surrounded by therapy dogs.
A lot of therapy dogs.
Which theoretically means that over the next several years I should become one of the calmest, most emotionally regulated human beings on the planet.
Basically Zen.
I am expecting results any day now.
The alternative, of course, is that our lives become a revolving door of puppies, dog toys and people repeatedly asking, “Whose shoe is this?”
Both seem equally likely.
For anyone who loves dogs or is curious about what Casey and the Copper Cloud team are building, you can check them out through the links below.
I am going to continue pretending I am merely an innocent bystander in this whole operation.
Say Yes
Maybe that is the bigger lesson in all of this.
Sometimes the things we imagine for ourselves do not arrive exactly the way we pictured them.
I pictured Montana.
The universe gave me Idaho and a dog breeding company.
Close enough.
Life has a funny way of taking the ideas we have for ourselves and rewriting them slightly.
The important part is recognizing the opportunity when it arrives.
I wrote about things I would still like to say yes to.
My wife actually went and said yes.
I am proud of her for that.
And now Ozzy and Hatty have some company coming.
Actually, some of it is already here.
Probably a lot more to follow.
So I guess I can partially cross “raise dogs” off the list.
Checklist: checked.
About the Author
Darrell Hay is a former professional hockey player, coach, hockey director, owner of DHHD and, apparently, now Don of the Dogs, another highly questionable title to add to the LinkedIn profile.
Alongside his wife Casey and the Copper Cloud team, Darrell cannot wait to help bring a little more joy into the world in the form of cuddly, furry little balls of Australian Labradoodle.
He brings absolutely no formal breeding expertise to the operation, but does have decades of experience managing high-energy personalities, keeping groups on schedule and cleaning up messes nobody wants to admit they made.
Turns out hockey may have been preparing him for this all along.
Connect with Copper Cloud
Website: coppercloudlabradoodles.com
Instagram: @coppercloudlabradoodles
Email: [email protected]
