Lucy loves Adam

Dogs have best friends just like any of us. These best friends, as we have seen on so many videos posted on the internet these days, can be anyone or any animal.

It’s obvious when they see a best buddy because your dog’s demeanour changes. It may be more motherly, gentle, submissive, or maybe an exuberance that creates a whole body tail wag.

There seems to be little indication why these relationships are formed. I could be bold enough to say I think it’s because they meet a homeless kitten, or a crippled animal, or a playmate that understands what fun is all about. When a dog chooses a friend, they are a friend for life.

And in our household I do know that Lucy loves Adam, and I do know why she is enamoured with him as a best friend.

Occasionally my dog, just as any other active and devoted sports fiend, will need to visit the chiropractor. She begins to run a little bit slower, or may favour a back leg while getting up from a rest or stumble while attempting to dodge another dog. I know when I see her poor footing, she needs to visit Adam.

The appointment times vary when we see him, but usually we enjoy a morning walk to the office downtown, pausing for breaks, maybe even a coffee and a muffin, before going to visit her best friend.

When we get to the intersection where we turn left and head to his place, she knows where we are going. Her steps increase and she may even get a bounce to her gait when the realization hits her that we are going to go see Adam.

The office where he works has it posted on the door that they are a dog-friendly business for those customers that may find the hairy canines offensive or something they may need to be aware of because of allergies. But clearly dogs are part of their clientele.

With COVID things are different now, and there is not a full reception area where many people enjoy our presence, and kids love visiting Lucy.

For the past year there are no people waiting, just the staff and a clean up station upon entry. Lucy lies at my feet, waiting alone, and looks for Adam.

She knows he is there somewhere.

As we walk down the hall to our regular room, Lucy turns left and walks right in. There is a small carpet rolled up in the corner and she stops while I dig it out and roll it out on the floor for her to lie on. It’s her spot and she is ready for action.

Now it’s time to watch the door anticipating his arrival. Usually Pearl gets to join us on our visit, and at times has had her back worked on.

Amazing jumps and leaps have taken its toll on her back enough to call for his gentle hand and calm voice. Pearl has had her turn and knows that Adam gives her instant relief of back pain and hip hurts.

But today it is all about Lucy. There is little to debate about taking a dog to a chiropractor. It helps. There are so many things that can be remedied with the treatment.

Be it a hunting dog, show dog or just a beloved pet, going to a chiropractor might not be a seriously necessary treatment, but for our family it never fails to make our dogs feel better and play happy.

When Lucy sees Adam come in the door, she does not try to leave, or get up and hide. She greets him with a wagging tail.

We had an appointment on a day when things were busy and life was at a quick pace for everyone in the office and the dogs were forgotten soon after Adam had completed his work on Lucy.

Lucy was not deterred. Adam, she knew, would never forget her.

So my sweetie, tail wagging, followed him to the front desk, waited at his feet, and then began to follow him to his next patient. I had to call her back and remind her that she was my dog and that although she was in love and he made her world brighter, she could not spend the day at his side.

She followed me out the door, but took a moment to turn her head to get one last look until next time.

The third season of “Rust Valley Restorers” features yet another connection to the South Okanagan as an Oliver born-and-raised fabricator is hitting TV screens for the first time.

Rachel Bohnet runs Country Custom Fabricating out of her home in Kamloops making custom fabrication out of any metal she can get her hands on.

Bohnet received a request for some assistance from a college friend who worked on Rust Valley Restorers, a History series which follows Mike Hall as he searches the B.C. Interior to find rust buckets and restore them into sweet rides. Bohnet’s friend reached out seeking a fabricator to assist him with some car builds on the show and Bohnet is now on her way to her TV debut.

“I checked it out as soon as

he messaged me. Car building wasn’t something that was my main focus in my line of the trade. I do a lot of custom work, but it wasn't really car building,” Bohnet said.

Car building was a learning experience for Bohnet, as well as being on TV. She usually works on custom-hand railings, racks, boats and any form of custom fabrication possible.

“Car building was a new place for me but I was super pumped to learn something new and take a little jump forward in what it is that I do,” Bohnet said.

She appears in about six episodes this season, her first time in front of the camera.

“I’ve never been on a TV show, or even on TV, and being on camera was super-duper awkward. It probably took the camera guys a little while to get used to me getting used to them,” she said with a laugh.

Bohnet can be seen in the series working on revamping old hot rods into custom-style cars, helping with welding and fabrication work.

“We had a couple fun builds that we did that was more in my element. A lot of welding, a lot of fabricating. There were a lot of new tools involved,” Bohnet said.

She grew up in Oliver and started taking shop classes in high school, crediting teacher Harold Lang with helping her on the path towards her career in fabrication.

“He was just something else in my life and he really pushed me to think outside the box and that I had something within that field, so he's the reason that I really jumped into doing my trade," Bohnet said.

After becoming a mom she wanted to run her own business, and initially starting working on smaller projects.

“Rust Valley Restorers” air on Netflix.