--- title: A New Puppy, an Old College Tradition, and Progress on the Ranch description: Discover how small moments shape our lives in a week filled with family connections, sleep technology, and the evolving landscape of everyday experiences. image: https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/hubfs/Image%20(5)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-10-5388-PM.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/weekly-news/a-new-puppy-an-old-college-tradition-and-progress-on-the-ranch#main-content) [![Shane Smith Law](https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Shane%20Smith%20Logo%202023.png?width=664&height=230&name=Shane%20Smith%20Logo%202023.png)](https://www.shanesmithlaw.com/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [newcase@shanesmithlaw.com](mailto:newcase@shanesmithlaw.com) [newcase@shanesmithlaw.com](mailto:newcase@shanesmithlaw.com) Nov 10, 2026, 4:50:44 PM # A New Puppy, an Old College Tradition, and Progress on the Ranch [Shane Smith](https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/weekly-news/author/shane-smith) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/weekly-news/a-new-puppy-an-old-college-tradition-and-progress-on-the-ranch) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/weekly-news/a-new-puppy-an-old-college-tradition-and-progress-on-the-ranch) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/weekly-news/a-new-puppy-an-old-college-tradition-and-progress-on-the-ranch) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/weekly-news/a-new-puppy-an-old-college-tradition-and-progress-on-the-ranch) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/weekly-news/a-new-puppy-an-old-college-tradition-and-progress-on-the-ranch) This past week was pretty laid-back. The biggest update is that Holly’s new little buddy is settling into the house really well. Although at this point, I think we may have named him incorrectly. He seems much more like Luna’s little buddy. The two of them have become almost inseparable, and it has been fun watching them figure each other out. ## Luna Has a New Best Friend ![Image (5)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-10-5388-PM](https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Image%20(5)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-10-5388-PM.jpg?width=200&height=267&name=Image%20(5)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-10-5388-PM.jpg)The puppy has really attached himself to Luna. They play together, sleep together, and spend a lot of time following each other around. I think he may be wearing her out a little. Luna is used to having plenty of energy, but having a young puppy constantly ready to play seems to be testing her endurance. She has definitely been sleeping a little more than usual. Still, she seems happy to have him around. That was one of the big reasons we wanted to get another dog in the first place, so seeing them become friends this quickly has been great. ## Keeping Track of Him After Dark ![Image (6)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-11-9329-PM](https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Image%20(6)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-11-9329-PM.jpg?width=200&height=267&name=Image%20(6)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-11-9329-PM.jpg)One thing we discovered pretty quickly is that he is difficult to see at night. He is so dark that once he goes outside after sunset, he can almost disappear into the yard. We ended up buying him a blinking collar so we can keep track of where he is. It makes things much easier. Now instead of wondering where the little black puppy disappeared to, we can just follow the flashing light around the yard. ## Still Trying to Find the Right Name We still have not settled on a permanent name. This has been one of the hardest dogs Holly and I have ever had to name. For a while, we considered simply calling him Buddy because that is basically what we have been calling him anyway. Sometimes a dog’s personality makes the name obvious once you spend more time with them, so we may just need to give it a little longer. For now, Little Buddy seems to be working just fine. I will update everyone once we finally make a decision. ## Finally Trying Pappy Van Winkle ![Image (4)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-10-5982-PM](https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Image%20(4)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-10-5982-PM.jpg?width=200&height=150&name=Image%20(4)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-10-5982-PM.jpg)Later in the week, Holly and I went out to the Curious Pig in Peachtree City. One of the reasons we wanted to go was because their bar had Pappy Van Winkle. We had seen it there before and had been curious to try it. Neither Holly nor I would consider ourselves major bourbon drinkers, but Pappy Van Winkle has such a reputation that we wanted to see what all the excitement was about. Before going, we actually looked up what flavors and aromas people say you are supposed to notice. Then we tried to approach it a little like a wine tasting. We smelled it, took small sips, and tried to figure out whether we could identify the different flavors people describe. It was a fun experience, even if we are probably not suddenly becoming bourbon experts. ## A Good Night Out![Image (1)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-11-7236-PM](https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Image%20(1)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-11-7236-PM.jpg?width=300&height=225&name=Image%20(1)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-11-7236-PM.jpg) We also just enjoyed having a nice night out together. We dressed up a little and made an evening of it. Holly ordered some Brussels sprouts and appetizers, while I went with a smash burger. I like burgers, so I was perfectly happy with that decision. Sometimes you do not need anything especially elaborate for a good date night. A good meal, something new to try, and some time together was enough. ## Sam Returns to High Point Sam was out of town for the weekend because he went back to High Point for Alumni Weekend. This was his first time attending as an alumnus, which is a little strange to think about after all the years we spent going there while he was a student. A number of his college friends and fraternity brothers were also there. I believe he also spent some time with Noah and Carly while he was in the area. It is nice seeing that they all have such good memories of High Point and still enjoy going back. College eventually ends, but the friendships and memories do not have to. Sam made it home safely after what sounded like a really good weekend. ## Deer Are Everywhere Right Now ![Image-Nov-10-2026-09-41-12-0017-PM](https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Image-Nov-10-2026-09-41-12-0017-PM.jpg?width=200&height=267&name=Image-Nov-10-2026-09-41-12-0017-PM.jpg)We have also been seeing deer all over the neighborhood lately. I managed to get a quick picture of what I believe was a six-point buck. Over the last several weeks, I have seen multiple groups around Peachtree City. Unfortunately, I have also seen the aftermath of a couple of accidents involving deer, so it is definitely a time of year when drivers need to pay attention. Luna is very interested whenever she sees them. She does not really try to chase them. Mostly, she just stands there and watches. Last year, some deer would run back and forth near our backyard, so I sometimes wonder whether Luna thinks one of her old friends is coming back to visit. ## Getting Closer to Breaking Ground We also continue making progress with the ranch. It is starting to look like we may finally be getting close to breaking ground on the house. That is exciting after spending so much time planning, looking at designs, collecting ideas, and thinking through all the little details. I am hoping we can officially get started before the end of the year. We will see whether everything lines up. Building a house seems to involve plenty of waiting, paperwork, decisions, and scheduling before anyone actually starts moving dirt. Still, getting this close makes it feel much more real. ## Final Thoughts Overall, this was a pretty normal week, and that was perfectly fine. The puppy continues settling in, Luna seems happy to have a new playmate, and we are still trying to figure out the perfect name for him. Holly and I had a fun night out trying Pappy Van Winkle, while Sam returned to High Point for his first Alumni Weekend. We have also been seeing plenty of deer around the neighborhood, and the ranch continues moving closer to the point where construction can finally begin. Nothing too crazy happened this week, but there are plenty of things changing in small ways. A new puppy is becoming part of the family, Sam is beginning a new tradition as a High Point alumnus, and the ranch may finally be moving from planning into building. That gives us plenty to look forward to. 📞 In pain? Call Shane! 980-999-9999 💼 [Shane Smith Law](https://www.shanesmithlaw.com/) – Personal Injury Attorneys **📺 Did you enjoy reading about my week? Check out my other blogs at [https://www.shanesmithlaw.com/blog/](https://www.shanesmithlaw.com/blog/)** ---   Weekly Trivia Question Watch this video and answer the question to be entered in the week's giveaway! 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[Read more](https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/weekly-news/making-progress-through-new-projects-and-everyday-moments) facebook-f icon linkedin-in icon Twitter icon instagram icon - Menu Item 1 - Sub-menu Item 1 - Another Item - Sub-menu Item 2 - Menu Item 2 - Yet Another Item - Menu Item 3 - Menu Item 4 --- Copyright © 2026, Shane Smith Law PC ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Shane Smith", "url" : "https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/weekly-news/author/shane-smith" }, "dateModified" : "2026-11-10T21:52:00.794Z", "datePublished" : "2026-11-10T21:50:44.000Z", "headline" : "A New Puppy, an Old College Tradition, and Progress on the Ranch", "image" : [ "https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/hubfs/Image%20(5)-Nov-10-2026-09-41-10-5388-PM.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/weekly-news/a-new-puppy-an-old-college-tradition-and-progress-on-the-ranch", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://news.shanesmithlaw.com/hubfs/Shane%20Smith%20Logo%202023.png" }, "name" : "Shane Smith Law, PC" } } ```