W e recently sat down with Beau, a familiar and much-loved presence around Lake Anna. Known for his gentle watchfulness, steady companionship, and unmistakable charm, Beau took a break from his daily routine to share a little about his life by the water:

Q: Hi, Beau.
Beau: Woof!

Q: Thank you for your time today. Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
Beau: Sure! I’m a four-legger. Specifically, I’m a chocolate Labrador Retriever. I live at Lake Anna with my two-legged pack-mom and my two-legged pack-dad.

Q: How long have you been hanging around the lake?
Beau: Since the day I came home from my four-legged mom and my four-legged brothers and sisters.

Q: What was that like?
Beau: Scary. When we first came to the lake, my two-legged pack-dad dropped me in the lake with Charlie. Truthfully, I was terrified because the water was very cold, so I climbed right back out! Believe it or not, my two-legged pack-dad picked me up and dropped me in the lake again! I remember thinking, “What the woof…?”

This actually happened three times, but then I noticed Charlie swimming in circles and waiting for me. I started swimming toward him and realized I was in heaven. I didn’t know it at the time, but this place—and this lake—would become my whole world pretty quickly.

Q: Tell us about Charlie.
Beau: Charlie was a four-legger that looked like me except bigger. He has gray in his face. He was my best friend. He showed me how things worked around here. Where to go. Where to sit. How to just be.
After awhile, Charlie got the sad smells and one day he went away and never came home. I still think about him. I carry him with me when I watch the lake or lie in the sun. He’s still part of this place, even if I can’t see him anymore.

Q: Where are your favorite places to go?
Beau: Anywhere near the water or on the dock. My two-legged pack-dad takes me swimming for an hour every day—even in the cold times like now. Sometimes I like to go where Charlie and I used to go together. I also like going to places where lots of two-leggers drink the golden water and make happy sounds.

Q: What are your favorite things to do?
Beau: I like to swim and hang around my two-leggers. I especially like it when my two-legged pack-mom takes me for a walk.

Q: Do you sleep with the two-leggers?
Beau: Sort of. I have my own bed right beside their bed. In the mornings, they like to drink their black water while sitting in bed, and I get to sit between them for Snuggle Time.

Q: What do you want people to know about you?
Beau: I’m happy here. I’m loyal. I remember the ones who came before me, and I look after the ones who are here now. Lake Anna is my home, and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
Without a doubt, this dog has us completely wrapped around his paw. Beau carries the past, lives fully in the present, and reminds us every day what quiet companionship really means.

Jim McCoy