Bella, our 8 year old Golden Retriever, was the inspiration for our boat name. We got Bella from Idaho as an 8 week old puppy. She was bred to be a bird dog, but her passions lay with Chuck-it and tennis balls. She came to us right at the time when we were moving into our Over-The-Rhine home in Cincinnati, OH. In 2016, we moved downtown to see if we liked urban living. We lived in a refurbished carriage house for 2.5 years and decided to buy a place close by. Bella wasn’t allowed in the carriage house, so we had to time her arrival when we moved in to our house. She was a firecracker from the beginning, barking and making sure she was the center of attention. Not sure much has changed since. Bella loves people and since moving onto the Bella Nova, she has met people at restaurants, sitting on boardwalks, waiting for an Uber, and walking on the marina docks. She is a great conversation starter and we have met a lot of amazing people because of her.

Bella is never too far away from her balls. I was raking up the last little bit of fall leaves and she plopped down in them. Break time means ‘throwing ball’ time.

Bella stories and “Lost at Sea” - penguin, March 17, 2026 at the Seagate.

Bella and Howie at her first vet visit.

Washy-washy time!