A new Lady in my life.

[Eamonn]

Joe our English Setter must be the most lazy dog I have ever met.

As I have posted before.

Some years back when I was away for a weekend doing some kind of Scouting. HWMBO said she heard someone trying to break in the house.

I was given 3 choices

1/ Don''t go away.

2/ Buy a gun.

3/ Get a guard dog.

Joe was brought on board to help Woofter with her guarding duties. Woofter was the Lady Dog I brought from England with me. It''s a family joke that I paid more to fly her over than I paid for HWMBO.

Joe must have been sleeping when I explained his guarding duties to him, somehow he either never knew what was expected from him or just choose to ignore them.

At the time it didn''t matter much as we also got Shane a Lassie look-a-like. Shane didn''t much get past him. So Joe was happy to just sleep.

Joe is now going on 13 and has earned the right to sleep when and where he likes.

I really think that the Great Scoutmaster in the sky was being prepared when he brought Rory to me.

To be honest I''d just had and was having back surgery and the idea of having a Golden Retriever pup for Christmas was something that I could do without.

I was feeling very sorry for myself, it was winter and cold and a rambunctious puppy was not my idea of the best Christmas present.

Needless to say he stole my heart (He still does).

At the risk of sounding very selfish. When Jamie (HWMBO) was really sick, her Mum would visit everyday so I could take him on the BLW (Big Long Walk).

Some days I was really mad.

Mad at the world, mad at the cancer, mad at God -Just mad and upset. Of course you can''t be mad at a cute little dog!!

He was/is my friend, he has been my confidant, he has been my sanctuary.

When I''m home he is by my side.

We still walk about 3-5 miles everyday. Thanks to him I''m learning more and more about wildlife and nature in SW -PA.

At night he sleeps on the floor on my side of the bed, on his back with his paws in the air.

A couple of months back we were on our walk when we seen a little dog in a hay field that had just been cut. As soon as it seen us it took off. We didn''t see it everyday, but a couple of times a week and sure enough every time it ran off.

I was a little worried, so I started bringing a zip-lock bag full of food and leaving it on the porch of one of the outbuildings. The dog wouldn''t come near me.

Five weeks back I had the painters come and paint the outside of the house. I was outside talking with them when out of no where the dog comes along.

Of course I have a couple of Mikbone Dog biscuits in my pocket (Doesn''t everyone?) She wouldn''t take the biscuit from me at first, but when I laid it down she took it. After a while she let me pet her. But then she ran off.

The following day I came home from work and OJ who should be at school is home with the little dog.

He is sweet talking her calling her "Baby Girl" and she is enjoying it.

She is small only 21 pound and is a real Heinz 57 mutt.

She loves having her tummy tickled.

She didn''t have any collar or ID.

We took her to the vet and checked for tattoos and scanned her for micro-chips. There were none. So we got her the shots she needed and had the vet check her out ($75.00) OJ gave her a bath and I gave her a flea treatment.

I think the change of diet was a bit much for her as she got sick and went back to the vet ($35.00).

On Monday she is going to be spayed ($125.00)

I was worried that Rory was not going to like her cutting into the time we spend together, but so far he seems fine.

She likes to go deep into the corn fields and chase the birds, he is happy to stay with me.

They do play something that looks like a game of tag.

I think it''s funny seeing the pair of them, him at 90 pound and her at 20 pound walking along side by side.

Rory sits on my right side when I''m in my recliner, she has worked her way up to sitting on my lap.

Slowly but surely she is worming her way into my heart.

Rory will always be number one, but I do have a new Lady in my life.

Being as she came on a Friday, we named her Friday Louise.

The Louise wasn''t my idea!!

Eamonn.

[Aquila]

A gun would''ve been cheaper ;-)

[eisely]

I am a bit confused. Just how many dogs are currently in your household?

[acco40]

Worming her way into your heart? They have medication for that now.