Every afternoon, evening, late-night (depending upon the Marine Corps requirements for that particular “work day”) Ex comes home and the dogs know the sound of his car as most dogs do and as most dogs do they completely freak out that he’s back as if it’s been eons since they’ve seen him. It’s definitely fun for me as while I’m not jumping up and down wagging my tail, I am excited to see him too. 😉 One particular night Zita was extra excited and extra pushy so Ex picked her up. Now here’s my ramble about all that went through my head when he did this. It’s been an amazing journey for me to watch Ex grow in his love of dogs and how his personality has made little shifts as that love of dogs developed. When I first met him he tolerated Picollo and (I would guess) thought I was just one of those weird Ashland people who had a paralyzed dog that traveled the world with me. While one part of me might be a weird Ashland type person (think granola Pacific Northwest, tree hugger type) another part has just always loved animals, especially Picollo.
I won’t bore you with further details on my thoughts of the little changes here and there but I must include it was a shock when Ex came home from work a year ago and said “Would you like to adopt a Weimaraner?” whoa! Those dogs are insane, big, with lots and lots of energy which are all reasons why she was being given away. A colleague of Ex’s had bought her and she was just too much dog for their suburban lifestyle with two little kids that didn’t take fondly to be jumped on by an energetic pup about their size. It was with a little apprehension I said yes if they are okey with us doing a trial for her to meet Picollo. Long story short, we did the trial, we adopted her, sent her to much needed doggie obedience with an AWESOME trainer (check them out at http://www.rwrkennels.com), we closed escrow, moved to the farm and it’s been a great decision since! It was with this photo I realized Ex had completely converted from this kid who only ever had a goldfish as a pet in his childhood to this full blown dog lover. It’s been a nice evolution to witness!
Oh the irony! While I was typing this blog I notice Picollo and Zita curled up in the sun together. If you’re a dog lover and one of those “weird Ashland types” then you’ll completely understand how sweet this sight was for me while I was typing this particular blog. I love my little family!
