A Day in the Life of Annie

Happy Birthday Annie!!! My beautiful little dog turns 5 years old today. I can hardly believe that I've had her for so long. She was maybe 6 months old when I got her as a pup. The time has simply flown by...and the time has been joyous!!

Speaking of blessings...Annie is one that I'm thankful for each and every day. She is a very good girl, doesn't really have any bad habits, and is a constant source of joy and loyal friendship.

This is her regal pose. She and her one and only prized pocession - that ball. In this incident, ball could (and is) be considered a 4-letter word...yes - in that sense of the word. Grrrr!! Sometimes, I'd just like to pitch that ball - pitch it so very far that it would never, ever be seen by mortal man ever again! But, I wouldn't ever do that to her. She absolutely loves that ball. She used to have another one just like it, only that one was orange. She chewed and chased and slimed that ball until it pretty much disintegrated. It was not a pretty site. Long before the orange one died, we replaced it with one just like it - only red. You know, a new and improved model. Annie wouldn't touch it. She hated the new ball. Only had eyes for the old one. Pathetic thing that it had become. Depression set it...it was pitiful. The old orange ball could not be found. Seriously. The sucker was gone. I swear we didn't do anything to it - cross my heart and hope to die. It disappeared. Just like that.

Time passed. Annie forgot about the old, orange beloved pocession aka nasty thing. She began to play with the new and improved red ball.

Joy, once again had found its' way into our household.

Yeah.

If you don't throw it for her, she will slime it up real good - and then spit it at your bare legs...or right onto your sore toe. That'll get your attention. Boy howdy!!

So we throw it...and we throw it...and we throw it some more. Now we're having us some fun!!

My little poochie is also the very best walking buddy anybody could ever hope to have. She absolutely lives to go for walks. Anytime, anywhere. Let's go!!

She loves to race way up ahead of me, check things out; flush out the monsters, you know...protect her master. A dog has to earn her kibble. And then she gives me one of these looks. Mom...come on already - hurry up!!!!! *sigh* Must be hell bein' a dog.

See this look here. The intent, glazed over stare and the crinkled snout. Yep, you guessed it - that ball again. This game is called "kick the ball". She loves this, maybe even more than throwing the ball; because there is the block involved with this one. Just try and get the sucker past me!!!! Go ahead - make my day!!! And, she is good at this one - really good. More times than not, she stops it dead. But occasionally we get lucky, connect with the ball and send it flying to parts unknown...and off she goes. Lightening quick - she's after it!!

Aren't games grand?

Tonight, I'll make a stop at the local meat shop. Annie's got a birthday surprise in store for her. That's right - a big old beef bone. She'll like that.

I can't imagine life without my dog. She goes everywhere I go, including to the clinic every day. Walks with me at lunchtime. Accompanies me each and every night to the barn to do the chores. If I go - Annie wants to go. Does a body good to have a dog. She even takes naps with me...if she didn't hog the covers, she'd be the perfect napping buddy too. Oh well, nobody's perfect.

It's a rough life, but she says it could always be worse.

Happy Birthday my little friend!!