A Little More Baby May

Oh these pics are killing me! Mabel's so little (mind you the day I  brought her home, she put her head on my kitchen counter!)!! She was so black and shiny all over.

 

Am I boring you, Mabel Lou??

And while she looks cute, she was the most destructive - eating her bed, my money, my remote, her toys and anything dropped on the floor. She was the most annoying... they only gave her an obedience cert after TWO back to back class series to get her out of there! She ignored any command. Would not sleep in her own bed, waking me up every few minutes to ask "permission" for what she intended to do anyway.
Then, she would wake me pounding on the back doors to go chase critters until some lovely intelligent friend asked why I sleep with the bedroom door open! She got on the sofa every time I walked down the hall. I would take her hiking for hours only for her to disappear for another run as we approached the car.

One of the rare moments... Puppy May sitting still!

And as much as I hated her... yes HATED... I knew the cute would not keep her off death row. I was her 7th home in four months! My keeping her says more about my pig-headness than about her. I just figured she would be one of those dogs that just pass through that you don't really love.  (BTW, I have never had one of those dogs!) And since the rottens I've had don't live very long, I never dreamed that eleven years later, she would be my constant companion and love! But here we are!

I only hated her for the first year. The second, I decided it was no longer hatred but that I really did not like her. By year three, she was O.K.  Year four, I kinda liked her and by year five...we were in loerve! Slow motion love! She grew up, calmed down and listened just enough to convince me I was sometimes in charge. I grew up, calmed down and just kept feeding, petting and taking her to the creek just enough to convince her she was sometimes in charge.

What an odd, sweet journey it's been.