Ryder

Haven't done much blogging this week.. We are in Taurus now, started the 21st I think. Let me talk about my dog, Ryder. He is 12 years old. When I got him I was living with Rick, my old boyfriend, and I had been thinking that I would like to have a dog. I hadn't had one since I was a girl and she wasn't mine, she was the family dog. I felt like she was a little neglected-in danger of getting hit by a car, she'd get big ticks on her. I don't think people took as good care of their pets then as they do now. Anyway, I had a picture of a dog in my mind and my friend, Cheryl, who is an animal rescuer-you know how strays find their way to people like that-showed me of a picture of a dog up for adoption. Well he looked like the dog in my mind's eye. I knew he was for me/us. He was named Frankie by the humane society but we named him Ryder. He was found in Church Hill, an old area of Richmond and he was mangy and underweight. He was about 8 months old. Well, we got him and he changed my life for the better. When Rick and I broke up a year or two later, I got Ryder. We became very attached. I also had 2 cats-Buster & Booger. Buster ran off in 1995. Booger and Ryder entered into the Brown family (Tim and the boys) with me in 1998. What a rude awakening for Ryder! He had to share me with a man and 2 kids. He didn't like it one bit. Of course, I've always felt guilty about shattering his universe that way and he is still my baby. He's a long haired dachshund/beagle mix and has become slightly plump in his old age, just like his "Mumma". I wish I knew how to insert pictures because he has the sweetest face you have ever seen. He is my shadow. He follows me everywhere in the house. Before I met Tim he went everywhere with me and he and I loved that. If weather permitted once in a while I would take him to work and visit him in the car during the day. I was convinced he'd rather do that than stay home alone. Once we drove to Indianapolis and I couldnt' find a pet friendly hotel on the way so I snuck him into my room. He only barked once, thank goodness. Being a hound, his nose is always stuck to the ground and he loves to run and chase and be chased. Frequently in his dreams he's on the hunt with light barks and growls and paws going! It's so cute. I love that boy. I have a language just for him. He was Cutie-Patooty long before Roseanne called anyone that! He's older now and tires out so much faster than he used to, but he still loves to play and run. He's such a good boy.