Give thanks

I have been blessed to be the proud owner of an orphan named Murray. Murray's story began as a sad one...an owner who meant well trying to teach a tender hearted pup to be a hunting dog but doing it in all the wrong ways...giving up on him....neglect and a phone call. It was Spring when my cousin called to beg me to take her ex-boyfriends dog...he was ready to put him down because he had not become the hunting dog he wanted. After two hours of removing the cockle burs from his fur and brushing him out, we were bonded for life. That was 13 years ago. Murray turned 15 this past July. We went through some tough times when he was unclear about his boundaries....whining at my window after he'd gotten out of the fence and ran through the sprinklers and wanted back in the backyard. And don't get me started on how many mornings I've gone looking for shoes that Murray has carried to who knows where (he carries them, never chews them...he has a very soft mouth!)

He's a little slow moving now and I noticed this evening that he's missing most of his back teeth and his front teeth are more "nubs" than teeth. But he's still a beautiful dog, white-faced from age, nearly blind and deaf to boot. Still, I'm so thankful to have called him my friend.