11/11/05 – 6/9/17
My phone rang just as I walked out of the Human Resources office – my position had just been eliminated. It was the Rocky Mountain German Shorthair Pointer Rescue. They had a 6 year old female that really needed rescued. I was on my way the next day to meet my Annie. She raised her paw to shake hands and looked in my eyes – straight to my heart. With one jump to the back seat of the car, we were on our way. Annie curled up and slept the two hours to her new home.
At first it felt like there was a stranger in the house but that soon changed as we got acquainted. Annie stayed close by me for weeks as I searched for a new job. Her favorite spot to lay was by my feet under the desk. When I changed rooms, shortly she would be beside me again. We took walks, played in the back yard & snuggled a lot those first weeks. She started out sleeping on her bed but quickly moved to sleeping on the bed with me. Ahh . . . . . we were both home, safe and loved.
Annie sure loved her toys – she would vigorously shake them, squeeze them and toss them. She would bring them to me to see if I could take them from her. She loved the “tug of war” game and was generally successful at keeping the toy. She especially loved her lime green squeaker tennis balls. None of the toys seemed to last very long without needing repairs. Yet she was so well behaved; she never chewed on furniture or bothered anything she was not supposed to.
Annie was always ready for our walks, which were usually full of adventure. She would get the scent of a rabbit and stop dead in her tracks. Nothing could move her. She would stand point and then take small quiet, calculated steps towards it. Then in a flash, would take off after it. It was quite the ritual with every bunny we saw.
She spent many hours watching the squirrels run across the fence and jump across the tree limbs, listening to the birds singing in the trees, and chasing the ground squirrels & moles as they tried to hide from her.
How she loved her snacks! She would come get me and motion with her head and body plus give her little whine to say, “This way, Mom”. I would give the hand signal for “show me” and she would take me to the snack cupboard. She was also quite the little beggar – laying at my feet during meals and sitting up every little bit to look at me with those big eyes, first looking at my plate and then to me. She would then lay down until she thought it time to remind me again that she was still there.
We went on several vacations together. She was such a good traveler in the car and wherever we were staying. I felt safe with her as we drove to and from our destinations. Jobs took us to Texas, back to Kansas and then to Colorado. I never felt alone making the moves with her by my side. She just wanted to be with me and I wanted to be with her. I was counting the time until retirement when we could be together more. It was not to be…….
With eyes so gentle and tender, her whole face was full of expression – the turn of her head, the twitch of her ears, the glint in her eyes – were all ways she talked to me. One of my most favorite times with Annie was our Sunday afternoons naps. She would crawl up on the couch beside me and we’d snuggle and I’d rub her ears. Soon we would drift off to sleep. Oh how I miss those times.
I’m so thankful that God brought Annie and me together. Our time was rich and precious. It was just not long enough. You are so loved Annie . . . . Always and Forever!