For the Love Of Gracie….

I inherited Gracie from my son over a year ago.   I cannot even begin to tell you what a blessing this beloved little girl has been in my life!!  Dogs really do help you to view your life/the universe differently, that is, if you care to pay attention.  The unconditional love and companionship they offer is unfathomable.

I won’t go on ad nauseum, but here are just a few of the things I absolutely adore about Princess Gracie (in no particular order of preference):

1.  The way she lays her head on my heart and looks up at me while sitting in my lap (esp. when we’re in the car).  I think my heart grows 2-3 sizes whenever she does this which always makes me think of the Grinch sliding down the hill into Whoville after his heart increased in size over finally getting the true meaning of Christmas!

2.  Her pure love of the outdoors and getting exercise!  She runs around in circles and gets so excited when I mention the words, “walk” “dog park” or “road trip”. She is completely tireless fetching something in the water, walking at a good clip on the hiking trail, or chasing a ball.

3.  Her fearlessness.  She will approach any dog, any size, any time.  She is a small 17 pound dog (Cairn terrier) with a big dog attitude.  I swear she sees herself as a Pitbull or a Rottweiler!!

4.  She’s an amazing ratter with some mad hunting skills.  I have witnessed her make fast work of a vole in a matter of seconds on the AR bike trail.  My son also witnessed her kill a squirrel and a bird while she resided with him on the East coast.  Don’t get me wrong, I do not advocate the killing of any living being, but terriers were bred to hunt vermin, so you have to respect/admire that animal instinct.

5.  Her unadulterated love of people. I think she prefers people to other dogs, as she sometimes appears indifferent to her species.

It’s no surprise that I have been on a dog book reading kick since acquiring Gracie.  Here are a few of my favorite tales thus far:

The Purpose of A Dog

A Dog’s Journey

Following Atticus

 Gotta run…. Gracie calleth!……