checkered flag

Im sitting here at 5am because I'm a glutton for punishment and got a new puppy.  It wasn't planned but almost seemed meant to be.  Lets go back a few years so you can all understand why.

I've always loved animals. I always told my parents the only grandkids they'd ever get would have four legs and a tail. As we all know, I didn't stick to that promise which I question almost everyday.  I've had many pets over the years, mostly dogs, which they are all worth writing about and I could tell you love stories on all of them but that's another day. 

Eleven years ago I was given an Australian Cattle Dog pup from my best friend.  I named him Tucker.  He turned out to be the most loyal and obedient dog I had ever owned.  He went through a lot with me. He was there with me through my most emotionally difficult time of my life.  He never left my side and I took him everywhere. 

Willie and I almost split up over him when we were dating.  When Willie and I moved in together, the only place we could find that would accept a dog was a severely broken down single wide trailer on a cliff in the middle of the woods. It was horrible. we would lay in bed at night and feel the wind blowing over us, which would be nice on a summer day with a window near by but considering it was winter and no windows were near us made for some concern.  The mice would hide DeCon in willies boots every night and the whole place wreaked of cat pee.  We heated with propane and it was costing us $400 a month (yes, I said a month) to heat it because they're were holes in the walls.  Willie couldn't take it. He said "The dog has to go. We could have a descent place if we didn't have a dog"  Well, Im sure most of you know what my response was, "Don't let the door hit ya on the way out babe".  Don't be mistaking, I loved Willie then as I do now and would've been devastated had he took me up on the offer, but he didn't, and as he always does, God provided within a month an awesome place to rent with the best land lords ever that loved Tucker as much as we did.


Three years ago we lost Tucker. I won't go into the details of how that happened because its painful for me and I don't want to make any of you cry.  We've had a few strays since then and Willie has his "girlfriend" Nellie, our beagle.  I have said for a few years now that when I do decide to get another dog, I would want another Heeler like Tucker only female.  I've come across a few but refused to pay hundreds of dollars for a dog I just wasn't sure I was ready for anyway. 

So Friday morning I log onto Facebook and scan the home page of stats.  I came down to one that read "Free female Heeler pups".  What?? could she be serious?  I messaged her, made sure I had read right, and immediately told her I definitely wanted one.  So, she lives an hour and a half away. I have three kids, two of which get car sick, and a husband who has no clue of my plan.  I have a million things to do this weekend, how am I going to sqeeze four hours out to get this dog?  It comes down to the last minute and I come up with a babysitter and a co pilot for the trip. So 8pm Saturday evening I bring her home. The kids are thrilled because they thought momma was going grocery shopping.  Ashton asks her name. I say "Id like to call her Dinga"  he thinks about it, "mom that name is just too long and I'll never remember it, how 'bout we call her Checkered Flag?"  of course, because thats so much shorter then Dinga.  But by the end of the night she ended up being Maggie May.

Now as I sit here Willie still has no idea that we have a new addition.  He left for work yesterday morning and won't be back until next weekend at the earliest.  So today I'm sending him a picture of her sitting with his "girlfriend" Nellie, on his recliner with no explanation. Hehe, I know, Im so bad.  Ill let you all know how it turns out.