Princess

It's funny how some moments drive us nuts at the time, but a day comes when we would give anything to get them back. This was the day after Christmas this year. I just wanted a nice pristine snow shot of my family. But Princess was so excited and wanted to be with us so she pranced all around in our two inches of snow. All I was thinking was how our pictures were not going to be as pretty, because my crazy dog couldn't sit still. They are treasure now, much more so than perfect snow family pictures. Princess was our family.

I got the call today that Princess had died. She got hit by a car yesterday. I still remember the day we got her. That was almost 11 years ago. I was 13 and my friends and I were at the mall shopping as part of my birthday party. The Humane Society was there, and my mom, who had been standing firm for no dog, melted as the girl told us, "We just don't know how much longer we can keep her." She was adorable and never barked until the second we got home. :)

I am hyper-sensitive to animal suffering, which is why I don't think I could ever own my own animal. I can't even stand the thought of some of the people around my apartment complex owning these big dogs that they hardly ever take outside. Soap box for another day. Anywho, Princess has almost died on two occasions...at least. The first was when she was a puppy. We kept her in the back yard and had to put chicken wire up on the gates, so she didn't squeeze her skinny body through. One night we heard her yelping, not uncommon for puppy Princess. It slowly started to fade until I couldn't take it. We went out and found her hanging from the top spokes of the gate. The crazy thing had climbed the chicken wire and almost got away. From then on my heart would skip a beat and I'd be the first to fly out the door if I heard a yelp.

Her second near death experience happened on a day when we had joined our neighbors to shoot off some rocket or something that shot out these little paper parachutes with plastic men attached to them. We would shoot them off, and the dad's had a four-wheeler to run and get them. Princess would run out there follow alongside of them. But one time she ran right in front of them. I watched in horror, too far to do anything, as Princess got run over. The men had to get off and lift it off of her. She ran out from underneath without so much a scratch. Miracle.

My last story is no surprise to anyone who has ever met her. You see, my dog had talent. She could jump up on our six foot brick fence and walk up and down it. It amazed people. She had springs in her legs. Well, one day I took the brunt of those springs. I was going out to see her in what used to be the area she stayed in. Of course, she was ALWAYS excited to have anyone out with her. She made a flying leap at me, and although it was no surprise, I was surprise when she knocked me right in the face. The dog busted my lip open as I was standing straight up! I would have been upset except that it was so unbelievable. She is not a huge dog!

I miss her already.