Friday, July 10, 2015

Ruby Turns Five

Ruby was about a year and a half old in January 2012, when she was pulled from the city shelter in Abingdon, Virginia, by a volunteer who turned her over to Blue Ridge Border Collie Rescue.  She had been picked up as a stray, so we have no knowledge of her history before her time in the shelter.

This is the first time I saw Ruby.  She was nervous.


My sister is friends with the woman who was Ruby's foster mom.  When my sister met Ruby, she knew that she had found the perfect dog for me ... and for Daniel, our greyhound at the time, who needed another dog in his life after Emma's death a few months earlier.  I thought I wanted another greyhound, but I agreed to meet this sweet little black dog.  You already know the rest of the story.

Ruby's first day in her new home!


Ruby was, and still is, friendly, gentle, and eager to please.  In her three-and-a-half years with us, she has blossomed into a dog who is practically perfect in every way.

She gets along well with the cats.

Dorothy sizes up the new family member from a distance.


Alice and Dorothy talked it over and decided that Ruby wasn't too much of a threat.


Maggie is the Queen, and Ruby respects that.


She was a great companion for Daniel.





She loves to be out in the garden ...





... and she patiently humors me every spring when I do photo sessions with her and the roses.







She is aware of everything around her, and I never have to worry because she warns me about things like knocks on the door, groundhogs, squirrels, and the UPS driver.







When we adopted Winnie last year, Ruby instantly took to her and helped her learn important things like how to behave at dinnertime, how to stare down a human in hopes of getting pizza crust, and other important dog stuff.







What I love most about Ruby is that she is a quiet, gentle, loving presence in our family ... always ready to snuggle and keep her humans company.





Please join me in wishing Ruby a very happy 5th birthday.  Since we don't know when her real birthday is, we decided that it would be July 4 ... a day when everyone is celebrating and she thinks that it's for her.





Happy birthday, Ruby ... I love you and I can't imagine this family without you!!

26 comments:

  1. Such a cutie!!!!!!!!!! This post makes me miss my dogs more than ever... enjoy your babies!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Anne! I can't believe that I was hesitant to go meet Ruby, especially now that she has become such a perfect member of the family.

      Delete
  2. What beautiful fur children you had and have!! I have a soft spot for greyhounds and whippets, and of course, cats (I have eight right now), but they all look totally sweet. And I LOVE the photo gallery on the right... don't forget to put Winnie's picture up there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We adopted our first greyhound in 1999, and I promptly fell head over heels in love with the breed. It's weird for me to think that we don't have one right now ... a temporary situation, I assure you ... not sure when the right time will be to get another one, tho. Thanks for the reminder about adding a photo of Winnie to the gallery. I remember this from time to time, but never for long enough to actually do something about it.

      Delete
  3. She is a beautiful girl! Happy 5th Birthday Ruby!
    hugs,
    Linda

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Linda! Ruby is just as beautiful on the inside, too. She's such a gentle, loving dog.

      Delete
  4. Happy Birthday, Ruby! You look like a sweetheart with those beautiful eyes! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy Birthday Ruby!... and Lord has it been so many years already?... seems like six months ago. Sheesh! ...

    What a find, that Ruby.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Three and a half years ... I know because I did math to figure that out. Time definitely flies. The little voice in my gut was absolutely on target with this one, because that nervous little mixed-breed dog turned out to be a real treasure.

      Delete
  6. Oh such a sweet girl, and so beautiful! You were lucky to have found each other. Happy Birthday to your Ruby.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ruby is totally perfect for us, and I am so thankful to have her! I will pass along your birthday wishes. :)

      Delete
  7. Happy Birthday, Ruby! Has it been that long already? Time sure does fly!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's been THAT long! You've been along for the entire ride, too. Ruby has matured a bit, but she's still the same loving, funny dog that she's always been. Weird to think that she's the big dog now.

      Delete
  8. What a SWEET dog! My husband would have loved her! He was a dog person.

    Love the photos of her with the roses as a backdrop and the ones of her with Winnie.

    Happy Birthday Ruby ~ FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ruby IS really, really sweet! She barks like crazy at strangers when they first come into the house, but she quickly warms up and becomes their best friend.

      The rose photos involve a lot of "Ruby, stay", "Good girl", "Wait ... wait ... wait". She's such a good girl.

      Delete
  9. That face. Such a beauty! Happy birthday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ruby has such an expressive face ... and her expressions are almost always happy ones!

      Delete
  10. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEET GIRL...HOW LUCKY YOU ARE AND HOW LUCKY AND BLESSED YOUR FAMILY IS.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's exactly how I feel, Carole ... blessed to have Ruby as part of our family.

      Delete
  11. Happy Birthday to your sweet girl. We, too, are Grey devotees and rescuers. We adopted our first one in 1996. Our recent 2 were a mom and her daughter. Mom received a cancer diagnosis this past Oct. and she passed in May of this year. We still have her "baby" who is now 5 years old. My husband is absolutely ready for another,,,,, I am the holdout. Losing them is so hard, and my heart is still broken. We also have a 15 1/2 year old cat who seriously and completely believes that she, too, is a Greyhound. They are beautiful animals, complete couch potatoes, and will love you forever. Again, happy birthday dear Ruby!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm really sorry to hear about your mama dog, Chris. Cancer sucks. (our Emma and Daniel were both lost to cancer, as were many of the greys belonging to dear friends.) There was a time many years ago when my own heart was broken almost beyond healing at the loss of a dog. It felt like no dog was going to be able to fill the void in my life that was left by Murphy's death. Slowly, the ache subsided and I began to long to have a dog again ... that's when we discovered Greyhounds. Healing happens on its own timetable, and grief is supremely personal. One day, you, too, will know that it's time to bring another dog into the family. Remember to leave your heart open to the possibility that your new dog may be right in front of you when you least suspect it. That's what happened to me with Winnie. Who could have predicted that this big dog loving person would adopt a 4-pound Chuhuahua. Sometimes, it's not up to us to choose ... we accept the choice that is presented to us, and our heart does the rest.

      Delete
  12. Happy birthday, Ruby-girl. You are beautiful and blessed with a family who loves you and who needs your watchfulness and care. Everyone got a gift when you became part of the family.

    ReplyDelete
  13. OMG!
    I almost missed this post.
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUBY!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Her sweet face reminds me of my Nora.
    I'm so glad you have her in your life. What a wonderful friend.
    I love her name too. My little Ruby passed last year and it still hurts my heart to think of her.
    That name is so special and it fits your beautiful girl perfectly.
    What a treasure.
    XOXO
    (I love that you picked the 4th!, brilliant!)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ruby sure is a special dog! What a lucky family that she found you. Happy Birthday all month long sweet girl.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by and reading what I share. Comments are welcome and very much appreciated. Spam and trolls are not!

Related Posts with Thumbnails