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!!