Maggie

Saturday morning, I rolled out of bed around 7am, dashed around the house getting ready and hit the road by 7:20 to go meet the new family puppy in Houston, Missouri. The Animal Shelter of Texas County (www.tastc.com) officially didn't open till 11am, but I had emailed back and forth with a gal working there for a couple of days and she had told me someone would be there cleaning by 8:30am and I could come when I wanted.

It was a grey day, but still a decent drive. I passed under several flocks of geese that likely numbered well over a hundred birds. As well as many a murder of crows and murmuration of starlings.

Saw many a flock, murder and murmuration this morning.

Heading through Seymour, Missouri, I passed three Amish buggies loaded down with cold and glum looking families in plain clothes. Mom and dad up front, a couple of older children directly behind them and the smallest riding in the back, facing rearward. Part of me often envies their simplistic lifestyle, but I don't quite envy their strictness in spirituality. I also raced a train through Seymour. It put up more of a fight.

Racing a train through Seymour, Missouri. Right after passing three Amish buggies.

I got to the shelter about ten after nine. I had to drive back and forth a bit, since my iPhone GPS shot me short of the place by about half a mile! (Son-of-a...!) Luckily I only had three directions to travel in to find it. On the third choice, there it was.

I pulled up, went in and a woman dressed for cleaning kennels greeted me in the front office. I had obviously interrupted her work for the morning, but she was very nice about it. She brought in a small border collie mix, named Honey. I liked her immediately. Even if she did pee submissively when she first met me. (The only time, thus far.) I signed all the necessary paperwork, got her records, picked up an inexpensive collar and gave the gal a $100. They were only asking $85, but I donated the change. We also plan to send them another donation after next pay period.

I put on her leash, walked outside with her, set her in the grass and renamed her Maggie for her new life with our family and to match her Scottish roots. Also, I couldn't quite see myself shouting Honey out the back door all the time, and it's a fresh start for her, a dog that at six months old, had already survived parvo and being peppered with shotgun buckshot.

This is Maggie, our new border collie mix. :)

This is Maggie, our new border collie mix. :)

She's doing great, my daughter loves her and they chase each other around the house, knocking each other over. We've had no accidents since we brought her home and only one property casualty in the the form of a knocked over end table lantern bulb. We got her a pen to stay in during the workday and she's sleeping in it until she sees our vet tomorrow afternoon. After she's fully checked out, she'll be free to climb in bed with us or the kiddo. I think maybe her other half is beagle. She's smallish and I don't believe she'll get any bigger than an adult female beagle might.

Chill'n

Sleepy puppy

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