I will give you a little warning - what you are about to read might make you gag. I might get a little mushy over a four-legged friend. While I am not apologizing for this, I do recognize some people are not interested. Be my guest, but don't say you weren't warned.
We adopted Ginger the big redboned coonhound after Hunter read Where the Red Fern Grows in 4th or 5th grade. He found her on petfinder.org at a pound in Euless. He bugged me about it for about two weeks, and I was sure she wouldn't still be available when we got there. Well, she was. She was brilliant in executing what appeared to be a well-rehearsed take-me-home-with-you-routine complete with the happiest of tail-wagging and her signature howl that we grew to love so very much. Ivey's friend, Susan, was with us when we went to pick her up. Ginger climbed in the back seat and layed across all three kids the entire way home. It was so obvious she was so appreciative to us for having her. She actually showed her thankfulness to us, in ways I can't explain, but we all knew it. For several months after we got her, I was scared to take her out because I was sure that whoever she had belonged to would see her and want her back. I am still sure that it was an accident that she had ended up at the pound. She was so perfect for our family. She was the kind of dog for us that will forever be the dog we use as a gauge for coolness of other dogs.
She was not, however, without quirks. She ate poop and not only did she eat poop, she preferred her snacks warm. This was always particularly disgusting while dining al fresca when she'd decide it was her dinner time as well. She also, for reasons still unclear to me at this point, had weird ways to attempt to show her dominance. When Ivey began to go through puberty, she pooped in Ivey's shoe. While incredibly impressed with her accuracy, this still puzzled us.
She got pneumonia at an old age, and fought back and pulled through it. She had cancer removed (and some cancer that wasn't removed) several years ago. Ginger saw Hunter and Ivey through being 8 and 10 years old to almost 16 and 18. Through puberty, boyfriends, girlfriends, elementary school, middle school, and now high school, little league football games, softball games, a move, lots of family vacations and a divorce. She stole a very nice thick steak from a neighbor's grill once (came walking back into the backyard where Brumley and I were doing yardwork carrying this humongous steak in her mouth proud as could be), caused the great Llama Drama of 2008 along with her BFF Paris and spent a night with the NRH police in lockdown.
As she's gotten older and more weary, she's lost her ability to hear (anything at all and not just selectively being stubborn), was much like a cranky old woman. She did what she wanted and when she wanted. And we loved her for it. She has been a member of our family and can be found in our family photos. We put her to sleep last night, while I held her paw, and kissed her nose. It was peaceful and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to share our house with her and to have been able to be there with her when she left this earth.
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