Blaze

SmugMug Daily Link

It's a rare opportunity when I get a picture of Blaze.  Normally she won't look at the camera.  Plus, she's so dark I have trouble with the exposure even when she does.  Several times during the last month, I noticed  her sitting at the top of the steps to our bonus room with pretty light coming in from the nearby window.  I'd go downstairs for something, Donnie would promise her I'd be right back, and she'd move to the top of the steps to wait and look for me. At 12, we try to get her to not walk the 12 steps too many times.  It's a blessing at this point that she can even go up and down the stairs at all.  Actually, years ago she went up and down them and then had quit for some time but after we changed out diet and started giving her more table scraps (meats and fats), she seemed to get reinvigorated and be willing to make the effort again.  I don't know how many more chances I'll have to take shots like this, so I cherish this one she let me take today.

Blaze is a SPCA of Wake County rescue.  She came in as a City of Raleigh stray at 1 year old and hung out at the shelter for a long time.  She didn't have that puppy cuteness, and she was shy and hung out at the back of her kennel.  I used to go in and sit with her, and she was a favorite of several  other volunteers and staff members.  She went with some of us to an offsite adoption event one Saturday, and somehow I ended up bringing her home with me for the rest of the weekend to give her a break from the shelter.  She was scared of her own shadow and incredibly hand shy and awkward.  I was worried she wasn't adoptable except to a dedicated dog person, so I asked to foster her and try to work with her.  Although over time and now for sure she's definitely come out of her shell, it was a slow progress.  Once she was in the house we both knew she'd found her home and I adopted her shortly thereafter.  She's been a good house dog and a tolerated the kids when they came along and now Kitty too.