Flashback Friday - Watson

Oh my goodness - my sweet and precious pup will be five on Saturday! You guys, that is thirty-five in people years; he is already a little middle aged man! He certainly doesn't act like a middle-aged man though, he certainly is more five year old than thirty-five year old.

It amazes me how much a little ball of fur that can't speak, gets fur on my furniture and scares me to death sometimes barking at nothing but the wind in the dark of night - and yet he has my heart. He stole my heart from the moment he showed up and he hasn't given it back since.

Watson was waiting by my car when my family returned from a weekend trip to Chattanooga and it was love at first sight for me. He was wearing a stringy harness that had rubbed small sores under his legs from wear and he was so skinny his ribs were showing - but he had a sweet disposition and followed me around from the first minutes after I got out of the car and started talking to him. My Dad didn't want me to encourage him, but it was too late - all it took was one look at him and I was gone. I spent the afternoon sitting in the sun on the back porch with him, petting and talking to him. We fed him and put some Neosporin on his sores and I think he knew he'd fallen into the lap of luxury.

The very first picture I took of Watson - look how tiny he was! 

I finally wore my parents down and they told me that if I put up fliers and no one claimed him after a month, I could keep him. I made fliers, slapped them up all over town and then started praying in earnest that no one would claim him. After a month, no one had - so I immediately went and snatched all the fliers down, bought him a collar and claimed him as mine.

I'd already been calling him Watson - for two reasons: the first being that he was always investigating his surroundings and that immediately made me think of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson; I went with Watson as opposed to Holmes because Watson is my Mom's maiden name, which is the second reason he is named Watson. His middle name is Lane, after the comic book character Lois Lane - because much like Lois Lane, Watson thinks he is much tougher than he actually is and he usually gets himself into situations that require a little super saving!

Once upon a time....Watson was teeny!

I don't guess I'll ever know where he came from - unless he suddenly develops the ability to talk - but I'm sure glad he came to me. I've told my Mom before that the Lord knew I would need a little companion and so he suited him up in a harness and lowered him down to Earth on a fishing pole - it was such a long ride that he got some chaffing under his legs, but it was all worth it in the end! I know, I have an active imagination, right?

The funniest part of all of this is that only a year before Watson came along, I'd hit something of a rough patch and one day, on a whim my Mom went by Anderson's and bought me a little stuffed dog and brought it home. I nicknamed it Watson and tossed it on my bed and I've always kept it with me to remind me that things aren't always as bad as they seem. The little stuffed dog has mostly white fur, with brown ears and some brown and gray spots. Now I don't know if you believe in fate or divine intervention or just plain coincidence...but a  year after I received stuffed Watson, the Lord sent me the living, breathing, barking, shedding, live action version. My Mom and I have marveled about that since day one. He's something of a little miracle dog!

Acting goofy - something he is doing 50% of the day, every day. The other 50% hes asleep!

Watson and I have been through a lot since he came along and I hope with all my heart that my precious fur baby and I have many more adventures to go on together. I can't believe he has been mine for so long and I can't believe the scrawny little pup that just appeared on that fateful Sunday morning is already five years old. So - happy birthday Watson! Here's hoping you have many more!

My sweet pup - already five!