Excelling in Mediocrity: Happy Anniversary Maggie!

Here it is, one year ago that we adopted Maggie from Animal Control. We couldn't ask for a better dog. Any of her shortcomings I truly believe is us, not her.
She is an Australian Cattledog mix, with what we think may be some Lab. Guesstimations was that she was around 9 months old when we adopted her. Animal Control had picked her up wandering around as a stray 3 months prior, around the end of Oct. Hard to believe that this beautiful dog spent three months in the shelter without anyone claiming her. Our gain.

Here she is, her last little bit of time at Animal Control. I had just given her an extremely cold bath that she was not at all happy about, yet she looks as though she's still smiling at me.

First stop on her journey to her forever home, the veterinarian to be spade. While there, we met up with Miss Memphis Belle and her human. Belle had to undergo treatment for heartworm that was undiagnosed prior to being adopted. Fortunately, that procedure was successful, so Miss Belle can continue to keep everyone at The Lair on their toes. Belle and Maggie had been kennel mates for a while.

Hi Miss Belle! I haven't seen you in awhile. Can you tell me what's going on here?

When we picked Maggie up from the vet's, we were instructed to keep her calm and quiet for a couple of days to allow the incision to start healing properly.

Anesthesia makes me woozy and tired....

Maggie recovered quite well from the surgery. Enough so that the following morning she caught a mouse and dropped it on the kitchen floor at my wife's feet. Then sat, wagging her tail She was very proud of herself and rightly so, except that my wife doesn't do well with dead critters. But everyone got past that little hurdle. We didn't even know we had mice!

I sometimes wonder if she shouldn't have been named "Cato Fong" as she frequently lies in wait as I go in and out through the gate.

C'mon! Let's play! I'm going to attack you!

Maggie loves to go for rides in the Jeep. When she follows me out into the garage, she will look at me, then to the Jeep, then back at me, in hopeful expectation She really gets excited when I pick up her harness, as she knows that means she's going for a ride. I keep her secured with a short lead. Otherwise she would lunge out at things (usually trucks) that she thinks she needs to chase.

There is a friend from the fire department whose family has a cattle farm and they allow me to go there and cut firewood. I have taken Maggie with me several times. She has always been curiously interested in the cattle, but they had never been closer than 20 yards or so.
One day, there was a bull next to one of the gates I had to pass through. Her initial reaction to this huge beast right next to us was priceless and I'm sorry it happened too quickly to capture it on camera. She gave a jump of surprise when I stopped to close the gate and she first noticed the bull.

The initial shock is over, but the look on her face says it all. Some Cattledog!

I'm not too sure about that thing, Dad. It sure is big!

Yes I have big ears. Don't make fun of them!

The "Queen" on her throne. A tree stump right behind the house. The dark spots are the screen in the window.

Probably one my favorite pictures of Maggie. It captures the ever present look in her eyes, how she has a way of seemingly looking right into your soul.

                                               MMMMM! Love me some peanut butter!
                                               Thanks for the empty jar, Dad. Can you
   leave more in it next time?