Gracie And Nala Walking Together

You can't really tell from this photo, but Gracie on the left outweighs Nala on the right 

by about fifty pounds. Gracie is a shaggy bear cub and Nala a sleek little fox, 

and walking together they are purely adorable. 

Imagine you are driving through an ordinary Pacific Northwest neighborhood, your eyes filled with the usual suburban street scenes of trees and bushes, pavement and fences. Ho hum.

Suddenly you see a dog. Oh sure, there are plenty of interesting and attractive dogs wandering with their people along the way. But this is a red dog.

A very red dog.

Big and shaggy, stepping with a lively rhythm, head down, tail  up, excitement quivering along every inch of that gleaming, vibrant body.

And then. zoinkies, what's this? You suddenly realize there are actually two dogs, almost identical in coloring and temperament and posture, zipping along on their ultra long leashes, together.

Two very red dogs walking together.

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This is the story of Gracie and Nala.

Nala's human is Kelly, the angel who brought Gracie into my life. When Gracie's previous owner realized he could no longer care for her, he contacted Kelly, and Kelly led the efforts to find Gracie a new family. She is the one who brought Gracie to my front door on that very first day of our life together, and I am forever grateful for Kelly.

And since Kelly and Nala live just a few miles away, from time to time, we meet up for walks.

As much as I enjoy the solitude of Gracie's and my usual routine, it's fun to have a human companion, especially one who is such a kindred spirit. Our Irish lassies bond us together, though we have many other common interests and our walks are full of interesting conversation.

But as much as Kelly and I talk and laugh and enjoy each other's company, neither one of us takes our eyes off our dogs for an instant. We are constantly minding the long leashes, navigating intersections, watching for rabbits and squirrels, and admiring our gorgeous girls.

We humans enjoy our time together, but these walks are for Gracie and Nala. And there is nothing that gives me more joy than to see Gracie and Nala walking together.

* * * * *

Would you like to read more about how Gracie came to me?

Surprise!

What's In A Name?

First Trip To The Vet

Red Beauty

Two Weeks In