Tucker Boy

We have several names for him — Tucker Boy, Big Boy, Big Man, Mr.Black.  But no matter how you slice it, he’s our Tucker.  130 pounds give or take a few and about to turn ten this December.  When my husband Jim and I started dating, he met Tucker with an oh, my God.  It was questionable if we would continue dating, at least it seemed so at the time, until I got to know my husband and how much he is a sucker for animals.  Tucker was about a year old at the time, like a ballistic missle gone haywire, bouncing off the walls in my two story townhome much too small for his ten story energy.   Part black lab/rottweiler,  he needed a ten acre ranch!   But that big hairy lug of a dog got to Jim’s heart.  He still lives there as he does in mine.

I adopted Tucker from a Wenatchee, Washington shelter, traveling the distance from Seattle twice, before I could take him home for good.  The shelter employee said he would be no more than 45-55 pounds, which was a gross under-estimation.   I cried the day I discovered the incorrect assessment from someone who knew better.  However, to this day, I will never regret my decision to hang on!  When we get crazy about our new dog child, Merlin, and all his wild ways, I am reminded about Tucker and how he challenged us both.  Laid back now and just a giant bear of a dog wanting scratches, we see in Merlin’s future a mellow dog!  At least we pray.

I am very partial to adopting shelter animals.  In fact, I recommend it highly!   There are so many great animals who need homes and the ones that have come our way have blessed our lives many times over. 

This past month I got some shots of our big boy, gray whiskers and all.  Seeing the shots,  I am grateful for the gifts of all creatures great and small.