Ruby & Josh

My Gram, My Lady and My Ruby. My Favorite Picture.

I thought of another cute Ruby story.

Josh and I were at the Roseland Park Baseball Fields; he was still young, but really getting into baseball. We played catch, he fielded some grounders, but then he wanted to hit. It was only me and him, and I was not about to shag balls all by myself. We went back and forth about it and I finally caved and said, "All right, just a few, then we both go them." Compromise.

I pitched. He swung. He hit. He hit a rope out to left field. Nice.

Ruby takes off.

To left field! She gets the ball, runs back and drops it at my feet. On the pitchers mound. She then turns toward Josh, crouches down and waits - like, "C'mon big guy, bring it on!"

Josh pops up to center and Ruby does her thing! A little wet and slobbery, but she brings the ball back, no fight, not chase, no nothing, except, okay, crouch, "I'm ready!"

We did this over and over.

An older couple comes around the corner and walks up the road. They stop and watch. Ruby continues to shag balls; tongue hanging out, chest heaving.

"We are amused by your pet," they say.

Funny. "We are amused by your pet." I laugh at that, even years later. I still smile.

...

The precident was set. Whenever Josh & I played catch, we brought a few extra balls, and whether it was at the park, or on the street, or even on a frozen Lake Bunggee, Ruby was the one doing all the dirty work. She'd run after all the missed balls and bring them back, tongue wagging, mouth drooling, and eyes that lit up like she wanted more.

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Big Smile. Hey Josh, remember those times?

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My Ruby Girl

I feel lucky - I think I became as much hers, as much as she became mine

My Ruby Girl


My favorite Ruby story?

Goes back about 10 years ago. When we moved from Roseland to Lake Bunggee, Ruby was still a puppy. Roseland was a cottage down a dirt road with no traffic. At Lake Bunggee, I crossed the street to get the mail and realized I'd better do something right away to keep Ruby from getting into traffic. She didn't know what a road was.

I pulled Ruby by the collar and made her sit at the corner of the lawn and the driveway. There was this flat rock there, and I'd make her sit and stay, while I crossed the street to get the mail.

We had a house-warming barbeque and Ruby was driving people crazy, jumping and acting like a typical hyper puppy surrounded by kids, people and easy to reach paper plates of food. I yelled, "Ruby, SIT!"

And she bolts. She takes off. AAARRRGGGG...

I go around front, and Ruby, bless her heart, was sitting on the flat rock at the corner of the yard and driveway.

....

She became my Ruby Girl. My Goof. My Pooper. Michele referred to her as my Hairy Beast.

Ruby got cancer. Surgery in August was unsuccessful. Yet her tail never stopped wagging. And when she would rest her chin on my knee and look up at me with those big beautiful baby brown's, I think it was because she was giving me the love, not looking for an ear-scratching or a belly rub. It was almost like you could see it in her eyes.

Every morning when we'd leave for work, taking the boys to school and daycare, the last thing me and David would say before shutting the door? "Be good Ruby Girl, love you."

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We are going to miss her something crazy. We lost a member of our Family.

Be good, Ruby Girl, I Love You.

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