Bella made my day

Bella lives a kilometre down the side-road where I take my daily walk. 

Back in the day, as I walked by her house with the dog-pack, she would often join us. Bella was a mid-size girl, with collie looks but shepherd markings. She always reminded me of Husso, the first dog I remember having as a kid.

The old pack is long gone by now. Instead, we have Bruno. 

When he's in the mood, I take the mastiff. When he's not in the mood, I don't. And he made a very bad first impression on Bella. I wouldn't quite call it attempted murder, but close.

So today, Bruno opted to stay home with mom, and Bella, for the first time in many months, came out and joined me down to the end of the side-road.

She's definitely getting old. She'll often come out to say hello, but usually turns back after a few hundred feet or so.

Which made today special.

Thanks, Bella!

Me and Bella

There's five houses along the dead-end side-road where I take my morning walk. Bella's house is the first I come to. Back in the day, she would often join me and the hounds on the hike.

That ended with my first Bruno walk. Bella came trotting out, tail awag, and Bruno knocked me down and dragged me through the snow trying to get at her. I've been missing her ever since.

Today I took the morning constitutional sans Bruno, because he hates warm weather, plus Mum's home all day. Bella was lying in her driveway. I'd pretty much passed by before Bella realized Satan was not in tow, and suddenly, there she was, trotting along with me, tail going 100mph.

To me, Bella is the spitting image, if not the re-incarnation of a dog I had as a boy. Husso had the same shaggy fur in the same colours, and the same busy bushy tail that just says "Fahne hoch!"

When things changed and Husso didn't fit into family plans anymore, he was gifted to one of my father's workmates who lived about 40 miles away. He was back four days later, having traversed forty miles of country he'd never seen before.

I remember him every time Bella comes out for a walk.