Mulburry Inez

Today the sun was shining, big beautiful white fluffy clouds up in the sky and the birds were singing. Inez and I were all ready to go... Running shoes- Check..... Poop bags- Check.... Music.... Music.... Hey! My phone was dead and I didn't have my play list and now I really wasn't looking forward to our walk. On any other day I would start off by playing song #1- The Sword by Slash, but today I couldn't. Normally, that song would set the pace for my walk/jog and get me all revved up as I walk down the hallway to go outside. As I walk under the limbs of the huge maple tree is where I would hear the beginning to Slash's solo. That strong raw sound drives Inez and I into a strong walking pace... I never stop to look anything, we just go. Today I had no music to drive me so I was at my normal pace and instead of taking off just under the huge maple, I stopped to see the leaf buds getting ready to open up... Soon my big beautiful maple tree will be covered in leaves. Suddenly I'm not missing the music quite as much. We carry on our way down the big hill where song #2 I Need A Doctor by Dr. Dre always starts... Instead of taking off down the hill, we just took our time getting to the bottom. There were children playing on the sidewalk, fighting over who pushed who... Brother's and sister's just doing their thing. I started thinking back to when Cody and I were kids... The Epic Battles we would have. I feel terrible at times when I think back, but sometimes it just makes you laugh. I found myself smiling as I passed the fighting children and we carried on our way to the bottom of the hill where we connect to the trail that leads through the park. The trail is where song #3 begins... Aerials by System of a Down. Instead of paying attention the the stream that runs beside the trail, I normally jog through and over the little bridge that takes you to the other side. Not today. Today we watched the stream rush over the rocks... Ducks floating by just catching the current. Inez was smelling all around with what looked to be a big smile on that lovely little face of hers. She sat and watched the ducks with me and when we crossed the bridge we stopped in the middle and watched the rushing stream go underneath us. Song #4 usually starts here... B.Y.O.B by System of a Down. Inez and I normally cruise through the other side of the park, through the tunnel and over the bridge to the lovely garden area the city always plants around this time of the year. Today we just took our time watching the kids play on the jungle gym when a little girl noticed Inez. She came running over like a bat out of hell with her Dad right behind her. I stopped and so did Inez. Inez is great with kids... I'm really proud of her. The little girl asked if she could pet Inez, but her dad was a little worried. Inez is a big dog, and she was very little. I can understand how he was feeling... He doesn't know Inez and if she's friendly or not. I told the little girl that it was o.k only if it was o.k with her daddy. She didn't listen and just started petting Inez. Inez returned the favor with a big kiss across her cheek and she giggled. We continued on to where song #5 would always start... Lonely by System of a Down. We're through the old limestone tunnel now walking under the huge willow trees. Weeping Willows... They're my favorite... We sat on a big rock underneath one of my willows and watched squirrels run from limb to limb, over the stream to another tree and back to another. Inez was standing on the edge of the stream just inching her way closer... She loves the water. I can't understand it... They tried to drown her in the middle of a lake in Alabama and yet, she still loves the water.
 This is where my memory takes me back to the first day I saw Inez. I was at the GRC (Greyhound Rescue Canada) volunteering and walking the hounds. I knew that there was a 98% chance that I was coming home with one that day, but I still wasn't sure. I had one picked out. Her name was Penny. Penny was a Faun Greyhound and she was beautiful. A day before I went there I looked at the website and saw that she had been adopted. I was devastated... I wanted her so bad. She was the first dog that I saw when I went into the kennel. She was small, sad and broken. I felt for her but I knew she was going to a good home. I took a look around and that's when I saw Inez. All the other dogs were crying because they knew some of them would be walked and others wouldn't get the chance. Inez was just sitting there looking at me with this huge smile on her face... She knew and with that I knew. I had been separated from Marek about two weeks at this time, and I needed her just as much as she needed me. I wanted to walk all of the dogs, but there was a good turn out that day so everyone just got one. I chose her, or I should say she chose me.  When they let her out of her cage, she came right up to me jumping up trying to kiss me. Normally, I am not a fan of that... but this time it was much different. She never left my side from that moment on. All the volunteers were just shocked at how comfortable she was with me right off the bat. These dogs are abused and broken. They are skinny, scared and hungry. Every hound there had their tail between their legs and their eyes to the ground. Not Inez. Her head was high, her tail was wagging and her eyes were bright. We sat there for a while before the walk and got to know one another. She would lean into me giving me what they call a Greyhound Hug. I remember at one point I was down on my knee and I said to her "Would you like to come home with me today?" and she turned around and gave me a big kiss. We have been a team ever since.
I realized today that we have grown. We have been to hell and back but we still keep going. We still have that drive to be happy. We're walking towards our trial again, this is where song #6 always starts... Question by System of a Down. This is the song that pushes us up both hills without slowing down. Today we just took our time. Today was a day that we 'stopped to smell the roses' and it felt great. We passed the same fighting children and I still smiled and we continued up the hill. The walk always ends with Suite-pee by System of a Down or Only Girl in the World by Rhianna (depending on how I feel) but today it ended with Inez and I enjoying the spring sunset. Today... Today was a good day.