rural Grimes County, Texas circa 1948

first of a lifetime of puppies: Scooter

sniff, sniff – do I belong with you?

Scooter and the little girl grew up together as best friends, as family

the little girl had other four-legged friends that came to visit

she loved horses, too – but they were very big

the little girl frequently walked the dirt road from her house

to her grandpa’s barbershop in town where she would sit in the window

Scooter waited patiently for her – he was getting bigger, too

And they called it puppy love, oh I guess they’ll never know how a young heart, how it really feels and why I’ve loved them so. (Paul Anka)