Beat This Caption

You four on my right, you block, you in the back, you're the center.  You with the white spot on your head, go long and I will hit you at the ten.

Monday Question

How is your Halloween?  Do you dress up on Halloween  Do you get trick or treaters?  Do you help pass out the candy?  Do you find it fun, annoying, or don't pay any attention?

Pocket:  I used to dress up when our grandchildren were younger but now they aren't into Halloween, just the candy.  When Foley and I lived across from the state mental institution we got a lot odd trick or treaters but when we moved to the land of the old white walkers we only get aa few small groups.  All in all, I can do without out.

Jeni is our October 29 2017 Pup of the Week

It is hard for a pet parent to lose their fur child.  It is terrible for a pup siblings when one of them passes to the Bridge, and the other suddenly finds herself alone.  Sadly, that happened to our friend Mama Deborah and Maya when Jeni departed for Rainbow Bridge this week.  

Jeni had been sick for a long time.  She kept borrowing heartbeats to stay with her mom and sister.  But the thing about borrowed heartbeats is that they aren’t as strong as your own heartbeats.  They leave you weaker.  The more you borrow, the weaker you become.  Jeni had borrowed a lot of heartbeats.

We dogs can sense when a sibling is ill, and there is an instinct, deep inside of us, that we often keep buried, but occasionally rears its ugly head, that causes us to attack a weaker sibling.  That is what Maya did.  And that attack made their mom make the most difficult decision.  Jeni no longer was the dog she had been.  Her strength and will were gone.  Jeni still had a bit of dignity, and her mom wanted her to keep that as she crossed the Bridge.  Maya was left with the guilt of knowing the fight precipitated the decision.

Jeni was a rescue dog who wasn’t supposed to live past two but came within 40 days of living 15 years.  She had an array of health problems, but she defeated each one.  She was her mom’s rock and her heart.  And now all that was left was to say goodbye.

Maya went with her mom and Jeni to see Jeni off on her voyage.  Deborah wrapped Jeni, her little Shiba Diva in her blanket like a baby.  Deborah held Jeni and stroked her thanking her for being an amazing dog as Maya watched.  Jeni’s soul slipped out of her and arrived at the Bridge, young, happy and full of life again as she splashed in the puddles caused by the tear clouds.

Scooby had specially made Jeni wings of pure gold to match her fur.  This made Jeni the fastest flyer I have ever seen.   Every chance she gets she flies home to ghost her mom.  What she has found made her upset.  She expected her mom to be in mourning but so was Maya.

After Jeni had passed Maya whimpered, knowing her best friend was gone.  She was allowed to spend a few moments with Jeni’s vacated body to say goodbye.  Since then she has been quiet. She has shown little interest in and prefers to be with her mom where they could comfort one another.  

Jeni not only had a broken-hearted mother but a brokenhearted sister too.  The good news is that Jeni can enter Maya’s dreams, they can go on adventures, and Maya will remember them.  Deborah may slightly remember these dream visits when she awakens, but they quickly dissipate as all the complication of human remembrance wipe them away.

Momma Deborah, you need to look to Maya.  When her sorrow starts to pass you will know that Jeni is there easing her burned  I hope this is a signal to you that Jeni has never left you and your burden begins to ease too

Pocket's Endless Summer

October completely passed us by.  The month is nearly over, and we still have leaves on our trees, although they have turned their bright colors on to make themselves pretty, the cold air has only visited us a couple of times, and some of the perennials in our gardens are still in bloom.

I am jubilant about this.  I love our garden days.  River and I are snuggled together in our buggy.  Everything smells very fresh and when the ground is turned over the scent is heavenly.  Not to mention how good the flowers smell.  We have wished for an endless summer for a long time.

My Dad has extended the garden on the other side of the driveway to be as long as the driveway and mulched it.  I am a big fan of mulch.  I would much rather do my business on mulch or stone, so my feet don’t get wet.  I also like to poop in the driveway of our neighbor’s at 101 but don’t tell them.  I don’t think they would appreciate it.

Even though I am not a fan of walking on the grass, I do enjoy looking at it.  Usually, at this time of year, the grass begins to fade, but it is still a bright green and thick.  River likes to bury her face in the grass and try to smell the middle earth.  She enjoys how the grass tickles her nose.

When my Dad was a kid, by this time of year, it was cold, and all the leaves were off the trees.  He, his father, and his sister would shove leaves into a shirt, pants, and a pumpkin head to create a man they called George.  He would sit on their steps scaring small children until it snowed.  Now George would still be in his box in the cellar, his stuffing stuck to the trees.

River and I walk at night.  We started doing it in the summer because it was cooler but we have continued doing it because there aren’t any white walkers to bark at.  Every night has been comfortable, and we haven’t been cold a bit.  Best of all none of our walks have been cut short due to shivering.

I have been after my mom to put our garden pictures on social media but she hasn’t wanted to do it, so I am doing it today, to be part of our Blogger friend Dory’s Flower Friday (thank you for switching blogs days with me Foley) and so everyone can see the gardens River, and I designed and my parents worked on so hard.  The summer pictures are at the top followed by the fall pictures.

I hope you enjoy them and our endless summer continues.

Tails From Rainbow Bridge: Visiting the Country Vet with Brooklyn

I saw several vets during the course of my mortal life, none of which suited either my, or my parent’s needs.  There was the doctor who was always running late; the doctor who messed up my brother Jax’s diagnosis; the large animal hospital that was too impersonal, the doctor who was too far away, the doctor who retired, the doctor who held me up by my paws which upset me, the doctor who was too expensive and the doctor who was only open mornings.  My parents think they have finally good doctor now, but it was a couple of years past my expiration date.

I think we all missed out on the great vets.  The kind that would come to your house with a little black bag, sit with your parents, have tea, mix some medicines and make you feel better.  Sure, lifespans were shorter, and cancer incurable, but no one was forcing overpriced food on you because they had sold themselves out to a food company, or insisted on unwanted vaccinations.

There is little need for veterinarians at the Bridge.  Being immortal puts a damper on the healthcare profession.  But there are still reasons for their existence.  We can’t die (again) or get ill, but we can get injured and feel pain.  When that happens, who is better to tend to you than a kind country vet?

My amazing friend Brooklyn, when she is not spending time visiting, ghosting or watching over her mom, loves to chase tennis balls.  I appointed two of my minions to throw balls for her as long as she wants, and she can run for a very long time.  One day this week Brooklyn was playing fetch with a minion in the park when the minion threw the ball into a rose bush.  

Brooklyn gave out a yip and came out of the bushes with a thorn in her paw.  I ran down to her while I barked at the minion chastising him for the poor throw.  Brooklyn was trying to bite the thorn out but could not get her mouth angled correctly.  I bit the thorn too but did not have the strength to pull it

Suddenly a kindly man appeared with a black bag.  He slowly walked to us, then bent down and opened his bag.  “Don’t worry Brooklyn,” he said. “I did this a hundred times as a vet in England between the wars.”  He delicately put a hand on Brooklyn’s head and slipped out the thorne.  Brooklyn compensated him with a kiss.  “That is what I missed the most,” the kindly gentleman said.  “So much better than money.”

We spent the day listening to his stories about being a country vet.  While we were talking hundreds of animals, he had treated gathered behind him.  When he turned and saw them, he gave out a jolly laugh.  “My friends are here,” he told us.  He stood and now moved gracefully towards his friends, and with a laugh, he ran off with the animals.

I wish I had a vet who I could visit and thank like that.  Maybe Pocket and River finally do.  I hope you do.

There is nothing better on heaven or Earth than a good vet.

Wordless Wednesday

Beat This Caption

Has anyone seen my ball?

Monday Question

On a scale of one to ten how big a barker are you?

Pocket: I am a ten because there are so many noises, people, and vermin around.

River: I am an eight but only because I bark when Pocket barks.

Dixie is our October 22, 2017 Pup of the Week

We dogs know that our time is short.  That is why we make sure that every day we use all our energy, eat with gusto, live every second to the fullest, and give the totality of our love to those we cherish.  

And we have one secret wish, to spend our last seconds at our home.

Unfortunately, when our time comes, we seldom achieve that goal.  We dogs pass over slowly and painfully.  We don’t ever want our parents to suffer while they watch us, so it has been agreed upon by all parties that we would allow the humane method to be used, where our parents end our misery via the assistance of a doctor.  Humans are still troubled by doing the humane thing for themselves.

This week my friend Dixie was able to achieve her goal of leaving for the Bridge from her house.  Her Mom Jan had an appointment for Dixie to be assisted to the immortal world but Dixie decided to save her mom the trip and the cost.  Her mom thought Dixie was sleeping in the living room, but actually, she was enjoying her last mortal moments in the place she loved the most before she leaped for the Bridge.

As it often happens Dixie went from being perfectly fine to very sick in a short amount of time.  She began throwing up, which all dogs do, but it was frequent, and Momma Jan sensed that something was wrong.  When the vomit was mixed with the dreaded blood, she took Dixie to the vet.

The report was not good.  Dixie had a mass that was attached to her heart.  There was nothing the vet could do.  Momma Jan brought Dixie home for one last night before she assisted her to the Bridge.  But Dixie didn’t need any assistance.  She arrived on her own.

All the pain Dixie had tried so valiantly to hide from her Mom was gone.  Passing over expels cancer from the body into the river where it floats to a waterfall that takes it into a deep pool in the center of the Earth where it can never touch the ill again.  Some dogs arrived unprepared but Dixie, in her quest to passover at home, was fully prepared for her next step.

Like an advanced placement student zipping through college Dixie barely needed any angel training before she was visiting her mom as small flying creatures and as a ghost.  She is back by Momma Jan’s as much as she can be.  Their bond will never be broken.  

Tails From Rainbow Bridge: For Odin who will not Leave A Friend

Everyone knows that we dogs will do anything for the humans that we love, but the same is accurate for animals we adore too.  No one proved that more than Odin.

Odin resides with the Hendel family in Santa Rosa California.  Their homestead, located in Sonoma County was in the path of the Tubbs fire.  On Sunday, October 8, Odin’s father Roland made the heartbreaking decision that he, his daughter and their pets had to abandon their home to the fire.  

The Hendels would never leave a pet behind, but they had no choice but to abandon the eight bottle-fed rescue goats they recently adopted.  When Odin saw that the goats would not be escaping with them, he refused to leave their side.

Around them propane tanks were exploding, metal was being twisted from the intense heat, the winds were hot and swirling powering the fire.  Roland hated leaving his loyal friend, but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.  The Hendels left Odin behind to what he knew would be a horrific and agonizing death.

Not only did Odin leave his dad behind but his sister Tessa as well.  Roland had rescued them together as puppies, and they had never spent a day apart.  The reality was now they would be spending a lifetime apart.  

The following morning one of Roland’s neighbors told him that both their properties had been destroyed, but Odin and the goats were still miraculously alive.

The next day Roland dodged roadblocks driving through his still-burning neighborhood to get to Odin.  Roland found Odin still guarding his goats as well as a few baby deer who had joined them.  Odin fur was burned, his whiskers gone and he was walking with a limp.  Behind them, the Hendel home was burned to the ground.

Roland had to leave them on the property, but he made sure they had plenty of food and water.  The next day he brought Tessa to visit Odin.  The two were overjoyed to see one another.

Despite surviving the fire the pack is still in danger.  The family’s pumphouse was destroyed, so they have no water, and the barn had burned down, so the goats had no shelter with winter approaching.  The family created a You Caring https://www.youcaring.com/odintessaandtheirfamilyofmisfitrescuegoats-978792  site to raise money so Odin, Tessa, and the goats can stay together and Odin’s sacrifice would not be in vain.  

Odin, Tessa, and the goats are at a temporary shelter as the Hendels prepare to rebuild  Odin is healed and happy.  

Odin won’t tell anyone the miracle he created to save himself and his goats.  We angels aren’t saying if we helped either.  Someday you humans are just going to have to accept that miracles happen and never to stop believing.

Then you will become a perfect being like a dog.

River Song's Travelling Civil War Memorials

I have read several news reports about people protesting Civil War Memorials.  As always I stay neutral in all human arguments.  I would hate to offend a friendly lap or a potential hand to feed me.

But I also believe I am in a unique position to help solve this quandary.  I am planning to go on tour as aa Travelling Civil War Memorial.  People who want to visit me to pay respect to the men who fault in the war and if it offends you I will be gone before a protest can be mounted.

My tour will begin in Nashville Tennessee where I will be appearing November 2 as a Nathan Bedford Forrest Memorial.

On November 5 I will be in Richmond Virginia as a Jeb Stuart Memorial

On November 10, I will be appearing in Fredricksburg Va as the Braxton Bragg Memorial

On November 15, I will be a James Longstreet statue in Gainsville Georgia

Finally, on November 30 I will be in Lexington Kentucky as the  John Hunt Morgan Memorial

I hope my efforts will help heal a troubled nation

Wordless Wednesday

Beat This Caption

You were right, its a boy

Monday Question

Is there a command your parents to try to stop your barking or some other unwanted behavior?  

Pocket:  My parents can't settle on a word, which is why we get away with murder.  Daddy either does "Un-huh," "Shush," or going back and forth from "good girl" to "bad girl" depending on how we are doing.  Mommy does that strange noise and that Cesar Milan does.  Nothing seems to be working  

Angel Cooper and Chipper are our October 15, 2017 Pup of the Week

Part of being an angel is being a worrier.  It is like belonging to an exclusive club where everything is perfect, but you don’t want anyone in your family to be a member, and not in a creepy middle-aged executive hiding out at the Playboy Mansion way, but in a “if they come here they are going to be leaving all their family and their friends heartbroken” way.

We lead a terribly contradictory afterlife.  We miss our loved ones with all our hearts, but we don’t want them to join us.  Our greatest wish is our greatest fear.  

The Big Guy himself called Cooper the perfect dog, and as soon as he came here, he was determined to be the perfect angel.  He has watched over his family and siblings with an unmatched intensity.  When his beloved brother Chipper tore his ACL Cooper paced so much he could have worn out his own if our parts weren’t eternal.

At first, their mom hoped that the ACL would heal on its own.  “This is just the job for an angel,” Cooper told me.  “I am going to watch over my brother and heal that injury,”  I told him, despite our best intentions, life often had other plans, but Cooper would not believe it.  “An intensely attentive angel can achieve anything.”

If only it were so. 

Chipper’s ACL injury was not healing.  “Foley,” Cooper cried, “My brother’s leg isn’t any better.  My mother is making an appointment for surgery.  What did I do wrong?”

I assured my friend he did everything right, but sometimes, when you do, things still go very wrong.  But that did nothing to ease his worry.  He asked me how he could be assured that his brother come through surgery safely.  “Pray to the Big Guy,” I said.  “And visit your brother while he is in surgery to make sure he is not scared.”

“And that will make everything fine?”  he asked.  

“Your brother should be fine,” I assured him.

“But we have seen pups come here who were in less perilous situations,” the worried Copper said.  

I put my paw on his shoulder.  “Rarely,” I said.  “Very, very rarely.  That is why we are vigilant in prayer.  Because every single day dogs and people arrive here, who shouldn’t.  The only defenses we have are love and prayer, but they are very strong defenses.”

Blessedly, on the day of Chipper’s surgery a study surgeon’s hands, a mother’s love, a perfect angel brother's attention, and Chipper’s will combined for a successful surgery, and Chipper is now with his mom recovering.

While his mom is nursing Chipper if she sees a shadow out of the corner of her eye, or hears a faint fluttering, she should know it is her angel,  intently watching over his brother.

Tails From Rainbow Bridge: For our Hero Michele Kenny

Being sick is a terrible thing.  I was not sick long during my life but when I became ill it was brutish and short.  Cancer hit me hard and swept me from the mortal world without a fight. I have had many friends who have battled this insidious illness, but there is one person who has fought like a superhero.

Michelle Kenney is the owner of four beautiful little dogs who she has provided a perfectly loving home for.  She is a dear friend who has delighted my mom, as well as hundreds of other women, with her spirit and humor.  She is also a superhero who has fought the arch-villain known as cancer harder and longer than anyone I know.

The cancer has come and gone so many time I have lost count.  We have rejoiced when it went it remission and cried when it inevitably returned.  We were overjoyed at her wedding, her trips to the beach house, the renewal of her vows, and commiserated as the treatments ravaged her body.

No matter how many times she was knocked down, she has arisen stronger than ever.  It was like watching your favorite boxer in the ring getting hit over and over the slammed onto the mat, and you just wanted her to stay down, but she kept rising over and over until all you could do was marvel at her perseverance.  

During this fight, she has taught so many lessons to her loving friends.  When her health was in a downward spiral, she has met it with determination, humor and an indomitable spirit.  Her friends were living their own lives, encountering the dozens of small aggravations that happen daily, and being angered by them.  But inside of them is Michelle, who battled life’s biggest opponent, and never let it get her down.  How could a flat tire, or a broken computer, or a rainy day, compare to that?  She has put a light in every single one of her friends:  A light that signals to calm down do not get upset, someone is going through worse, and dealing with it better.  That light will never be extinguished.

Sometimes our parents have trouble saying things, but I have always been very verbose, so I will speak for them.  To Michelle:  Thank you for the love, the strength, the spirit, the light, the humor, for showing us how to be brave, for showing us how to fight, for reminding us what is important, for, through your actions, teaching us never to give up.  Thank you for sharing your beautiful life with us.  Thank you for being Michelle Kenney.  The world is a better place because of you.

We know you have a hard fight in front of you, but we are all behind you, we believe in you, and if there is a soul on this Earth who can win this fight, it is you.

You are a superhero, a rock star, and our hero.  You have an army of prayers behind you.

Now kick some cancer ass.

Pocket Tries to Claim the Vomit

As I get older more things make me nervous.  Noises coming from the TV, screeches, beeps, cries, whistles, whacks and whispers all cause me to sit up and tremble.  Once again my parents set out to combat my anxiety which always makes me nervous.

They dug out my Thunder Shirt.  I hate that thing.  When I see it, I know something terrible is about to happen, and I shake.  But they added something new to the Thunder Shirt torture.  They bought a spray that was supposed to soothe my nerves.  The first time they sprayed it on me I got myself into more positions than the Kama Sutra trying to get the horrible smell off of me.

Once I was done everything in the house, but me smelled like lavender.  This did not make Mommy happy, so Daddy decided to spray the Thunder Shirt before strapping it on me.  They termed this a success after Mommy made a noisy supper and I sat next to Daddy slightly trembling instead of running around the house trying to hide under everything. At our house, if no one is hiding under the furniture is it considered a successful day.

But I was still unhappy about the lingering stench of lavender.  Then I got hit with a terrific bolt of luck.  In the middle of the night, in the big bed, River vomited.

I jumped out of bed waking Daddy.  He saw the vomit and cleaned it up.  I was on the floor shaking like a cricket in a lizard factory.  Daddy picked me up, told me it was not my fault that I vomited, and wondered if it was the lavender smell that made me sick.  I was so close to never getting that horrible scent stuck in my nostrils again.

Then something terrible happened.  River vomited again!  And suddenly it wasn’t about me anymore.  She was getting all the attention.

Her tummy settled the next day, and I thought the attention would be back on me but the next night my sister puked twice in bed again.  Now she was on the Terrifying Watch List.  You earn a spot on the list when you are sick, and your terrified parents watch everything that you do.  With all their attention on River, no one sprayed me. Not even with water, never mind lavender.

The next night I made sure the attention was on me.  I vomited a half dozen times while River peacefully slept.  That morning I had diarrhea.  I was back on top of the Terrifying Watch List.  It wasn’t until near bedtime when I finally ate, and then the next morning, when no one puked in bed, that we were both removed from the List and our house returned to normal.

“I am glad Pocket is feeling better,” Mommy said.

“So am I,” Daddy said.  “And we haven’t sprayed her with lavender in days, so we know that didn’t make her sick.”

I tell you I can’t catch a break.

Wordless Wednesday

Beat this Caption

Hey!  I don't tell you how to scratch your butt you don't tell me how to scratch mine!

Prince and Rosy are our October 8, 2017 Pups of the Week

When Cappy arrived at Rainbow Bridge, I explained how every part a dog loses, like hearing or vision, reaches the Bridge, and we keep it safe until the day comes when the rest of the dog arrives, and everything becomes whole again.  We got a short black leg this week with no name attached.  I got on the computer and searched my friends, and I learned that leg belonged to my friend Prince.

Poor Prince had contracted cancer and had to lose his leg to keep cancer from spreading and taking his life.  Prince was more than happy make this sacrifice.  Truthfully, we dogs would exist as just a head on top of a beating heart if that meant more time with mom.

Sadly, this sacrifice came with post-surgical pain.  Little Prince lost his front leg and shoulder during surgery.  He did a lot of crying the first few days.  Prince’s mom got his medication increased, but every time she lifted him to help him go potty she hit a sore spot.  Her heart broke for her poor little gentleman.

Three days later Prince had fought through the pain and was standing on his three legs.  The pain had lessened a great deal, and Prince was more relaxed.  A few days later he was walking around the house without pain.  He is going to need prayers as he learns to be a tri-paw, but we are sure this Prince of a Dog will be triumphant.

The second pup we recognize this week came to her new home with the help of a lot of angels.  Rosy, an adorable Lhasa Apso, is now a member of Blogville’s Da Db Boyz joining Arty and Jakey.  

Their parents decided on a Lhasa pup but were disappointed to see how few breeders there were in their area.  Having searched the entire Pacific Northwest the parents were about to give up their search until summer when they extended their search into Utah, Nevada, and Idaho.  The Idaho Pug Ranch’s parents joined in their search, and the Boyz’s angel siblings Dory and Bilbo joined the Pug Ranch’s Angels Bailey and Greta to find the right pup.  

Bailey and Greta found a Lhasa litter in Idaho.   They told Dory and Bilbo, who went to interview the pups to find the right one, and the Pug’s Mom, who emailed Dory’s mom to inform her about the litter.   The Boyz parents traveled to Utah to meet Rosy, her pup, and human parents, and Rosy, after a night at a hotel, arrived home.

Now Rosy has a new forever home, Arty and Jakey have a little sister, their parents will have their hearts rebuilt with the help of this adorable little girl, all thanks to online friends and determined angels.

May Rosy and Prince have lots of days, love, and memories with their pack and parents.

Tails From Rainbow Bridge: Chloe the Miracle Mountain Dog

This is the story of a 14-year-old-lab-pittie mix named Chloe who, on a hot August day decided to hike up a 14 er Mount Bross, ran into a speck of trouble, and came down six weeks later

Chloe was a mountain dog, and she was experienced in finding her way home.  But she also had gotten older, and her body did not respond the way it used to.  

On this beautiful summer day, Chloe kept going up and up.  She felt young again.  She knew she should turn around but the sun was warm, the scents were heavenly, and time slipped away.  She saw a large rock and knew if she could get on it she could see everywhere.  It took a mighty leap, but Chloe made it.

Here is something about dogs that humans have trouble understanding.  We have tremendous confidence going up, but not so much going done.  Chloe was stranded on a rock in the middle of Nowhere Colorado.

Chloe nervously padded to the side of the rock but her instinct told her if she jumped she would land on the steep slope, her paws would not gain traction, and she would fall into the trees and rocks.  An impulsive dog may get hurt by running in the street or at a wild animal but a pensive dog studies the situation and understands that sometimes it is better to wait even if it is over night.  Or night after night after night.

Her Dad, Larry Osborne expected Chloe to come back from her hike, but one night turned to two, and then a week.  Chloe was an older dog,  there were many wild animals on the mountain, and her dad slowly began to lose hope.

Chloe, through hot days, cold nights, and the rain stayed alive on top of that rock.  She won’t tell me how.  She just believed someone would find her, and day after day she never lost hope as she survived on rainwater and miracles.

Larry owned a Saloon, and he made sure that every one of the town’s 300 people was on the lookout for Chloe but no one saw her.  In late September Larry told his son that Chloe would not be coming home, and the family had a memorial service for her.

Meanwhile, Chloe stayed on the rocks using all she had left.  Her bark.  

Mountain hikers had reported while they were on Mount Bross they heard a dog barking but no one could find the source of the barking.  Trinity Smith and her boyfriend Sean Nichols, who were visiting the area after moving two years earlier, decided to conduct a search.

They searched the mountain all day with no findings but before nightfall, Trinity heard a slight whimpering.  She posted her discovery on Facebook and a Breckenridge resident Mark Whiteside joined her on the mountain.  Unfortunately they did not hear anything the rest of the evening.

A desperate Chloe knew there were humans near, but she was so tired, and thirsty.  Working up a single whimper used all of her energy.  She decided to keep quiet and hope the came nearer.  

Smith and Nichols returned the next day searched for four hours with no success.   The weather turned cold, and clouds covered the sun.  They kept going, calling out for a response.  It started to snow.   They knew if the sound were from a dog he would not survive the storm.  Nichols, exhausted and losing faith, sat down and cried.  

Chloe knew she would not survive the night.  She worked up all the energy she had, and she let out one loud bark.  Nichols heard it and shimmied up the scree field towards the noise.  Chloe found the residual spark to produce more barks.  Nichols kept heading towards the sounds.  Chloe poked her head up, and Nichols saw her stuck on the rock.

Nichols reached the rock and grabbed Chloe.  He held her to his chest, and he slid down the steep chute.  While they were siding Chloe’s collar was ripped off.  

They got Chloe off the mountain and drove to the Al-Mart where Nichols worked.  They were planning to rush Chloe to the vet when one of Nichols’ coworkers said she knew who Chloe belonged to.

The woman found Larry Osborne who was stunned to see Chloe standing next to Nichols.  He broke down when he saw his wonderful friend he was sure had perished six weeks before.   

Chloe was thrilled to see her Dad.  He took her to the vet.  Chloe was very dehydrated and malnourished, her nose had turned white, her coat pale and she suffered a minor injury down the mountain, but otherwise she was fine.  She had lost two-thirds of her body weight but had gained ten pounds back the first weekend living every dog’s dream of being able to eat however much she wanted.

The entire town turned out to celebrate Chloe’s return.  Her Dad said he did not know how she managed to survive.

The truth is that Chloe refused to go to the Bridge and never gave up the belief that she would be found.

That is an essential lesson for dogs and humans.  A lot can be accomplished if you never give up hope.