Stella, Still Getting Her Puppy On

 

She turned six in June. We still go out on her birthday and buy her a new rope bone and collar. She gets the whole routine too somehow.

Things have been pretty busy lately. We hope you're all doing well. This time last year the two blogs that I maintained for eight years Pitcherlady and Cliffhanger disappeared without warning or explanation, off the face of the internet. A good many highlights, stories and photos of the last twenty years of my life went with them. And yes, I should've saved an edited copy of everything. I told myself none of it mattered but then I come over here occasionally and read those early stories about bringing Stella home from the fair, realize how good some of them are and end up looking for posts that no longer exist. That may be part of what's kept me quiet these last two years. That and a couple of dream jobs I didn't get. And three suicides. Pardon me while leave the dog-blogging for five quick seconds and veer off into the dark on you. Yikes. The good thing is I do still have a sense of humor. It has some chinks in it but it's perfectly normal I suppose.   

Anyway, the girl(s) have gained a few pounds because we haven't been walking like we did back in the old neighborhood. It's unfortunate and I try to fight it but the new neighborhood is a boring walk. I never even considered it would be a factor but it is. For a while we even stopped walking over to Home Depot because after a year of our shopping/visiting they put up a sign that read: Only Service Dogs Allowed (Staples just did this as well tsk, tsk). A couple of months ago the sign was gone and I noticed a dog coming out of the store so I asked a cashier what happened and she said they'd gotten a new manager who actually likes dogs. The manager decided one dog didn't represent all dogs. What a concept right? So. Way to go Home Depot. Any chance you all could stop selling Round Up?

 Some mornings we do make a run downtown to the Bicentennial Mall and ride the B-Cycle bikes. Stella trots alongside the bicycle, occasionally veering off toward a daredevil squirrel or to try to steal a lick off the legs of passing, random joggers . You've got to know that plays well. Anyway, if there is anyone left still reading, check out this beautiful road dog. And let us hear from you.  We're also on Tumblr if you happen to go that way.