hi Blue Eyes> A flagon of wine ?? At first I felt a bit sorry for myseld today, no money for the mines, no money in my swiss bnk acct, no money for my broker in canada, just bills, etc' , then upon reflexion I rememberd not only mi Blue Eyed luv, and mi amigos in here, but also my Poopie..-

I found my pooper in a gunny sack uder the jeep. I saw the sack before driving, pulled it out and found a squirming, loveing, blond puppy So I now had a doggie, despite my vow to the last one, 'no more.' it hurt too much after losing him. But being slurped from head to toe, sorta changed my mind.

As it turned out she was absolutely the smartest doggie that I ever had live with me. When she died, she knew over 56 hand signals and the equal ones vocally in either English or Spanish. WE COULD CUMMUNI CATE !!! I swear, many times mentally .

Most of the peple in the town claimed she was smarterthan the best or most of them. She loved riding in the Jeep, looking exactly like an old Dowager to the amusement of the peple.

One of her favorite games was for me to indicate for her to sit and wait, then Io walk about a block away, signal for her to come which she did at all speed, and she usually just leaped at me when she was perhaps 10 ft away. Have you ever had a Blond Retriever / ( German Shepard weighing aobut 75 lbs hit you ful bore?

I would alternately simply step to one side or let her hit me, 'which she loved.' She would knock me down and we would end up wrestling, laughng, and playing in the street. to the delight of the onlookers. They were not used to seeing such a relatioship betwen a man and his doggie friend.

Once we were at the beach preparing a landing strip when she took off after a long legged jack rabit and disappeared. I called her, finally drove aroung for a ocuple of hrs calling and looking for her without success . Incidentally this was a form of salt pan,just scrub brush growing and the nearest ranch was some 10 miles away. No drinking water for miles other than at the ranch.

I must have spent most of the day trying to save my pooper, then finally heart broken I returned to camp. The road ran through our improvised airfield and wind sock, and as I neared the windsock she just stood up. She wa about as bedraggled and beat up as I had ever seen her, yet since she didn't know the way to the camp site , some miles away, she, with sublime faith in me, simply waited for me to return to pick her up- --she as right again.

When she was dying, she raised up her head, gave La Bert a long deep look, then did the same with me, laid back down, then never moved again., I will always be convinced that she was consciously saying 'good bye.'

I have neverr had the heart to allow another doggie to live with me, which in many ways is very selfish but it took months to get over her loss. I wonder how I will react when My Bert leaves, or my Blue eyes heheh more wine luv??

Seriously one that hasen't had the unselfish love with no demands, of someone like my Poopie, hasn't known how wonderful a doggie can be.

Yes, I have much to be thankful for, my poopie was one of many, you my north of 54 40 friends are another.

Don jose de La Mancha