The last two adoptions in this area were by ladies named Mary. I got a note from both Marys today. Kiki's "foster mom" Mary's note said she failed fostering and Kiki has a home with her forever!! Asta's mom Mary's note said Asta is the most wonderful dog ever and she is hooked.

Kay has also been claimed by a family in Three Forks and will move as soon as we can make transportation arrangements. Anyone interested in driving a pretty fawn girl part way to Three Forks on the week end?

Eileen is likely going to move next week end to a foster home in Billings....providing we can arrange transportation. Meanwhile things here are good. The goose baby has been named Cinco. He is a week old tomorrow. Caroline and Tony my long term greyhound boarders are getting ready to pack their little bags and head home with their family. There is an aussie in the Missoula Shelter in dire need. The shelter called today and begged me to come meet him. The wheels of rescue just keep on turning.....

Today Kiki headed home with her new "foster" mom. Mary will be teaching her all about life as a real dog. Of course after our long long lecture to Mary about "DO NOT LET THIS DOG ESCAPE!!!" We managed to let that dog escape. I was coming in with dogs and between Judy and I...out Kiki slipped and she headed down the road. Our eyes met and the same word was spoken "S#*T!!!" I quickly handed Judy the dogs I had and calmly called "Kiki, Come on girl" as I headed to the kennel room where the greyhounds stay. Thankfully she turned headed back to me and was looking to go in. Fearful dogs will do one of two things....either freak and bolt or head for something familiar. Today we were LUCKY and she headed back. After Kiki was safely headed home with Mary, Judy and I went and had a big chocolate fix. Next thing we knew we were at the feed store looking at baby chicks and then we were headed back home with a gosling like that was the most normal thing in the world. Stress can sure mess up logic.

Good news on foster spots for a couple of the girls. Kiki may have a foster home in this area. A dog savvy couple who is willing work with her and give her time to learn. Another willing foster home is waiting for a dog in Billings. We need to work out transport from Missoula area to Billings. If anyone is traveling that way and is willing to move pups contact Judy or Trish. The foster home is ready now....so the sooner the better.
Today we celebrate....personal celebration really.....5 years ago I had open heart surgery. I am 5 years into my second chance. Proud to say I am healthy as I can be and the reasons I was sick are ancient history. To read how my Greyhound Nick helped me sail through one of the toughest times of my life go to
http://members.tripod.com/jonikay/newpage1.htm

Here is the rest of the story... I could not get off the anti inflammatories and long term use was going to be detrimental. I was really sick. In April I had surgery to remove large secitons of my pericardium. The recovery was long, Nick was ever my guardian. When ever I was outside too long it was Nick who made me go in. He would bark at me until I went in....if I ignored him he would start to nip at my hands until I got the message. Time and time again he got me back inside just before I completely wore out. Nick took his job very seriously. Later that same year Nick developed a lump on his side....I had a strange feeling about it which turned out to be right. It was cancer. Surgery failed because the lump had too many fingers wound into the muscle of my boy. One night Nick was feeling sick. I laid down and spooned with him. I told him I was going to make it now. I thanked him for taking care of me and told him I hoped he would stay forever but he could leave when he needed to....with in 24 hours he was gone.

So if I at times seem a little too enthusiastic about fostering and routinely get in over my head you now know my debt to greyhounds is great. I had one give me life....I hope to return the favor.

Things here have been routine and good. The dogs all get out into the paddocks for several hours on the sunny days and raw hide bones and shelter on the days that are crummy. Kiki is coming around more all the time. Every day I seem to see another step towards trust. Kay and Dusk are both sweet and pretty easy to handle. Eileen...well Eileen is a busy body. Very sweet and wants to be a good girl but LOOK what I caught her doing. I had to hide and take these pictures through a window....if she could see me her little halo was shining brightly. She would blink her big innocent eyes at me and sweetly lay down until I left....she is a SLY FOX!!! I admire that.

Step One.... get a good look at the gate, this is a good way to see if anyone is watching.

Step Two.... rally support from Kiki and get busy with that pesky latch

Step Three....Free at last we are Free at last

Eileen escapes, Kiki is making her move and Kay wonders, "is that a camera? Shall I strike a pose?"

I am sure Eileen was disappointed that her great escape just dead ended in another kennel.

GPA Rocky Mountain lost a real ambassador today. Carol and Dan Tripp had to lay to rest their beloved greyhound boy Sam. He was diagnosed with a bone tumor earlier this year. Tripps knew the clock was ticking but it never makes it easy. Sam was a stunning big white and brindle boy and he knew how to work the crowd at the several meet and greets he attended. If you were lucky enough to be at Tripps in the summer, Sam was happy to share the pool with you. One of the things that made Sam so beautiful was his confidence and his ultimate knowledge of how loved he was. Sam will be greatly missed by all who called him friend.

Also got word that little greyhound Gracie Broeder from Billings was laid to rest last night. SIGH.....I find it a strange coincidence that greyhounds arrive in Montana on a bus in groups and they also seem to pass to the next world in groups. I can't help but wonder if there may be a heavenly bus waiting for them. If so when it is my time to go you will find me at the bus stop.

This week.....Asta is home, Falcon went home and Dynamo went home. YEAH!!!! Everyone is vetted, wormed, and vaccinated. It has been a busy week. The only bobble is Mo has a upset tummy his first night home. Hopefully tomorrow will see him feeling right as rain. I can hardly wait for life to return to some sort of routine. It is fun to get dogs in but it can be a little taxing the first week or so. After everyone left we got out the whole foster dog gang and gave them all pigs ears. It was fun seeing the gang all crunching away. Judy wanted to do some more pictures but I was so dang tired I bagged out. I will try to get some tomorrow. I need to try to get one of Eileen using her nose to open gates....dang smart dog...if she figures out how to open the clips that are securing the gates I will be really be in trouble. Kiki is still finding her way...small break throughs every day. Tonight she was willing to come in with the rest of the girls, before she would hang back and I would have to go corner her to catch her. Kay is really sweet and fun. She was sure trying her best to horn in on Mo's new home. What a smooze!! It will be interesting to see what Dusk does now that he doesn't have Mo to take the lead. It is always interesting to see them emerge the first few days.

Today was the first day this week I wasn't doing the greyhound shuffle. It was nice not to have to rush off anywhere this morning. Asta went home and I got a quick report from Mary that things went well her first night home. Mo will be heading out on Sunday....if his family can stand to wait that long :>) The rest of the gang are happily recovering from their vet visits.

I have a confession. I could not remember the name Peachy....and frankly it may be on purpose because "Peachy" makes me get this tickle in the back of my throat like I get right before I am sick. So I have been calling her Kiki....it kind of sounds like Peachy and doesn't cause the gag reflex. Usually I don't even bother changing a name. I used to spend a lot of time shopping for the right name for my aussie rescues, most did not come with names. The more I liked the name the faster it seemed to be changed. So one day in a moment of haste I named this really beautiful aussie girl who was a bit sassy, Zsa Zsa. Sad to say that name stuck. And did I learn my lesson...no I didn't...Kiki!

Moxie and Tilly

We got word of the passing of a sweet young greyhound girl, Moxie. Foxy arrived in the fall of 2004. She was a shy little girl but we found someone up north who wanted to adopt her. So she headed that direction to have her vet work done and then be placed. When it came time to spay her she had some problems. She reacted adversely to the drugs used and the episode kicked off a seizure disorder. This big eyed tiny girl made her way back to Hot Cha Kennels. She was a changed dog. She went from shy to FEARFUL. Her eyes would be as big as saucers, her body tight and stiff. Just watching her made me ache. Just after she arrived I remember talking to Judy and saying "I don't know what we are going to do with her she is scared to death!" She would bolt around the room and I would have to gently herd her into smaller areas until I could catch her. Truly I was scared for her. There aren't a lot of homes for dogs who won't approach people and who have medical problems. Thankfully it was not long before Jenny met Foxy and they connected. Jenny spoke with her partner and they agreed to foster Foxy. Soon we got word that Foxy had changed her name to Moxie and she was staying in her foster home...FOREVER!!! Never had those words sounded so sweet. Moxie was not an easy dog but her family made it work. At the mall function this past weekend Judy and Jenny were visiting and Jenny mentioned she was seeing some changes in Moxie. In just a matter of days these small changes became dramatic and Moxie lost her quick and brutal fight for life. I believe it was stomach cancer. My heart goes out to Moxie's family for the loss. My gratitude also goes out to them. They offered Moxie safe harbor when she was a lost soul. They gave her peace and unconditional love. So really this story isn't about Moxie...it is about the kind and generous people who make up our greyhound community. It is about the lessons we learn about love from watching people who go the extra mile and say "Yes, she has a home with us...even with her baggage."

Run free little tiny brindle greyhound girl...fear no more.

We are making progress getting the vet work done. Yesterday was the trip into Missoula to get rabies shots on the 4 dogs who needed it...and I took 4 of my crew who also needed to be boostered. On the way home I swung by PetsMart and since I actually could get waited on I bought a couple of big goldfish to occupy my then empty tank. About the time I was going to wheel home the phone rang and one of my boarding clients needed me pick up her dog. Of course the 8 dogs that were already in the van were crated so there was just enough room for the boarder to squeeze in the side door in front of the other crates. I felt a little like a circus act when it came time to unload. Dogs just kept coming out of the van.

This morning bright and early I headed down to have Dynamo and Asta altered and a dental. They are back home now and both of them are pretty out of it. Poor kids are so pathetic!! Hopefully the pain meds will kick in and get them up and moving soon. Once Asta is up and perking along again she will be heading home. Her owner is ready for her...yesterday. Mo also has been claimed by the Townsend family of Great Falls. We are hoping for him to head home this week end. The next item on the agenda is to try to get the stitches out of Kay, booster the combo shot and in the morning take the others to be fixed up and made ready for homes....oh yeah and another worming. Next week things can fall into some form of rhythm and I can really start to get to know the new dogs.

Mary came out to meet her new girl Asta (Asp). It certainly seemed to be a good match. Asta will have her vet work done this week and she can head home Thursday.

After yesterday being warm and wonderful today's rain and wind was met with a frown. I had visions of the new dogs getting to get out and sleep in the sun. By afternoon it at least was dry enough to let the new greyhounds have a romp in the paddocks. My friend Pam helped me get them out and we enjoyed seeing them running around. But it was short lived as we all got chilled and needed to head in. The new dogs are settling in well. The boys Dusk and Dynamo are here now. The two of them together are the most amazing sight. Really beautiful!! There is that new program on the Discovery channel "Planet Earth" They show all of this really amazing footage of things in nature. But nothing they have can match the beauty of these two black silhouettes as they float around my paddock. They are absolutely breath taking. I have got to get better pictures of them together. Maybe we should put a call into The Discovery Channel. We can do a new program called "Planet Paddock"

Dusk and Dynamo

Well the dogs are here, clean, fed and dosed with Frontline. Maybe the Easter Bunny will bring them new homes for Easter. It is late and I am headed to bed...but wanted to report that they are here safe and sound. Both Asp and Peachy have been spoken for. Asp got right off the bus and was ready to take Missoula by storm. She was a little disappointed that our idea of welcome was a bath and to bed she was ready to party!! Eileen is taking it all in stride....she is a sweetheart!! Kay is a little nervous but quickly making friends. Peachy is pretty stressed out and scared. I paired her in the kennel with Eileen hoping some of Eileen's easy going ways will set an example for Peachy. She will be okay just a big eyed kid right now. I discovered Eileen can open gate latches when she came waltzing in to find me....HOLY S*#T!!! I am so glad that black dog didn't take off in the dark....she is my favorite girl tonight. Off to bed....If I hurry I can almost get 3 hours of sleep.

Sometimes I wonder if it would be better if someone who didn't love greyhounds as much as I do was in charge of ordering. LOOK who else will be hopping on the bus....

This is Kay who raced under the name of Navy Blue Angel. She is on the small side and just two years old. She wasn't fast enough to be a real race dog. Something about her funny face charms me. Looks like she is sharing a joke....truth be known she is probably just coughing. Oh well...whatever works.

This is Driven by Dynamo who is 4.5 years old. Funny thing about this boy, he just kept popping up on every one's radar. Sometimes when that happens you just have to wonder if there isn't a reason. He is sired by Flying Train who has several kids in MT. Dynamo's race career is interesting because he won a few but mostly was in the pack. Kind of the working man of dog racing. Not a stellar performer but solid in his work. Adding Dynamo puts us 2 over the limit I set....but I do feel happy about it. We are still waiting to hear back confirming that he is coming.

DANG IT....Angie the girl we were hoping for had to head back to the farm for mom duty. RATS!!! The good news is there is always another one waiting. 7 year old Eileen will be getting a ticket to Montana. If anyone wants to foster speak up NOW....there are about 5 other dogs on our short list we would LOVE to send a bus ticket to!! Dogs have to be picked by tomorrow.

Here is the other two girls we will be getting....

This is Peachy whose race name is Bellini Buzz. She will be 2 in July. She is cute but not fast enough to be a race winner. So she will race to a couch in Montana. This is kind of a silly picture, but we asked our KS connection to pick something nice for us and this is who they picked. She must be a sweetheart!!

This pretty girl was spotted by Carol. She is 5.5 years and had a race career where she prove to be very good. She was taken home and raised a litter and is now ready to be welcomed into some lucky person's family.

Just a few more days until the new greyhound arrive. We are still trying to firm up who exactly is heading our way. We are planning to bring 4 (3 girls and a boy). There are always so many steps to orchestrate the incoming hounds. Vet appointments to arrange, foster spots to figure out, transport and when we are lucky...homes who are prepared to adopt. We are confirmed to receive the two dogs pictured below. Our Kansas connection has been swamped by an abandoned litter of newborn pups that are requiring almost constant care....so the news of exactly who is coming has been understandably a little slow. Here is who will call Big Sky home...This is Asp. She is 7 years young and has a home lined up for her here in Missoula. Judy fell in love with this girl's photos. She said there is some spark...Carol and I both saw it too so she will call Montana home.

OK so that sweet face lured me in and then when I found out he shared the same name as my own sweet Aussie boy I was hooked. I will be fostering this 2.5 year old boy named Dusk...yes really just fostering.

Just about the time Trish gave up all hope of seeing her St. Pats Pup on the blog....Surprise!!

TATE of the OLSEN CLAN, wishes to thank the knitting club for voting me the winner of the St. Patrick's Day contest. Talk about the "Luck of the Irish"!
I wish to thank Irene for giving us the opportunity to participate in the Photo Contests this year! The FUN was ours - the subjects, OUTSTANDING!

trish