Many moons have passed since my last blog entry. But I am missing blogging as a writing outlet so I take up my keyboard after a long break. Inspired in part by a off handed comment made by Doug, the recent adopter of Serious Fire Power. I guess I get thinking that I am just rambling along keeping a blog and no one is reading it. But when he told me he enjoyed it and then today another friend commented on it I realized maybe....just maybe I am not just talking to myself.

The past few months have been some what routine with foster dogs coming and going, students with dogs, seminars and dog shows. What wasn't routine was the passing of my Aussie boy Dusk on May 19th. Some of you may remember that some time ago he was diagnosed with a tumor of unknown quantity in his chest. Almost a year and a half ago my vet warned me the Dusk was a short-timer. He beat the odds for a long time but even so the loss was overwhelming....is overwhelming. I still flounder at moments to find my balance without him. More on that later...gulp...

At the moment I have a single foster dog. Helen is black, beautiful and smart as a whip. She is lots of fun and likes to be right in the middle of the action. When I let her loose in the paddock, in my mind I hear that charge bugle they play in old war movies. She does everything with zeal and with all her heart. Frankly she can stay as long as she wants. She makes me laugh out loud almost every day. Her perfect home would be active and longing for a soul mate. She would happily race you to the "M" or hang out watching reruns. She likes everyone and all dogs. I need to cat test her again because she failed to react to the cat both times I tested her...which I find hard to believe. I will test her on Sigh my black cat who may get a different response than the blondie Malarkey. I took Malarkey to cat test all the new foster greyhounds at Tripps about a month ago. We put Malarkey in one of the big wire greyhound crates and brought the greyhounds in one at a time. Malarkey, the big dummy, lolled on the bed, rolling this way and that. He stretched his feet out, purring loudly and was having the best time ever. It was if the scent of greyhounds was his catnip. Not a single dog reacted to him. I think my cat is a failure as a test cat. But Sigh the black cat is different, he is cagey and suspicious. So I will test Helen again with him and see if she reacts to him. In the meantime Helen's coat which was ratty and thin when she arrived has turned glossy. She was chosen for Montana in part because she has flea allergies. Our flea free mountain home is already changing her quality of life.

Seems like there is so many things to catch up on but I will save those for fodder for another blog day. Time for me to head out and tuck in some dogs. Its getting dark and this year someone in my usually quiet neighborhood has been testing out fireworks.