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Mom just told me a story that is kinda hard to believe; you’ll see why.

Mom has another girl–a human girl–in her life that she loves very much, too. Well, anyway, this girl–her name is Melody if you’re interested–emailed mom and wanted mom to send her a story about Katy. Katy, if you will recall, is my Golden Retriever sister that is now with God. If you don’t believe that there is a place for dogs in heaven, you are wrong. And here’s why:

God creates everything, including furry people like me. I realize most humans don’t want to admit we have feelings or souls, but we do. By we, I mean all animals; just keep in mind that humans are animals as well. At any rate, God created all of us, and why would He decide He loves one animal more than another? Humans can do this, but He can’t. Well, I don’t believe He did. So, it stands to reason, if there is a heaven for humans (and there is), and He loves this upright animal (which He does), and He created me (which He did), then why would He just limit our time to be together on earth (He wouldn’t)?

I mean, if you had the choice, wouldn’t you choose to be with the ones you love while you are alive and after you’re not? Of course, you would. That’s my point–wherever mom goes, I will go because that is what she wants, and Katy will be there wagging her tail, grinning, and waiting to lick me on the head again. And all the ones before Katy will be there, too. But, to get back to my story that’s hard to believe, listen carefully.

I can’t believe Melody wanted a story on Katy (although she certainly deserves it) and not me. I can be jealous if I want because there are no Ten Commandments for furry people.

I love chocolate chip cookies, don’t you? Mom only lets me have one when she has one, and that is not very often. She says chocolate is not good for dogs, but I keep telling her that it is only dark chocolate that is bad for a person like me–you know, the furry kind.

Mom lets me have M & M’s sometimes, too. I can’t eat too many because I have to watch my weight, according to Dr. Eitelman, although I don’t think I’m fat–just kind of plump. But, I have to watch it anyway.

You know, mom will leave food down on the table in the living room, and I won’t touch it. In itself that’s amazing, because I think I am hungry most of the time. Intellectually I know I’m not, but I feel hungry; that’s worse than actually being hungry. Mom feeds all of us plenty of food. I know I’ve told you that she cooks us rice every night to go with our supper. I have talked to others like me and know that they don’t get rice with their supper; in fact, some are lucky just to get any supper at all.

But, getting back to my Chips Ahoy; they are the best of all the chocolate chip cookies. I should know they are because I have tried all the other kinds. And, besides, mom can always tell when I really need a cookie, and she gives me the kind I like. And if it feels as if I’m writing in a stream of conscious way, it’s because I NEED A COOKIE!

Katy and Samson taking a stroll in the little backyard.

Mom was looking through her pictures (she has tons of them) and found this one. She started talking about Katy and Samson, so I thought I’d put this one up here so you could see them.

Katy is the Golden Retriever mom is always talking and writing about. Samson is a Blue Merle Great Dane. Since both of these much-loved pets are in the canine graveyard up by the frontyard fence (mom misses them a lot), mom talks about them a lot. She tells me if she talks about them, then they stay alive in her mind as they will always be alive in her heart. Samson belonged to mom’s son Jason, but Samson lived with us a lot. Jason lived in an apartment most of the time, and so Samson stayed with us. In fact, he is the reason dad fenced in the big back yard. I have a lot to say about Samson, but it will have to wait til next time; mom has to tell me first.

Yesterday, I was very, very good for mom when we went to PetSmart. And she made good on her promise–she found me a red (and very loud) red ball to play with.

When we got home, she finally got the ball out of the package, and gave it to me so we could play ball. I immediately ran to the front door and waited on mom. When she got there, she opened the door, and I rushed out into the big yard. She followed me. I crouched down on my front legs waiting for her to try and come get the ball, my tail wagging furiously.

She almost got up to me when I started to run, but mom stopped me. She told me that she wasn’t Kasha and for me to drop the ball. I didn’t want to, but I did. Then, mom picked it up and threw it for me. I saw where it landed, and it made all these noises (mom said the noises lasted for 10 seconds and that was all the time I had to find the ball. But, by keeping my eye on the ball, I already knew where it was, so I just ran right to it. She clapped her hands and told me that I was a very smart and clever dog. Of course, I already knew that. We did this crouch, drop the ball, throw the ball, go get the ball a few more times, and I got bored. So, the last time I got the ball, I started trotting back toward the house. Mom got the idea and followed me.

Once inside the house again, I decided to take a nap; all that running made me very tired. I don’t know what mom did, because I was asleep.

Today is the big day; PetSmart day.

I get to go to town with mom, ride in her car and everything. She told me I was going to get a new toy if I was I good girl. Oh, I’ll be good, really good if it’s going to get me a new red ball that makes lots of noises. Gosh, I really like to go with mom on the Saturday.

Look, she has my harness. I really am going to get to go with her. I thought maybe she was fooling me, but she’s not. Here she comes, talking to me to calm me down. I get real excited sometimes. I jump around, run around in circles, jump up on the couch and then down again, and repeat the process until mom has be calmed me down enough to put on my harness.

It’s on. She told me to wait by the door until she comes back after me, and I will. I will be in the exact same position when she comes back as when she left. I am sitting on the arm of the love seat by the door–looking all pretty, of course. I hear the garage door opening, and mom coming back into the house. It’s almost time to go. Boy, am I ready!!

Hooray for Sam Bradford!!!!

He’s coming back to play for the Sooners next season, and this made dad very happy. Sam said in an interview that he had always wanted to play for the Sooners ever since he was a little boy. He went on to say that he didn’t like the idea of leaving without a national championship.

Not only is Sam coming back, but Gresham is too. You might remember that Gresham is a very important part of the Sooners as well. And Murray will be back; boy, oh boy, are we going to be a great team, or what?

I’m not making light of the fact that we are losing some great players due to the fact that they are seniors and are graduating, but I sure they wish they would enter graduate school and become fifth-year seniors at OU.

What do you think pets of this world? Do you like Peticure or do you prefer the old-fashioned nail clippers?

My mom got a Peticure through the mail, and she was all excited. I was the first one she tried it out on, and I wasn’t very happy about it. It sure makes a lot of noise, and I really don’t like that. It also creates a funny smell after she uses it a while, and I don’t like that either. And, besides, it takes too long.

Hilde doesn’t like it at all; she gets that “don’t touch me” look on her face when she sees mom pick it up. I guess her nails are just too big and thick for it to be very effective.

Wooly chews his own nails, and he keeps them neat and tidy. Will wonders never cease?

Kasha seems to be okay with it, though. She will patiently sit, listen to the noise, smell the smell, and just kinda look like someone is being mean to her. But, nevertheless, she does it.

When mom starts at me with that thing, I run.

I’m guessing you know what garbage is. I’m not talking GI/GO, but the actual leftovers that humans seem to amass at alarming rates. Well, my household is no different. We try to keep it in containers, but outsiders seem to know when garbage day approaches.

Since we live in the country, a paid service has to come and collect it once a week–on Wednesdays. So, every Tuesday night, mom takes the garbage container to the place where the collectors won’t have any trouble emptying it. Mom used to have to lug it up to the highway, but since she got a special dispensation, she just takes it down to the beginning of the backyard fence; it makes it a lot easier on her and me; she’s not gone as long.

Last night, varmits got into it again and scattered it everywhere. I realize wild animals have to eat, too, but I wish they would go through someone else’s garbage. At any rate, one of them got outsmarted because it got stuck in the garbage can. Mom went out to make sure the garbage wasn’t bothered, and that’s when she found it scattered everwhere. She started picking it up, and heard this noise inside the container. She started poking around (she’s nosy) and saw an opossum close to the bottom. I had no idea they were so mean and so slow (I was looking out the window). So, mom, being mom, emptied the garbage so it could escape. It turned on her when she was trying to free it from the surrounding garbage; I couldn’t believe it. It tried to attack her, if you can call a slow crawl an attack. She is very agile and evaded it with no problem. He bit the stick she was holding and held on for dear life. He still had it in his mouth as he was leaving.

It finally went away, and mom picked up the garbage, put it back in the container (some of the bags were still intact), and came back in the house. She told me that varmits are one of the prices you have to pay for living away from other humans. I guess I believe her.

I saw it last night when I was lying on the couch with mom.

I heard something; you know, my hearing is quite remarkable, being a dog and all. I looked around and spied it running under the love seat. I immediately alerted mom, who said for me to be quiet. I guess she wanted to watch The Closer on television. But when it comes right down to it, mom will choose me every time over the television. So, she said I should watch for it to come out. I placed myself right directly in front of the love seat and settled down to watch for it to come forth so I could catch it. I know, humans think house dogs can’t do anything, but they are wrong.

I heard that little sucker rustling around under there, and decided I should be in a position to pounce if I had the chance. I gingerly climbed onto the love seat being alert as well as quiet. I decided barking would scare it off, so I quit. I bet I waited for hours, but it seemed like days.

Finally, that little furry creature made a dash for it. I was on the job: I jumped right on it, but it squirmed away. That little maneuver didn’t stop me. He was fast, I’ll give him that, but I was faster. I caught that little rodent on the fly. By this time, mom had jumped up off the couch and was yelling for me to “DROP IT.”

I ran into the kitchen with it clutched in my mouth; it was still moving–I’m not a killer you know. Mom stormed into where I was, gave me that look she has perfected that makes someone want to cringe and stop whatever, and I immediately dropped it. She looked at it, saw it was still moving, and got Paul to come get it so he could take it down to the creek bottom and let it go. I guarded my prey while she was gone to make sure the others wouldn’t eat it.

Success!! Paul picked it up with his gloves and carried it to safety. And it better not come back; I won’t be as nice next time.

According to mom, one of her grandsons–Jacob–may become a movie actor. He was chosen to play in a Brad Pitt movie The Tree of Life. I’ll admit it’s not much of a role, but, hey, a Brad Pitt movie!

It was filmed in Austin, Texas last summer, and Jacob has a scene where he is going up some stairs at a local hotel. The movie scenes (where Jacob appears) are filmed at a local swimming pool. Enough of that.

I could be a movie star if mom would let me. I know lots of words and can do as I’m told when I want to. I’m cute, a little on the pudgy side like Reuben’s portraits of beautiful women, cuddly, smart, playful, and I can do lots of tricks when I’m in the mood. I can chase balls, play tug-of-war with just about anything, and be adorable on command.

So, if anyone knows anyone who wants me for a commercial, stand-in, or whatever, please let me know.