Thursday, January 08, 2004

Hey...Bryan here....sharing a story of good news.

Back in 1989, Christmas Eve, I was taking my girlfriend home from a time at my home, celebrating the holiday with my family.  On the way in, I hit a patch of ice and side-swiped a stop sign with my mother’s little SUV.  The crease that metal pole put in the driver’s side door was quite impressive.

Merry Christmas!

Before returning home, I made two decisions.  First, I decided my girlfriend was coming back with me.  It didn’t matter what type of trouble she’d get into for being late at her home, I needed a witness to make sure my folks wouldn’t kill me.  Second, we stopped at City Market, the local grocery store, and picked up a free puppy being offered to any taker.

Thus, Holly entered our world.

My ploy worked, and Holly became the family dog.  Holly has been a great family dog, very loyal, very territorial...very even-tempered.

When we pulled in to Craig on the TOI ^&reg the first question out of Kaylyn’s mouth was, “Papa, where’s Holly?”

“Well, we haven’t seen Holly for two days,” Papa said cautiously, while giving me a grim look.  The weather had been horrible, not very forgiving or even accomodating for a 15 year-old mutt that was growing increasingly blind and deaf.

We all shared the sad reality that Holly probably had gone up into the hills, got caught in the bad weather, and had probably become too weak to find her way home.  Papa would likely find her next Spring, once the snow had melted.

And while we were sad, we comforted ourselves with the whole “Circle of Life” type thoughts that we had due to the Christmas-time entry and departure into our lives.  But for the first time in basically half my life, my Holly Dog was no longer around.

Well, my mom phoned us tonight.

She: “Holly’s home.”
Me: “What?!?”
She:  She was over at a neighbors on the other side of the hill, ever since we lost her.
Me:  How’d you find her?
She:  My secretary’s husband saw an ad in the newspaper and remembered that Holly had run away.  He gave me the contact and Holly was in the driveway when I got home.  Dad went and got her!
Me:  This is great!  Holly’s home.

It’s taking everything in me to not wake the kids and tell them the news....they’ll no doubt be very happy.