Michael

My daughter and I have a very precocious female beagle named Allie. I travel a lot and don’t get to see her very much. So, it is always nice to spend some time with her.

Allie is incredibly playful almost 24 hours a day. She can wear you out because she is so athletic. I must say, playing with her is a joy. Allie can make you start laughing very quickly as she runs at hypersonic speeds through the house hoping you will chase her. She is a great stress relief when times are tough. She’ll make you feel like you are the most important person in the world when you’re down. Allie also has an intense curiosity about everything that we do. She definitely enjoys being right where the action is.

I mention all of this because Allie is one of the many things that make me happy. Sometimes all I need to do is picture her in my mind to get a smile on my face. In fact she is making me laugh right now as I watch her make a "nest" out of a sleeping bag on the floor. It must be her bedtime!

It’s funny how dogs and cats know the inside of folks better than other folks do, isn’t it? – Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna, 1912
(1868 – 1920)

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man. – Mark Twain, US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 – 1910)