This dog................

This Dog....

...Was originally named Edison.....

...Stole my heart completely one day from inside a kennel at the humane society.....

...Came from a insanely abusive home....

...Sadly understood the real meaning of hunger....

...Caused me to plead all day to Big Daddy to just go see him at the humane society and be interviewed so we could adopt....

...Made me have a plan B (a male friend was going to go and interview as Big Daddy) just in case Big Daddy refused to go for the interview....I still remember Big Daddy calling me at work and saying...."Get off a few minutes early and go get your new dog"

...Threw up all over my best friend on the way to his new home....

...Was named Chester after he became a member of our family....

...Belonged to the boy in this picture....

...Was TERRIFIED of storms....and could sense them coming at least 50 miles away. We also knew when a storm was coming by his pacing....

...Could open the back door to get inside our house...especially when we weren't home...

...Hated to be confined....and would tear the curtains off the wall if he got caught in the garage.

...Will forever have a doggie door in our garage (solution to the line above)...

...Would get on top all the new cars (Wormie's and Xbox's) the came into our driveway...maybe his way of Marking them....because he would always leave marks on the hood....aka Chester the Car Molester....

...Worshiped Molly, our mini dachshund. They were known as Molly Mae and Chessie Ray

...Caused Xbox to climb in his fort and stay for hours when Big Daddy would got mad enough to think about finding Chester a new home.....

...Caused several disagreements between me and Big Daddy...because Mom's always go to war for their babies!

...Had grown old here with us....and the fur on his face had turned almost completely white.

...Had surgery last summer to remove a growth....and we prayed it would not come back...but it came back and with avengence...
...Ate a rabbit...just last night. He and Molly would always chase the rabbits in the vineyard.

...will be greatly missed....but always remembered....

...finally got to go find his Molly Mae...once again...just this afternoon.

Rest is peace, Chessie!

I will miss your loving 'welcome home' greetings in the afternoons.

Thanks for showing us so many years of unconditional love.

I love you!

Xbox Prom Volume Two

The the lens of Wormie! :) Good job ladies on the pictures... I love them!

Xbox Prom Volume One

Thru the eyes of 2Shaye~

I will put Wormie's view when she blogs her pictures.

I feel so lost without pic of my own...but I know the girls would do the best job.

Catch up time - So tonight I'm heading back to Denver...Part 1

So Im getting way behind on my blogging.....so tonight i'll start start again....and try to stay in date order! Some friends of ours get to call Colorado their home state. It's a gorgeous place. I loved it out there! Big Daddy and I had a great time....we walked miles and miles everyday....and ended the day with a stroll down 16th Street. We took pictures on 2 cameras...and we have only downloaded from one...we'll have to wait for 2Shaye to bring home the cable...but for now...enjoy the ones I do have! A room with a view! :) Daytime view....Rocky Mountains Night time view - Overlooking 16th Street Wind chimes.... Denver style....they sounded amazing. I have a feeling we will have some of these in Shoals before long. Notice Big Daddy taking in the details. An afternoon stroll down to the Platte River. A sign said...it's not as clean as it looks. I found this strange since this is a city that didn't just trash cans...they had Landfill containers, Compost containers (where all food and paper products were placed) and Recycle containers. Sorting trash was 2nd nature to them all. Another oddity..... everyone there smokes or so it seems.! Coming from tobacco road....and home of RJR....where it's taboo to light up in public. Out there....everywhere you look...folks of all ages have their ciggypuffs.

An interesting architectural structure in the middle of town....looks like something off a boat. I am sure it has a meaning....but I havent taken time to find out....but I will.

How many Starbucks does 16th Street need.....oh about 37....seriously. One of MANY cool buildings The iconic 'Big Blue Bear' at the convention center. I spent my days with him! THE coolest bookstore in the nation! In a very old building...with creaky old floors....coffee counter...many used books....and a few new ones. In an upscale, refurbished neighborhood...someone crocheted these flowers and tied them to a fence...it was very, very cool! They adorned the fence for a long stretch. Thought of my girls and Jenny Lynn immediately! Union station. Clock tower on 16th street. Each night it was a different color. This little guy...was from a vendor.....and we have decided he should go with us on all trips...and have his picture made for my blog. We named him 'Go Monkey'. Wormie said she would make him a cooler shirt. more to come.....when I can get the pictures downloaded.

Me and Big Daddy will be in here......in 3 days. A city we've both wanted to visit but never have. I cannot wait to spend 5 days here with him.

Just me and my girls.............

Tomorrow.... 2Shaye and I leave for Chartown....to hang out with Wormie for a few days. I can hardly wait........to be lazy........to go shopping......to walk in the rain.....to go downtown......to sleep on her couch......to eat out.....to buy cameras..... BUT MOSTLY..... just spend some time with these 2 girls that I proudly call mine!

Trains

Today.....I heard a train whistle blowing. I was walking into work in an office building downtown when I was almost to the door when I heard the train coming. I stopped, turned around and went back to my car. I put down my 3 bags and leaned up against my car to watch it go by. You see....I have always loved trains. My brother had one when we were little. He stored it in an old brown suitcase. It would put out a faint smoke ring....and occasionally I will smell something electrical that reminds of Mark's train. I probably loved that train as much as he did.

I started reading 'Water for Elephants' a few weeks ago....and there was a part about a guy that just decided to jump a train....and go wherever it took him....which got me thinking about trains again. Sidenote: I am going to Denver at the end of the month....and I tried to talk Big Daddy into going by train...but it's an 18 hour trip by train....and he has work deadlines....anyway....no train trip this time....so back to my story....

I decided.....today.....that I would stop my world briefly....to watch this train that grabbed my attention. It was a Southern Norfolk....pulled by 2 engines. It was 69 car lengths long.....mostly hauling Corn Products. There was only one reddish brown cargo car with an open door.....and it I thought about my book....and wondered how many people still jump into open cargo doors just to get to the next town the train stops in. There were flat bed cars hauling scrap metal. Some of silver cars has gang graffiti painted on them. I saw a man walking between the engines...and for the first time realized here was a door on the very front of the engine. I thought they just climbed the ladder to get into the engine. The caboose was NOT red....unfortunately.

I love trains....even when I'm in a hurry and waiting for them to pass.... I still love to watch them. I realize many people get annoyed waiting for them to pass because of the nature of our busy worlds....but I am still facinated.

Wormie has a train track near her apartment....and when we're on the phone....sometimes I can hear 'her train'. I always comment..."There goes your train". 2Shaye and I are going to spend a few nights with her....I can't wait to hear the 2am train.