Straydog UPDATE posted MONDAY 12/23/02 at ~8:41 p.m. CT
Pat Arnold's Daily Dog Log
MONDAY DECEMBER 23 2002
Rainy day that got colder and colder as the day wore on
There are really two types of weather that are particularly hard on the dogs: (1) when it's rainy and cold like today, and (2) when it's 100 degrees in the shade and there's little breeze as in July and August. Actually, as we've said before, the dogs prefer this rainy, cold weather to the hot summer weather.


Puppies Pepper and Bessie are doing fine in their new home
The new mom who adopted Puppies Pepper and Bessie last Saturday mentioned to her co-worker, who is one of our volunteers on Adoption Days, that the new little puppies are doing just fine with their new family. The two sons are on Christmas vacation from school for a while, which gives the children lots of time to spend with their new little pets. This is great news about these two pups!

And here's an email about Helen from the Forts
Pat and Bill - I'm pretty sure you have received our Christmas card by now. Helen is VERY happy. She loves Winston, and they play constantly! I'm so glad that she has Winston because her happiest times are when she's running around the yard with him and playing with her many toys. She particularly likes to bring a toy over to Winston and tries to get him to pull on the other end. We get a kick out of it when she starts "going crazy": she'll run into the dinning room, wait just a few seconds, run back out, attack Winston (playfully) and then repeat that 20 times or more! I think they are both comfortable with their roles in this house, which is pretty much that they are both above us! We have been busy with the usual holiday things, and Helen's addition to our family has gone off without a hitch. I don't think people realized what a great "normal" dog she is [being deaf and with very limited sight]. Hope all is well there. My parents gave me a check in memory of Danny Boy which I forgot to put in with our Christmas card. I will get that too you soon. Darla.

Neal and Darla Fort after Neal's team won the Gray Cup on November 24. The Forts adopted Helen, the totally deaf and nearly blind, semi-albino Great Dane pup of 10 months and picked Helen up on their way home from Montreal to the Houston area, where they spend the off season.