[Isaac-Saxxon]

Originally Posted by Al Swearengen

I think thats a Boston Terrier youre thinking of there, Pokie.

We just lost our 10 year old Border Collie mix, "Allie" was her name. She was my wife's dog, the wife havin rescued her from the dog catcher as a puppie. Are they like our children? Hell yes, they are indeed. My wife is beside herself with grief, takin it very hard. I swear to God, that was the smartest dog I'd ever seen in my life, hands down. Such a loss to our family, it just makes me sick to think about it. We're a family of animal lovers, like many of you. Seven cats, two dogs and a beta fish, each a much loved member of our clan.

Its fair to say that I'm obsessed with death now...have been since my father died seven years past. I've studied just about every facet of it, read about all of the various ways that it impacts the individual, society, business, viewed images of the dead from the very recent to the not-so-recent, some of them extremely disturbin. It was not until late last night, as I sat at my desk viewing thumbnails of "death masks", that I realized why I've been doin this all these years. I've been trying to de-sensitize myself to it! Over-exposin myself to it was nothin more than a defense mechanism of sorts, an attempt to "up-armor" my soul. Just a copin strategy of which I'd been previously completely unaware. A rare moment of insight into my own psyche.

So far, its been a limited success.

Hey Al you are wise to look at things in a real way. I hope you find what it is you are looking for. Tell you wife I will have a litter of Border Collies next spring from my female. You are so right they are soooooooooo smart and until you own one you could never now.