Everything changes and change is everything

     Wow, is it really October already?  Seems like this year has flown by.  The leaves are starting to turn,

people are picking out costumes for Halloween, turkeys are being sacrificed in the Pilgrim tradition, stores are displaying Christmas decorations, the days are way too short already, and I have had the heat on more than once.  Everything changes and change is everything.

      Yes, it is time for your invoice (please, pretty please confirm your receipt -- I had two people not get theirs last month ), and this is usually the time I plead with you to visit my blog, The Muse and Views of a Mountain Writer.  Unfortunately, although there is plenty there to read, I haven't posted anything new since the last invoice period.  (You can still peruse the old posts, share a laugh or marvel at my warped insights, leave me a facetious comment, and of course, click on one of the ads so that my advertisers continue to support my hard work.)

      In addition to business, which has been quite good lately, thank you all, my spare time has been spent on certain other of life's distractions.  As most of you know, almost a year ago my wife and I split up.  In the divorce, she took one of our dogs, Betsy, and I kept Sebastian

 with me.  The transition from married life to single life, from two people sharing household responsibilities to me flying solo, and the drastic change in the available budget expenditures kept me occupied for most of this past year.  As things began to stabilize and reach a livable stasis, I started noticing that the other occupant of my house was having issues, too.

      I spent most of this past month searching the local animal shelters for a playmate and companion for my dog Sebastian.  There were several that I thought were good prospects, but Bubba has particular tastes and rejected each one for a variety of reasons.  A little over a week ago I started getting heads-ups from the staff at Sarge's Animal Foundation that Cory, a Feist-mix was soon going to available.

    Sebastian and I met him last Tuesday morning as he was released from the vet who neutered him.  His size, temperament and personality made him a perfect match.  And after some time in a run together, Sebastian grudgingly agreed and Cory found a new home.  

     We didn't bring him home that day, his stitches were bothering him, and I didn't want the added issues of his "licking" to complicate his necessary training and getting him accustomed to his new house and family.  I waited until this past Saturday morning to bring him home.  

     I thought I was prepared for everything, even arranging for my friend Sandra to be here to help keep an eye on things.  Cory climbed the steps to the front deck, met Sebastian (canine style), checked out Sandra, and then surprised us all;  He is completely trained.  It took only one time to show him the door to the run and he understood his responsibilities, he gratefully bowed to Sebastian

 allowing his brother to retain his Alpha Dog status, and immediately let the bipedal humans know he was all about giving and getting love.

     I had to laugh today when I picked up a hat in preparation for the drive down the mountain to check the mail, Cory has already figured out that "hat" means "ride."  In the few short days he's been here, he has become so comfortable that none of us even think of him being a new guy.  Yes, everything changes, and change is everything.  Happy Autumn, everyone, and thanks for everything.