Thank you Joanne

Thank you to everyone who writes a review for us on Amazon. It lets people know that this book is worth the read.  

Destiny Plays Itself Out

She loved Immy in an instant. Immy was small, calm and beautiful. Knowing the situation, I knew that the breeder had not been willing to relinquish Immy until this very moment.  He wasn't supposed to. It was part of The Plan. Had this played out any differently, Kate would not have made the choices she made leading up to this point. I think she might have taken Georgie home.  Or then again she might not have. 

I waste no time on What Would Have Been because what happened was what was Meant To Be. Most things in life are meant to be. It needed to play out this way because I was assigned to this mission long before Kate even started looking at dogs. I needed to help her to heal and I needed to help her to find her next friend. The best friend for her to learn the lessons that she would need to move forward towards becoming all that she can be. 

Miss IMMY

Meeting the Family at Shining Mountain

Taz (L) and Georgie (R)

Taz (L) and Georgie (R)

There was a two year old boy by the name of Georgie there who needed a home. They spent some time with this quiet, big, gentle soul. He was obedient, easy-going, a perfect gentleman. They went for a walk on the leash and he was easy to guide. Then they sat inside on the couch with him. He was calm and receptive to her touch; and so soft! He was a very very sweet boy. It seemed perfect somehow.... but somehow it wasn't. Kate didn't understand; she didn't know what was missing. 

The first little black pup she had seens was long gone; now living in Ohio. The little black sibling girls were all gone too. She had driven all these miles, all these hours...

"I love Georgie," she said to Brian, "and I wish I could tell you that he feels like the right dog to me..." She couldn't put a finger on it. 

You're supposed to have Immy; you're not meant to have Georgie. We're almost there. 

"Well," Brian replied, "there is one other girl that I'm willing to have you take a look at."  

Enter Immy. 

Will Anyone Go Home With Kate and Joey?

While the girls hung out in the shade of the trucks, Kate and Joey went into the yard with Brian to meet the boys. Oh it was so much fun! So many beautiful high energy dogs. We met each and every one of them and they were each beautiful in their own way.

It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but one arrow points to Georgie and the other points to Immy. They are (ironically?) standing very close together on opposite sides of the fence. They were meant to be. Immy was supposed to be there to get Kate's attention. Kate was supposed to pick Immy instead. But Kate didn't even notice Immy.  

"This is Georgie." said Brian, introducing them. 
No. I kept saying. Not him. Not Georgie.  I said it the same way I said  No, not him about my brother when she came to the puppy mill to take one of us home. You don't want him. Look around. 

There's someone else who wants you.

Afghan Hound Heaven

Less than a mile away from Ma's Loma Cabin was Shining Mountain Afghans. The next morning, she and Joey drove over to meet Brian and his wife Laura and to see their Afghan Hound family. She had viewed many of the dogs on Brian's Facebook pages and it was exciting to think of them Coming to Life. She had seen the distant red farmhouse in photos but it was really fun to see it come into three dimensional view. With eighty acres of invisible fencing, it was bordered by the river with rolling hills and nature as far as the eye could see. It certainly seemed to be a slice of God's country.

But that was just the beginning. She pulled into the driveway and entered another world. She found herself in Afghan Hound Dog Heaven. 

 

The House and Welcoming Committee

 

Those beautiful girls! 

 Anybody else coming?

 I think these are Punkin, Sunshine, Cat and Immy

Arriving in Loma

They rode into town and checked into a little cabin at Ma's Loma Cafe.  It was small but it was perfect somehow. 

  It was a new freestanding cabin with a big wood pole bed.

This is Joey on the bed with our blankets and pillows. We always traveled with our own blankets and pillows for comfort and as a courtesy to the host.

There were other dogs in the yard outside.

Central Campus which was also home to the Loma Cafe Hounds

This guy was real sweet.

People will drive an hour from the city of Great Falls just to have dinner at Ma's. The breakfasts were great too, the coffee was free and she always took a side order of bacon back to the room for Joey. She learned by doing that for me.

There were lots of places nearby to explore like the sleepy little town, nearby sunlit farmlands, a path along the Marias River and even a yard full of buffalo roaming across the street.

Timing Is Everything

She couldn't go to Montana because she had to finish writing my book. She told herself, "When I'm done with Jack's book, I'll go to Montana and get that girl. I'll go get Miss Green Collar." 

Several weeks passed and the day ultimately arrived when she learned that someone else had bought Dark Green Collar. She was surprised at her strong reaction. She didn't even possess Dark Green Collar and yet she cried as if she had lost her. The power of her emotions surprised her, but I know why she cried like that. She cried because she wasn't finished grieving the loss of me. When someone has an exaggerated emotional reaction to something in the present, it's usually because they haven't resolved something in their past.

Kate simply wasn't ready for another dog. She had to work through her grief... and she needed to finish my book!  Meanwhile Dark Green's two sisters, Red Collar and Blue Collar, were still available as well as an older boy. She mulled this over in the days to come.

Click Here to see more Shining Mountain Afghans

Kate finished the book on May 1st and a week later she was on the road with little Joey, our terrier mix, off to visit Shining Mountain Afghans. It was a 20+ hour road trip each way.

I went right along with them to Montana, but it's funny she didn't seem to be looking for me as much there. She was thinking about Dark Green Collar. She was growing. She was finally moving forward. It was a lot more fun for me to be with her when she was this way.

Here's Joey all packed up aboard the Enterprise Rental Car Starship, Headed for Montana

She was very disappointed to learn that Miss Red Collar and Miss Blue Collar were gone by the time she got there. All of the girls were gone, after ten months of not being claimed.  She was very disappointed.  

"Why. Why did I come all this way?" 

I knew why.  



She didn't know it yet, but God and I, well, we had another plan for her.