Japan!

Today has been a good one. This morning I walked six miles with Leslie Sansone and I am now proud to say that I have walked 1,004 miles since January 1st and I only have to walk 821 more miles to walk before New Year's Eve! And my wrist has finally stopped aching and I didn't wear my support glove.

Around eleven-fifteen this morning, the nicest couple came out with their cute, little son and they adopted Nellybelle. We had a fun visit with them and were thrilled that they were going to take Nellybelle. After the adoption form was signed Nelly B. jump into the back seat of their pickup and then she stuck her head out the window holding her nose high up in the air as they drove away. "Did you notice how fast she jumped into their truck?" Tony asked. "I think she couldn't wait to get out of here," Tony said, with a laugh. "I'm going to miss Nellybelle."

"Me too," I said, "but not as much as Hank is. Look at him, Tone. He seems sad. It's okay, Hank. We'll get you a new roommate." After petting Hank for a few minutes, we came back to the trailer so I could cook lunch for us, because Tony was starving. But, that didn't happen. After I called Kinky to tell him the good news about Nellybelle being adopted, which thrilled him to no end.

T. hollered from his office, "Nance, someone is here. I'll go see who it is." When he left the trailer I turned off the stovetop and went outside to see who had arrived.

We met the sweetest woman and her two precious, little girls. After a short visit she told us that she was wanting to adopt a small dog for her daughters. In two-part-harmony we said, "Princess Leia." And the woman gave us a funny look and sort of chuckled. Then T. and I took turns telling her about our little, cute princess, as we walked to her puppy pen.

The second the little girls saw Princess Leia they took turns begging their mom to adopt her. "We want her! Please Mom!" The small redheaded girl said. Then the child turned to me as the other one went to begging her mother and said, "We want to adopt her. Can we have her?"

I hate it when kids do that to me, so I smiled at the woman and said, "That's up to your mom." After five minutes of the little girls begging and pleading the woman told us that they wanted to adopt her, so I took off for the trailer to get the adoption papers for Princess Leia.

Ten minutes later, the bubbly little girls were buckled up in the back seat with Princess Leia happily sitting between them. After we thanked the kind woman for coming out and adopting Princess Leia they drove off with precious cargo that used to be ours. Then Tony and I went back to the trailer and I made us lunch.

Around four o'clock the phone rang—it was Kinky. "Nance, I've got a letter for the rescue ranch that came in my mail from Karen Strawn. Do you know her?"

"Karen Strong? I don't recognize the name, Kinky. It doesn't ring a bell. Where is it from?"

"Okinawa, Japan."

"Japan? Kinky, I don't know anyone in Japan," I said. "Hmmmm..."

"Do you want to come over to the Lodge?"

Three minutes later I was standing in Kinky's kitchen reading out-loud to Kink, the sweetest letter from Karen Strawn. Because I am hard of hearing I thought Kinky had said her name was Strong, but it was  definitely Strawn.

"Dear Nancy,
I just finished reading your first book The Road to Utopia. Your use of details such as specific dates and times puts me there with you. I especially liked the..." 

"I love it, Nance," Kinky said. "You've got fans from all around the world reading your books and writing to you! And your first book is still being sold at the Austin Airport and it has been for over four years now. That's not bad for a first time author."

As Kinky puffed away on his cigar I continued to read Karen's letter out loud. Right after I had finished reading it the phone rang. Kinky looked at the Caller ID and saw that it was Tony so he picked up his phone and said in a mocking voice, "This is Cousin Nancy..." Then he started laughing. "Nance, it's for you. It's Tone." Then he handed me the phone.

"Hi, T."

"Nellybelle is coming back," Tony said. "They feel terrible about returning her. She told me that Nelly is real upset and unhappy and whining, because she misses Hank and the rescue ranch. They will be here in about forty minutes." Ten minutes later I left the Lodge and returned to the rescue ranch.

Thirty minutes later we went outside to greet the nice people who had given Nellybelle the opportunity to have a great forever home. After they had apologized and apologized to us for having to return Nell Bell to us I thanked them for giving her a try and then I apologized to them for it not working out, as we watched her and Hank happily sniffing each other's butts in their pen with their tails wagging wildly.

After we said goodbye to the kind couple they drove away and then we went to work. I helped Tony dip Little Girl for ticks and fleas and then we dipped her roommate, Layla. Then I took Layla for a long walk as Tony dipped Bob Dylan and Rockette.

Layla and I had a fun walk-and-talk and she was great on the leash. After I returned her to her pen and gave her a treat I helped T. spray flea and tick insecticide in Dylan's and Rockette's pen. Then he mowed the grass down in their pen while I mowed Hank's and Nellybelle's pen and then Blackie's and Alfie's pen.

As I was pushing the lawnmower out of Blackie's and Alfie's pen Tony drove up in Kermit. "Thanks, Nance. The pens look great. My back is killing me. Let's call it a day. Okay?" And we did.

P.S. Karen Strawn—I can't wait to meet you in August! And thank you for the kind note and book markers that your third grade class made. I love them.

Y'all have a great evening!