Winston!

Today has been great. This afternoon Trigger took Tony and me to Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic, so we could pick up a little, ten pound dog that we had rescued from them, because the former owner no longer wanted him.

We arrived at Hoegemeyer's twenty minutes before they closed for the day. As soon as we walked inside the lobby, the vet-techs greeted us and then one of them went to get the dog for us. While she was gone Rosieanna told us that the dog's name was Zero and then she handed me all of Zero's records. "Zero?" I asked. "That's a horrible name for a dog." She totally agreed with me. "I'm going to rename him and will call you tomorrow, so you can make the name change on his records." Then Zero entered the lobby, pulling on his leash and he immediately put smiles on all of our faces. "He's so cute and precious!" And everyone agreed with me. Then we left the clinic with an adorable, ten pound—Chihuahua/Beagle mix in my arms.

When we were nearly home, I called Kinky. "Kink, we are up on the pass and should be there in ten minutes. We just picked up the cutest little dog and we want to bring him over to the Lodge, so y'all can see him, before we take him to the rescue ranch."

"Marce," Kinky said. "He's real cute and they are coming here first, so we can meet him. Good, come on over, because we can't wait to see him."

"Okay, Kinky. He looks a lot like our Belle Starr-Simons, but he is a much smaller version..."

When we arrived at the Lodge the first thing Marcie, Kinky and Mario did was smile, because Zero was so cute and wagging his tail round and round like a helicopter. For over twenty minutes we watched this happy pup as I told them his story. "What's his name?" Kinky asked.

"His name is Zero, but." Kinky cut me off and shook his head.

"We're changing his name. That's a horrible name for." Then I intentionally cut him off.

"Well, if you hadn't cut me off in mid-sentence, I was going to tell you that I was going to rename him, Kink," I teased him and everyone laughed and then they started suggesting possible names for him, but I didn't care for them, because I felt they just didn't fit him or his personality.

When Tony and I were fixing to leave I suggested that they let Zero stay over for a few hours to play with Sophie and go on a hike with them, before taking him over to the rescue ranch and they were fine with it, because he had stolen their hearts and was making them laugh and smile a lot.

On the way back home, Zero's new name popped into my head and I called Kinky the minute we walked inside the trailer. "Start talking," he said.

"His name is Churchill!"

"You've nailed it, Nance!" Kinky said, followed by a chuckle. "It's Churchill, Marce. It's perfect..."

A few hours later Kinky called me and says, "Nance, Winston Spencer Churchill is getting very close to becoming a Friedman..." And to say the least I was more than thrilled.

After spending over three hours doing "first of the month" paperwork I took a break and went back over to the Lodge, so I could play with Churchill. "Kink, is falling in love with Winston," Marcie told me, before her older brother walked outside, with Churchill following close behind. "He's getting along great with Sophie and leaving Chumley alone, because Chum doesn't want to play with him and..."

"Nance, Winston is really working out over here," Kinky said, wearing a big smile on his face. "Winston, let's go inside, so I can give you another treat." Then they disappeared into the Lodge. Then I visited with Marcie outside and then came back home.

Early this evening Marcie and Kinky came over for a "Toto Picnic" and our dogs loved it and I love that Winston has a fabulous forever home and that Marce and Kink are once again smiling, after their loss of Brownie and I know it sounds a little bit crazy, but I think that Winston Spencer Churchill Friedman was sent to Kink by Brownie. Thank you, Mr. B. It worked.

Y'all have a great evening and please keep praying for us to get some much needed rain! Good night and sweet dreams.