Boots: A small collie dog white beautiful white sock looking four feet. I had wanted a dog of my own it seemed for ages. I guess all young boys & girls wanted a pet as a friend. Much to my surprise and when I least expected it, my Dad appears with this white foot ed, collie looking puppy. I immediately named her "Boots" as that was my first thought. Funny how a kids mind will pick a name of their thoughts, favorite T.V. character or something of a connect ion they like.

Boots and I had many years as friends and she was my companion . Awaiting me when I came in from school and there for me on ever y weekend which often was long and lonely back then. My best friend living across the street had a black small dog named InKy who we thought made a nice mate for my Boots. We decided to walk them down the aisle of the sidewalk one weekend afternoon and that made them married. Maybe it made us related too, we thought. The irony of that ceremony came years later when her dog went blind in old age and some few years later, Boots lost her eyesight as well. I managed for quite a time to lead her around although my grandfather kept saying the dog should be "put down." I had no concept what that meant and would hear nothing of that. I went to camp for a week and came back to first go whistle my head off in the backyard for Boots. After too long of time passed without the dog appearing, I knew. Looking back, it was best for the dog but I sure didn't know that at the time. Boots lives in my memory always!