<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3429" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Droolers, I have a confession to make.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Many of you have posted stories about your climbing
bassets... bassets getting up on tables and counters... and I have laughed
pityingly. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"At least Paddi B Basset doesn't do that," I
thought happily. "She gets on the couch fine, but that's her maximum
altitude."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I laughed too soon. Paddi remains on the floor,
more or less... but Vernon!!! Vern is a lovely eight year old boy who
moved in with us after doing time in the local SPCA (jailed for a crime he
didn't commit, he tells me). Vernon is --- dare I say it -- a climber! He's made
forays up on dining room chairs to snag my Mom's toast from the middle of the
table, he's stood on the coffee table surveying the scene...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And a couple of nights ago, at 2 a.m., he achieved
his greatest triumph. He jumped up on my office chair and then to the desk,
where we feed the cats (since the dogs can't get up there. Ha.) Then,
having finished the cat food, he began barking loudy for rescue. (Up is
apparently easier than down.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Droolers with climbing bassets, I apologize! I am
not laughing now -- much!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mary</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>and Paddi B Basset (who watches and
learns)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>and Vernon Q Basset, who is wondering how to
get on the kitchen counters</FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>