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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 face=Arial>My
favorite Flat Basset adventure with Duchess happened one day when we were out
for a lovely (I thought) walk through the neighborhood. About a half-dozen
streets away, Her Highness had enough, and -- well, you know.
Unbudgeable. (Is that a word? It should be. Especially for
basset food-slaves.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 face=Arial>I
sighed but accepted the inevitable. I rang the doorbell of the nearest
house to ask to use the phone to call my Dad, though I was half-convinced
that after I explained the situation, she would slam the door against a crazy
lady. No fear. I only got a few words out when her wise eyes
assessed the situation and she immediately reached for her keys.
"Say no more," she told me. "I grew up with a basset. I'll drive you
both home."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 face=Arial>Another time, I was downtown and in the middle of a busy street
spotted a basset stretched out on the double-line. Of course I instantly
pulled to the side (parked illegally, I'm sure) and dodged traffic to get to
him, heart in my mouth, scared he'd been hit. Nope. It was a wide
street and he obviously had felt the need for a nap once he had ambled that big
old body all the way across the first half. A man came out from a store
and helped me carry him to the sidewalk, where he continued to doze until
his owner arrived (I called her from his tag -- she'd been frantically searching
for him because a repairman had left the gate open). When she arrived, he
yawned and clamored to his feet, tail slowly looping, happy to have a ride
home.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 face=Arial>And on
another subject, I now have "One Meatball" playing in an endless loop in my
head. Thanks a lot, Randy.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 face=Arial>Beth
H. (Duchess ATB and Blueberry ATB)<BR></DIV></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>