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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>One of the highlights of the day for me is to open
the e-mail first thing in the morning and receive the Daily Drool. What I found
is that bassets in the USA, UK, Europe, South Africa and all over the world are
exactly the same - and to make it even better : Their owners are also the
same.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>My first basset adopted me when I was a 12 year old
kid. I encountered it one day at school during a break. It had such sad eyes and
was so hungry, that I fed it my sandwiches. After the break, it followed me to
the class and sat under my bench. The teacher wanted to throw it out, but in
retaliation it wanted to bite the teacher. So it followed me home and became my
best friend for the next 6 years. We played ball on the lawn and ran and did
everything that a young boy should do with its basset, including sharing a bed
when mother's not around.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>While studying there was no basset in my life.
However, shortly before my future wife and I got married, we bought our first
basset. Being young and short of money, we bought her from a puppy mill. She was
in such a condition. At one stage the vet just pumped her full of medicine and
said its one in three : She'll die either due to negligence at the mill, or due
to the massive dose of medicine, or she'll survive. Luckily she survived and
became a real old matriarch - looking after the babies and just being a basset.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Since then, for the past 35 years there has always
been a string of bassets in our house. Now, being close to retirement, we
relocated to a secluded area bordering a large dam some seven kilometers outside
Clanwilliam in the Western Cape, South Africa. Our house is close to a
wilderness area and the surroundings are quite wild. the two bassets Clara and
Sally like to go for their swim every night in the dam and live the lifes of
royalty. By the way, Sally's name originate from her typical basset attitude :
Shall not come when you call, shall not get down from the sofa etc</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Like most bassets they also like pooh, but instead
of the ordinary stuff, these to go for mongoose, otter and wild duck. Like I
said, bassets all over the world are exactly the same...........</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Frans & Mariette
Breytenbach</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>