Keni

This is about my dog, Keni. This is about my daughter seeing him across the street one day and telling me "that's my dog." This is about living in Seattle and feeling a little out of place and finding a dog who is gentle, smart, and who likes to know where everyone is. This is about going to the park with Annalise to practice batting and how Keni came along with us and watched and helped. This is about teaching Annalise to ride her bike and how Keni came along and helped. This is about a dog who once ran into a little lake after some geese and then turned around and stared at all of us as if he had completely forgotten he's a herding dog, not a swimming dog. This is about having a dog to help me be a Mom, to help Annalise be a friend, to help us both feel more like a family, like there was more than just the two of us. This is about being able to say on your answering maching, "Hi, you've reached Stacy, Annalise and Keni, please leave us a message." This is about feeling sad about something, or scared, or worried and having a tall beautiful dog come up and nudge you or stare at you so you know it's all okay. This is about having a strange man come up to you at the park one day and having your dog go up to him and gently push him away, that's what collies do and it works. This is about taking 8 days to drive from Seattle to Texas, with your dog. This is about that dog peeing in the entrance to a hotel where you stopped late one night, a hotel that allowed dogs and didn't clean up much. This is about having a bad car wreck and being in the hospital for a week and having your dog come up to you and then just sit next to you all day once you finally came home. This is about how thankful I am that Annalise looked across the street that day.