When Mommy let me write my last story, we were getting ready to go visit Grandpa B. in Kansas.  Guess what?  We ended up staying for three whole weeks!  One of the best parts was when my Spelling Uncle and Aunt Vic showed up too.  That happens almost every time we are there.  I wonder how they always know where to find us?

Well, get this!  My Spelling Uncle made a video movie of me!  He says he??™s going to make me famous and I??™m going to win some honey (here we go ??“ ???honey, money??? - whatever) on some TV show.  Anyway - he spelled ???h-o-l-e??? as in my sump hole??¦and I took off like a banshee down those stairs to the basement.  I think he had trouble keeping up with me with that camera bumping his eye.  We hung around the ???hole??? for a while and then he said my movie was over.  I??™m still waiting for the money!  I wonder if he kept it all.  ???Hey, Spelling Uncle, show me the money!???  I don??™t know what that means, but I hear Mommy say it sometimes ??“ duh! 

While we were visiting, Mommy and Grandpa went fishing a bunch of times.  When they would come home they sure did smell funky ??“ but they seemed to think they were having fun.  Go figure!  Hank and I just enjoyed naps in our crate, until they??™d come in stinking up the place again.  Whew - that will sure wake you up fast! 

Right before we went to Kansas I had to go see my doctor.  Mommy finally figured out I wasn??™t seeing too well.  Every time I??™d miss catching a ball, she??™d say, ???Sorry Shi, that was a bad toss.???  If I could talk I would have told her I was having trouble seeing lots of stuff, but she finally figured it out.  My doctor said to have fun on our trip, but I had to see a dog eye specialist when we got home.  They have a bunch of fancy equipment and stuff that regular vets don??™t have.

My eyes got worse and worse in Kansas, but I knew the way around Grandpa??™s house so it wasn??™t too bad.  Heck, I could still do the steps to the basement so I could visit my sump hole!  But, I mainly listened to it suck the water, and I could smell it really good too.

So, last week I saw that specialist guy.  It seems I have a genetic disease called PRA and nothing can be done for me.  I can??™t see anything now ??“ it happened really fast.  Sometimes I get scared when a person comes to visit and I don??™t know their voice or their smell.  Mommy is really sad, but she tries to hide it from me.  You know, dogs use lots of senses besides sight, and I know when she feels bad.  I can even smell her tears.

And, sometimes I bump into things.  Mommy always grabs me up, loves me, and rubs my ouchy.  She makes Hank wear his collar all the time now, even in the house, and that helps me a lot.  If I follow his ???jingling??? then I know I won??™t bump into anything!  Plus, we got some new toys that talk and sing.  I can??™t race Hank to get toys anymore, but if Mom holds on to his collar, I can find them, because they keep making noise until I get there.  Oh boy, I got so excited the first few times.  Mommy said she??™d hadn??™t seen my tail wag in weeks until then.  Whew - I was so afraid I would never be able to play that game again, and it was always my favorite.  And I can still play tug-o-war when I??™m not too depressed.  But, it really upsets me when I hear the squirrels chatter at me in the backyard, because I can??™t see to run fast and chase them anymore.  I still chase them in my dreams, but then I wake up and realize that??™s all it was ??“ just a dream??¦

Since I can??™t type anyway, Mom promised I could still write my stories.  I??™m kind of scared they won??™t be as good as they were before.  What if no one wants to read them?  I worry about lots of stuff right now, but I hope it will get better.  I guess there are other blind dogs that have happy lives.  I know one thing for sure ??“ this is the house you want to live in if you are blind.  Mommy and Daddy are working really hard to be sure I am as happy as possible??¦

There are two other things I??™m really worried about.  I hope since I??™m blind that I??™m still good enough to be a ???Mascot??? and to have ???Shiloh??™s Voting Machine.???

?»2005 Kathleene S. Baker

Lnstrlady@aol.com

Note to Shiloh from "Star Fishies" -

Yes Shiloh, you're still our mascot, and the voting machine is yours to keep.......blind or not.  I'm glad 'mommie' is taking good care of you.  Maybe she should get you a helmet - for when you bump into things.

Bob