8 State Hurricane Kate

It was fun to meet Christina and her family. They showed me a video of some of their disc dog routines, which were fun to watch. Their cat taught Bandit respect by bopping him on the head with a paw through the dog door when he was walking down the hall. He didn’t even know the cat was there at first! Funny how a dog that can move cattle can get intimidated by a cat! I signed Christina’s Kate book and soon had to leave for the Indy Hair Ball. Bandit wasn’t so sure that he wanted me to leave him there, but I left his bone and rubber chicken with him and told him that I would be back soon. I wish I had taken photos of Christina’s family because when I returned later to pick Bandit up, they were out and we didn’t get to say goodbye.

The Indy Hair Ball was a big event to raise money for Spay-Neuter Services of Indiana. It included live music, food, a huge silent auction, and a live not-so-silent auction. I met very nice people there and sold some books. One volunteer who stands out is Julie, who has a dog daycare business. She served me food and made sure that I was comfortable at my book table. She told me about an event in Madison, Wisconsin where she’d like me to speak and sign books next summer. I bid on and won a silent auction item to thank Christina and her family for taking care of Bandit. When I returned they were out and Bandit was very happy to see me. He isn’t used to being left with “strangers” like that, but they weren’t strangers to me as much as they were to him. And I think they treated him like royalty (except for the cat!).

Very early on Sunday morning we hit the road for home. It was a long trip, but we made it, bringing many happy memories along. Becky cautioned me about getting the three dogs back together, but there were no rumbles. They played in the backyard at home as though they had never been apart. I think Bandit missed Chase and Cay, even though he enjoyed the individual attention for a week. It was good to be home.