…in the street, actually at the beach, that is where I found God this morning.

Blazer was this wonderfully well behaved dog who for ten years accompanied his human, Allen, every where Allen went. To the Richmond Beach Coffee Company, to the Richmond Beach Library and two trips to California.

About 6 months ago, Blazer was not accompanying Allen as he walked down 20th to the daily stops.

Blazer was the kind of dog I always greeted on my walks. He was gentle, quiet and very disciplined, with that haunting look of love in his eyes. Blazer was a PAWS dog who had come from Howling Ridge Rescue in Okanogan County.

The story I heard on the beach is that Blazer was fed rat poison laced dog treats by someone who hates dogs,            someone who is a volunteer at the Library and “fed” the dog while Allen was inside.

Once Blazer died, Allen was “grief stricken.” As with many of us, he spent more time with that dog than any other creature on the planet.

I wasn’t exactly happy not to see Blazer. Allen, with whom I had not spoken before, appeared at bit gruff. I got along better with his dog. And, when the dog was suddenly gone…more links to those other dogs I have loved and buried.

The holiness of this morning was to hear the story of how Allen found Tonasket–

a lot of patient searching, visits to PAWS. phone calls to the shelter where Blazer had come from, and much

desire for a companion creature –  -a part Anatolian Shepherd and part Great Pyrineis..mix. Tall, strong, elegant…playful. A dog who had lived on his own, according to the Wendy, the Mother Teresa of Dogs in Okanogan County…from age 2 – 8 months. He needed eye surgery, had never been in a building or car.  He did not know what stairs were, and the first time he came to Richmond Beach and looked out on all of that water, he simply sat down, and whimpered. He was afraid of that much water in one place.

Today, Tonasket is leaping, and bounding  over the logs, play-biting Bear’s head…

a glorious Creature…due to the great generosity and love of various humans.

And, now we need to pray for the deranged man who fed the poison treats to Blazer and tried to do the same to Tonasket.

That is the story for today.