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  “Right now,” Mike answered. “Mary moved your stuff while you were on the trail.”

  Afterthoughts

  Several nights later, I was sitting in my corner of the yard seeing the sunset in my mind's eye. I was healing fast, and Randy was one happy young musher since he moved in with us. He got his forever home. Caitlyn also got her forever home, and we now had one big family. Yes, Fin joined us also, and Doc recovered completely.

  Christmas told me that her pups were getting big and strong. They just loved to run and soon would start lead dog training. Doc had already started working with Tundra, or Tunny, as he affectionately called her.

  Sunny visited often, and when she did, we split into two teams and race each other.

  One team usually had Christmas and her pups plus Sunny and Fin, while we retired racers made up the second team. Leave it to Sky to come up with our team names: “Fin's Dashing Darlings” and “Doc's Old Geezers.” Who wins, you ask? We do not keep track because it is all for fun.

  I was thinking about how nice this adventure had turned out when I heard her sit down next to me. “Sandy?” I asked.

  “Yes, Rivers, it is me. I just came to tell you how proud I am of you for protecting Mike,” she said. I could tell from her voice that she continues to be devoted to him. I know Mike and Mary miss Sandy. There are times when he clips a leash on me and we walk to the garden where she rests. Sometimes Christmas joins us. We sit for a few minutes in the garden and then return to the kennel. I know Christmas feels closer to her Aunt Sandy when we do that.

  “You did the same thing right after my operation, remember? You protected Mike from those two bad dogs that attacked him.”

  “Yes,” Sandy said, “but protecting a well Mike against two dogs is nothing compared to being blind and protecting a hurt Mike against a human with a knife. Nitro and Lakota did not think twice either, about protecting you, Mike and Randy. I am proud of all of you.”

  “Well, Sandy, you know that since we came here to be with Mike and Mary, our lives have all changed for the best. We were all just kennel dogs, but now we have a forever family, a Guardian Angel Dog, and it seems that every time we run a trail, we have another adventure. Life surely is not boring, is it?”

  “No, Rivers, it is not boring and I can tell you that your adventures are just beginning. See ya, Rivey. Take care.”

  And she was gone.

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