Lucky Star Houdini

Today, Mom and I had to take my childhood pet Lucky to be euthanized. In short, she couldn't get up today and didn't eat, which, if you know Lucky at all, is a sure sign that it's time. We adopted Lucky from the pound when I was 10 years old. I picked her out of a litter because she was the one who stood up on the cage to greet me, and she had a beautiful white star on her chest (hence her first middle name). She was a great companion for Diana and me--she was always patient as we taught her to "mush" (pull us in the wagon), to ride in the wheelbarrow, to pull us on roller blades, and even to be pulled as I rode my bike with her trying to keep up alongside me. Some of the pictures on here are her various poses, as she was the main subject when I first got a camera. Lucky was a great camping dog; she was always an "outside dog," so it was a great treat to sleep in the camper with the family. Something Lucky was best known for, even among my college friends, was her vast knowledge of tricks. She could sit, shake, stay, roll over, play dead, come, high five, say her prayers, speak... pretty much do anything to earn a treat. Of course, Lucky was also infamous for her ability to escape any yard--to Dad's chagrin, she could move heavy rocks, squeeze through tomato cages, climb a gate once or twice, climb up a piece of sheet metal and jump to freedom, tunnel under an electric fence, and so on, earning her the 2nd middle name "Houdini." She was the best dog I ever had, one that I would cry to when my parents were being unfair, one that I could take with me to the lake or to band picnic, and she always put up with whatever childhood tortures we came up with. I'll miss her.