Missing Montana

   The breath goes in, out.  It's getting more desperate.  It's increasing speed. I look down over my left paw.  A two thousand foot drop of rock and scatterred shrubs fill my vision.  I see two mountain goats climbing down, skidding here and there.  My instinct says run, but I know I can't go there.  I can't do that.  I do know that I can climb higher than my mom and dad, though.  I can outrun them.  I could run away into this wilderness and have the time of my life chasing squirrels, catching mice, and swimming after wild ducks, but I don't.  I don't because I love my mom and dad.  I know that they are doing the best they can to keep up with me!  I can't wait to reach the top and knock the camera over after the timer goes off because it makes that annoying beeping sound that I hate.  It's really funny to watch my mom and dad running toward me screaming, "NO!  KOOTENAI DO NOT TOUCH THE CAMERA....!"  As I said, they are too slow.  I love to watch it hit the ground.  Kodak makes good products, though.  The camera is still alive after over one hundred hikes with my mom and dad. 

"Kootenai...Kootenai...wake up girl.  What are you dreaming about?"

Yawning, I look around.  I wish the saying, "You're not in Kansas anymore," had some truth to it. 
"Hey pretty girl...time to go for a walk!  Are you hungry?"  Mom races to the closet to grab my shiny silver bowl. 

Okay....even though I am still in Kansas, the food is the same here.   I love my meals.  After my meals and sometimes before, I am taken to the dog parks by my mom and dad.   My mom and dad take me every night because I live in an apartment and need lots of exercise.  They love to take me swimming, running, and biking.  I've decided they are a pretty great family.  Sometimes they take me to the speciality pet stores here in Overland Park to buy me new collars and pretty hand decorated puppy cookies.  I like it here, but I still miss my Montana family and friends.  I have a couple of new friends I have met at the dog park here in Kansas.  One is named Colby.  Colby is a golden retriever who sometimes stays at my house when his mommy and daddy are out of town.  The other one is named Bentley.  He loves to go to Heritage Dog Park with me and chase all of the birds.  He wears me out! 

"Come on Kootenai!  Time to go to the park!" mom grabs my pink John Deere leash.

I have to go now.  I miss my Montana adventures, but I am learning how to have fun here in Kansas.  I know my mom and dad miss the mountains a lot too because they are always trying to plan a trip to the Ozarks and they already took me hiking in Denver.  Until I am able to go back home, I will keep dreaming about my mountain climbing adventures and will share some of them with you on my blog.  I have so many stories to tell you.  Some about hiking with black bears, some about relaxing in nature, and some about how my daddy proposed to my mommy.  ( I almost knocked the ring down the waterfall!  Oops!)  Anyway...talk to you soon.  Enjoy my first blog!