The Story of an Unlucky Princess ...Part One

Once upon a time,
In a land over crowed and plagued with carriage accidents, illness and arrogance, there lived a sad princess. She was from a time that had too many princesses and not enough knights or good deeds to go around, so she put her faith in her courtiers/peers and her pets.
The pets proved to be the most loyal and true.

One day the princess was watching over her court, noticed them compromise everything they believed in so they could remain in Neverland. The princess could be amused by the games of Neverland, but she did not want to build an empire there, nor really even build an empire at all.
All she just wanted was to surround herself with people who lived by truth, kindness and the pursuit of a better inner self.
So one day the princess decided to go to her most loyal of knights with her accumulated treasure and the 2 souls closest to her. Her court was shocked, but only one voiced any concern and with very little fan fare she left the home she had always known.

As time goes by....
the Princess realizes that this new environment is not as healthy for her as she would have liked so leaving the knight at the post he had chosen, the princess sets off on a quest to find her place in this world.

At the foot of some mountains she found her oasis, her home.
It was a place renowned for healing. The princess had always had delicate health and the older the princess got the sicker she had become.
In this new home she looked in the mirror and all her self doubt, all the grief from losing her court, melted away with the spring thaw and she began to live again.
Very slowly at first. She wanted peers and sages in her life not followers.
She wanted to become better tenant of the land. So she worked as hard as her physical conditions would allow her to and started a quest for a partner in all.
The first one proved too selfish, the second one too immature, the third ...well lets call that one Satan in a Sunday hat and look away quickly, the fourth, no more then a temporary fix to a much grater loss...

But the princess had found a new meeting place where not only did she find kindness and respect, she found people she could learn so much from. Be inspired by and have her soul reach a new period of growth.
This meeting was just in time.

Of the 2 souls that had been on her journey with her one began to grow very ill. She suffered in silence most of the time and it took the princess a while to figure out something was really very wrong. All the healers said it is this, it is that, she does not have this, lets treat this with that, well she may have this but we did not find it. Finally a women of healing , looked until she found the problems and it became you have this time left and there is nothing anyone can do, accept end the pain when the time comes. This news was like an earthquake. How would the princess live with out her most loyal guardian? Her best friend, her everything.
Since the princess left the land of her birth, really those two souls and the desire to make them happy had guided most of the princess days. The princess had done everything she could to prevent this illness from ever happening...but it still happened and was savage.
At this same time number 3, decided to
put the Princess though some tests she could not pass, so she would fail and he could blame her for all his inner chaos. The princess saw through that game and yet still in tears walked away. Number 3, never tried to stop her... Nor was he there on her worst day... Number 4 was good then for a while, but something somewhere changed for number 4  and I think the princess new that was not a happily ever after situation in the first place and let it go.

The Princess looked to her wise man who taught by example rather then by words.

When the time came, and the light grew dim in her most loyal's eyes, she made the hard choice. The princess held her in her arms and felt her dear one's last heartbeat.
Something broke in the princess for a while.

Life was down to one soul. It was a tiny but mighty one... That soul keep her tied to this world along with all the support the princess had from the new community she belonged too.
Really there was a beauty in that support that is worth tears of joy.

One day when the King and Queen of the princess's line came up for a visit. A new soul to accompany the princess on her life journey had been detected.  
When they all arrived at the sanctuary, the soul they had intended to see had not arrived yet
and the princess wondering around the sanctuary stopped at the feet of some of the new souls. One immediately hugged her and pledged himself even though he was a babe.
This soul touched her soul, and the princess began to feel something other then pain.
The King and Queen saw this and took action. Papers where filled out, donations made, and the princess left the sanctuary with her new baby guardian in her arms. They stared at each other in a very mutual pure love.
The new guardian to be, had known suffering in his short life. He had been gravely wounded and suffered disease. No scar, nor crooked nose or missing ear piece could lesson the princess's love for this new soul. In fact I think it made her love him even more.

It was now time for the princess to go back on her quest to find a partner....

Moving at the Speed of Dog Part 2 or A New Chaper of Love.

On November 21, I went to Adirondack-Save-A-Stray. I had spotted puppies coming up from the South that where a good mix of breeds. So my parents and I set out and where there as soon as the shelter opened. The puppies we had come to see had not arrived yet so I went to look at some bulldog puppies they did have, just for fun. When I got to the back there was a baby Lab mix too, I bent down to say Hi, and this little fella put his arms around me and kissed me like I was his long lost mom. He chose me. *sonic boom* Love. Instant. I cried.
My mom said she felt like she just witnessed a miracle.
My father said he thought I was never going to smile again, the veil of grief just lifted from me and you could see the joy radiate.
Colin became Balin and was in my dads car an hour later snuggled on my lap with his head on my chest just staring at me. By the time we got home from the stores getting supplies and some toys,  I think both mom and dad where in love too.

Balin has a terrible scar from the side of his mouth down his chest and notch out of his ear, also my little prince has very crooked nose, all of this was pointed out to me. My mom asked the women "Do you think any of that is a deterrent to her? You just sealed the deal".
I happen to think he is the most handsome little boy puppy around.
Later that night I was looking though all his paperwork and I found out he was from GA, & the town one of my good friends lives in. J.S. knows the people at the shelter.
So I got his background tale of woe.

He was found on the side of the road, covered with Mange and dead tissue. It is suspected he was hit by a car and or attacked by an animal. A Saint of a women took him to the vet and I beleive after that, she was his foster mom. They thought he would die of Mange or the infected wound. She saved him and he saved me.

It is a week and a few days later and all of us are sick. He brought with him Kennel Cough and gave it to Butter Cup. I have yet another ear infection. So Butter Cup and I will work hard at getting better and surviving his puppy hood with all of our parts intact. (what a chewer).
I think he could be a McNab Herding Dog and/or a Lab mix, he has a stripe of wavy hair straight down his back too the tip of his tail. White whiskers on one side black on the other.

Balin is brilliant. He is almost completely potty trained, he learned to play fetch in a few throws and he is trying to heard his little, Big Sister whenever they are outside. He is going to be a lot of work, but I think he will be worth it.

So my friends, if you need any herding done give me a call... or if you want an hour of puppy crack play time, I will pencil you in.
:-)

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