tails trail years ago i working reservation i given german shepherd mutt husband named scratch â when moved pe ell washington 1973 dog came came flying homemade crate luggage brother flew seattle â my daughters word gogs tohono oodham dog â and sentence scratchy chased deer happened looked window saw german shepherd herding herd deer yard â did i say lived somewhat rural settingshortly husband went nearby tavern came home denizens agreed work yard â scratch barked â not just guy showed day long â most time new person comes territory family dog let everybody know theres newcomer â but â as far guy yard concerned scratch didnt â he barked hard long lost voice â the day neighbor sophie said wasnt i saw working yard yesterday â when i told yes said did know just got prison child molestation â no i didnt obviously scratch did â by way moved arizona pe ell scratch feral tabby cat alex started portland homemade crate luggage compartment plane bound tucson time friend brother â by time milk run flight landed eugene alex scratch loose luggage compartment â they completed flight brand new fiber glass crates landing tucson parents rescued plane took bisbee await arrival â its mile drive tucson bisbee â scratch trip sitting seat chin resting firmly mothers shoulder â when showed happy wasnt dog anymore â my mother rescued plane onfast forward decades â bill i venice rick stevesâ€™ europe door adventure â we went dinner small restaurant away canals â while eating saw white dog wandering neighborhood â he know everybody everybody knew â halfway dinner woman came walking street previously peaceful mannerly dog began barking â like crazy â and followed couple barking walked earshoti write murder mysteries â with previous experience scratch head i convinced seriously amiss guy saw night â i inspired write short story signore bianco â i believe story published anthology way i remember â if youre interested reading access website carries short stories fast forward â here book tour book tour purse dog long haired miniature dachshund named bella â for past weeks bella interacted thousand people sitting i presentations offering individual greetings fans i sit table signing books â thats lot people appearances said cross word â shes tired puppy contentedly sleeping bed i write thisyesterday appearances miles driving checked ritz carlton phoenix â bella leash walking came lobby â as went past long haired sort looking guy pack reached tried pet â bella barked growled turned complete summersault air â i dragged desk â when i started apologize clerk said â your dog right â theres wrong guyearlier week security people tried bella walking places dogs allowed signs clearly display asked working dog â ive said shes â now i answer â bella tiny try tell â in heart knows shes guard dog working security detailin old days essay assignment school started report i did summer vacation â so things i learned betrayal trust book tourive learned driving miles day doing events â note â remind publicity people new york arizona washington big statesjust canceled summer seattle year doesnt mean summer canceled â eating dinner outside mexican restaurant temperature 108 hot talking spicy hot â and dry heat didnt feel like itbella got busted tsa â and deservedly â we bought paring knives knives dollars tucson cut bellas dog food â forgot bellas carry checked luggage way home â so paring knives belong tsa â i met lady seattle tells book poetry favorite book time â thats way i feel day lewisi met woman scottsdale read walker family books seven days wants know expect onewhen i wrote walker book i told agent i wanted make desert desert people understandable little old lady upstate new york â it turns worked â i fan nyc originally rochester reading walker books ready come tucson learn â a couple seattle learned night blooming cereus queen night tucson july happened notice paper bloom night celebration tohono chul park â they went â and monsoon extinguished luminarias able blooms flashlightive heard plenty readers male enjoyed watching jp beaumont age aged feel like lot common fictional character â knowing ive managed craft connection real world fictional makes feel goodbut glad home â so bella i wear sweateri imagine dorothy toto felt way finally kansas