A New Dog In Town

I've been sniffing around the 2dogs2000miles blog for a while now -- a writer without a good cause to write about. But as Fate (a small town in Texas) would have it, I was tapped to fill in for The Big Dog when he can't blog himself. So here I am, a puppy at blogging. My part here is to write for Luke when he finds himself beyond the reaches of technology, silent in the wilderness. I hope you will enjoy the adventures I relay to you from Luke and The Boys as they make their way across country. We have many stories already in the works. And, of course, lots of pictures to share.

I come to this project with my own story, of course. I lost two of my own dogs to cancer. Sturm, a beautiful German Shepherd, was the love of my young life, and he saved me from the depths of despair, otherwise known as teenage angst. But at 11 he was stricken with squamous cell carcinoma. In those days (mid-70s), dogs weren't candidates for intervention therapy. He lived two more happy years, despite the cancer, and we made the best of every moment. Many beautiful dogs later, another of my pack, Linga (known to all her friends as Tingles), my sweet little red-haired Collie mix, was diagnosed with leukemia. But she too was a fighter and was a cancer survivor for three more years. We lost her in April 2006. My heart broke again.

And so I find myself here. I can't walk with Luke and The Boys. But I can help him tell their story. I hope you enjoy what we bring to you, together. I dedicate my efforts to Sturmie and Linga, Malcolm and Kubie, and all the dogs who have lost their lives to this disease. And to all the dogs who struggle still, and all the hearts that fill with hope that canine cancer will be a thing of the past. I'm glad to be a part of the 2 dogs 2000 miles team. I invite you to join in their efforts.

Puppy Up!
Erich & His 4 Pack