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			 I don’t mind Boots. He just curls up quietly 
			against my belly and stays put. But sleeping with Desdemona can be a 
			bit unnerving. She snores. Sometimes she gets little bad dreams and 
			scratches me, too. But hey, I get to come in out of the cold and 
			sleep with Aunt Ada’s cats on her sofa, and a guy can tolerate a 
			certain amount of cat snoring for that. 
 I was glad when I heard Aunt Ada puttering in the kitchen because I 
			knew it was time to get up. After she let me out, she fed me, and 
			let me tell you … that kibble was just as good this morning as it 
			was yesterday. And then she petted me, called me her dear Billy, and 
			let me out to do my rounds.
 
 
			
			 
			
			Don’t let anyone tell you being the official town dog is easy. 
			Nossirree. First, there are the kids. Me and Martin, the crossing 
			guard, have to see them safely across the street and to school each 
			morning. Must be band day, because I see a lot of instrument cases. 
			Martin gets smiles from the children. I get smiles AND ear rumples, 
			so what do you think of that!
 Once those 
			kids are safely across, the time is pretty much my own until the 
			final bell rings in the afternoon. That would be after I get snacks 
			at the back door of the Mule Barn and after my nap curled up against 
			the brick wall of the drugstore downtown. You ever notice how those 
			bricks hold the sunshine in them? Better than that white wall on the 
			newspaper office. [to top of second 
            column] | 
            
			
			 This is a good day to stop by 
			the Rest of Your Life retirement home and check on Pop Walker and 
			Mabel Adams. Oh, I make the rounds and check on everybody, of 
			course, but I have to admit those two are my favorites.
 If today is band day at school, tomorrow will be sale day at the 
			sale barn at the edge of town. That’s when the men bring their dogs 
			in from the ranches to look at cows. They yell and talk funny. Not 
			the dogs, of course. Getting your sniffing up to date is always a 
			good thing.
 
 Love, Billy
 [Text from file received from 
			Slim Randles] 
			Brought to 
			you by the horses and other animals from their forever home at 
			Masleña Rescue. Help feed one or two at www.masleñarf.org. 
			
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