How I came to be with Firefly

Entry by Firefly's Mommy:

So, you are wondering how Fly and I came to be. It is okay, curiosity is natural. Plus, I really don't mind you asking. I love telling the story about how me and my lifelong friend came to be. Grab a seat and some popcorn and listen up!:

After many months of consideration, I decided to replace my old dog Jett, a black lab mix who ran away. I started off with a few breeds in mind: Yorkies, Jack Russel Terriers, and Chihuahuas. I consulted my grandmother, and she suggested Shetland Sheepdogs.

I was quite inquisitive and watched the Repeat of the AKC Eukanuba Tournament of Champions. The Sheltie was a herding breed, and it was quite right for me. I bought a book and read ALL about them. Their size, purpose, temper, etc. So, it was July. My grandmother decided to get one as an early Birthday present for me. My birthday was in September, but I decided to show my full responsibility to my mom, to show her I could take care of another dog.

So, it was August. I looked in our Local classifieds ads, and answered a few of them: One didn't have any females, one wasn't picking up the phone, and the other gave us some loopy-looed directions. I gave up. Then another Sunday, I picked up the local papers and saw another ad; for sable and white shelties. We called, and the breeder, Tammy Kesterson, said she had one last female. But, she lived in Morristown, Tn, while we lived about a trillion miles away!

So, after buying a crate, food, a collar, a leash, toys, a blanket, puppy-wee-wee pads, and bowls for food, we set out on our 7 hour journey to BRISTOL! After leaving the interstate in Knoxville, we were closer to our destination. Since the drive was far for both us and the Breeder, we decided to meet halfway, at a McDonalds/Gasoline Station.

We got caught in construction, and nearly sweated to death! There was no air conditioning in the jeep, and we rolled all for windows down, but we couldn't get air circulation through the jeep. So, we took the next exit of the highway and were about to be late! I called on my cellphone and told her we'd be there.So, about 30 minutes later we pulled up and a charmingly dressed woman lead ME to her ginger-ale colored van.

Sitting in a large kennel, in a well air conditioned car, sat three of the most adorable puppies I had ever seen. The mother of the pups was sitting in the very back, a beautiful picture. I chose the little female, and I named her Firefly. I took my AKC registration papers with us and we got into the car. We stopped and had lunch. When we brought Fly home, she stared and watched quietly from a corner. I took her out to relieve herself, and put a little water in her dried food for easier chewing. She was 8 wks. old and the breeder said to take her to the vet soon, she had 2 rounds of vaccines but needed some more next month.

So that is how I came to be with Firefly, and I hope she'll be with us many, many long years!


WHY THE NAME FIREFLY?

Alot of people think I named my Sheltie after the insect, but truth is, I never had the bug once in my mind when naming her.

But I will let Firefly tell that:

FROM FIREFLY:

Mommy always said I was special. So special, that I needed a special name. She thought long and hard about my name, trying out different things in nature, human names too. She didn't know what to name me.

As mommy told me, when she was coming to pick me up from my breeder, she heard a song on the radio. The song was 'If Everyone Cared' by the band Nickelback. This is the touching part of the song that mom named me after:


"And in the air the fireflies

Our only light in paradise

We'll show the world they were wrong

And teach them all to sing along"



That is how I got my name!