Shandy in the City?

On a lovely walk with Richard and the pups today we came up with the idea for a little game called, "Shandy in the City" (although Bandit is along on this excursion).

Take a look at the four photos here and see if, by the final photo, you can figure out where Shandy might be. Photo #1 is impossible to say; #2 you'd really need to know the path (Niki, do you recognize it?); #3 has a BIG clue (though upside down); and #4 tells the whole story.

This new bike path is on a former railroad right of way just west of Pulaski and runs from Bryn Mawr to Devon. It's become a favorite destination on our summer rides because of all the shade. Rumor has it that once Lincolnwood gets on board to extend it further north, it will link with a five county path system. Come on Lincolnwood, get on the band wagon!

Be Kinder Than Necessary

Here's Sasha and Shandy with the group at Bethel's summer program. It was our final visit and everyone was sorry to see it end.

Isn't that a great sign they have?

Scooter Puppy

I'm not usually a puppy stalker but I've been unable to resist Scooter, the adorable guy seen here.

He's a 4-month old Jack Russell mix and is just sweet as can be. When driving home from the office I quite often see his owner walking him in Ravenswood Manor and I've been tempted to stop. However, in the interest of not looking like a crazy person, I've resisted. But this morning I was just sitting in my car waiting for Jenn's train to arrive and there he was. Yeah! Even Shandy wanted to get out to say hello. He's about to pounce on her and she's getting ready to tell him off--hey, at almost 15, I'm impressed that she still enjoys meeting puppies. Anyway, we got our puppy fix and headed into work.

See Us on the NBC Nightly News!

We're so excited! The NBC Nightly News piece on Sit Stay Read is awesome. If you missed it, it's not too late. Click on the video to view.

Our mailbox is flooded with good wishes and inquiries from folks all over the WORLD (hello Melbourne!) anxious to bring Sit Stay Read programs to kids in their city. We're working on how to provide the highest quality program to kids in need wherever they may be.

Many thanks to all the volunteers, dogs, and NBC staff who've shared the dream of bringing kids and dogs together for reading fun and success.

Stay tuned!!

Anti-Cruelty Society Visit

Shandy visited her roots when she joined Jenn and me for a meeting at The Anti-Cruelty Society last Thursday. I adopted her as a little pup on November 15, 1993 so we'll be celebrating her 15th birthday on September 12th. See how sweet she looked? Don't be fooled though, she was a wild girl. One of these days I'll scan some of the old photos showing her wild side.

The second photo is Shandy with her ACS friends Tammie Buschor and Elliott Serrano after our meeting. How cool is it to be able to bring your dog to meetings?! Thanks so much Tammie and Elliott!

Revi Stops to Smell the Flowers

That's Shandy's friend Revi taking time to stop and smell the flowers.

Though her mom, Betsy, thinks there may have been a bagel in there, I'm going to be more like Revi and take time to smell the flowers (or bagels)!