That dang dog arrived in a flurry. Delighted to be rescued from our local shelter, she raced through the house like a little whirlwind. Yipping happy little hellos and kissing everyone in sight. She was 3 months old, wire-haired, and so full of energy! In typical puppy fashion, she begged for Colonel's acceptance (which was easily given), and then Nutsy's. Nusty looked down at this energetic ball of fur, and extended her paw. In the blink of an eye, she popped that dang dog on the nose. The pup yelped and Nutsy was shooed from the room. (Their relationship would never be anything but tolerance on Nutsy's part.) As we all cooed over the new puppy, we began to try different names for her. I said she needed something sprightly, as she was full of energy. At the sound of the word "sprightly", she turned her head and began to bark and jump up and down. She seemed to like the sound of it. Her name was shortened to Sprite. Sprite was always a high energy dog. A mix of poodle and wire-haired terrier, she was a perfect match for two high energy boys. She was their constant companion even following them to school. She had a crossing guard who always gave her a biscuit, and sent her back home. She was a full-time watchdog. She patroled her neighborhood endlessly and knew every neighbor and child within her block. It would take me a week to track down all the homes she was welcome in. She was quite a dog! She was also the best kitty mommy in the world. She loved cats! And, with the exception of Nutsy, they all loved her too. She was around two years old when the ghost cat moved into our home, and the special world of cats was finally opened to her.