It would seem that week two of the 2^nd Annual TharpSter March Vacation will go down in its brief history as a very successful one.  Readership is up over the last several days, and there’s a load of darks in the washer right now.  The backyard needs to be mowed and as a result, very little effort has been put forward to assemble the TharpSter Pool.  We’ve got batting practice for TharpSter Jr.’s team tonight.  The TharpSter TreadMill has been getting her mid-morning walk over the last several days, and her time on the fence has been limited.

Speaking of our dog, Faith has been like an old Phil Collins song since last night.  If you’ve ever heard the song “In The Air Tonight”, you could pretty much apply that tune to her behavior since the thunder came last night.  The only problem is that the cool drum solo that everyone waits for never seems to come.  As much as I would like to know what’s got her a little spooked, I have no way finding out.  Just like other animals, she’s known to have the ability to sense things are about to happen.

You’re probably wondering what’s so successful about this particular week.  Getting some laundry done and taking pictures of a dog on a fence which look a little doctored up doesn’t necessarily hit the high water mark of great achievements on a staycation.  One action that does hit that mark is a step I took on Monday.

For those of you who are new to the site, and even those who have followed my ramblings since our launch, Hope, the TharpSter Pit Bull has been missing since March 5^th.  In the days and weeks following her disappearance, we had taken all of the necessary steps to recover her.  We placed ads, hung flyers, wandered throughout the neighborhood, and kept constant contact with Animal Control here in San Antonio.  This last Monday, I placed an ad with Craigslist.  They were the one site I hadn’t thought of before.  I didn’t really expect anything to come of it, however I wanted to make sure I had put in my due diligence.

To date, Hope has been gone for 20 days.  In those days, we’ve wondered of her whereabouts.  We’ve hoped for her well being and her safe return.  At the same time, we have come to the resolution that maybe she’s gone.

Hope isn’t the first dog we’ve ever lost.  Over the years, Dodger, Chowsky, Ginger, Sunny, and Plucky all disappeared at one point or another between the 70’s and 90’s.  Dodger and Sunny were the only dogs that every found their way back to us.  All these years later, we still find ourselves wondering whatever happened to Chowsky, Ginger, and Plucky.

In the past few days, discussions among the board of directors here at TharpSter.Org have centered around the possibility of adopting another dog.  With the subject matter tabled for awhile in order to give the organization enough time to ponder the move, we have continued to keep up our search for Hope.

This morning, I received the following note through Craigslist:

I have to admit I was a little dubious of the news, as Hope had been gone for some time now.  I made the call anyway.  The person I spoke to indicated that her son had found Hope off a main artery which passes by pretty close to headquarters.  I asked her about some distinguishing markings, however she was not at home with the dog at the time.  It was agreed she would call me later.

Ten minutes later, my vet called me.  Faith has an appointment tomorrow, so I figured it was just an appointment confirmation.

It wasn’t.  Hope had been found.  The son of the person I had spoken to had contacted the vet based on information on her vaccination tag.  Since the TharpSter Wife has the TharpSter Truck with her at work, I gladly made the mile long walk to the vet with leash in hand to pick her up.

That’s right people.  Hope is home.  She’s no worse for the wear.  She’s been fed, watered, and bathed.  She’s also left a little care package out in the backyard.  As such, the Pit Bull Diaries will resume very soon.

Welcome home Hope!