One day in New Mexico some neighbors that had a weekend cabin by our woods showed up asking if I had any dog food.

I thought this was a rather odd question, then asked "Why?"

"Well, there is this mama dog and 3 pups that were at the dumpsters down by the pastures awhile ago and someone else saw them walking down a long dirt road earlier today...it looks like they have been dumped."

"Ok, let's go find them."

It took us an hour or so to round them all up. The pups were wary of us, but Christina just put her head over the back seat partition and gave me her prettiest smile.

I placed ads at the local store and in the newspapers; of course no one called to claim them.

Christina was thin, and covered in dreadlocks from lack of grooming. Her 10-week old pups were exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. I found a good home for her 2 smooth-coat, red chow pups, Pumpkin and Dartagnon, but her boy Rolie Polie has been her devoted companion and playmate ever since.

Christina loves the snow, and when we hike she bathes in the creeks that are snow fed. She's the ultimate body pillow for those cold winter nights when I just can't get warmed up.