Rocky was battling the mean roads of Louisiana when our son Kevin rescued him from the pizza pickup driver who was doing his best to run over him. He put up a good fight, but he was out of his weight class. Ever after he planted his feet and barked fiercely at all other pickups except Kevin's red one. I'll always wonder what he was called before, but the name Rocky seemed just fine with him.

What makes a face irresistible? Is it a light in the eyes or a particular sort of smile? Whatever it is generally, that quality pounced off the newprint at me a year or two ago. I ripped it out of the paper without even noticing what it advertised. This comic smile has brightened the days from the top of my rolltop desk. I cannot look at this picture without at least a matching grin, and often I laugh. He inspired a little verse.

Then one day I got to wondering about who owns this happy little guy and what his name might be. I can see the collar and tag around his neck. Finally I found the picture again in an Gadzoo advertisement for World of Pets Unleashed. I want the world to know that this kindred soul will always be welcome here. We'll laugh away the days together. What could be more enjoyable?

Wisdom from a comic strip is not something one usually expects, but today, muttscomics.com featured what it called a Native American Proverb. It reads: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."  As we abuse and squander the Earth's resources, that was probably never more meaningful. Children of the Earth, beware! Look around you at the beauty, large and small that should be yours to enjoy and pass forward.

In the animal world that includes humans, we tend to get caught up in the competition for goodies: territory, water, and plant and animal foods.That sometimes leads us to develop hatred toward rodents or predators who have trouble distinguiishing between natural and husbanded foodstuffs and territories.