For anyone that doesn`t know by now, I have a newer truck and also found me a new buddy dog in early and mid June respectively…I had been truck shopping online for a few weeks before Missy passed…truck dealers were contacting me and wanting me to come see and test drive their trucks that I was interested in…I had told each of them that I was taking care of my dog who had been diagnosed with an aggressive spleen cancer and I was not going anywhere for any reason except to work when I had to…luckily most of the dealers that I had been in contact with were very understanding about it and those that didn`t, were dropped from my shopping list. A few days after I had to put Missy down and end her suffering, I drove up to Jefferson City and Kansas City and test drove a couple of Toyota Tacomas…I had been looking at them for some time and once it was apparent that I could not purchase a new Colorado due to the outrageous price of the four wheel drive models, I quickly decided it was time to get a Tacoma instead. I really liked both of the trucks I test drove that week, and I while I really liked the dealer at Riley Toyota in Jefferson City, I decided to purchase the Tacoma that I drove the next day in Lees Summit. They made me a sweet deal that I could not pass up, and I had had that truck inspected closely by a good friend in KC a few weeks before I even got there, who found nothing wrong with it at all and a check by the dealer at my request, to check on the highway mileage the previous owner was getting, turned up some good info on it as well, info to my liking. I made the deal the same day, after saying good bye to my faithful 07 Colorado with 240,000 miles on it…driving home in this pretty candy apple red 10 Tacoma four door pickup. No sooner got home in it than had to pack it for my trip the next day to Kentucky for the annual Rock Dig and Gem Show at Marion, hosting the Eureka Mine for them all weekend…..

….and here at the quarry in Eminence a week later…..

….and the week after that, I located a nice looking Border Collie mix dog online at a shelter near Lake of the Ozarks…I made contact with the Shelter and asked them if I could come up and check him out on my next day off. Mom decided she wanted to ride up with me so we drove up and picked him up on the 17th…I know it was only two weeks folks, but I hated coming home to an empty house and this one has a unique name that I just felt was meant to be…now about four weeks later, I still feel the same and he is a very well mannered three year old Border Collie with what we think is a shepherd mix…meet Onyx…..

He has become my new buddy dog…loves to ride in the truck, just got back from his first official roadtrip to Arkansas last week, and loves to go rockhunting and hiking with me…..everyone loves him….