I first started in collies when I was 11 years old (1971). Neither one of my parents, nor virtually any of my relatives or family friends had a dog. In fact, my parents seemed not only absolutely uninterested in allowing any animals in the house, but my father considered that emotional attachments to animals were disdainful. Somehow, I was born into such heritage. The books and movies that I loved for the first decade and a half of my life were always about animals or the relationship between one particular human and an animal. I was a prodigious reader, and after I had polished off the library's fictional section on the topic of animals, I read manuals on the ownership and care of various critters. My first "pets" were spiders and ants which I fed in "the wilds" of the suburbs or kept in jars. Then, I managed to secure a minnow, then a tank of tropical fish. After much petitioning and urging, I was allowed a hamster- and so read all two books available on this creature. I still longed for a dog, and read all about their care and training. Although I was able to train my hamster to "come", I could never get it to "sit"!

Then, I "fell in love" with Duncan. I'm not sure when this happened, We were living in our new house for a short time, when this furry brown dog, with a white ruff, ambled
down the neighbor's front steps. Somehow, at this time, I cannot recall whether this was the same type of dog which was known on the TV screen as "Lassie", or not, I was
only 6 or 7 years old. To me, this was the most beautiful dog I had ever seen. He seemed noble and intelligent and when I heard about certain pranks that he pulled, I respected him even more. Most times, he wandered over out house, looking for me, I hoped. If he was kept inside, I would go to the neighbor's house. One day, I was distraught to hear that he was "very over weight" and
"died of a heart attack".

For several years, I researched the various breeds of dogs, looking for the one which was right for me (and allowed by my family- click on "collie features"). At the same time,
I campaigned bitterly for a dog, but was always refused. I cannot recall any "epiphany", but one day, I knew that the breed for me would always be "the collie". So, I watched every Lassie TV episode and movie and helped myself to Eric Knight, Albert Payson Terune and to other's famous collie stories. I dreamed of the day that I would be able to have my own collie.

The oldest of many children, and a very thoughtful, bright and responsible child, my mother had allowed me as her advisor and helper. My mother did disclose her own childhood desire for a puppy and about the sad two week fate of a puppy that her mother allowed her to keep only in the basement. My relentless pursuits to convince my parents
to allow us a dog, first melted my mother's resistance. She did the research and located a Collie kennel known as "Knightswood" in mid Long Island, where we lived.

Executing a brilliant plan, but not wanting to disobey my father's wishes, my mother called my father at work at his busiest hour. I'm going shopping; would you like a nice pot-roast for dinner...I think the butcher has a sale...That dress your sister had on, last evening looked well on her...I think she said she got it at "A&S"...I was expecting the electrician to come this earlier, that's why we haven't left yet. Anyway, I was waiting for him and it held us up...you know, to fix the outlet...so I'm going to take the kids... (I could envision what my father's face must have looked at on the other side of the line, at
his busy office. I could see first his eyeballs glazing over, then, his eyeballs rolling upwards. Then I could see that he was trying to talk to his patient as he
tried to get my mother off the phone so that he could get on with his work) "Yes, Yes! For this you need a discussion?!" I could imagine him saying, wondering why his brilliant and independent wife would ensnare him in the banalities of a Saturday morning shopping trip.