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This website is a PERSONAL endeavor. Lest there be any misunderstanding, the concept was that of Ed King, solely and independently. There were no discussions with Grand Lodges nor, in fact, was there even a discussion with any other Mason! It was conceived and released without any suggestions from any Masonic source whatsoever. And to reiterate: no one person speaks for Freemasonry! Ergo, whether you like this site or you hate it, it is NOT an "official" Masonic site nor does it pretend to be....
And since - at the beginning of the web at least - no personal web site seemed to ever be complete without either a CD-Collection listing or a picture of the family pet, we didn't want to disappoint. Because this really is a personal web site, here's the latter! Keep reading below the picture, though: there's more of interest there....
How did a guy named King
come to have a dog named Prince?
The answer might surprise you!
For several years, I had a "pound puppy" named Riley (later found to be a Rotweiller - oh, my!) who was very dedicated to me. Like nearly all shelter animals, there was a strong bond between us deriving, perhaps, from what could have been his ultimate fate.
One day while driving in a nearby but very rural part of
my rural state, I came upon a (big)
puppy wandering around on a back country road. He was clearly 'street ignorant' and didn't
seem to be at all afraid of a car, its insistent horn, or its even more insistent driver
hollering out the window. All attempts failed to convince him to leave the road. Instead,
he came to the car window wagging his tail and sniffing at me. Being away from the front
of the car, I was able to drive again and went on to my destination. Anxiety over this pup
getting hit by a car or logging truck brought me back to that bend in the road just a few
minutes later. 
The puppy had wandered into the yard of the nearby house but immediately
seemed to recognize me from our earlier 'encounter'. After trying to get him to "go
home" to no avail, I lifted the 70+ pound bag of fur into the back seat of my car and drove around the
area for the next hour hoping that he'd respond to some familiar sight. He didn't.
I checked with the few houses and farms in the area to see if anyone might know who would have a golden lab mix puppy but no one knew anybody else recognized this big ball of yellow fur. Now, with the dog in my car and nothing left to do but abandon him or try to find his owner at some later point, I drove to my vet's office where I left him while attempting to find someone who might know where he belonged. In the small community of 800 where I had gone that morning, no one could identify this lost pup. I ran newspaper ads and put up a notice at the Town Hall and in the Post Office. Nothing! Talking with folks, the general conclusion was that he'd simply been "dumped" hoping some friendly farmer would take him in.
After a quarantine period and getting him his shots, I brought this still friendly puppy home. While he still remembered me, it was clear he wasn't at all keen about meeting Riley - and vice versa! Riley was just too protective of both me and his turf for them to 'blend' so it was a divided house and snarling dogs for the next two weeks. The owner of the kennel I use trains state police dog trainers for our state and I dropped both dogs off there for some 'socialization training'. At the end of a week, they were co-existing quite well there at the kennel and sharing the same pen. However, when we returned home, it was again a disaster. Finally after three more weeks, a decision simply had to be made: one or the other could stay but it just couldn't be both!
But on the morning of the day it had been decided that something would be done to find a home for the stray, I found Riley moping under the dining room table. Arrangements were made for him to get to the vet's that day. Returning home that night, though, I was met with the shocking news that Riley was still at the vet, had been diagnosed with leukemia, and would either need extensive chemotherapy or should be put to sleep.
That night was a VERY restless one: to have Riley put down would always leave the question of whether it was prompted by not wanting to desert the stray pup. At 6:05am, the phone rang. It was my Vet who was leaving on vacation but had come in early just to check on Riley before she departed. She told me that he had died during the night. No longer was there a choice to be made although there was profound grief for Riley's sudden loss.
With the knowledge that this yellow bundle of constantly shedding fur was going to be around for a while, figuring out his name was of major importance. For two weeks I tried every word and word combination in the English language I could think of - as well as a few foreign ones as well. On a Saturday morning with him sleeping on the floor at the foot of the bed, I started reciting the names of cards. "Here King", "Here Queen", "Here Jack", etc. but - as before - got no reaction. What alternatives were there? "Here Prince." and the dog bounded up and leaped onto the bed where he began lapping my face.
He still answers to that name to this day - but now, like a lot of labs, it's only when he's not distracted by a toy or the hope of food! <smile>
And that's the sad/happy story of how a guy named King came to have a dog named Prince. You can't convince me there aren't forces in the Universe that somehow control things... <Grin>
Circulating on the web and seen on the Royal Arch mailing list was this that I've found is really true!
~~~THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM A DOG ~~~
 | Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. |
| Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy. |
| When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. |
| When it's in your best interest, practice obedience. |
| Let others know when they've invaded your territory. |
| Take naps and stretch before rising. |
| Run, romp and play daily. |
| Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you've had enough. |
| Be loyal. |
| Never pretend to be something you're not. |
| If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. |
| When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently. |
| Thrive on attention and let people touch you. |
| Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. |
| On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. |
| On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree. |
| When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. |
| No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout ...run right back and make friends. |
| Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. |
Think about it!
We've struggled mightily with the update to this page. Our friend and companion for some twelve years, Prince, left us in June, 2003. We'll write more when some time has passed and allowed us to get through this page with less intense feelings.
Just
click on "Prince, the Search Dog" to find things on our site. He's here on every
page and he'll take you directly to our search form where you can see if we've
written about whatever it is you're interested in. Prince has a great memory; he
always remembers where things are! We also encourage you to use
our