Brother Cane

I noticed that Riley's brother, Bob's Cane, has entered the SEGA adoption program. His ears appear to be a little less ugly than hers :-). It is exciting to have contact with one of my hound's littermates. Maybe his adopter will stay in touch. I had hoped that more of Reagan's family would keep in touch, but I have only had contact with the adopter of the red male (47A). The foster person emailed me and put me in touch with the adopter and I sent them all of the puppy pictures I had. I also contacted the adopter of the mother, Task Spring Buds, but my emails have either been spammed or ignored. If I were the owner of a dam, I would certainly want to keep tabs on the pups, but that is just me.

In the latest bunch to arrive at SEGA, it appears from the profiles that I have 3 to look at for my adopter, Ray (including Bob's Cane). Hopefully one will be perfect for Ray and the other 2 are much more mild manner than they were on profiling day. All 3 were described as having an intense toy drive and extremely food motivated. I will try to look at them in the next couple of days.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I feel so blessed and I am so thankful for everything I have. I feel spoiled at times. It is so nice to live in a free country where my biggest worry each day is "What's for dinner? (because there is so much to choose from) and "What should I do with the dogs?" Life is so easy.

I am so blessed to have a wonderful family and husband.

We are all healthy for the most part. The dogs are healthy.

I am so thankful to have a great job with super nice bosses and flex time. I am very lucky I have time each day to work with the greyhounds and to have fun loving, training, and competiting them.

I am thankful for all the friends I have met through greyhounds and dog training. I am happy I live in Georgia and in an area that offers so much to do with the dogs.

I am thankful for having had two heart dogs thus far in my lifetime. I just could not ask for more. I hope you are all are enjoying the same.

Valedictorian

And last, but not least, Katie would be the valedictorian in high school. Intelligent, hard working, and motivated, Katie would graduate head of her class.

Katie would be any parent's dream. She would keep her room clean, help around the house, and do anything asked of her.





She would be involved in lots of extra-curricular activities. Katie would be a team player and very good at sports.

She would be a wonderful older sister......

And a wonderful younger sister as well.

Just the most perfect, wonderful greyhound ever.

Stuck In Bed

I woke up this morning to find Katie stuck in bed.... literally. She was unusually polite for a morning of sleeping in. When I got out of bed, I found that she had poked her head through a torn blanket that had a hole perfectly sized for a greyhound head and neck. No doubt she was snuggly warm.

If Money Was No Object

I have been tagged. Six things I would do if money was no object:


1. House - I would want a house perfectly suited for humans and greyhounds - all the usual stuff people want in nice houses along with no stairs, a better neighborhood. Beautiful tile floors with some sort of non-slip texture. Large rooms so that all 6 greyhounds can be in the same room with the people. Huge, beautiful dog beds to match the decor. A small covered potty yard accessible from the back door. A larger sand lot for nicer days (forget grass). A small kitchen and storage area for raw dog food preparation. A dog laundry room. The house would be surrounded by hundreds of acres - a field suitable for tracking, an agility field, an indoor training building, and miles of fence lines for safe off lead hiking through rolling pastures.


2. I would quit my job and utilize more of my spare time for volunteer work.


3. I have always wanted an RV, but lets make it a tour bus. I would love to travel all over the USA, but I want the dogs to be able to come with. The tour bus would be customized for every one's comfort.


4. I would make sure family members are financially stable.


5. I would love to rescue horses. Horses are expensive and often have no where to go when they are no longer useful. I had horses as a kid, but they were always the useful variety in the prime of their lives. I would like to pay it back by giving the retired horses a place to live the last years in comfort.


6. I think the best part would be giving to charity. I would love to be able to assist organizations with the funds they need when they have a good idea or a much needed program. You hear about celebrities giving $1 million to such and such charity, but I am talking about charities on the local level. Those run solely on hard work and volunteers. Most would probably be geared towards animals, but heck if money was no object, I would probably help people too :-).


I will tag Katy, Todd, and thebellagreyhound next.

Balancing Act

Here is what Riley is working on. She is a wild and wiggly girl. With so much movement, she is more at risk for falling of dogwalks and teeters. On this exercise, I am click and treating for having all 4 feet on the board. I want her to walk across it. I want her to be able to turn around and sit on it without falling off. I want her to be comfortable moving around on it and to know her job is to stick to the board no matter what she is doing.

Here is Riley doing some low teeter work. To minimize the amount of pivot, I have the far end of the board land on a table. Over time the teeter gets taller and the table gets lower. When you do not see us in the frame, I am rewarding Riley for not putting herself on the obstacle without me telling her first. I want her to wait until instructed to do so.

Here is a clip of Riley's weave pole progress. She knows to travel down the middle of the poles now.

Prior To Crash and Burn

Last week, I made an attempt to video by myself. These are videos of Reagan doing jump sequences with lots of crosses. Crosses are basically when I have to change sides with Reagan so we can head in another direction. Front crosses happen in front of the dog. Rear crosses happen behind the dog.


Reagan's jumping is coming along nicely. She is keeping most of the rails up and is crossing nicely. Much better jumper than Riley!!! :-)


Sorry the videos are far away and unedited.

Crash and Burn

I am beginning to think that Reagan is accident prone. I had the hounds at the training building on Sunday to teach a private obedience lesson. There is an agility field out back with sand footing. It was cold and the hounds needed to let loose. Reagan was running around and fetching her toy. At one point she ran past me up onto the concrete. When she circled around and turned back towards the sand, her back feet slipped out from under her. She scrapped up her back feet, toes, and her right stifle. She started to bleed quite a bit and was leaving a significant trail of blood as she walked. Dang it! It was one of those days where it was freezing cold, so I could not clean her up outside. I put her in the van, grabbed the other two, and tossed all my stuff in the van. I got her home in the bath tub. Got her cleaned up and all of the sand out of the wounds. Katie is a much better patient than Reagan. Of course, what do you expect from the most perfect greyhound ever? Reagan was uncooperative, but I managed to bandage her feet. Now the dilemma.... what do I do with the 19-month old brat for the next couple of days? Watch TV? Read a book? Checkers? Scrabble anyone? Unfortunately, that is not going to work for Reagan.

New Van Pictures

We picked up the new van yesterday.

Despite Stephen spending half the day at the dealership doing paperwork already, we still had another hour of signing around before we could take it home. So glad Stephen did the hard part. Thanks, Snookums.

This new van is a huge splurge for Stephen and I. Neither of us has ever owned a new car before. In fact the 1998 Mazda I drive to work was purchased just 3 years ago.

There is still some work to be done. The radio/CD player has to be installed. The factory version cost about $100 more than the much nicer one we purchased. We are also having the insides sprayed with Line-X (spray-on truck bedliner) to reduce road noise and provide some insultation.

The new van has a sliding door instead of two swing out doors.

The sliding door should be nice for when we are in a tight parking spot.

ARM RESTS!!!! The power seat is also very nice. Full size vans are not built for 5' 3" females. Its nice to finally be able to adjust the seat in all directions.

The van also came with a lot of gadgets we did not expect - compass, gauge that tells us how many miles are left in tank, head and tail lights that come on automatically depending on the amount of light outside, tire pressure sensor, oil change sensor, and other gauges I cannot remember what they do yet.

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Our new greyhound bus has arrived!!! The reason this news is so exciting is that we ordered the new van on June 20th..... almost 5 months ago. You would have thought we were adopting this vehicle from China, but alas it was born in Missouri on Halloween day. With all the worries with American carmakers, you would have thought General Motors would be eager to produce a vehicle for someone standing there with money to buy it..... But no, lets produce vehicles we might be able to sell. Do you really think its a good idea for the government to bail out such companies? I digress.

My love of cargo vans for traveling with dogs has been well established. I bought my first cargo van in 2002 after Todd persuaded me to purchase the windowless version (instead of a passenger van). I bet you don't remember that, Todd. He explained that I did not want windows because they create a greenhouse effect. He was right and I fell in love with my cargo van. However, this time around we wanted to upgrade and add a few features the car, mini van, and SUV drivers take for granted.... such things as a color other than white (sandstone), power adjustable seat, cloth interior, CD player with USB port, power locks & windows, cruise control, rear heating and air conditioning, and ARM RESTS! I cannot wait to rest my arms on the arm rests!

Unfortunately, pimped out cargo vans are not in high demand and cannot be found at any dealership in the United States of America. We had to order a new one. So join Stephen and I in welcoming our new van to our family. Pictures will be coming soon.

Wannabe

I do not know Riley as well as Reagan and Katie, but I would guess that she would be a wannabe in high school.....one of those girls that tries too hard to fit in and to be popular. She would not be especially pretty with that freckled faced and bad hair. An attempt at the latest hair style would only turn into curly bangs that just get bigger and fly in all directions.





Riley's excited and hyper personality would get her into trouble in social situations. She would probably talk very fast and later regret half of what she said. She would greet everyone with a hug. She would bite her nails when she is excited (evident by her leash chewing).

Riley would invite the other girls over for sleep overs......

... And share her toys. The popular girls would break rip up her toys when her back is turned.

Riley looks pretty goofy when she jogs and would be made fun of by the other kids when it was time to run the mile. She would be picked last for teams in P.E.

Lucky for me, Riley is just a sweet, little greyhound that doesn't care if we tease her.

Popular Girl

If Reagan was a teenager in high school, I would imagine her to be one of the popular girls. You know the type.... petite, beautiful, and a little stuck up.

Her bouncy nature would be perfect for cheer leading. She would love to show off her assets.

She would insist on wearing only the latest styles and name brand labels.........

And throw a nasty tantrum if she did not get her way.

She would probably refuse to smile in family pictures with a wicked little look on her face. "Are we almost done yet?" she would say.

She would probably be a flirt and hang around the boys too much.

Thank goodness Reagan is just a wonderful greyhound.

Listen Up

Ears have little to do with speed, so racing greyhounds have some of the most interesting ears found on any breed of dog. The varieties are about as diverse as the colors. Lets review the various types.

Picture Perfect Ears - Picture perfect ears speak for themselves. They are a matching pair and appear as if they belong on the same greyhound head. They are alert and pricked for all photography sessions with minimum solicitation from squeakies and funny noises.

Foxy Ears - Sometimes these are mistaken for picture perfect ears. While cute for photos, these ears stand higher than picture perfect ears.



Freak Flags - Freak flags warn of impending doom. These ears belong to Stacker and we can usually assume that it is raining or a plane has flown over the house when we see these flags flying.

Bowtie or Farfalle Ears - If I was not a vegetarian, I would probably want to open a jar of Ragu spaghetti sauce and nibble on those goofy ears.

Captive Orca Fin Ears - Recall the orca movie called Free Willie and you will remember the limp dorsal fin tip that flopped over to one side instead of standing straight up. Reason unknown, this occurs in killer whales living in captivity. Riley's right ear is blessed (or cursed) with this trait. Maybe it would stand straight up if she was a wild greyhound.

Neutered Feral Cat Ears - Due to Riley's captive orca fin ear, from the front she appears to have the ears of a neutered feral cat. When caring for a feral cat colony, the most important thing to do is to spay and neuter the cats. However, once released you have no way of knowing which cats you have neutered. That is unless you have the vet remove the tip of one ear, so you have a quick and easy way to determine whether the cat in your humane trap is neutered or not.

Batman Ears - These flaps speak for themselves.

Curly Ears - Again, Riley's ears are able to demonstrate more weirdness.

Luckily for the AKC greyhounds, their breeders pay more attention to ear conformation. While less entertaining fodder for blogs, the AKC siblings tend to have more attractive, breed type ears.

Bandaging 102

Well, most of you know how I feel about bandaging (scroll down to Bandaging 101 if you don't). I won't be modest. I do a fantastic job at bandaging, so I am somewhat of a bandage snob. I am tired of paying vets $20 or more for a mediocre bandaging job that I have to redo when I get home. To me, it seems that bandaging should be an easy skill for any vet or vet tech to master. If I am going to trust you to cut open my dog, lop off a toe, or stick needles into them, I would assume I can trust you to bandage. So here is my latest bandage gripe.


As you know, Stacker has a busted toe. Stephen and I felt it needed to be x-rayed. Our regular vet couldn't get us in quick enough, so we opted to go to a vet that could. If it was broken, there is a chance that enough calcification will occur to hold the toe in place. If it is dislocated, there is not much you can do to save it and amputation affords the dog the quickest recovery. The toe was not broken, but since it was a middle, weight bearing toe, Stephen wanted to approach it cautiously and get all the facts first. The vet also wanted to reduce swelling and take another x-ray a few days later.


In the meanwhile the vet put a splint on Stacker. I have never used a splint, so I left it to the expert and did not do any of the bandage changes myself.


Well, Stacker's second x-ray was completed and the splint was changed in the back room without giving Stephen the opportunity to see for himself. Lesson #1, ask to see the leg between bandage changes. You would not think this is necessary, but obviously it is. Vets love for you to drop your dog off for a bandage change. Don't. I would suggest making an appointment so you can witness the event.


The vet sought the opinion of a specialist who said if its not better in 2 weeks, it needs to be amputated. We were closing in on 2 weeks, so Stephen and I removed the splint ourselves for a look.


Not only was the toe not better, but his leg was swollen from toes to hock. Large patches of hair had been waxed off by the tape applied to his skin. AND he had a HORRIBLE rub spot. "Rub spot" is a complete understatement. The splint caused a wound so deep that we believe we can actually see the bone. Needless to say, we are upset about this. We paid $130 for expert bandaging/splinting and he was actually injured significantly from it. We will be asking for a refund.





The toe was removed Friday and I will be handling the bandages from here on out. His leg looks much better already. Kudos to Dr. Toby Carmichael who sent him home with a wrap after the amputation. I probably could have left his bandage for a couple of days, but my untrusting nature insisted that I redo it the next day. The wounds needed some air time anyway. So Dr. Toby gets a thumbs up for his wrap job.

Shopping

Well, I am excited to be hound shopping again although not for myself this time. Ray contacted me a couple of months ago after seeing my website. Ray is truly an animal person with a high interest in animal behavior. He has an amazing animal background. He has worked with horses including starting young Clydesdales for Budweiser, successfully trained and trialed several border collies in sheep herding, and has worked with and clicker trained hawks. He has an extensive background in clicker training. Unlike my self-taught clicker training education, Ray has attended clicker training expos, seminars, and has worked locally with other clicker trainers. He strikes me as someone that loves to learn and who is always seeking more knowledge. Ray also lives in the country on 6 acres with his wife and teenage daughter. His property backs up to miles of logging trails that he and his border collie, Nap, enjoy regularly. Ray became interested in adopting a greyhound after he had cared for several while their owners were out of town.

I love it when someone like Ray applies to adopt a greyhound. I do not like to categorize greyhounds (or other breeds) too much since they are all individuals. But generally speaking, greyhounds make excellent pets for today's typical suburban lifestyle and tend to attract the right adopters to fill the primary need. However, a percentage of ex-racing greyhounds are looking for new, active careers and it is such a blessing when we have someone wanting a hound that needs a lot of exercise and training to live a happy and stimulating life.

Ideally, I prefer that people adopt locally and pick their own greyhounds. I can help by giving the adopter some characteristics to think about and to look for. We tried to work locally with a group in Ray's state, but alas they were unable to see the opportunity before them.


This is not the first time a group has turned away someone with so much to offer. Diane adopted Abby nearly a year ago from SEGA. She was turned down because she wanted to train and compete her greyhound in obedience and agility and wanted to choose a greyhound with more drive and motivation than her last one. The group was not keen about letting Diane choose a greyhound that was right for her. Luckily, SEGA was able to step up to the plate and provide a lucky greyhound with an ideal home.


I am so proud to be apart of SEGA and I am thankful that they have allowed me to be "choosy" over the years. So once again, a local adoption group's loss is SEGA's gain.

And to my new friend Jules, this is a great example of the matchmaking I love to do. I am hoping you continue to lurk and that you are starting to see the importance in finding a home that is "just right" for a particular hound and vice versus. More greyhounds are adopted when adoption focuses on a good fit rather than pity for the dogs.

I will keep you all posted on the search.

Missing That

Even though I grew up primarily in Massachusetts and Orange County California, I will admit that I have grown to like a little country music. Over the last year, I would sometimes hear a song by Trace Adkins called "You're Going to Miss This".....

You're going to miss this.
You're going to want this back.
You're going to wish these days hadn't gone by so fast.
These were some good times.
So take a good look around,
You may not know it now,
But you're going to miss this.

I would usually hear the song while driving the van with Travis and Katie safely tucked into their crates behind me. I would catch myself getting a little teary eyed knowing that they were not getting any younger. I was so thankful for the fun times and was so blessed to be spoiled with not just one fantastic greyhound, but two. As I would sing along, I would agree that I would definitely miss this.

It dawned on me recently that all three girls are pretty independent and they do not follow me around the house unless we are getting ready to go somewhere. Each has a favorite resting spot and are not likely to leave it once settled in for the evening. I like this about them. I like being able to go to the bathroom alone or to grab something from the kitchen without an escort.

On the other hand, Travis' favorite resting spot was always near me. He was quiet and stealth about it. In fact, I did not really take notice of this trait until Stephen pointed it out and gave Travis the nickname "Nancy". I think Travis' trailing intensified over the years and I became less fond of the constant attention. But now when I work in our home office.... I am often alone. There is no one resting behind me and I realize now that it is one of the little things I miss.... among many other things.

What Really Happened

Riley here. The truth is that Stacker sticks his nose where it does not belong. Peanut and I were having a fun time when "Big Brother" jumped in and tried to put a stop to it.

What Stacker didn't tell you is that he likes to put his teeth on others..... hence the muzzle he was wearing. Although I have not been around long enough to witness it myself, Katie told me that Stacker is the only greyhound in the family (with one exception) to leave teeth marks on other family members.


Katie said that a couple of years ago, she was resting in the living room next to Stacker. Mom was dealing with some babysitter dogs that had gotten into a squabble in the backyard. Stacker heard the commotion and being the tough guy he thinks he is, grabbed her by the back of the neck leaving punctures.


I believe that Julie has also suffered the mark of Stacker, but she and Stacker have a strange relationship, so she is not sharing the details. It is sad when someone cannot break away from an abusive relationship.


Another time, Stacker tried to take a shot at Travis, but Travis taught him a lesson and ripped him a new one. Travis was always a gentleman with the other greyhounds, but stood up to the bully when duty called. Stacker quickly cried "Uncle" and now bears a few scars on his face from the incident.


If Stacker had just been smart enough to keep quiet and accept Peanut's apology, I wouldn't have to drag his name through the mud. I think history shows that Stacker is actually the greyhound with an aggression problem. The truth is.... Stacker was trying to attack me and I have my cousin, Peanut, to thank for running him over. Thanks Peanut!

Sleepy Heads

Sleepy heads, Riley and Reagan.

Reagan keeping her nose warm at Katie's expense.

Snookums, I am sorry, but these pictures are just too cute to not share. You and Reagan look so sweet and cozy.

Reagan is till a butt head.

Differences

It is funny how a variety of traits and characteristics come together to create a personality. Even though I aim to choose similar type greyhounds, it is amazing how different each can be.


Katie is friendlier now, but she was quite aloof to begin with. People thought she was shy, but in reality she just didn't give you the time of day including me at first. She is more engaging now, but generally you have to engage her first. She isn't going to beg for your attention.





Travis, Reagan, and Riley were/are naturally much more outgoing and sweet. However, like Katie, Travis did not want to be rewarded with physical praise. They both wanted/want treats and toys.... and you can love on them later..... training sessions and dog shows were not the place for it. That is an important training tip. I see it all of the time. People hugging and rubbing on their dogs as a reward and the dog's face clearly says otherwise (especially small dogs). I love a back rub as much as the next person, but there is a time and a place for it. Your dog may feel the same way. Keep that in mind.


Recently, I have figured out that Reagan does appreciate praise. After getting her treats, she seems to like it if I take a few minutes to scratch her itchy neck, cuddle, and fuss over her. She likes to be close even in public. I suspect that Riley might be more like Reagan, but I am not sure yet.





Reagan also likes to body slam. Travis would chest butt, but Reagan pretty much comes at you with full force and bounces off. Ouch. I have to be careful. Katie would never do something like that and Riley is a more traditional, excited jumper. We have to work on that.


Riley is very distracted relative to the others. That is natural when a dog is taking in a lot of "firsts". But I do find that she is much more stimulated by the environment (smells especially) than any of the others ever seemed to have been. I think she will require some additional work in that area.





All four love toys. Travis loved to run laps with his bumper. After a few minutes, he would start into a session of fetching. He was a born retriever and retrieved for the reward of the next throw.


Katie loves to destroy toys. To save money, I made her a deal that I would trade her a treat for an unharmed toy. That turned in fetching. She loves to fetch toys and would do all day if I would let her.





Reagan likes to leap into the air to catch toys. Like a lab, she will take off as soon as I pull my arm back for a throw and run ahead for the catch. Her toy drive has increased considerably and like Katie she likes to trade the toy for a treat.


Riley is a mixed bag with the toys. The others were so easy to teach retrieving. Riley either has very little toy drive or too much, but I see it starting to level off in the middle now. The others quickly learned to put the toy in my hand, but Riley has a knack for dropping it a split second before I take it. Slowly but surely, she seems to be getting the idea. Despite the different toy drive, I think Riley might be fast and reckless in agility like Travis. I hope so, but we will have to wait and see.





Then you have cute quirks. Travis would sometimes bring a toy (low value, stuffy skin) to the back door for the last turn out for the night. There is just something cute about him standing there with a toy he never got to take outside. Riley likes to carry towels and fleece blankets to the back door.


Reagan likes to go to bed early (7 or 8 PM) and will ask to go to her crate. She will get grumpy if we make her go outside one more time. None of the others seem to ever be grumpy.


Reagan is also the only one that clearly asks to go outside. She will cry, bark, and yodel in your face. Katie will ask, but she is more sutle with too much friendliness. Katie also pees on cue ("tee tee") and will fake if she does not have to go. Travis never asked to go out. He could hold it forever.





All four love cats..... but inappropriately. Reagan is probably the most likely to succeed at cat safe if I had to pick one. I kind of think she would back off if a cat dug its claws into her face. The others.... not so much (Katie says "yum" while staring at the cat on the driveway in the picture above).


The differences keep things interesting. I will never understand why someone would want to clone their dog. The surprises, the unexpected, and the triumphs are exciting.

Saturday's SLOP

This Saturday was S.L.O.P. night. Time for more veggie mix for the hounds. The tasty, but healthy ingredients included chicken liver, eggs, and goats milk.



The less exciting, but healthy ingredients included turnip greens, carrots, yellow squash, parsley, cucumber, garlic, and a pear.

Thanks Grandma!

Reagan would like to thank her Grandma for her new, snugly, elephant fleece made just for her. It is so soft and warm... and just in time for the election. As you may guess from Reagan's names, I swing right and tend to be conservative.




Maybe one of these days the Republicans will actually have a candidate that acts conservative. I am against big government. I do not like government run programs like Social Security. I do not like our complicated tax system. I am for freedom and free enterprise.


Maybe the Libertarian party will eventually take the place of Republicans. I like the idea of the Fair Tax and so do many Libertarians. But like the Republican party even the Libertarian party is afraid to take a definite stand for it. Its annoying to me that the conservative political parties seem so wishy washy about taking a stand for something that effects us daily (like taxes). Yet will take a firm stand on an issue like abortion..... something most people probably don't even think about unless the car in front of you has a bumper sticker about it. I would suspect half of the folks that consider themselves conservative would also consider themselves pro-choice.

Freedom is really important to me. I do not want the government to tell me how many dogs I can have or which breeds. I do not want the government to take away my friend's right to occasionally breed a high quality litter of puppies. But it is happening everyday across this country. Bit by bit, rules are made, laws are passed, and our freedom is squeezed a little more.


In Georgia, we are very lucky to have the Georgia Canine Coalition on our side. They act as a watch dog for dog owners and fight laws that infringe on your right to own and enjoy dogs in the state of Georgia. I urge you to join if you live in Georgia. Membership is just $15 a year and it helps to pay for a lobbyist who works on behalf of Georgia dog lovers. The GCC is one of the most successful clubs of its kind in the US.


I try not to take for granted that I get to participate in "silly games" like dog agility. There is probably a small percentage of people in the world that get to have the kind of luxuries that we in the U.S. have. Even when times are tough, at least in my little world, the shopping centers are still full, everyone is still driving around, and the biggest complaints I am hearing are "I'm having to bring my lunch instead of eating out everyday." and "We are taking less vacations this year." Not my idea of a hardship. I don't doubt that there are people truly going through tough times right now. The economy goes through cycles and we are definitely on a down cycle. I suspect lots of people are still living beyond their means. Hopefully this is a wake up call. As a financial planner, I feel blessed that people need me through all cycles, so my job remains very steady.


And what about this stock market? All you need is a little cash and courage to benefit from this huge downturn. Being diversified has not protected portfolios this time. Everything has been hammered. At this point you could pretty much throw a dart at investments and pick anything. If you like stocks, buy good companies. Right now high quality companies are under priced and on sale. Don't buy companies that struggled during the good times as well as the bad. Sometimes I hear "it can't go any lower". Well, yes it can. The stock price can go to zero if you pick a company that goes belly up. If you prefer something that doesn't require much thought, just buy an S&P 500 Index Fund.


For those of you saving to retirement plans and are a good 10 or more years away from retiring, smile and be glad you are getting such a deal on investments. Bump up the savings if you can and take advantage of the big stock market sale. Like every other time in history... the stock market has always recovered.