I store all my pics on flickr, I get unlimited photos, unlimited bandwidth and an unlimited amount of audience.  My latest picture and view count is 13,990 photos / 50,880 views.  There’s a place for anything there, and only today did I realize there’s even a special place for “Dogs named Buddy“. 

There’s also a group for “Pets named after Famous People or Characters” to which I didn’t think I’d have anything to add, however I did just remember Tio.

Tio is a dog I had a few years ago, very sweet girl, and would play the funnest game of keep the ball away of any dog I’ve ever had. She is named after a character in the video game Grandia 2.  My dog Tio’s mother was named Elena.  I’m not going to give any of the game away but they were related somehow in the storyline of the game.

We would go outside, and I have this shed in the back yard.  I’d throw a tennis ball against the shed, wait for it to bouce back and then we’d race to see who could get the ball first.  Sometimes she would just catch it right in her mouth before it ever hit the ground.  Usually we’d have to fight over it, she’d run right under my legs to try and trip me up, or I’d push her over and make her roll across the yard so I’d have a chance.  But all in all, we’d both end up getting it an equal number of times and if she got it first she’d bring it to me and we’d have another go. 

Tio loved the neighbors and would stay at their house sometimes, and my house sometimes. It was a mutual understanding aha.  The neighbors girl worked at the local vet and took a great interest in Tio. 

Tio passed away by being hit by a car on the road.  The neighbors the Franklins said she was ran over on purpose, that she wasn’t in the road and the car veered off the side of the road to purposely hit her.  Mr Franklin waved the truck down which for some reason actually stopped.  (If they did it on purpose why stop?)  He gave them hell, and stalled them while Mrs Franklin called me and the sheriff.  I walked over there to see my Tio dead on the ground, with a bunch of people all around her.  Arguing about it being on purpose or not.  The sheriff even showed up, and a poilce report was filed.  You could clearly see tire tracks running off the road into the grass.  But the sheriff said nothing could be done, it was a civil matter.  The vet girl offered to take her to work and have her cremated.  She kept half of the ashes and I kept half.  I have a small black box on top of my bookcase with her remains.

So I’ve decided to create my own group on flickr, Me With A Pretty Girl.  I’m surprised no one has made such a group before, or at least I couldn’t find one.  I’ve invited tons of photo’s to it, can’t wait to see what happens.