I feel impelled right now to write a letter to Neil Young. I am sitting on my loveseat with my german shepherd, Ela, curled up beside me - she is having a moment, utter nirvana for her as the dulcet tones of Neil waft through her lovely pointed ears and I concurrently stroke her submissive head. To elucidate further, Ela and I have not yet fully bonded. Her predecessor and I were soul mates (I am convinced!) and she came into our lives 5 months after Bora's passing. I have tried to bond with her, and have come to love her, but she always seems guarded and hesitant (she was a former RCMP brood dog and was 4 when she came to us). But right now, she is totally relaxed, and, as her body folds into mine, I am, too. And we send up our thanks to Neil Young.

Dear Neil:

I grew up listening to you - I had 3 cool older brothers who not-so-subtley influenced my taste in music. No Donny Osmond or Bay City Rollers for me (thank Goddess) (although, I do recall doing a class project on Sonny & Cher when I was 14, I do not think you were among the choices...). And, to be honest, I always saved my fervent crushes for Bruce Springsteen and Kris Kristoffersen, but you, you are the soundtrack of my life. I think I know every lyric to most of your early stuff (I am a little freaky in that way - I think I know every lyric to every pre-80's song, given that I was born in '62, give me 10ish years, lets say every song between '72 and '82. Seriously. Lounge singers have thanked me for filling in the spots where they went blank...it's a gift...too bad a voice didn't go with it...). And, you're Canadian. Nothing more to say about that except what is cooler than a Canadian. Who can sing. Write lyrics. And caress a german shepherd's prone head. And wax poetic about Neil Young.

I guess what I really want to say is thank you. Thank you for singing and writing and being uniquely you. And Canadian. Goddess love you. And everyone else. And thank you for giving me the moment I needed to inform my sweet girl, and myself, that she is loved, wanted and accepted for being her unique self.

"Long may you run"