The Two Furry members of our family, Hueco and Henry Black

Henry Black

Birthday: Unknown but sometime between July and August of 2005

Breed: Unknown but guessing he is a Tom Cat

I was about to start my first semester at the University of Delaware and had moved in with my Aunt Martha and family in Lititz, PA. Henry was a stray found by two joggers near the Besecker Estate. They thought he was ours and had wondered his way off the property. He wasn't ours but I wanted him to be. My cousin Liam Besecker (about 2 and a half years old) was nice enough to help me name him. I liked the name Henry but Liam said that wasn't good enough. A proper name would contain a last name and so Henry became Henry Black. As a kitten he had the biggest feet and was rather awkward and clumsy. To this day he has yet to grow out of his awkward and clumsiness. Dann and I also refer to him as "Pancake." He has a big belly that seems to flatten out just like the batter does on the pan.

Do you see the pancake resemblance?

Hueco
(too much frisbee toss)

Birthday: April 1st, 2006
Breed: Australian Cattle Dog; Blue Heeler

One of Dann's many dreams in life was to own an Australian Cattle Dog. This breed of dog is not common for this part of the country as they are mostly found in the Southwest United States. They are primarily work dogs due to their incessant drive to herd anything and everything. The funny thing was that less than 10 min away from the Vennard household in Smyrna, Delaware, a pair of nice gentlemen breed these cattle dogs. If you are ever on Rt. 13 headed to the beaches of Delaware you will pass their place on the right...just look for the big sign that says "Hubcap Barn." Twice a year they have a litter of pups.
Hueco was one of a litter of seven. We knew we wanted the Blue Heeler as opposed to the Red Dog and we also knew we wanted a little girl. There were two little girl Blue Heelers. One had two black eyes and we almost picked her except that she seemed to beat up on the other little girl who was minding her own business. She looked like a little white puff ball with one black eye and could just about fit in the palm of your hand.
We named our pup after one of the best rock climbing places in the world, Hueco Tanks National Park, El Paso, Texas. Dann and I were lucky enough to take some time over winter break 2006 to visit this extraordinary land. We thought it fitting to give our first pup the name Hueco. The trip to Hueco Tanks brought Dann and I closer and so our pup will always represent our bond together.