Hi Chris,

I agree with you about the fiction and non-fiction! I guess a non-fiction lyric boils down to trying to stick to the facts without losing the entertainment value!

I've done a first rewrite of the lyric, now calling him "Webster!" I went back and forth with the "old pal" because I really like that....and I may still change it back! But, I had also picked out "Webster" and got attached to it!

I mentioned in my rewrite intro that I talked to Joe's wife and she reminded me that the reason Joe had driven to Plum Creek that afternoon was because a neighbor called to say she thought the dog was dead, lying very still, I guess. I've added that to the story.

I agree with you about trying to flesh out the dog swimming to its death, but nothing I've come up with has worked very well. I'm posting this rewrite as my next step toward finishing this, but your words are still ringing in my head and I'm thinking, thinking!

Thanks for your help!

Lisa