Miracles come in many forms, but who expected this one outside of Boise in Eagle, Idaho? We were visiting my cousin Richard (aka Sars) and Lola at their beautiful home that is worthy of any magazine or HGTV show. A more hospitable couple could not be found, as we were welcomed with cold beer and delicious Mexican home cooking! While Lola's chicken mole was delicioso, that is not the miracle of which I speak. Neither is the twenty-foot putt that I sank while playing golf with Sars...completely unexpected, and entirely dumb luck, but not a miracle. Even CJ, Anna and Lola's grandson Trey being able to balance on the paddle boards on Third Lake, although impressive, was not miraculous. No, the miracle of which I speak refers to my daughter Anna, who is and has been afraid of dogs since I can remember, and I had not prepared her for Finn, a lively, extremely friendly black pup that comes to her knees when on all fours or could reach her shoulders if she put her paws up on hind legs. As soon as Finn came bounding out of the house with Lola and Sars to meet us as we pulled up in front of their house, Anna quickly positioned herself behind me to prepare for the perceived oncoming danger. Lola and Sars graciously kept Finn in another room much of the time that Anna was around so she wouldn't be scared. When we went out to the backyard to play cornhole after an unusual rainstorm in this high desert climate, we realized the bags and boards were still wet. With not a hint of disappointment in her voice, Anna turned to me and said, "That's OK, maybe I can just play catch with Finn." And THERE is the miracle. My daughter, who all her life is afraid of dogs, suggests that a fun alternate activity would be to play catch with Finn. She picked up the tennis ball and gave it a toss. Finn bolted from her spot in chase and returned the ball to Anna, who after observing Sars on numerous occasions used the correct commands, gave Finn a salute, to which the dog dropped the ball at her feet to repeat the process. This game of fetch, with Anna now in control of the dog commands Finn had learned, played in the backyard, unaccompanied by any protecting adult, as if she herself had become the dog whisperer. It was truly a sight to see.