Gena Welch Booher shares an idyllic life with her husband Chuck, four amazing Airedales, assorted wild lizards, frogs, and birds ~ and three wonderful horses that are hers 'by heart'.  She has spent most of her adult life in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but moved to Florida three years ago to marry Chuck ~ each of them had two Airedales while they courted. In fact, they met because of the Airedales, through Airedale-L, an email based discussion group devoted to Our 'Dales.

Gena founded Airedale-L, the oldest and largest online Airedale community, over seven years ago and has managed it ever since.  Airedale-L has provided many, many people with a support group (most folks owned by Airedales need one, now and then), has continued to support Airedale Rescue, and has served as an information conduit on all kinds of issues from health to training to grooming to info about shows and trials.  In addition, quite a few people have found friends-for-a-lifetime, via "The L".. and at least two have found a lifelong human partner.  How better to start a life than to start with the common ground that comes from a deep love for this wonderful breed of dogs!

Gena is a teacher of the gifted at Belleview Middle School, outside Ocala.  She spends a lot of her spare time working with and riding horses, which was a lifelong dream only realized over the last two years.  She has an old-but-spry half-arabian named PJ, who seems to think she is very large and spoiled-rotten chocolate labrodor retriever.   She also rides and trains two Tennessee Walking Horses (Gem and Bunny) which technically belong to neighbors...but who would have been sold had Gena not come along to pay them much-needed attention.  

The Airedales are truly characters. The Lovely Rita was the 'inspiration' for Airedale-L, is alpha, and is also known as Nurse Bitchet for her insistence upon taking care of anyone who is under the weather, either human or canine.  Rita's favorite activities are chasing frisbees, playing with Bellona, being 'Nap Buddy', and guarding her possessions.  Trudy is the oldest.. her favorite activities are eating, and being with her Daddy!  Ellie is the other Airedale that Gena brought to Florida, and is Rita's half-sister. Ellies favorite activities are resting and getting Rita's goat by usurping her spot on the couch.  Bellona is the baby.. she is the first that was raised by both Gena and Chuck. She's just a *little* bit spoiled!  Bellona was named after the Roman goddess of chaos and destruction (you can probably guess what HER favorite activity is!)

To see photos of Gena and her "Gallery of Rogues", visit www.boohers.com !
 

This block is to honor The Lovely Rita, who refuses to drink 'dog water'.  She demands that someone turn on the faucet in the bathtub (or, when we visit some dear friends of ours, the half-bath sink!)  When Bellona first came to round out our fearsome foursome, she was just barely big enough to put her paws on the lip of the tub and stand up to watch The Goddess. The Reet, drinking from this silver fount...  Rita is, was, and probably always will be, Bellona's "idol". Bellona wants to do everything that Rita does.  Now, she gets into the tub with the Reet and drinks from the same stream.. Rita growls, and Bellona wags her entire body with delight.  Works for them; brings joy to us! Gena Welch Booher did the drawings for the balloon, treehouse, and rooftop blocks.