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54 “Well, if you want me to give extraterrestrials publicity then you’re going to have to show me a way to do it.” I spoke aloud. “The TV show is done.” Even though my TV show was lost I continued with the gallery... for a time. Three rather blue days after my release from the television station, an acquaintance dropped into the gallery and told me he’d heard of my dismissal. He insisted that I take a block long walk with him to meet his friend who was into movies and TV. His friend was just then planning to open a studio for independent television production. We walked to the studio and for the first time I met Bill Blair. I felt it only fair to tell him what had happened to me at the TV station. He didn’t seem to mind. “They didn’t know a good thing when they had it.” He smiled and went on, “I’m interested in the extraterrestrial phenomena. I’ve had some experiences myself. You want to come to work for me?” My heart rose and I accepted on the spot with the proviso that I would have time to close the gallery and get all the works back to their owners. Many of Oklahoma’s best artists had found homes for their works in my gallery. Sometimes a temporarily homeless artist would find The Barking Dog to be a refuge for his body as well. One such refugee let the water run... and run and run, through the floors and down the wall. All the carpeting ruined, the pictures ruined, everything ruined. That’s when I really lost heart for displaying artist’s work so without too much pain I decided to go ahead and close the gallery. I’d been keeping the gallery open and working for Blair as well. I decided I would go on with the job with Bill Blair. I truly wasn’t sorry I had opened the Barking Dog. If I hadn’t started the gallery I might never have had the experiences which I received later on. Not long before my business place was ruined by a careless artist’s bath water, only a short time before I had to Barbara Bartholic as told to Peggy Fielding