Kiva

Everyone that knows me knows my love for Dalmatians.  I got my first Dalmatian, Spotted Calamity Jane, from a friend 17 years ago. Cally crossed the Rainbow Bridge 3 years ago. I called Cally my “little negative” for those of you in the photography world that understands negatives are reverse images because she was almost black with white spots. I have worked rescuing Dalmatians over the years after the Disney movie unfortunately spawned an over breeding of Dalmatians. My little Kiva is a deaf Dalmatian that I adopted 13 years ago.  She is the smartest dog I have ever had and I have had dogs all my life. She knows a doggie sign language that I taught her and she observes everything including people’s facial expressions.  She smiles from ear to ear when you greet her with a thumbs-up (good girl) and no one is a stranger. Kiva cannot hear me play my guitar or sing but she enjoys putting her head against my guitar and feeling the vibrations and wagging her tail. She has even sat with me on stage while I performed and is always loved by the audience and the people we meet in our travels. She quietly hangs out in the recording studio when I record music projects. Producer Paul Opalach said, "Kiva is better behaved than most humans I have in my studio."

While going through chemotherapy treatments in my battles with cancer, looking into Kiva’s crystal blue eyes is what kept me going and never giving up.  I always thought in the back of my head 'what would happen to her if I were not around to take care of her and communicate with her'. She is my shadow and is better known than me in the Indie music world.  So I had to name my Indie record label something to do about Dalmatians and Kiva.  Spotted Kiva Productions was born in July 2003. This is the home of my CD’s and lots of memories with the spots in my life.