\"If you ever get lost, look to the horizon and find me, I\'ll always be there to guide you through the valleys my little lost puppies.\"

Ishtah was bought from Maggots (#69) along with Venomous Spite (39733) and I\'m very proud and honored to be her new owner.

Ishtah was named after a dog I met during my trip to Turkey. Ishtah is the pronunciation of the word \'cream\' in Turkish, or at least that\'s what my teacher said. xD

Ishtah was our guide, life saver and friend. We were visiting the love valley in Turkey and that\'s where we first met Ishtah. (November 14th, 2012) She was NOT a corgi, but a medium sized mutt roaming around the valley. She was a passionate animal and fearless, she came to us once she saw us and came for a loving rub and affection which we willingly gave to her. It was obvious she recently had pups for her belly was still a bit swollen and was sagging a bit, but she was still peppy and didn\'t look like she was starving. We bid our farewells and began to move out, determined to hike through and out of the valley before nightfall (for we didn\'t bring torches and we would be DEAD if we couldn\'t get out before night consumes the area). The teachers led the way, they knew Turkey for they lived there for several years before, but at times when there were forks in roads we had to scout ahead to determine which path is the safest, and even after we chose there were times we were uncertain we were headed the right way.

Surprisingly, every time we felt uncertain, Ishtah would appear in the road in front of us, tail wagging and head cocked to the side as if she\'s waiting for us to follow her. Whenever we started hiking again, she would disappear into the growths navigating through her own territory with ease but always, always finding us again. Soon, we began looking for \'the dog\' whenever we wanted confirmation we were headed the right path and when we saw her, our hearts and spirits would lift to see her waiting almost impatiently for us to follow, it felt like she was leading us out, even though we have no idea of knowing if that was the truth or Ishtah was just leading us in circles, having fun.

The teacher decided to give her a name, for calling her \'the dog\' felt a bit off. I suggested \'the guide\' xD just for fun, so that every time we see her we would be pointing and shouting \"LOOK ITS THE GUIDE! OUR SAVIOR!\". But my teacher murmured \"Ishtah.\" It means \'cream\'. And it fits her quite nicely too.

Ishtah stayed with us throughout the whole hike, never too near but also never too far. She would abandon us to travel her own forest path, she would meet us in front and wait with her tongue hanging out and let the lead teacher touch her before she sets off again. It almost felt like she\'d been doing this for all her life, leading lost hikers back out of the valley. We were not lost, but we were uncertain at times and she acted as a pillar of light and comfort, her lively and joyful presence brought our spirits up. When we reached the exit of the valley, she was there, laying on the ground waiting for us.

We were so grateful for her presence and even if we have no way to prove that she was guiding us the right way, the fact that she always stayed close to us warmed our hearts. We tried to offer her food and water for her hard work, but she rejected them both, all she wanted was a good belly rub and lots of love and that\'s what we gave her.

Ishtah left a lingering memory in our minds as we boarded the bus to head home. We would ask the driver, literally grovel on our knees for someone to adopt her for such a kind hearted girl deserved a good home, but she\'s a free dog. While she loved attention and a good belly rub, whenever she feels she had enough she would stand up and just walk away. She belonged in the valley with her pups and so we let her be. Her courageous and kind heart will forever be remembered in our hearts.

I managed to snap a picture of Ishtah, its not a good photo for she never stayed still long enough for me to adjust my camera... You can find her picture in her custom image.

Ishtah here looks nothing like the real Ishtah, but I chose this one because her cream coat represents Ishtah\'s name and the fact that she looks gentle and motherly like the Ishtah we met in Turkey.

Thank you for leading us back Ishtah. <3