Bob Carnes discusses his memoir The Least of These, sharing stories centered on dogs that entered his life despite his insistence he’s “not a dog person.” After buying a family farm in Northwest Wilson County and helping his brother Mike as Alzheimer’s set in, Bob begins feeding a shy pregnant stray, Blackie, rescues her six puppies using a hog trap, and later regrets not paying for Blackie’s heartworm treatment. He recounts Blondie’s arrival and how the pack’s dynamic shifts when the well-bred, independent Wolf appears, ranges widely, and is ultimately shot after killing two small dogs. Bob compares Wolf to ShakaZulu, a roaming boxer-Doberman from South Africa, and adds lighter anecdotes about a golf-course fetcher, his daughter’s clever blue heeler Freckles, and a border collie that rode an Austin bus to campus, before closing with memories of his grandmother’s biscuits and two career eagles at Lions Golf Club.

• 00:00 Memoir Setup
• 00:23 Wolf Arrives
• 01:47 Feeding Blackie
• 03:31 Puppies and Hog Trap
• 05:10 Heartworm Regret
• 06:17 Blondie Joins In
• 07:45 Wolf Leads Pack
• 09:18 Shaka Zulu Flashback
• 14:07 Wolf's Fate
• 15:03 Other Memorable Dogs
• 17:21 Bus Riding Collie
• 19:57 Not a Dog Person
• 22:00 Grandma's Cooking
• 23:15 Feral Hogs in Texas
• 24:09 Shaka Name Explained
• 25:50 Cats and Independence
• 28:33 Golf Shot of Life
• 30:08 Closing Banter