Betty: My Lab (indoor dog)

In June, 2004, after returning from the grocery store (my first time to drive after having had four bypasses) from back of the house to where I park is this dog, wagging its tail as if to say,Where have you been...so glad to see you?" It no ID on it. She was hungry so I fed her and at that point I think she decided it was a good place to hang out. She is an indoor dog and despises any insect,bee that flyes abound her when she is outside...she doesn't like outdoors, period. Even indoors when it thunders she gets upset and wants to stay very close to you. So I named her Betty..don't know why. She is a mixed Lab and had been neutered. I estimate she was not fully grown but getting there. She has a narrow streak of white on her chest that is situated vertically, and a spot or two of white on a toe....so I think this makes her a mixed Lab. She also had a black spot on her toungue...my brother told me years ago if a dog had a black spot on its tongue that it was part Chow dog. She has been fully grown now for a long time. I estimate her to be about 10 years old, take a year or so either way. She is very protective and follows me from room to room if I move about. Now, that I no longer have the store in town, meaning I am home a lot more, this constant moving about kinda gets on my nerves, but no use telling her as she would completely ignore such nonsense. Betty is stubborn at times but I think I may bring that disposition on for if I were to speak too loudly to her she just stares and don't mind you at all, but if I speak in a milder tone, she does then sometimes obey me. Who spoiled her?...Me, of course. I will attempt to put up a pic of her, but even if I can get it done (never tried this before) it is not a good pic. Is this the last of my dog stories? Well, I guess so, but two more did show several years later. Sandy Lou has a streak of sandy color down her back and top of ears are a sandy color, thus came about the name Sandy Lou...she is an outdoors dog but will slip into the house if a door has been left open so she can go check out Betty's dog bowl to see if any food has been left in it; if so, she gobbles it down quickly...that dog never gets enough to eat it seems though she is healthy. Sandy Lou is good at giving false pretense: Sometimes when I return from being out in my car, I will see her asleep in far yard...when she sees me she makes a wild dash abound the yard to scare all the bad creatures away and then come up to you as if to say, "See what I did" The other dog, which has been given name of Earnie is a bloodhound out and out. It was all just skin and bones with some open sores...had a piece of a chain hanging down from around its neck. Again, no ID. A friend who lives next door said, "I always wanted bloodhound", so that is his dog. He and Sandy Lou are the greatest playmate..alway wrestling. Earnie can lay on his back and with one foot knocks Sand Lou down, who is trying to bite on his throat.(Earnie has a problem if you know what I mean by"One hangs low" or the other never descended...but he is a good ole dog) Sorry, I could't get the pic to work. Now, that I am though with my dog stories, I can approach other topics soon I hope, but I am still having serious drainage problems after having had a hear valve replace in Oct. So long, Fred. Sandy Lou are the greates playmates, tho he is much stronger. They wrestle a lot and that helped Ssndy Lou develop and grow stronger. Bloodhounds are kinda embarassing as they always have to smell of you in private places. I briefly told about the last two dogs in order not to make each a separate blog. All three are still on the premises.

DUKE: Part IV (final)

Let's review for a moment: I returned to my home state in May, 1988, having lived and worked in Florida for 24 years. While visiting in Alabam the year before, I purchased acreage next door to where I grew up. I had to purchase more acreage than I wanted in order to get the frontage I desired. In June, 1988 I employed a builder to construct my house. (My brother and his wife, who lived on the "home place" next door let me stay with them until I moved into my own new house on last day of Septeber, 1988, It was not completely finished but enough so it was livable. All the time, Duke watched every move the builders and I made...he didn't miss anything. He liked living in the country and enjoyed being outdoors during the day, but was indoor dog at night. Duke continued to dislike the policeman (See prior blog) who was a friend of my brother but since we no longer stayed at my brother's house, I don't think Duke ever saw this man again, who, by the way, was a very nice person. One day when I was checking out at a local builder's supply store, the cashier said to another employee who was standing nearby: "Did you see what that dog did out there in that Dodge Ram truck? He blew the horn." "I said, yes, he wants to go" (Again, I think he was swatting at a bee or something that had gotten into the cab. It was now hot, the windows were down at the truck was not air conditioned, but I let people believe what they wanted to) Well, so much for Duke blowing the horn. Later, in the Summer, when it got real hot, two dogs from the neighborhood (Princess and Jake) would come about 10:00 am in the morning and Duke would escort them down the hill to a creek. One day, I followed them in order to see exactly what was going on. Well, they were having the biggest time you can ever imagine running up and down the creek chasing each other. It was very amusing to watch them play and cool off in the creek......they kept this up all Summer until it got colder. (Several years later, I learned that Princess had been adopted and was no a house dog, and I could not find out what happed to Jake who was larger and of a mixed breed. A couple of yers later, Duke became ill. I took him to the local Vet. After much testing and trying different medications, the Vet told me that Duke had prostate cancer and was not responding to any medications, and he felt I should not be spending more money on him. So, sadly it came to the point I had to have Duke put to sleep as he was suffering so. I will never forget that moment when the Vet took him into another room. I did not look back for I knew if I did I would squall. I thought, well, I will never find another Rhodesian Ridgeway that would bd as fine as Duke, so the time being I put it aside................However, later, I saw an ad in the Birmingham paper where a couple living about 45 miles away had one to give away to a nice home. So, I called them, and on a Sunday I had an appointment when they returned from church. I did see the dog that was in an outdoor pen with another dog of some sort, but its hair did not look healthy to me. However, I decided I would wait for their return form church services......but they never came back, and finally I had to leave. (Later, I wondered if that dog was ill and they were just looking for somebody to care for it in its final days; who knows?) So, I stopped looking for another Rhodesian Ridgeway, aka African Lion Hound. Oddly, I too, several years later was diagnosed with prostate cancer and went on Lupron Depot injections for several years. Later, my PSA readings remained so very low, the dr and I decided to stay off the injections...that now as 2 or 3 years ago. My PSA remains low but slowly increasing. I have it checked twice a year. It may be in the future I will have to go back on the injections. (I tell you all of this for so many men have this problem and may find it of interest) But in June, 2004, something happended when I returned home from the grocery store being the first time to drive after having 4 bypasses. Yes, I closed my retail store in Oneonta, called "Eureka Shop" opened in 1994, at the end of this October...may reopen at another location, if able and with help, in early March 2014. I wanted to finish my Duke story tonight as I will be admitted to a Bham hospital, for the 4th time this year, tomorrow but it is a same day procedure but the surgeon told me he would keep me for a day or so for observation, etc. It is a drainage problem from prior surgery in Oct of this year.........so, hopefully, I will be back with you soon and tell you what unexpected event occured in June 2004 when I returned from the local grocery storey. Bye, now, Fred.

DUKE: Part III

Woooooo hold on here a minute: I recall there were three other things involving Duke before I moved back to Alabama in May of 1988 tht I have not told you about. So, here goes: (1) One day I was out in my front yard and a man came running across the street from a house over there, saying he was visiting from Tallahssee and he was surprised to see a Rhodesian Ridgeback there in Lake City. He told me he had a female Rhodesian that he wanted to get bred so he was greatly disappointed when he learned Duke had been neutered in his doghood. We exchanged some dog stories about our dogs. By the way, since I don't have a pictue to post, if you will go to Google...click on Image...and type in Rhodesian Ridgeback look at the nicest one and that is what Duke looked like. (2) Now, for the second event that happened before I moved back to Alabama: I made several trips hauling "stuff" back to Alabama in my Dodge Ram and one time I decided instead of going up I-75, I would go West on I-10 and take US-231 northward, after all that highway went directly through my countryside. After going several miles, I came to a rest area, so I pulled in, got a candy bar and a cold drink and stood not far from the truck consuming it. Near me, a tourist had the hood of his vehicle raised and another tourist was trying tohelp him find out what his trouble was. All of a sudden, the latter said to the other one: Did you see what that dog did? It blew the horn of that truck there. I walked up and said,"Yes, and I have to be careful not to leave the keys in the truck also...and I drove off. (Best I could resolve this issue unto myself was that the windows being down, a bee or some flying insect got in the cab and his trying to swat it accidentally caused the horn to blow. This was the scond time that this had occurred and as you will see later, not the last time it is to happen. (3) Here is the third thing that happened before I moved back: About a year before that, I decided to take a trip, but I needed somewhere to leave Duke as I would be gone for maybe a couple of weeks. So, my brother agree to take care of the dog while I was away so I left Duke and the truck with him, which was next door to the land I had purchased to build on. When I got back, my brother told me that Duke could not tolerate his friend who occasionaly dropped by and that when he came they had to lock Duke up in the truck as Duke would try to tear into him. This man was a police officer, but I don't think he would have been in uniform at the time. Anyway, Duke must have sensed something about him that set him on fire. (I am trying to do paragraphs, but I don't think it works...must not be doing the right think) So, I arrived , to stay, in Alabama in May of 1988. I had a house built and moved into it on the last day of September of that year. You know what, you guessed it, there is so much to tell about Duke after I moved back, there going to have to do a Part IV and I guarantee that will be the end. So hang in there with me. I am feeling better now after having had the heart valve replaced in early October I think I can get Part IV posted in a short time....

DUKE: Part II

If you have not read Part I (the first installment), please do so now. I have told you when Duke appeared upon the scene. Where might he have come from? Well, several people told me that sometimes when Gator students left Gainesville, (FL)..about 45 miles SE of Lake City where I lived...for one reason or another...they could not take their pet with them, so they just turned them loose. I retired in Feb., 1986 at age 60 and thought then that I would probably just remain in Lake City or move to some other place in that State; however about 15 months later I decided to return to Blount County, AL...this was in May, 1988. Guess the hills were calling me home, and, too, I still had several relatives living there. Well, if you count distant cousines, I was probably kin to most everybod. Having collected a lot of "treasures" (????) during the latter part of my living down there, I decided to haul a lot of it to AL in my DODGE Ram (covered). Duke got upset when he saw me loading the truck and would get up in the back of it. To pacify him, I let him sit up front in the cab. So, Duke and I made several trips hauling "stuff" to AL. He loved it. He particulary enjoyed seeing the animals in fenced in pastures as we went along...maybe he thought they were LIONS. After all, he was an African Lion Hound besides being called Rhodesian Ridgeback. Well, finally after I had made several trips, came the day for the final one I having hired a truck to haul the heavier things that I couldn't lift and take in my truck (I still have that truck,presently "resting" in my yard where it has been broke-down for several months, but there is a promise it will be up and running before the year is over..."Oh, yeah"...hope so anyway. After Duke appeared upon the scene (Jan., 1986) we continued to live there until May 17, 1988..that's the date I oficially again became a resident of the State of Alabama. I had lived long enough in Florida. I tell them its a fun place to visit, but think twice before moving there. Some who visit are so carried away with it, before they realize what they are doing they have sold their house "Up North" and done bought a dream place (oh, yeah) in FL.Several told me that is what had happend to them. Looks like I am getting side tracked so let me get back on-line. In this part, I must tell you one more thing as such act,on Duke's part, appears again and again as time passes. When I was 16-17 years old, I worked in same office at the "Air Depot" near Gadsden,AL. Her husband was in the CB's and when the war (now, which war was that?) was over, they would settle in Plains, Ga., where he grew up. So, in making the trips that I did myself I kept telling myself I must look up Mary & PJ as I might never be that way again and as it turns out, I haven't...so upon nearins Plains, I stop at a conveniece store and inquire as to where they lived. The clerk told me, "You, should have been here earlier as PJ just left here" She told me where they lived...yes, it was on that highway and I had passed their house many time. (Actually, it was next door to President Carter's driveway and they had been friends since childhood) But what I am having a hard time to is this: So, I stopped by. Mary remembered me, but I had never met her husband. They were very cordial and we were sitting there, PJ said to me,"Why, don't you invite your friend in..they would be welcome" I was puzzled as there was no one in the truck, which was not visible from where we were sitting in the family room. He had said what he did because he heard a horn blow. Then I realized Duke blew the horn. I told him I didn't think this "friend" of mine wold be welcome in their house as it was a large dog. We all laughed and were soon on or last trip back to Alabama. I am so glad I stopped to see them as now they are all gone. (Their son was President Carter"s appointment clerk). Oh, my gosh, I have rambled on so there will be a Part III very soon .

DUKE

     

         While working for SSA in Florida, mainly in Lake City (Columbia), I was a sucker for taking in stray dogs.  I had a fenced in area in backyard  where my dog "Digger" stayed when not digging out.  She would do this evey few weeks, but always returned.
          On Jan 28th 1986 she returned from a few days out, and brought with her a dog I had never seen.  (These dogs never have any ID on them). I had never seen such a dog before.  This dog had 2 or 3 open sores on each side of the body, was weak and in dire need of some attention.  I immediately gave it some food....it was very hungry and thirsty).  That night it stayed on my open porch  on front of house. 
          The next morning, it was still there.....naturaly...  so, I fed it right away (Chigger is back in her fenced in pen).........I can always recall the date this strange looking dog appeared as it was on Jan 28th, 1986...the date space ship CHALLENGER exploded.
           Needing dire medical attention, I took it to a Vet., which I recall was just 2 of 3 blocks up the highway (US 44l--South Marion Street).  When upon seeing the dog, the Veternarian said, "Oh, my gosh, where did you get that Rhodesian Ridgeback?  I have never treated that one but I have treated several that live in this area"  He told me also that it was know as an African Lion Hound.  Upon researching the history the dog, I learned that some Boers,  who I think were from Germay-Belgium area, had setteled in Southern African (Rhodesia) and had bred it with a native dog there so they would have a hunting dog that could go longer periods without water, and mainly a strong dog to keep the lions at bay until the hunters arrived.
          Well, unfortunately this dog did not respond to theVet's medication.  A local lady that I had worked with (I had retired the year before), told me to take it to this other Vet in the area as there as a Negro man who worked there who could cure about any dog problem with "medical baths".  So,I did and left it overnight as required.  When I picked it up the next day, he told me it had acquired "bad things" from fleas and he thought it would be OK in a few days.  Bring it back  it back next year if it happend again.  (Fortunately it never happended again).
          It gets its name, in part, from the ridge on its back, and the fact it was bred in the country known then as Rhodesia.  Nice looking dog, stought, intelligent, obedient, so I named it:  DUKE
          But what happened to DUKE???  Read my next installment and find out.  (As one follower remarked a previous 2-part story:  "Your stories are  like soap operas, leave you hanging"  Well, how else I am going to back for the secon part?"

ECUDORIAN Dog Story

     In 2010 I spent six weeks in the mountanious region of  Ecuador.  This was unusual for me as I am not a traveler and I was 83 at the time.  The central part of Ecuador, from North to South, is very mountanious.  My main destination was the village of Bilcabamba in the southern part of that country.  My first stop down there was at a B&B named Hosteria Izhcayluma, a very outstanding facility up on the side of a mountain 2km from the village of Bilcabamba.  (It cost $1.00 to go from there into the village, so it was not far).  This facility was built and operated by two German brothers.  Best I recall now, it cost $25.00 per night for a unit in a 4 bedroom building (two up and two down)...there were several types of accomodations.  The dining room in the main building was open air on 3 sides.  Your cost also included a good free breakfast; other meals you paid for and were very GOOD and very reasonably priced.  So to get along with the story, one day I was having lunch and noticed the dog that lived over the dining room with the owners was sitting outside keeping watch of something below.  All of a sudden it came running through the dining room and went upstairs.  Then immediately it came running down the stairs with a young dog with it that looked exactly like it:  off-white with a lot of reddish brown spots.  So the big dog, named Kafu, resumed its position with the younger one beside it.  Shortly thereafter there appered this woman, who was the wife of one of the owners, appeared having walked up the hill from below.  They accompanied her through the dining area and went upstairs.  This act really touched me.  A day or so later, as I was having supper in the dining room, Kafu comes up to me, put its two front feet up on my thigh, and then all of a sudden it gives me a kiss on the right side of my face...it was a big slurp from bottom of cheek upwards.  I was surprised.  Not knowing what it might next do, I gently pushed it back and it left.  There were two girls sitting at a nearby table and I heard one say to the othere, "Did you see what that dog did to that man?"  (After telling this to a relative recently, she told me that her daughter had a dog that would put its paws up on your thighs when sitting and it wanted to be petted, then it would go to the next seated person to get more petting)  Did Kafu want to be petted, or did he want me to go play chess with him/her?  I never knew as I did not say anything to the owners about this.  For curosity sake, I should have found out.  (Later I want you to go to:  www.izhcayluma.de/ , click on Photos then double click on the pic showing Kafu playing chess.  Look at all the other pics also and you will see what an outstanding facility this is).........I regret that I did not see nor inquire about Kafu playing chess.   So, a day or so later, the day I was leaving, I was having brekfast in the dining room and saw some children placing flowers on a fresh grave on the sloping hillside in the yard.  I inquired as to what this was about and was told that Kafu was chasing a strange dog off the yard and was struck by a car and died instantly.  (There are no speed laws down there except during school hours, I was told).  I could have cried.   (From now on, my stories will be posted as I compose them and not scheduled for release at a specified time.  It may be a couple of weeks, or so, before anymore as I am entering a hospital in Birminghm this coming Thursday for two special "procedures", bye, Fred.)

BUSTER: The Wonderful Dog, Part II (Conclusion)

     (I am trying again; mybe it will work this time).........So my sister Glads and her husband lived on Pea Ridge and had this dog named Buster.   They inivited her Aunt, Maude (she was not my Aunt as Glads and I had different Mothers, but I called her Aunt Maude also, with her permission) to come spend the day.  Later that morning Jesse asked Aunt Maude if she would like a fried squirrel for lunch, and she said, "Where on earth are you going to get a squirrel...its almost lunch time now?"  Jesse told her he would send Buster after one.  So he told Buster to go get a squirrel.  Aunt Maude said, "Jesse, you know that dog can't understand you".  Jesse replied,"Just give her fifteen minutes, Aunt Maude and she will be back with a squirrel".  Well, a few minutes passed and Aunt Maude said, "Where's that squirrel, Jesse?"   Jesse said,"Well, now you wait a minute its only been ten minutes"  About two minutes later here comes Buster up on the front porch with a live squirrel in its mouth.  Aunt Maude was astonished.  The woods were full of squirrels and other 4 legged creatures.  Well, Jesse dressed the squirrel and Glads parboiled it, and then rolled in flour and fried it and made the most delicioius gravy to go along with the hot biscuit she had just baked in that iron wooden stove.  So that was lunch, and Buster got some too.  This is a true story, and for many years later Glads and Jesse loved to tell this story.  I had fried squirrel there too.  Maybe Buster knew we were living during the Depression era and she needed to help out.               (Will try to do the Ecudorian dog story soon if I can get this computer to work...Norton has told me the cookies have been fixed...we will see.)