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.