Fond memories

As I have said, I am owned by dogs. I wake up when they have to go out, feed them before myself, make sure they have enough water...take them to the vet regularly...in return I have the satisfaction of having a warm blooded animal snuggling up to me.

In the course of my life I have owned several dogs. Growing up, Rusty the Golden Retreiver was our family dog for 14 or so years. He was my first. My favorite memory of Rusty was running along side our pick-up on our way to grandma's house. We would stop a mile and half away from Gram's and he would jump out and run like the wind on the edge of the gravel road until he reached her yard. He would then run over to her well and drink from the horse watering trough until he swelled like a water balloon. He loved to lay under the enormous cottonwood tree that stood near the windmill.

By the time I came along, my grandmother's farmland was rented out to a local farmer, so the barn, silo, and grain storage units were rarely used. The rats really enjoyed the safety of the unused buildings and scraps that remained after the last grain was sent out. On the farm Rusty's favorite pastime was tormenting the local rats. He would flush them out of their hiding places, relentless run after them until he caught them. Rusty would grab them gently between his teeth and whip his head back while opening his mouth. The result was a flying rat that would flip and twirl in the air only to land and be whipped back into the air seconds later. Rusty would torment them for hours until they died or got away. He was an equal opportunity tormentor. The mice suffered the same treatment.

I miss having my old dog Rusty. He was laid to rest under that cottonwood that gave him shade while he was alive.

You will learn more about my other "family" in future installments.