A Day Off Part 3
"Richard Leslie Mitchell, what ARE you doing up there?!? Get down from there right now!" I heard from behind me. I knew the voice could only be one person, and then I saw Paul come around the front end of the Case. "Honey, it's alright, Jim's here...
Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged
Sam was unusually quiet as we rode in to work... "Penny for your thoughts?" I offered. Sam just turned to me and stared for a bit, likely pondering things. I turned for a moment and smiled at her, and she smiled back. "Just thinking about last...
Transcending the Past
I must have been the first one up the next morning... at least the first of the humans. The sun was streaming in through the big picture window, Julie and Gwen were still snuggled together on the floor. Sometime overnight Reggie must have joined them...
The Best I've Been In Years
"I don't know why I can't just drive myself, Jim..." Sam started complaining as we drove towards my place. "Easy... you're broke, I have gas, and we're going to the same place now, and we'll be both going to the same place in the morning. Julie has...
I Love a Parade
The intervening days just flew by... I'd arranged for the use of the parking lot of an auto dealership at the head of Main Street for some of the collector cars and vintage tractors. I moved my Case and the cage/water wagon into town and parked it in a...
You Realize, This Means War
I took the next day off to split some wood, which Julie dutifully helped with as I educated her some about the different kinds of wood, burning habits, and similar issues that would affect performance of wood stoves and boilers as I operated the...
That Place 8: Heaven
Sunshine. Warm sunshine. Bright sunshine. I stirred a bit as I felt the warmth of a sunbeam upon me. Then my brain started thinking... why am I feeling the warmth of a sunbeam? I wriggled a bit and felt soft cushion beneath me and behind my...
That Place 7: Leaving Together
That day started like every other, but I knew it wasn't going to go that way. How little did I know it wasn't going to go that way. The lights came on, Tom tromped around booting dogs out into the outdoor runs, and that's when it happened. The pitt...
That Place 6: Mates for Life
The next couple days were sort of a blur. Somehow I was back in my run before daylight, as was Max and Vicky. Max's gate was locked back up and it was as if nothing had ever happened the night before. Well... sort of. His tooth was fixed and he was...
That Place 5: Mad Max
Some more dogs had been brought in throughout the day by various people. Some, like me, whose families brought them here. Others Tom dragged in on the end of the loop-pole thing and shoved into the empty runs here and there. They were mostly afraid, or...
That Place 4: The Routine
The next morning I must have slept in because I woke up to the sound of yelping and rattling as the metal guillotine doors were raised and one by one the dogs were booted, sometimes literally, out into the outdoor runs by Tom. I stood up as he...
That Place 3: My First Night
I was awoken by the sound of a key in the lock of the rear door to the kennel that wasn't too far from my run. I lifted my head and soon the whole kennel was jumping and barking as the door opened and then shut quickly. A few of the lights came on,...