Sunday, June 27, 2010

RUSTY!

This is about Rusty. My first real friend. He was a dog. Half cocker. Half bird-dog. Red in color.

Charlie Cable told my folks that a dog had appeared on his doorstep. Nice dog. Wondered if Don would like a dog. Of course, Don wanted a dog, that dog! Years before, Don had read a little "Bantam Book" entitled, Rusty. He was a red dog...and a fine one at that! I can still see the pictures of him, even the ones of him jumping over fences to goodness knows where! So, Rusty was my first dog's name. Loved that dog. Still do. He was kind of burnt orange all over, with a white patch on his chest! He had a face that needed no words to convey what he was thinking! Most of the time we thought the same things. Goin' runnin'. Goin' to the dam. Swimming in the river. Sharing many thoughts. Most of them too cerebral for me to understand.

He would greet me at the lumber yard, where my Dad worked, as I came home from school. They said he knew just when I'd be coming home....and he'd be there. God, what a friend!

Well, one day, we were walking to town, and a car came by. Why he was in the street, I'll never know. He was hit. He crawled to the front door of the pool hall. He crouched in pain. I reached to him. He snapped. Had never done that before. Shortly after that, he died. Several people surrounded us. I don't know who it was, maybe Woody Oliver, that picked him up, put him on his flat bed and took us home. I dug a hole in our backyard. Buried him there. Got a piece of lumber and carved his name on it. Drove it into the ground.

Never got another dog in Cedar Vale. My grief reached feelings I had never felt before and seldom since. It was like a whole chapter of my life had been torn away. And, it wasn't that I didn't want another dog, it was just that I didn't want anyone, or any dog, to be as close to me as Rusty had been.

Be it known that I've had many other dogs. Rusty was the first. Rusty was the best. Along with Jasper, Curtsey, Tallulah, Winston, A-Jay and Nellie!

7 comments:

Gary White said...

Touching tale, Don. Keep 'em coming!

DFCox said...

Oh yes-I can relate. My first dog was Judy, a beautiful longhaired, Cocker Spaniel. My folks allowed her to have a litter of pups and my big sisters took me down to the basement to see them. I was maybe
five. The puppies disappeared, I never knew how or where. Anyway Judy was spayed and lived a long life which included haveing boiling water spilled on her. She laid in the back of the coat closet for a long time but finally recovered with a bald spot on her back. She had an attack and died when I was about 12 or 13. Dad and I buried her at the foot of the garden and I knew I shouldn't cry, but blubbered anyway like a baby.
Well my life as a student, young Air Force Officer, town vet, bay area resident, etc. kept me from having another dog nearly 40 years. That is until Ol' Yeller came limping into my yard at the farm near Elgin. He had been lost and ran so far that the pads of his feet were worn raw. I gave him some milk and cornflakes and he looked at me with such love that I melted. I looked for his masters but no one claimed him. he was a young adult Yellow Lab and he and I were together for 10 years--yes he even traveled across the country with me to CA and back several times. The perfect gentleman! Once when I had to leave for CA I could see he wasn't up for the trip. He had congestive
heart failure so I asked my renter to care for him. It became appearant he was suffering so the local Vet put him down and my renter buried him on the farm near where he first appeared there. When I came back in the Spring I walked out to the grave and "lost it" again.
Now I have "Reba" She came into my life after another 10 years of no pets because her Mistress had to go to assisted living and I decided I could use the company. She is a middle aged Chihuahua mix. I don't know who will be the surviver of this pairing but I can assure you if she goes first I will be in mourning again.
So yes Don I've felt your pain--it's a good thing that you have that love in your heart.

Don Shaffer said...

Your "rover" stories were riveting, Don! I'm sure that Judy and Ol'Yeller have joined up with Rusty! Wouldn't you love to hear their conversations, being from the same town and all? Don, I'm sure the readers would love to hear some of your "vet" tales! You are the "James Herriot, of Cedar Vale!" I enjoyed Herriot's books, including "All Creatures Great and Small." Like you, he was a veterinarian. And, like you, a splendid author!!

Don Shaffer said...

You've got to be kidding me, there must be a multitude of stories about pets you've had and loved!

Go ahead, tell those stories to us!

DFCox said...

Yes bloggers, old and new, what a rich vein to explore. I've told about my beloved pets, as has Don S. Now tell about your canine or feline companions.

Reva Sawyer said...

You guys have made me think of one of my losses. Growing up on a farm, animals were just that, animals. Sure we had barn cats and farm dogs, but they were not really pets. When my 2nd husband became pretty much housebound due to ill health, I decided he needed company during the day while I was at work, so ended up getting him a short-hair minature Dachshund. She was just 6 weeks old when we got her and she and my husband became very attached. She went on all our trips with us. After my husband had passed away and I moved to Ark City, I thought I was probably going to have a problem with her as I was still working in Wichita and gone for around 10 hrs. a day, so figured I would have a mess when i got home, but that little devil apparently would stay in her bed in my bedroom until I got home. When I came in she would come out and drink quite alot and then want ourdoors. Never had an accident for the over 2 yrs of that routine. A noise woke me up in the wee hours of the morning of 6-18-06 and I found her dead under my bed. I wrapped her in a blanket and sat and held her and CRIED until it was late enough I could call my son in Wichita to come get her. He buried her next to where he had put his dog about a year before. She was almost 13 yrs old. I had never thought I could get sooooo attached to an animal, but as you all know they almost become human, understanding what you are saying, etc. I will never have another pet as I do not need to go through that again over an Animal.

Don Shaffer said...

Reva! What a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing it with us! Stories like yours tell us not only of your love for a pet, and its love for you, but of your intrinsic love...which makes the world around you a better place! You truly cared enough to give your very best! And, for sure, "Ms.D" gave her best to you!!

P.S. Reva, was your maiden name Ramey? If so, I remember you and your sister, Gail (sp?) and your Mom and Dad. Olive and my mother must have set some kind of "tenure-record" teaching Sunday school at the Methodist Church!