Is My New Dog More Interesting than You?

OK, so here is were we stand (lie?) with this blog (dog?).  Only 4 people have posted anything in the past several months.  There have been few, if any, comments on the posts so there is no evidence that we have readers.

I can only conclude that we have hit the downward spiral that comes from having no one post things of compelling interest to other readers.  So apparently very few people are coming here to check out the blog as there is very little to read.  And new articles are few and far between.

That brings me to two important questions.  1. Is there still enough interest to keep this site going? If so, please let me know with your comment, however brief.   2. Are you interested enough to sit down and write a little (or a lot) about your experiences growing up in Cedar Vale and/or your life since?  

* Hint: You can always send your article to me via e-mail and even attach a picture or two.  I will be glad to post the article(s) for you.

Thanks,

Jay (J.D.) Mills    

panama [at] jaymills [dot] org

Tom Fuller of Cedar Vale

Had  this  ready to post in Oct but did not get that done before complete Renal shutdown in Nov that put me in hosptal for 13 days and then my open heart surgery in Dec. That really stopped me in my tracks for several months!!

I am in hopes someone may remember Tom Fuller (1881 - 1960).

Tom is one of these 3 former Residents of Cedar Vale pictured here. Man on left, is Cal Lavely. I have posted about Cal previously. The man in the middle is George Thomas Fuller (Tom) and on the right is Tom's brother. His name is not on photo. I assume that he is younger brother Louis L Fuller (1875-1914).

Tom (1881-1960) and Louis are buried at Cedar Vale Cemetery along with their parents, Stephen A and Theresa Fuller.

Tom was husband of Goldie Hamrick and Zora "zoe" Ake McCaleb.He and Zora had a daughter, Susie Belle Fuller. With wife Goldie had 3 sons, Loyd, Leonard Hayes, and Harold Keith Fuller.

My cousin remembers meeting Tom at the Ford and Lavely family get-togethers in Cedar Vale during late 1950's, just before his death.  We are not related to Tom, he was close friend of the Lavely and Ford family.

Tom's father was born in England, his mother Theresa was born in NE. Besides Tom, their children were Isabella, William, Elsie, Susan Matilda, Lewis, Anna, Charles, and Louis.

Isabella and husband Michael Crouse are buried in Arkansas City. Elsie married Alfred A Bruce. Susan Matilda married Morris Wheeler. She died in Ok. I have no record of Anna after 1900. At that time she was living with Isabella and Michael and their 4 children in Cedar Vale.

The famiy evidently move to Cedar Vale in early 1900's as Stephen A Fuller died in 1908 in Cedar Vale.

If anyone knows of these people, would love to hear from you. Iris

Pictures from Pat Molder

Pat Molder sent me these pictures.  Click anywhere on the group (actually one picture) above for a better view.

Best Friends Are For Life

This is a recent picture of myself and my best friend Blue.  Blue is a rescue dog, a "Red Heeler" or Australian Cattle Dog.  He has been with me 8 1/2 years since he was a very young pup.  He has traveled with me in a van from Nashville to California and back on two separate trips; and traveled to Panama by air.  He loves to ride in a car and drove with me from Panama City to Volcan, over 450 kilometers in a single day.  He also goes with me inside the pickup on visits to town and to my neighbors.

I live in the mountains of Western Panama, near the border with Costa Rica about 3 miles outside of the nearest town.  Blue looks after my health by taking me out for a walk 3 times a day and he goes with me when I work in the yard or on the property.  If I'm moving around a lot, he simply chooses a high spot and lies down to watch the road for any intruders.

Blue and my other (local) rescue, Athena, a Rottweiler watch over me at night by sleeping at the foot of my bed.  If they hear anything suspicious they tear out through the doggie door into the side yard and issue a challenge.  Everyone for miles around here knows about the crazy Gringo and his two big dogs.  I have yet to have uninvited visitors.  

I am still enjoying my retirement with a lot of time spent with amateur (ham) radio and with photography. 

What are you doing?  Inquiring minds want to know.