Fall Friends~A Story

Way back in 1802 (actually in 1993) when the Pres and I lived in Cheshire and he still worked as a firefighter and I worked at the bank, we would occasionally take small get~aways.  One year, in the Fall, we packed up Samantha, the first GSP (German Short Haired Pointer) we had, and headed to Vermont to stay with friends for a few days.  It was Ken's birthday and we were going to help him celebrate!!

Ken & Theodore

Ken, a corporate attorney, and Susan, a housewife, lived near her Dad’s place in Poultney,VT.  They, too, were GSP people.  They had had R2 (Samantha’s brother) before he was run over by a UPS truck in their driveway.  Now they had Boomer, a hound, Sarah, their Doberman, who had cancer and died the following year, and one GSP, a big old male they'd rescued.  They called him Ted.  I, on the other hand, called him Theodore.  That name suited the big club~headed Short-hair.

Sarah and Samantha

   Theodore had been won by his previous owner in a poker game when he was a pup only to be placed in a crate where he ate, slept and pooped!!  So, when GSP rescue contacted Ken and Susan, they agreed to drive to Maryland and pick him up.

Don’t get me wrong I’m an ardent believer in crate training, but this poor dog outgrew his crate and once full grown, couldn't even straighten his legs because his bones had been so cramped.  When he arrived at Sue and Ken’s place, he would only relieve himself leaning against something…a tree, a shrub, a fence…reminiscent of the crate.  Sickening and appalling, I know.  Yet, now he had acres and acres on which to roam now at slow pace because of bad hips.  His remaining years would find him well cared for living a good country life.

Hanging Out with the Dogs

Of course, we all chilled out as well, dogs at our sides just like always.  We laughed, traded stories and then  their daughter, Erin, and I made a pumpkin pie to serve as dessert one night.  That was before they took me to THE LAKE...the lake with the monster in it! (I'll get to that!!!)

There were still a the few animals left on Raymond’s farm…a couple of Swiss cows, some of his long~eared rabbits, turkeys and some hens which gave them fresh eggs.  Each evening I'd ask Ray to wake me so I could accompany he and Erin on their AM rounds while the Pres and everyone else slept in.  Eagerly I dressed in my jeans, boots and polartec to ward off the early morning chill in Vermont.  

While Ray and I held our coffee cups in hand, Erin caressed her hot cocoa  as we headed down the well~worn path toward the barn where the rabbits were kept, passing the chicken coops.  We would gather eggs on the way back to the house.

However as we passed by the pen with the turkeys, Ray called me over closer to the fencing to view the ruckus.  The Tom was strutting back and forth along the fence.  I assumed he was trying to impress the hens.  Ray laughed and then told me that he was trying to impress me!!  LOL!  This crazy old Tom had a crush on me!!  It was the funniest thing.  Each day when I walked down to the barn during the rest of our stay, that damn bird would spread his tail and strut along the fence sticking out his chest holding that long neck so tall beard waving!!  I'll always remember how Erin teased me the rest of our stay about a turkey having a crush on me!!

Erin & I

Bonding

to be continued...