A Lifetime of Great Dogs

 

Rusty and Honey. Our last two big dogs.

For nearly 60 years it has been our privilege to have been owned by a succession of great dogs. Pooch was the first.

I wish I had a picture of Pooch, but I wasn't a photographer in those days. I had a little Kodak box camera, but didn't take many pictures. But think "beagle," and you'll know what Pooch looked like.

The year was 1965 and Louise and I were newlyweds, living in a small house in Tallahassee. She was a Music Ed. student at FSU, and, since there weren't many openings for teachers in Leon County (too many FSU grad students' wives) I was working my alternate career as a barber, which required me to work some evenings. Louise welcomed Pooch into our lives as her companion for those lonely evenings. She was broken-hearted a few months later when a car hit Pooch as he was running to her across the road behind our house.

Everyone who is owned by a pet must come to terms with the fact that you are most likely going to outlive the pet. Are the joys of having pets worth the grief that will inevitably come? For us, the joys of having our dogs have far outweighed the times of sorrow at their passing.

Pregnant Louise and Joe in our yard in Miami. Yes, that's a 1950 Packard.

A few weeks after Pooch's passing, our next-door neighbor gave us a purebred black Labrador puppy that we named Joe. He was to be our BFF and companion for the next several years and was the only purebred dog who has ever owned us. I have better pictures of him, but they're in a box somewhere in the garage -- a major project to dig out, but one of these days I'll dig them out and scan them.

After Louise's graduation from FSU, we moved to Miami, her home town, where we both took teaching jobs.

(About the Packard: Our first home was in southwest Miami, off Bird Road. I taught in an elementary school in northeast Miami -- about a 20-mile drive up the Palmetto Expressway [we called it the Bypass in those days]. I rode my Honda 305 SuperHawk motorcycle every day, until one day I had a small accident. I wasn't hurt, but after that I bought an old Packard from a friend for $50. It used a lot of oil, but ran great, and was like driving an armored tank up the Bypass.)  

In 1968 our son Don was born and we were involved in the founding of Florida Christian School. (Which continues to flourish to this day.) We both became teachers there, and moved into a duplex on the school property. I had been keeping Joe on a chain, but because the school property was extensive, I thought it would be safe to let him run loose. I was wrong. He was hit and killed by a car in front of our house. I cried like a baby. He was a great dog, and we have never forgotten him.

(To be continued.)

Blog Note: I just watched President Trump's inauguration. I have lived a long life, and I thank God that I have lived to see this day.

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I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:   family history   dogs