The first pet I thought of was Peanuts, our dog that we had for the better part of my childhood. We always had a dog on the farm. At one point we had a big black Labrador with a white patch that resembled a seven, so we called him lucky 7. He ended up not so lucky since he liked to chase cars. I could ride him like a horse but one Sunday when we got home from church he had been hit by a car. The only problem was that the tire tracks showed that the driver had done it on purpose.
We got two dogs at once. Peanuts and Brent? the later disappeared too on a Sunday. I didn’t ever hear any of the discussions but apparently my dad’s dad knew that money was tight and so two large dogs weren’t a good idea and he took care of it. I don’t think it was the answer my parents were looking for but once it was done it was done. The biggest problem is that Brent was my brother Dave’s so it was sad. However, Peanuts lasted a long time. He loved to run. He didn’t chase cars and but he would run after the pickup and end up wherever Dad went. He also rode in the back of the pickup at every opportunity. He was a very smart dog. (The top picture is myself and Lucky, below is Julie and myself with Peanuts)
One time we went out into the Owahee Mountains. We, the kids, rode in the back of the pickup with Peanuts most of the time. After we reached the dirt roads Peanuts got out and would run along with the pickup truck. He was so happy finding little ground squirrels to chase as well. I remember one ground squirrel didn’t know what was happening and found himself too far from his hole with Peanuts finding him. The squirrel let out a high-pitched squeal, death scream I guess. I remember it still to this day, not in a bad way, it actually makes me smile because Peanuts was also so surprised to have finally found one, so I don’t remember if it died or not.
Here Julie is with both puppies in the top picture. Snoopy had the white socks and Charlie Brown was all brown. One of the kitty cats came to see what all the fuss was about.
Then the last pets were also dogs. Julie and I got a little puppy each. Her puppy was named Snoopy and mine Charlie Brown. I remember two specific times with them one was my Charlie Brown got hit by a car. We were out playing in the yard. I don’t remember why Charlie Brown went running towards the road, but that is where he ended up. Any way we heard this yip yip and a little brown blur went tearing by us and towards the back of the chicken house. The driver was nice enough to stop and apologize and worry. I remember telling him it wasn’t his fault and with the speed of the brown blur I think he would be OK. I was right. He had a crooked tail from then on. About halfway down the tail it all of a sudden turned a half turn and was flat.
The other memory is that when he did die. I buried him myself. Out in the corner of the pasture between the field, pasture and road. I cried with every shovel full of dirt but now I remember it with peace that I was able to take care of it.
We also always had cats. They would come and go, some we loved and trained to like us more than others. At one time I had counted 20 when I had a man drove up and handed me out the window the perfect kitten, in my eyes. It was a little longhaired puff of gray. I am sure my mom probably wasn’t happy but I was in seventh heaven. All the other cats were modge podge short hairs. One difference was that when I was a kid we put our leftovers out for the dogs. The cats pretty much had to survive on birds, and mice. Dad would always put out a bit of milk from milking the cows. Partly the filter from the milker, that would soak in the milk. They didn’t go hungry but it was a different time. I don’t know of any dying from choking on a bone. They ate what they liked and left the rest.
I remember seeing a momma cat fat with kittens and then skinny some days later and the search would begin, trying to find where she had her kittens. If we didn’t find them then they would grow up wild and not wanting to be loved and petted. Good times. We also had a mule, horse, calves, goats, Julie had guinea pigs, that ate her dolls noses and hands off.
Animals were always a part of our lives. I love them but I didn’t like having them here in the city. Animals need to be able to run and be free.
I deleted part of this story. We had goats, peacocks, Buddy the parakeet (we buried him and a few years later dug him up and reburied his bones in a Sucrets metal can) we had calves, pigeon, magpie, hawk, fish (Dave had most of those) Julie had guinea pigs.-that ate her dolls noses and finger off.
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