Tales from the Bark Side

By Keith Ross | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, July 7, 2007

Welcome back to the bark side of life where sprinklers sling water in circles across the vegetation that passes for our vegetable garden.

The rains are infrequent and the constant beating of the suns rays absorb what little moisture there is to be found amongst the peas, beans, broccoli, tomatoes and pepper plants.

Then, of course, there is the infernal nibbling of some unknown intruders — bunnies or gophers. Summer is replete with challenges from stormy thunderous nights to sun-drenched humid days — that's why we love it here and choose to live in this particular environment.

I saw something late yesterday afternoon that I'd like to share with you folks. I had just turned the sprinkler system off next to the lower kennels and was making my way up the hill to the house when I saw a fledgling robin learning to fly.

He wasn't getting airborne yet but was working on it. He had that streaked chest the younger male birds have (instead of the bright red breast) and sitting on a limb right above him was mom, giving instructions on the art of scurrying across a yard and being aware of humans.

She kept a jaundice eye on me and he strutted around in oblivious rapture.

It seemed that he was rather enjoying the bursts of speed and wasn't paying a lot of attention to mom's incessant squawks.

About this time, a painted turtle was headed down the hill toward the pond after doing his or her thing with the digging and laying of eggs.

The two of them met briefly and both of them headed down the other side of the hill away from yours truly.

What seemed like a chance encounter at first turned into a robin/turtle race to the bottom of the hill.

The robin took flight briefly, aborted flight almost immediately, and ended up in a tumbling somersault resulting in the youngster face down in the dirt as his rival kept a steady pace toward the pond.

Wasn't there a parable about this very same subject? Hmmm. Imagine that!

I've mentioned in previous columns that it is OK to call me at home with a tale and Judy Rivera of Ten Mile Lake (Dalton area) did exactly that.

I get a kick out of listening to someone recount an event that happened that they think should be shared with my other readers.

This is definitely one of those short but sweet tales about a Rat Terrier named B.B. GUN.

Judy's daughter drives a truck and has a dog that rides shotgun with her. Judy's husband, Tony, thought that this little tyke wasn't a shotgun but just more of a bb gun, hence the name.

Judy had injured her knee and following a visit to the emergency room, was in a lot of pain. She had to navigate a considerable distance from the road to the house and the pain was causing her to hyperventilate. She was told to lie down on her bed and breathe into a paper sack to regulate her breathing and hopefully diminish her exasperating pain.

Seeing all this take place was “BB GUN” and he wasn't about to let his mistress be without comfort during her trying time. He climbed up on the bed and stuck his head next to hers and breathed in and out of the paper sack just like Judy was doing, in an effort to “share her pain.”

Needless to say, Judy's torment was lessened and the pain in her knee was forgotten for a moment as her dog administered his particular medicine for such an injury — unconditional love.

It's true people live longer when they have pets around them on a daily basis and “BB GUN” understood one important thing — “mom” was hurting and he was going to help. It doesn't get any better than that folks.

If you have a tale to tell and want to enter the “best critter tales” contest, email me at info@rosswoodkennels.com or write to me at Keith Ross, Richville, MN 56576 or do as Judy did and call me at 218-495-2195.

You folks that come to enjoy our summers, you can enter also. We have all sorts of prizes and I'll go into more detail about them next week

Keith Alan Ross writes from his New York Mills home.