Dog Days

 Dog Days
Thinking back to the dog days of my youth and the dogs that have graced my life, I would like to share some of their names and what I can remember of them and the spots they still hold in my heart and mind. The first dog that is part of my memory, I can’t really remember but my parents told me stories of him, he was part of my life. Although I cannot remember his name, I must include this almost mythical beast. He was a Great Dane and was my self appointed babysitter. My parent’s house was near busy Rt. 711 highway and if I wandered too near the road the dog would grab the seat of my pants and drag me back into the yard.
The next dog I’ll mention is Laddie. He was my Uncle Charles Bottomley’s dog. It was black and brown with a white patch of long hair on its chest. My uncle would talk me into holding onto the leash, then he would call from across the yard, “Here Laddie.” I would be jerked off my feet, but I refused to release the leash, and would be pulled along with my feet barely touching the ground while Uncle Charles was laughing.
I’m sure there were other dogs, but the next dog I remember is Bimbo. He was my mother’s dog. He was a Jack Russell mix and smart as a whip. His territory in the winter was our basement. My mom, Sybil Miner Beck would sometimes give Bimbo a bone to gnaw. When he wasn’t chewing on it he would bury it in the coal bin. When my parents tossed on a shovelful of coal in the furnace, I’m sure he lost several bones before he decided to rescue them before they too disappeared. Mom said, “When I went into the coal bin, Bimbo would sit there with the bone between his feet. After Mom shoveled the coal and hung the scoop shovel back on the peg, Bimbo would dig a new hole to hide his prize.”
I found a pup behind our home and took it to my grandparents Miner. When Gram Rebecca Rugg Miner saw it she said “Look at those paws. It’s going to be a big dog.” She named it Laddie. She decided to keep it. Laddie followed my granddad Raymond around the farm. That was a Godsend. This was the beginning of Granddad’s dementia and Laddie was his guard and guide. There were several times Granddad would wander the fields and thickets on the farm getting confused and Laddie would always stay by his side and lead him home.