I’m sorry to say that I haven’t owned a dog in 36 years. My last dog was a Kerry Blue Terrier my wife and I adopted in 1971 from an animal shelter in suburban Chicago about 15 miles north of our apartment on the southern edge of Downers Grove, Illinois.

We named him Koko. He was a wonderful dog in so many ways. There was a big yard behind our apartment, but it was not fenced in. Koko loved to run around the yard. He was great with the small kids who lived all around us. Koko was friendly with everyone.

In the winter months, the folks who owned our apartment complex — called Village Grove — flooded an empty portion of land about a block square so everyone could go ice skating. Koko loved to run on the ice — and slide! He had so much fun.

We owned a 1969 poppy red VW convertible. When it was warm, we put the roof down. Koko sat in the back seat, looking like a king as we drove him around town.

Koko did two things while we were at work that really irritated us. First, he loved to chew on our furniture. And second, he would always leave a big mess for us to clean up — even though we had children who lived nearby take him for a walk as soon as they got home from school.

Our vet told us that some dogs did not like to be left home alone. That’s why Koko chewed furniture and messed. He suggested we keep him in a cage during the day. I told him I thought that would be cruel.

“No,” the vet said. “He’ll just sleep!”

We tried several different cages, but Koko always managed to break out by undoing the latch with his teeth.

Finally, after a year of this, we decided it would be better for Koko if we found him a new home where someone would be with him all day long.

On our way to work one morning, we drove Koko back to the animal shelter where we found him. I told them what the problem had been. They agreed that Koko needed to be in a home where someone would be with him all day long, preferably with children.

As we drove to work, we felt badly about returning Koko to the animal shelter. As soon as I entered my office, I called the animal shelter to say I would come by after work to pick up Koko.

“I’m sorry, George,” the young woman said, “but a few minutes after you dropped off Koko a young woman came by with her three children. They fell in love with Koko right away. I told her the problems you were having. The mother said they had a big, fenced-in backyard with a large dog house and a large, dry basement. When they were home, Koko would have the run of the house.”

I was sorry I had taken Koko back, but I knew his new home would be perfect for him.

That was in May 1972, a year after we adopted Koko. My wife and I missed him so much. Koko was so cute, so loving, so friendly — a big, black shaggy dog.

A couple of weeks later, we adopted two tabby cat kittens, a brother and sister. Three months later, we adopted a third young tabby cat. They remained our pets all of their lives.

After the last of those three cats passed away in December 1991, we didn’t have a cat for a couple of years. Then, in 1994, a neighbor told us he was moving and was planning to simply abandon his cat, leaving him to roam the streets here in Los Angeles, where we had moved from Chicago. We took in his cat. I named him Thumper because of his big, bushy tail. He is white and gray tabby cat, now sound asleep a few feet from me as I write on my computer.

He had his shots yesterday, something he hates. He is a spayed indoor cat, but I like him to have rabies, feline leukemia, and the 3-in-1 FVRCP shots on a regular basis.

Thanks for triggering some memories again, Janice. Now I better go to bed.

George Spink
Los Angeles

Hope you enjoy your movie. I personally never saw anything in that show that got me too excited. In the trailer for the movie, the ladies look a little “long in the tooth” to be these sexy, single women from NYC. Maybe I just missed the whole point of the show. One of my daughters-in-law went to Charleston, SC, this weekend to see the movie with her best friend. (My son stayed at home with the 2 kids.) The whole trip was planned around going to this movie. Going from Meridian, MS to Charleston, SC just to see a movie is a little nuts to me, but then my husband and I are planning to go to San Antonio, TX next March for George Strait’s annual roping event. I guess all of us are a little nutty in our own way.

We had rain today–which we needed badly. Nothing severe though. Hope everyone had a great weekend. Weekends really should have an extra day–one day for cleaning the house, one day for going to church, and one day for sleeping late and bumming around the whole day. Sounds like heaven to me! Maybe we can get a movement started to make 3-day weekends permanent. I’ll get right on that!!

Take care, all!
Gwen

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing. It looks like the dogs certainly had fun. I love the picture of the dog right next to the “no dogs allowed” sign. That reminds me of the people who smoke right in front of the no smoking signs at the hospital. These pictures were nice and refreshing, especially since I was stuck in my house all weekend. Thanks again for sharing them!

Margie

Your hubby did well..as usual!!