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LAURA WRITES;
WHEN MY HUSBAND BROUGHT HIM
INTO THE HOUSE, HE WAS SMALL ENOUGH TO FIT IN HIS POCKET.
BUT, I KNEW FROM LOOKING AT THIS DOG, THAT HE WAS GOING TO
BE A BIG ONE!!
HE WAS A MIX BETWEEN LAB AND
GREAT PYRENEES, AND FROM THE BEGINNING GREW BY THE MOMENT.
HE LOOKED LIKE A LAB WITH A VERY LARGE HEAD.
WE LIVED IN GRAND LAKE
COLORADO, AND HE LOVED THE LAKE LIKE MOST DOGS. HE COULDN'T
GET ENOUGH OF IT.
WHEN HE WAS SMALL, I WOULD TAKE
HIM TO THE LAKE AND WE WOULD GO TO THE FOOT BRIDGE AND I
WOULD TOSS HIM OVER IT. BOY, DID HE LOVE THAT!! AND HE
WOULD COME BACK FOR MORE UNTIL IT WAS TIME TO GO HOME.
WHEN WILLIE DOG GOT BIGGER YOU
COULD HEAR HIS BARK A HALF MILE AWAY. AND IF HE WANTED YOUR
ATTENTION, HE WOULDN'T STOP BARKING UNTIL YOU DID WHAT HE
WANTED.
BUT, ONE OF HIS WEAKNESSES WAS
PLAYING IN THE WOODS AND CHASING PORCUPINES........... MUCH
TO MY DISMAY ALMOST EVERYDAY IT SEEMED HE WOULD CHASE
PORCUPINES.
SOME DAYS HE WOULD COME HOME
AND HIS NOSE AND INSIDE OF HIS MOUTH WOULD BE COVERED!!
THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A TRIP TO THE VETS TO GET THE
QUILLS REMOVED. THE VET MOST WEEKS EXPECTED US AT LEAST ONE
DAY IN HIS OFFICE.
MOLLY, WILLIE'S SISTER WOULD
COME HOME WITH ONLY ( ONE PORCUPINE QUILL) IN THE VERY TIP
OF HER NOSE. SHE WOULD HAVE THIS SMUG ATTITUDE LIKE -- SEE
HOW STUPID WILLIE IS. I KNEW TO STAY AWAY, BUT HE NEVER
LEARNS!!
WILLIE WAS FEARLESS AND LOOKED
FOR ADVENTURES EVERYDAY.
LOREN WRITES;
THEN ONE DAY WILLIE WHEN OFF TO THE WOODS BY HIMSELF. HE
WAS GONE ALL DAY AND WHEN IT GOT DARK THAT NIGHT HE STILL
HAD NOT COME HOME. MOLLY HAD STAYED HOME ALL DAY.
LAURA WAS WORRIED ABOUT WILLIE BECAUSE HE HAD NEVER STAYED
OUT ALL NIGHT. SHE WAS OUT BACK CALLING WILLIE AND NOT
HEARING A THING. SHE KNEW THAT SHE COULD HEAR WILLIE??™S BARK
A LONG WAYS OFF.
MOLLY WAS MAKING EVERY STEP LAURA MADE. IT WAS PLAIN TO SEE
THAT SHE WAS UPSET TOO. EVERY SO OFTEN SHE WOULD STOP, LOOK
OUT INTO THE DARKNESS AND BARK. IT SOUNDED LIKE SHE WAS
CALLING WILLIE ALSO.
LAURA KNEW THAT THERE WERE MOUNTAIN LIONS IN THE WOODS, BUT
THEY HAD NEVER SEEN OR HEARD ONE. IN HER WORRIED MIND SHE
COULD JUST SEE WILLIE TANGLE WITH A MOUNTAIN LION.
LAURA WRITES;
There were lots of sounds in
the mountains. Sometimes your imagination went wild out
there in that small mountain community.
Molly and Laura slowly
approached the waterfalls at Adams Falls. It was dark and
hard to hear with all the water running from the water
fall. All of a sudden from a long way off you could hear
Willie barking. He was so intent on something. But, it was
too far away to tell.
Then Laura looked up and
Willie was running across the field toward her with a mother
mountain lion not far behind him. She was obviously going
to chase him away from her babies. He was getting too close
for her. He was howling bloody murder, and it would have
been funny to see this 100 lb dog being chased by a big cat,
except for the danger.
Laura knew that Willie would
turn on the cat when he saw her and Molly to protect them.
But, then out of no where
appears a porcupine and of course, Willie can't resist the
porcupine and starts running after it. The cat is smart
enough to know that you don't tangle with a porcupine and
takes off in the other direction.
LOREN WRITES;
MOLLY STARTS BARKING AT WILLIE TRYING TO STOP HIM FROM
CHASING THE PORCUPINE. SHE SHOULD HAVE SAVED HER BREATH
BECAUSE IT DIDN??™T STOP WILLIE.
SO THAT MEANT ANOTHER TRIP TO THE VET. THE VET WANTED TO
KNOW WHAT LAURA WAS GOING TO DO ABOUT WILLIE??™S PROBLEM WITH
PORCUPINES. ???HE CAN??™T KEEP GOING LIKE THIS FOR EVER.???
LAURA TOLD THE VET, ???WE ARE MOVING TO
HOUSTON, TEXAS NEXT WEEK. I DON??™T THINK
THEY HAVE PORCUPINES DOWN THERE.???
WILLIE WAS ABLE TO STAY QUILL FREE FOR THE WEEK AND WHEN
JAMES, LAURA AND THE TWO DOGS LOADED INTO THEIR STATION
WAGON THEY WERE HAPPY TO BE ON THE ROAD. IT TOOK THEM TWO
DAYS TO GET TO HOUSTON.
JAMES??™S NEW JOB KEPT HIM BUSY SO ALL THE UNPACKING FELL TO
LAURA. SHE DIDN??™T HAVE TIME TO WATCH AFTER THE DOGS SO THEY
WERE PRETTY MUCH ON THEIR ON.
LAURA WRITES;
The new house was great and
the warm climate was nice to be in. But, everyone missed
the mountains. So, we all decided to make a trip up toward
Huntsville one Saturday to spend some time in the woods.
They found a nice place in
the national park there to camp and have a picnic with both
dogs. After a few minutes, Laura noticed that Willie had
wandered off. Oh Lord, what kind of trouble could he be in
now she thought.
It didn't take her long to
find out. They may not have porcupines around Texas much,
but they do have skunks!! And Willie had found a new animal
to torment!!
LOREN WRITES;
MOLLY HAD FOLLOWED ALONG BEHIND WILLIE
BUT WILLIE HAD FOUND A SKUNK AND MOLLY HAD THE GOOD
SENSE TO STAY BACK WHILE WILLIE WENT FORWARD TO INVESTIGATE
THIS STRANGE BLACK AND WHITE CREATURE.
AS WILLIE GOT CLOSE TO THE SKUNK HE GOT A GOOD EDUCATION
ABOUT WHAT SKUNKS WERE ALL ABOUT. THE SKUNK RAISED ITS TAIL
AND LET WILLIE HAVE A SPRAY RIGHT INTO HIS EYES.
WILLIE STARTED RUNNING IN CIRCLES AND HOWLING IN PAIN.
MOLLY TOOK OFF RUNNING BACK TO LAURA. WHEN LAURA HEARD
WILLIE SHE RAN INTO THE WOODS WHERE HE WAS. JUST AS SHE GOT
TO WILLIE THE SKUNK SAW HER COMING SO IT GAVE HER A GOOD
SPRAY OF STINKUM.
NOW SHE WAS RUNNING IN CIRCLES SCREAMING IN PAIN AND JAMES
CAME RUNNING TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. BY THIS TIME THE
SKUNK HAD ESCAPED INTO THE BRUSH AND ALL THAT JAMES SAW WAS
LAURA AND WILLIE RUNNING IN CIRCLES.
WHEN HE GOT CLOSER HE SMELLED THE STINK OF A SKUNK.
???PEE-UUU, YOU TWO STINK. WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH YOU?
I??™M SURE AS HECK NOT GOING TO RIDE BACK TO HOUSTON WITH YOU
IN THE STATION WAGON SMELLING LIKE THAT.???
LAURA WRITES;
WELL, LETS JUMP INTO THE
LAKE AND TRY TO WASH THIS STUFF OFF. IT TOOK SOME TIME AND
EFFORT, BUT A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER (WET TO THE BONE)
EVERYONE SMELLED A LITTLE BETTER.
WILLIE WAS HAPPY, AS HE HAD
FOUND A NEW CREATURE TO TORMENT, SINCE LEAVING THE MOUNTAINS
BEHIND.
LAURA AND JAMES WERE NOT
SURE WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO WITH WILLIE. HOW MANY
SKUNKS DO YOU THINK WILLIE COULD FIND IN HOUSTON? MAYBE THE
PORCUPINES WEREN'T SO BAD AFTER ALL.........
LOREN WRITES;
LAURA WENT INTO THE TENT TO CHANGE INTO DRY CLOTHES. SHE
WAS STILL COLD FROM THE WATER IN THE LAKE SO SHE CRAWLED
INTO HER SLEEPING BAG TO GET WARM. IT DIDN??™T TAKE LONG
BEFORE SHE WAS FAST ASLEEP. JAMES LOOKED IN ON HER AND
DECIDED TO LET HER REST FOR A WHILE.
WHEN JAMES CAME BACK OUT OF THE TENT HE LOOKED FOR WILLIE
AND MOLLY. ???OH NO, THEY ARE GONE AGAIN.??? JUST THEN A GREEN
PICKUP WITH THE PARK NAME ON THE DOOR DROVE UP TO THEIR CAMP
SITE. A PARK RANGER STEPPED OUT AND SAID, ???I??™M SORRY FOLKS
BUT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PACK UP AND LEAVE THE PARK.???
???BUT WHY RANGER ??¦ AH ??¦ AH??? ???MOORE IS THE NAME SIR, AND WE
ARE CLEARING THE PARK BECAUSE TWO INMATES OF THE STATE
PRISON AT HUNTSVILLE ESCAPED AND ARE THOUGHT TO BE HEADED
THIS WAY. THEY ARE ARMED AND DANGEROUS. WE DON??™T WANT
ANYONE TO GET HURT.???
THE RANGER LEFT TO WARN OTHERS TO LEAVE AND JAMES WENT INTO
THE TENT AND TOLD LAURA WHAT THE RANGER HAD SAID. LAURA
JUMPED UP AND PUT ON SOME JEANS AND A LIGHT SWEATER. THEN
SHE STARTED THROWING EVERYTHING IN THEIR STATION WAGON AS
JAMES TOOK DOWN THE TENT.
ALL OF A SUDDEN SHE STOPPED AND SAID, ???JAMES WHERE ARE THE
DOGS???? ???LAURA, THEIR OFF AND GONE TO THE WOODS AGAIN.???
???WELL JAMES I??™M NOT LEAVING WITH WILLIE AND MOLLY, AND
THAT??™S FINAL.???
???HERE WILLIE. HERE MOLLY.??? LAURA SHOUTED, TIME AND AGAIN.
JUST AS JAMES FINISHED LOADING THE STATION WAGON, MOLLY CAME
RUNNING UP TO LAURA. HER TONGUE WAS HANGING OUT AND SHE WAS
PANTING LIKE SHE HAD RUN A LONG WAY.
???LAURA WE CAN??™T WAIT ANY LONGER. YOU AND MOLLY GET IN THE
WAGON, WE??™RE LEAVING. WE CAN COME BACK FOR WILLIE AFTER THE
POLICE CATCH THOSE ESCAPEES.??? ???NO JAMES, I TOLD YOU I??™M NOT
LEAVING WITHOUT MY DOGS. GET THAT, DOGS. THAT MEANS WILLIE
TOO.???
???MOLLY WHERE IS WILLIE? SHOW ME GIRL. WHERE IS WILLIE????
LAURA ASKED MOLLY. MOLLY BARKED AND WAGGED HER TAIL, THEN
SHE RAN A FEW STEPS TOWARD THE WOODS. THEN SHE STOPPED AND
CAME BACK TO LAURA. SHE TURNED AND RAN BACK TOWARD THE
WOODS.
???COME ON JAMES, MOLLY WANTS US TO FOLLOW HER.??? JAMES
RELUCTANTLY FOLLOWED ALONG BEHIND LAURA AND MOLLY. HE WAS
MUTTERING TO HIMSELF, HE??™S PROBABLY FOUND ANOTHER SKUNK.
IT WASN??™T LONG BEFORE THEY FOUND WILLIE AND HE HAD FOUND
ANOTHER SKUNK.
BUT THIS ONE HAD NOT SPRAYED HIM. IT HAD RUN INTO A HOLE IN
THE GROUND AND WILLIE WAS DIGGING LIKE CRAZY TRYING TO GET
TO IT. JAMES GRABBED WILLIE??™S COLLIER AND DRUG HIM AWAY
FROM THE HOLE. ???NOW CAN WE GO???? JAMES WANTED TO KNOW.
???OH YES, LET??™S HURRY. I DON??™T FEEL SAFE IN THESE WOODS ANY
MORE.??? LAURA ANSWERED. THEY MADE THEIR WAY BACK TO THE CAMP
SITE AND WHEN THEY CAME OUT OF THE WOODS THEY BOTH STOPPED.
THEIR STATION WAGON WAS GONE!
LAURA WRITES;
DID YOU LEAVE THE KEYS IN
THE CAR, JAMES? LAURA ALREADY KNEW THAT ANSWER. HE WAS THE
WORST AT LEAVING KEYS IN THE CARS. YES, HE SAID. "I
THOUGHT IT WOULD BE OK OUT HERE"
WELL, NOW WE REALLY ARE
STRANDED. LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET THE GAME WARDEN ON THE
CELL PHONE." DO YOU HAVE YOUR CELL PHONE WITH YOU?" LAURA
CHECKED IN HER BAG BUT OF COURSE, WITH THE WAY THE DAY WAS
GOING THE CELL PHONE BATTERY HAD GONE DEAD. "NOW WHAT?"
SHE ASKED.
"WELL, I GUESS I WILL HAVE
TO WALK AND FIND SOMEONE." JAMES SAID, AND HE TOOK OFF.
"SOMETIMES I DON'T KNOW IF
COMING TO TEXAS WAS THE BEST IDEA." THOUGHT LAURA AS SHE SAT
DOWN TO WAIT FOR JAMES TO MAKE IT BACK.
BUT, AS SHE LOOKED AROUND
MOLLY WAS THERE BY HER, BUT WILLIE WAS GONE AGAIN!!!!
WHERE COULD HE POSSIBLY BE
GONE TO NOW?? SHE SAID "COME ON MOLLY LET'S GO SEE IF WE CAN
FIND YOUR BROTHER. HE IS BOUND TO BE IN TROUBLE SOMEWHERE."
THEY TOOK OFF NEAR THE LAKE
TO SEE IF THEY COULD FIND WILLIE. HE WAS FOR SURE DOWN BY
THE WATER SHE THOUGHT. AS SHE CAME NEAR THE WATER, SHE
COULD SEE SOMEONE THERE. IT LOOKED LIKE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE
AND HER CAR!!
FOR SURE IT MUST HAVE BEEN
THE ESCAPEES THAT TOOK THE CAR!! BUT, IN THE DISTANCE SHE
COULD SEE WILLIE COMING AROUND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
CLEARING AND HEADING FOR THE TWO MEN. WHAT WAS SHE GOING TO
DO? THEY WERE BOUND TO SEE HER DOG.
BUT, SHE KNEW WILLIE WAS NOT
AFRAID OF ANYTHING. SO MAYBE SHE COULD HOLD BACK AND SEE
WHAT HE WOULD DO. THE DOORS WERE OPEN IN THE CAR AND WILLIE
CLIMBED INTO THE BACK SEAT.
THE TWO MEN SAW HIM AND ONE
OF THEM SAID, "LOOK THERE IS A REAL BIG DOG IN THE BACK SEAT
OF THE CAR JUST LIKE HE OWNS IT." THE OTHER ONE SAID,
"WELL, GET HIM OUT OF THERE." SO BOTH MEN STARTED OVER TO
THE CAR TO GET WILLIE OUT OF IT. THEY WERE SAYING, "GET OUT
OF THERE, GO AWAY."
BUT WILLIE WASN'T HAVING ANY
OF THAT. HE JUST LAID THERE. AFTER ALL, IT WAS HIS CAR.
WHEN THEY GOT A LITTLE TO CLOSE WILLIE JUMPED UP AND BARKED
AND GROWLED AT THEM BOTH AND THEY DECIDED MAYBE THEY BETTER
NOT TRY TO GET THIS DOG OUT OF THE CAR.
LAURA THOUGHT, IF WILLIE
WILL STAY IN THAT CAR, HE CAN KEEP THOSE MEN OUT OF IT AND
MAYBE JAMES WILL FIND US DOWN HERE AT THE WATER WITH THE
WARDEN.
IT SOUNDED LIKE A GOOD
PLAN. SO SHE STAYED HIDDEN BEHIND A TREE A PRETTY GOOD
DISTANCE AWAY WITH MOLLY SO NO ONE COULD SEE THEM.
SO TIME PASSED. IT SEEMED
LIKE AT LEAST 30 MINUTES, BUT NO MATTER WHAT, WILLIE WAS NOT
ALLOWING THOSE MEN INTO THE CAR.
LOREN WRITES;
FINALLY ONE OF THE MEN SAID JUST SHOOT THE DOG. WE??™VE GOT
TO GET OUT OF HERE. THE MAN WITH THE PISTOL WALKED CLOSER
TO THE CAR AND AIMED AT THE DOG. BUT BEFORE HE COULD PULL
THE TRIGGER LAURA JUMPED OUT OF BEHIND THE TREE AND
HOLLERED, ???DON??™T YOU SHOOT MY DOG!???
THIS STARTLED THE MAN WITH THE PISTOL AND HE POINTED IT AT
LAURA AND TOLD HER TO COME ON DOWN THERE. LAURA PUT UP HER
HANDS AND SLOWLY WALKED TO WHERE THE MEN WERE STANDING.
MOLLY FOLLOWED ALONE BEHIND HER.
AS SHE GOT TO WHERE THE MAN WITH THE PISTOL WAS STANDING, HE
RAISED THE PISTOL LIKE HE WAS GOING TO HIT HER WITH IT.
WHEN WILLIE SAW THIS HE CAME SAILING OUT OF THE CAR AND
LANDED ON THE BACK OF THE MAN WITH THE GUN. THE OTHER MAN
RAN IN AND DREW BACK HIS LEG LIKE HE WAS GOING TO KICK
WILLIE.
THAT??™S WHEN MOLLY GRABBED HIM BY THE LEG AND PULLED HIM
DOWN. WHILE ALL THIS WAS GOING ON LAURA SCOOPED UP THE
PISTOL AND CALLED HER DOGS OFF. THEN SHE HAD THE TWO MEN
SPREAD EAGLE ON THE GROUND.
JUST THEN RANGER MOORE AND JAMES DROVE UP IN THE PARK
PICKUP.
RANGER MOORE TOOK THE GUN FROM LAURA AND PUT HAND CUFFS ON
THE TWO MEN AND MADE THEM GET IN THE PICKUP BED. JAMES TOOK
LAURA INTO HIS ARMS AND ASKED HER IF SHE WAS ALRIGHT.
???OH JAMES, THANKS TO WILLIE AND MOLLY I AM. LET??™S TAKE THE
DOGS AND GO HOME. I??™VE HAD ALL THE CAMPING I WANT FOR THE
TIME BEING. WILLIE WILL JUST HAVE TO DO WITH OUT HIS SKUNKS
FOR NOW.
THE END
?© COPYRIGHT 2004
Loren Moore |
