Walks With Max and Queenie by Harland Soper

Walks With Max and Queenie by Harland Soper

Chapter 1

Walks with Max and Queenie

It’s six-o-clock in the morning when Max first opened his eyes. Working the stiffness in his legs he slowly rolled his 77 year-old bones out of bed. It was a crisp fall morning. That time of year when life seems to be holding its breath in anticipation of the long winter sleep ahead. As Max pulled on his boots, Queenie, his 12 year-old mixed breed companion was already at the door where Max’s walking stick, hat and coat have always hung.

“Is it time for our morning walk?” Max teased Queenie.

“What’s taking you so long?” Queenie scratched at the door. The same question she asks Max every morning.

Striking a match on the stove, Max put the kettle on to be ready when they returned. He scratched Queenie behind her ears as he put on his coat. A routine he and Queenie have repeated every day since either can remember.

Max’s stride is slower these days and Queenie pauses longer to sniff the air taking her time gazing out across the field. That’s OK with them both. And so their story unfolds on these walks, a moment in time, as they head out the door sharing faded memories together each morning at six-o-clock.

It is ten years earlier when their story unfolds in a vacated ramshackle trailer long abandoned. Once a home, it held only the discarded remanents of someone’s lost dreams. On this fall day, the decay of that place would reveal something new and unexpected. Gather ‘round.

Chapter 2

Charlie

Charlie Owen turned 10 that same year. He lived with his parents in Redwood City, a bayside community near San Francisco. Charlie loved his parents, his own room and his friends at school. And then one day, shortly after his tenth birthday, his parents left for work and never returned home. They died in a tragic traffic accident. His life upended that day and a deep sadness set in leaving Charlie only memories that he held tight to, afraid that one day they too might disappear.

And so, Charlie came to live with his grandfather Max Owen on Max’s 40 acre farm in upstate New York. The same farm Charlie’s Dad grew up on. The same farm where Max had lived most of his life and where he and his wife Maria raised Charlie’s father. Then one day this same year, Maria passed away leaving Max a widower with 42 years of memories. Fate had thrust Charlie and Max together to build new lives and new memories too fresh, raw and cherished to relinquish. New memories can be hard to make.

The farm is near the small town of Reliance, a once thriving agricultural community surrounded by apple orchards. Set in a valley astride the rolling hills of the Allegheny Plateau to the south and the Adirondack mountains and Lake Ontario to the north. Reliance has endured it’s decline over the years as have many small rural communities. But there is a solidarity in Reliance that grounds its name and invites memories of its own.

Reliance had once been known for its apples. While the Mcintosh was the most popular, Reliance also built its reputation on the Northern Spy, Baldwin and the Reliance Pippen. The latter was originally popular with early settlers in the 1800s because it grew fast from a seedling and was the easiest source of sour mash from which apple brandy and moonshine could be produced on the frontier. When prohibition hit in 1920, the Reliance Pippen was a hot commodity and the woods around town were filled with stills including Max’s farm. Close proximity to transit on Lake Ontario made distribution easy. But by 1933 when the Twenty-First Amendment was passed to end prohibition, Reliance’s gradual decline began. But its proud tradition was never forgotten. Every year since, Reliance holds its Pippen Parade on the Fourth of July. A good time is had by all!

On this particular crisp fall Friday afternoon, Charlie bounded off the school bus waving goodbye to his new friend, Sarah, whom he’d only met a few weeks earlier at his new school. As the old bus lumbered away, Charlie hurried down the lane to the house leaving his backpack on the porch. Max wasn’t home so he headed out past the barn and set out to explore the woods. A routine of discovery he enjoyed nearly every day. Just himself and his imagination.

Meandering into an unfamiliar part of the woods, Charlie followed a rutted weed covered road, more like an over grown path, that led down to a wide spot next to the creek that drained into the Mohawk River downstream. Amongst the vines hidden from easy view was a dilapidated abandoned trailer barely visible from the path. His imagination immediately fired up, wondering if there might be a lost treasure hidden within, waiting for years to be discovered.

The brush was up to his waist as he approached the steps that led up to a crocked doorway. His foot broke through a rotted step landing him on his hands and knees half way in and half way out. Suddenly he heard a rustle coming from inside. Charlie froze. He wasn’t alone. Picking himself up and prepared to run, movement on the floor ahead caught his eye. There amongst a pile of rubbish lay a bedraggled mud covered dog. An exhausted mother licking each one of her five newborn pups, drawing each one closer. The startled dog looked up. Bewildered and with a low deep growl she gave warning. Charlie remained motionless. Time seemed to stop as they eyed each other. Then, slowly, the tension began to shift ever so slightly. Charlie thought for a moment and then slowly pulled from his pocket the remains of a peanut butter sandwich from lunch. Offering this to the exhausted new mother, her hunger overtook her caution but she couldn’t get up to receive the gift. So Charlie carefully took the sandwich to her and she ate. In a low voice Charlie told her,

“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you or your babies.”

She responded in a low cautious growl, “Careful. Careful.”

Uncertain what to do next Charlie decided he needed Max’s advice, really wishing that he could take them all home. Charlie backed out the door slowly, avoiding the broken step, turned, and hit the trail at a full run until he finally reached home to find Max at the gate.

“Grandpa, you won’t believe what I found. They are so small and she looks like she is starving.”

“Charlie, who is so small and starving?”

“Not the puppies. The mom. They were just born and their mother is thin and starving. I gave her my sandwich.”

“Where is all this happening?” Max asked bewildered.

“At an abandoned old trailer down at the end of a road maybe three miles from here.”

Max nodded. “Hmm … the widow Henderson’s old place. She lived a recluse and died alone in that trailer fifteen years ago. That is a sad house.”

“Grandpa, we gotta do something.”

With that Charlie dashed into the house and grabbed the left over bread from breakfast and jammed it into his pocket.

Max could hardly keep up with Charlie finally catching his breath standing in the broken down doorway just as Charlie had described it. Max peered in as Charlie slowly moved forward and offered the mother his bread which she accepted.

“Easy Charlie,” Max cautioned. “Let’s take this real slow. We don’t know this dog or where she’s from.“

Watching his grandson, it became immediately clear to Max at that moment that their small household of two was about to expand. There was no uncertainly about it. But Max also knew these things had to proceed carefully.

Planning to return the next day, it was getting dark when they left the mother and her pups. The hike back was difficult in the fading light. They were quiet as they walked home, Max wondering how to proceed and Charlie thinking about his day and the discovery he had not expected. A day that set a new course for Charlie and Max . They both spent a restless night drifting in and out of sleep wondering about the day to come.

Chapter 3

Saturday

Saturday began early for Charlie. Not typical because Saturdays were for sleeping in. Max insisted that they sit down for breakfast together to discuss the previous day. Charlie fidgeted as Max laid out all the thoughts that had circled in his mind the night before.

“Charlie, I know you really want this dog and her pups. But we must have an understanding about your obligations to not just one but all six dogs. What’s your plan? How does this work with being in school all day?”

Charlie had been thinking about this all last night and got little sleep.

“First Grandpa, she needs to learn to trust me. She likes it when I feed her. I can tell. So I’ll go over to see her early every day to feed her before the bus arrives. After school I’ll bring her more food and we’ll get to know each other.”

“When will you have time for your chores and homework? The chickens need your attention too and there is cleaning up to do around here,” said Max.

“I can do it all and it will be much easier if we move them all here.”

“That’s a big order Charlie. And where will they all live? Not with the chickens. The barn is a cold place for the puppies this winter.”

Max didn’t mention how their two geese, Ziggy and Waddles, would react. They served as guard geese pecking at the heels of anyone who couldn’t run fast enough from the gate to the front porch. Or how their barn cat Sunshine would react.

“Let’s agree to take this one step at a time,” said Max. “If she does trust you with her pups then we can figure out the next step.”

Charlie leaped from his chair with a great big grin. He did his chores faster than Max had ever seen. Putting pork chop bones from last night’s supper and pancakes from breakfast in a bag he headed out to the trailer. Max just smiled and shook his head. To be honest, he was grateful to feel some joy enter this old farm. It had been a while. But he tried to not let his interest show all at once.

When Charlie reached the trailer everything had changed from the day before. It didn’t feel like the sad place he had discovered. The pups, their eyes still closed and their hearing yet developed, had only their sense of smell to find their mother’s nipple. They knew nothing of the dilapidated world they were born in. Just the warmth and milk of their mother.

Mom laid there quietly as they nursed and slept, piled up against her soft belly. Occasionally one would give a kick and squirm, getting muscles in shape for the first steps soon to come. With care, Charlie carefully gave her the bones and pancakes. She moved up on her side still touching her pups and gratefully began to eat. Charlie sat quietly and watched. He couldn’t take his eyes off them. This world of love of a mother and her children nicked Charlie’s heart. Somehow filling just for that moment, the love of a mother he had lost but not forgotten.

One of the pups rolled off the pile and woke up. Mom gave it a lick and then something amazing happened. She gave the pup a little nudge with her nose. Right towards Charlie. With a deep breath Charlie put out his hand and touched the pup on the nose. It wiggled and tried to suckle on his finger tip. As Mom looked on Charlie gently picked up the pup and put it back with the others. That sealed the deal. They were becoming a family. For the first time in a long time Charlie’s heart swelled.

That night supper was animated as Charlie told Max all about the day, the pups and the mother.

“Charlie, maybe it is about time to name this new family,” said Max.

“I can’t tell much about the pups yet,” said Charlie. “When they open their eyes and start walking around that will help. But I’ve been thinking about the mom. How about we name her Queenie? After all she is the queen.”

“I think she’d like that Charlie. Queenie it is.”

On Sunday Charlie took Max with him to see Queenie and her pups. On the way over they discussed what Queenie might prefer for food rather than leftovers. Max agreed to call the vet in Reliance on Monday for advice. Not only was food important but there were all sorts of health concerns to look after.

“Watch Grandpa.” Charlie held one of the pups with Queenie’s consent. Then Charlie gently handed the pup to Max. At that point Max couldn’t hold back a grin. Queenie approved.

“Well, we’d best start making plans,” said Max.

They decided to start with making a bed in the back laundry room off the kitchen. In the back of his mind Charlie really wanted them in his room but that had to wait for later. From the laundry room it would be easy for everyone to go outside. As it would turn out, Charlie was pleased to not have the pups making their mess in his room.

On Monday Charlie kept his word and made the school bus just in time. He was the last pick up and his new friend Sarah had saved him a seat. Charlie didn’t know where to begin telling her everything that happened over the weekend so he started talking fast. At lunch Sarah asked when she could come over and see the pups.

Sarah lived just far enough out of town to ride the school bus. When she got home that night she told her parents for the first time about the new boy, Charlie, and all about his dog Queenie and her five newborn puppies. Sarah had a cat named Muffin who, to no one’s surprise, showed zero interest nor understood Sarah’s excitement. That would change later.

On the bus the next day Sarah pleaded with Charlie to take her to meet Queenie and the pups. Not used to such attention from a girl, he kinda like it. She was after all interested in dogs. It was decided that Charlie would ask Max if he would take her home if she got off the bus with Charlie to meet Queenie. Sarah’s parents were not sure having not met Charlie and only knowing Max from the last school event. But they agreed and Friday after school was set.

On Friday the word had spread around school about the new boy and his puppies. If the kids on the bus had their way, the entire bus load would pile out at Charlies gate. Sarah enjoyed her special status and made that clear to her girlfriends. It didn’t take long for the teasing began.

“Charlie and Sarah sittin in a tree …”

Charlie was embarrassed about it and kept his head down around the subject. But Sarah was cool because she liked dogs.

Chapter 4

Where Is Who?

Twice every day Charlie visited Queenie and her menagerie. Queenie would get up to go outside trusting Charlie to keep the chaos under control. That was necessary as several of the pups had already opened their eyes and were beginning to squirm around creating a clumsy writhing pile of pups.

Each puppy had different markings, some similar to Queenie’s light creamy yellow. The biggest pup, a female, had Queenie’s coloring as did one of the male pups. The smaller female was a chocolate brown along with the other male and the smallest pup that always slept with her tongue out had dark black markings. It was just a matter of time before their individual personalities would begin to emerge as they started walking. The largest pup with Queenie’s markings squirmed everywhere and often got lost. The dilapidated trailer wasn’t going to work much longer.

“Charlie, we’d better get this family back to the farm before things get out of hand,” said Max.

Before the move they decided to name each pup so they could keep track should one wondered off. The pups were slow to pick up on this name thing but that didn’t matter as long as Charlie and Max knew who was who.

They named the big female with Queenie’s creamy colored fur Missy. She went from squirming to a full trot bumping into everything. Meanwhile all her brothers and sisters were quickly getting their paws under them as well.

After Missy came the other cream colored male. When not meandering around on his new found legs, he slept on his back always taking his time. So Charlie named him Snooze. The chocolate brown male liked to run and roughhouse, constantly attacking everyone, even Charlie, looking for someone to tangle with. So Charlie named him Rocky. Then there were the two remaining females. The chocolate brown female liked to lick everything so Max named her Lil Licker.

By that time Charlie and Max were running out of names. Counting each pup as they named them, they only counted four. Who was missing. It was the small black and tan female who wandered off so when they located her they named her Who.

Missy, Snooze, Rocky, Licker and Who. Queenie approved and so it was.

How do you move five nursing puppies from the trailer to the farm three miles away through the brush and tangles of the forest? It was on the next Saturday, four weeks after Charlie first found Queenie, that the move was organized. Max decided to get the wheelbarrow out of the barn. There, sitting on it was Sunshine the barn cat, grooming herself in a shaft of sun light without a care. Sunshine had no idea what was about to happen to her carefree life being the center of attention. Had she known she might have refused giving up her perch so easily.

Sarah, was on hand for the move event. Whether she was interested in Charlie or the dogs was discussed at length in the lunch room at school. Gossip was one of those early studies children seemed to learn as an unofficial part of the curriculum. Sarah loved it. Charlie not so much.

The excitement began at 9AM at the barn. Ziggy and Waddles were running around in circles and Sunshine retreated up to the loft gazing out the hay door as the parade formed below. Max cleaned out the muck from the wheel borrow never anticipating it’s new use. Charlie made sure he had breakfast in a bag for Queenie and Sarah wished she had worn her boots for the walk. Her Mary Jane shoes weren’t going to work well. Girls have shoes for every occasion. Just not this occasion.

With Charlie in the lead and Max following up the rear, they began the trek through the forest. By this time Charlie had pretty well worn a path that avoided most of the mud and brambles. They stopped once to see a ground squirrel sitting on a log watching the spectacle.

Once they got to the trailer the plan was for Charlie to go in and coax Queenie to come out for breakfast. Then he would pass each pup out one at a time to Max while Sarah made the count as she lamented over the mud on her shoes. First Missy came out, then Rocky squirming all the way, then Snooze who had no idea what was happening, Licker followed and finally Who. This is the first time any of the pups had been outside. When plopped into the wheelbarrow each one raised their nose high into the air taking in a much different scent from the stale air in the trailer. This was the first of many new smells they would add to their dictionary of odors over their life time. To impress Sarah, Charlie told her that dogs had over 300 million olfactory receptors in their nose and humans only 6 million. Sarah acknowledged then looked back down at her muddy shoes.

And so the parade home began. Charlie and Queenie blazing the trail ahead followed by Max juggling the wheel borrow as the puppies all scrambled back and forth taking in the sights with their noses held high. Sarah took up the rear carefully avoiding any puddles. Their only stop was at a turn in the trail where the ground squirrel was still perched on the log. In unison, every pup stumbled to the side of the wheelbarrow to an instinctive call.

“SQUIRREL!”

A little bedraggled, the entourage arrived back at the farm. Ziggy and Waddles didn’t know who to peck at first and Sunshine went into shock and didn’t reappear until days later. Charlie showed Queenie her new bed in the laundry room off the kitchen. She inspected it carefully and then, one by one, carried each pup to their new digs in the house. Everyone settled in and immediately collapsed in a heap. Queenie nursed each pup before they dropped off to sleep. It had been a big day that first day on the farm.

It was nearing supper time when Queenie came out into the kitchen. Charlie had already filled her bowl with kibble and some gravy that was cooling on the stove. When she was full Queenie went outside and found a place on the porch to rest. It was a place she claimed as hers from that day forward.

Chapter 5

Chaos

It was just before Christmas. Winter has left its first blanket of snow when Queenie began to get restless. Her life on the farm had settled in and her pups were all healthy and growing fast. It had been 3 weeks since the move and 7 weeks since Charlie had found Queenie and her puppies. The time had come for Queenie to wean them from her milk.

The pups were confused at first to the new eating routine. Charlie would patiently mix the new puppy kibble with warm water to make a mush. He then gently dipped each pup’s face into the mush to get the idea. Almost immediately, eating became a new game. They all crowded around the pan at one time. For Licker the change was easy. She would lick her fill and then lick mush off her litter mates faces. Rocky preferred to put his front paws in the mush pan to eat. Perhaps to prevent it from getting away. Who would savor each bite sitting at the edge of the pan ignoring Snooze as he crawled over her to get into the middle of the pan. Meal time left mush across the kitchen floor and covering each pup head to tail.

Even as the days grew colder the pups spent most of their time outside exploring and playing. In the evenings inside the house, the pups were restricted to two rooms. The kitchen with the fireplace and the laundry room where their beds were. One evening Max found Missy chewing on the leg of the kitchen table. Her baby teeth were giving way for her real chompers and pretty soon Max and Charlie were on high alert.

“No, Snooze, Max’s boot is not a chewy toy.”

“Missy, don’t eat the table leg.”

“Rocky, put your food dish down.”

Before all was destroyed, Max decided they needed something better for them to cut their new teeth on other than the house. The next day while in Reliance for another 50 pound bag of kibble, Max stopped in to see Mr. Stockhousen the butcher. It was agreed that in exchange for a supply of real bones each week, Mr. Stockhousen could have a pick of the litter for his son, Timothy, when the pups were ready. Had the pups known of this arrangement ahead of time they all would have lined up for the chance to live in the butcher’s bone palace. Mr. Stockhausen’s dog Fritz, an Anatolian Shepherd passed away the winter before and Mr. Stockhausen’s bone inventory was piling up.

Amongst all the puppy chaos, the next order of business was for each pup to finally learn their name. Missy was the first at just about everything and quickly learned her name. When Charlie called her by name – if she looked up she got a treat. If she came on command she got a treat. Treats soon became life’s motivation. Snooze knew his name because every time Charlie called him he would rolled over on his back for a belly rub and a biscuit. Lil Licker was confused at first. Every time someone else got a biscuit she would run over to lick it. Much to the dismay of the recipient. However, she too picked it up. When Charlie called “Licker” she got to lick her own biscuit. Rocky learned his name quickly as well but misunderstood that everyone else’s treat was not his too. There were biscuit disagreements at times but Queenie would intervened for which she also got a treat for refereeing.

Then there was Who. She was quiet compared to her siblings and would hang back. More of an observer than a participant. So it was harder to tell if she knew her name. But after many treat attempts she caught on. Unlike her siblings, Who would admire her treat for a long time before taking a bite. This irritated Rocky no end standing in front of her whimpering as he watched her biscuit. It was hard to keep the training discipline in order when one unresponsive pup didn’t get a treat and another did. But the allure of a Milk Bone biscuit had a powerful sway and soon everyone was on board. Charlie had to be careful and not casually say the word T-R-E-A-T as chaos would erupt with anticipation. Once everyone knew who they were Charlie couldn’t just keep handing out a T-R-E-A-T with every call out. Charlie also learned that sometimes, giving a command to one of the pups was often regarded more as a suggestion. That might have had something to do with T-R-E-A-T rationing.

There was a lot to be learned on the farm and puppy curiosity was a powerful influence that often led many learning moments. Ziggy and Waddles never wanted to play and dispensed pecks at will. That, however, turned into a game. Each pup would dare the other to make a pass at them and then run for safety on the porch. No one ever knew why Ziggy and Waddles never went up on the porch.

One afternoon, sticking his nose into the barn, Rocky found a piece of rope and began chewing on it. When Missy saw this she thought it looked like fun and tried to take it away from Rocky. Missy had the weight advantage but Rocky had the drive. The tussle began as they tugged back and forth across the barn yard. This commotion woke up Snooze and he decided to jump in. With three on the rope the game ‘tug-a-puppy’ was born. Who always waited until the winner was clear before she joined in and would strut around the yard victorious. This game took place almost every day with the spoils spread evenly between all contestants.

Sunshine was another curious mystery for the pups. Her domain was the barn and she knew every inch of it. The chickens lived in a hutch attached to the side of the barn. They could go to and from the barn anytime they wanted without interference from Sunshine. She thought they were stupid and not at all interesting. So they ignored each other. As for the pups, Sunshine presented a dilemma to their discovery. To Sunshine, the pups smelled bad and were also stupid. To the pups, Sunshine didn’t smell right either and wasn’t very friendly. For Sunshine, a puppy’s get acquainted smelling habit were strictly out of the question. The day Rocky dared to enter the barn to get the rope he now coveted, Sunshine arched her back and made a hissing noise that Rocky thought sounded weird, nothing like a good bark. Having made her point, Sunshine ascended up to the loft not to be bothered by a stinky dog.

Every Saturday the pups knew Max would return from wherever it was he went and bring back glorious bones. Each pup would line up at the porch when Max got home. Each one got a bone at which time they would go off to their own secret spot to chew and lick at the marrow that was hidden within. It would take well into the coming week for the bones to be fully enjoyed but discarding them was out of the question. Mr. Stockhausen’s bones were the coin of the realm to be guarded at all costs. Eventually, one after the other, each bone would be buried in a secrete place. Each pup content with their secret. That is, all but one.

While Who was always on the outside of games and other chaos events, she was a quiet observer and she knew exactly where each bone was buried. When the time was right, Who would dig up each bone and relocate it to her secrete spot. This became a challenge after a while as she started running out of room and the other pups started to catch on. And so her spot became the Bone Bank with regular deposits and withdrawals.

Chapter 6

The First Goodbye

With Christmas coming soon Mr. Stockhousen and his wife Olga, decided that a new puppy for Christmas would make their son Timmy very happy. He had been asking for months about getting a dog but Mr. Stockhousen had kept it a secret about arranging a pick from Queenie’s litter. Just to make sure the puppies were all in good health. Max too had not mentioned his deal with the butcher to Charlie, waiting for the right time. Charlie was feeding the pups one evening when Max mentioned:

“Charlie, you know that sooner or later we’ll have to give Queenies pups away. Since all the pups are weaned and healthy, the time has come.”

Charlie had been thinking about this as well but kept the thought of losing the pups at the back of his mind.

“You are right Grandpa. How does this happen? How will Queenie feel? They are her family.”

“I think Queenie knows that it is time for her pups to go out into the world on their own just as she did,.” said Max. “ I was waiting for the right time to tell you that Mr. Stockhausen gave us those bones for free if he could pick a puppy from the litter for Timmy.”

When Timmy’s dad told him about a new puppy for Christmas Timmy was elated. He had heard all about Queenie and her pups at school but never thought one could be his. As the day approached, Charlie got really excited for Timmy and they talked about each puppy in great detail. Sarah, who also had lunch with Charlie was feeling left out of the conversation and a little envious. The word was out as news at school traveled fast that Timmy was getting one of Queenies pups.

It was agreed that Mrs. Stockhausen and Timmy would come by on Saturday morning to make the choice. With a big smile, Mr. Stockhausen stayed behind to open the butcher shop. Max had baked some oatmeal cookies and invited Timmy’s mom in for cookies and coffee. Charlie and Timmy were too focused to join them. Timmy brought more bones from the butcher shop and was very popular with the pups. He and Charlie sat on the porch with Queenie to watch them parade around with their bones. Missy got straight to work on hers. Rocky kept going from one sibling to the next comparing his bone to theirs. Snooze took his bone around the corner of the barn out of sight to bury his. Licker spent the morning admiring hers and licked it affectionately. Who however had other plans. She sat on the porch with her bone, watching her siblings carefully.

Charlie gave Timmy a handful of biscuits to help him get acquainted with each pup. As Timmy called each pup by name and gave out treats, Rocky would intervene insisting on playing with Timmy. So much to Timmy’s delight that he decided right away to take Rocky home.

As Timmy took Rocky to the car, Queenie jumped off the porch, gave Timmy a good sniffing over then turned her attention to Rocky. After a long nuzzle and licks, she backed away. As the car pulled out of the gate Charlie could see Timmy holding Rocky up to the window waving his paw goodbye. Rocky, feeling something was changing, kept looking up at Timmy then back at Queenie and Charlie, and sat tight in Timmy’s lap. They held tight to each other all the way back to the butcher shop. Rocky’s dream come true.

Chapter 7

Sarah’s Turn

The next Monday at school, all Timmy could talk about was his puppy Rocky. Sarah talked Charlie’s head off about wanting a puppy too and Charlie agreed. After all she helped with the puppy’s relocation. Sarah had already made up her mind. She wanted Lil’ Licker. At home that night Sarah pleaded her case to her mom and dad and agreed to do everything that was already on her list of chores plus taking care of both Licker and Muffin the cat. After an impressive sales job, her parents agreed under the one condition that this puppy knew to do her business outdoors. Sarah spent the rest of the night reassuring Muffin how much she loved her too and that Muffin and Licker would become best friends. Muffin knew nothing about this promise and curled up at the bottom of Sarah’s bed.

That Saturday, ten days before Christmas, both Sarah’s mother and father brought Sarah to the farm along with a few items Sarah had packed from Muffin’s wardrobe. Sarah wanted to see if any fit Licker. After more oatmeal cookies and a lot of giggling, it was time for Licker to meet her new family. All the time Sarah and Licker were playing together, Queenie watched on. In her heart she knew this was a good fit though she wondered about the pink tulle tutu Sarah put on Licker. Licker didn’t seem to mind enjoying the attention. As she did before with Rocky, Queenie gave Licker lots of licks as they all got in the car. On the way home amidst all the excitement, Licker had to pee.

Muffin was on the sofa cleaning her paws when the front door opened and Sarah and Licker bounded in. It took only a moment for Muffin to jump down from the sofa and look Licker straight in the eye. Licker had never seen this cat before. It smelled funny like Sunshine but in that moment some terms and conditions were laid down. Boundaries that Licker would soon learn all about. With that Muffin, her tail straight up in the air, resumed her spot on the sofa. The first condition. My spot not yours.

The rhythm of life normalized as Licker fit right into the family. It was the day before Christmas when Sarah came home to find both Licker and Muffin asleep on the sofa. What boundaries? Indeed Muffin and Licker became besties.

Chapter 8

The Library

It was the afternoon after Sarah and Licker left the farm that Max went into town. At the Gas ‘n Go he saw a flyer at the cash register, “Library Fund Raiser, Books For Sale.” That reminded him that he was interested in a book about dog training. Better late than never he thought. Ms. Farley was the head librarian whom he knew through friends but hadn’t been in the library for as long as he could remember.

Ms. Farley was at the checkout desk helping a young reader when Max walked in. The library had that smell of years of oil polished wood floors with rows of dark mahogany book shelves holding books on every subject imaginable. Behind the checkout desk was a row of cabinets with small square file drawers with labels in alphabetical order. Each drawer held a card on every book in the library by name, genre, and Dewy decimal number.

Max stood there wondering where to begin when Ms. Farley looked up.

“Hello Max Owen,” she said. “It has been a long time since I’ve seen you in here.”

“It has indeed Ms. Farley,” said Max. “It is good to see you here keeping our youngsters well read.”

Max mentioned that he too had a young reader in the house. His grandson Charlie. The explanation of the circumstances were a little awkward but Ms. Farley jumped right in.

“First of all, call me Flo and second, bring Charlie in sometime. We have a lot of activities he might be interested in with authors that come by and give presentations on their books on how to do all sorts of things.”

“Thank you … Ms….a … Flo. I’m actually here looking for a book on how to train a dog.”

“Are you the old dog looking for new tricks?” she joked.

“That too but my grandson Charlie is living with me and has a dog, actually many dogs.”

It took fifteen minutes to tell Flo the whole story. A conversation that Max quite enjoyed as she would laugh and smile. She then told Max about her dog Shakespear and how Shakespear would come to the library with her every day. He was the library assistant that everyone loved. Sadly Shakespear died last year of old age. At the same time Max and Flo got the same idea. Would she like to meet the pups and maybe take one home with her? The library was closed between Christmas and New Years and she had the time to come and meet the pups. They decided she would come by the day after Christmas.

That evening over dinner Max told Charlie and Queenie all about his conversation with Ms. Farley the town librarian. He told her story with Shakespear and how much she and all those who came to the library miss Shakespear. Was it OK for her to come by to meet Queenie and her pups?

“Of course,” said Charlie. “Did you find the book you were looking for?”

“I forgot all about it while talking to her. I’ll ask her if she could bring one by when she comes.”

And so it was set. Charlie was eager to meet Ms. Farley and Max was interested in seeing Flo again as well.

Chapter 9

Belly Rubs

When Ms. Farley arrived at the gate Ziggy and Waddle were ready. To Snooze, this was an opportunity to play “chase” with Ziggy and Waddle. This gave Ms. Farley … Flo the opportunity to make it to the porch in safety.

“Good morning Flo,” said Max. “Sorry for the chaotic welcome. Charlie, this is Ms. Farley our librarian.”

“Nice to meet you ma’am,” said Charlie.

Ms. Farley was no stranger to dogs and brought along some treats so Charlie made that now famous call.

“Treats”

Queenie stood up from her perch on the porch while Who, Snooze and Missy came running. Ms. Farley was soon to be their new best friend. Charlie introduced Ms. Farley to Queenie. She accepted her treat calmly with some authority, checking out this new stranger.

“Hello Queenie,” said Ms. Farley. “You have such beautiful babies.”

With that comment the two of them met eye to eye in agreement. Missy sat next to Queenie and enjoyed her treat on best behavior. Who accepted her treat with some consideration. Snooze on the other hand immediately wedged himself in between Missy and Ms. Farley and rolled over for a belly rub.

“Well Mr. Snooze,” said Ms. Farley “You know a good thing when you see one. You remind me of another friend I had, Shakespear.”

Snooze scored both his treat and a belly rub much to his contentment. For the next hour they all got to know one another and Snooze refused to move, belly up at Ms. Farley’s side. Charlie had little to say as he observed the love fest going on. Ms. Farley talked to each puppy. Max just smiled. He was happy to see his new acquaintance. He then invited Flo and Charlie into the kitchen for coffee and oatmeal cookies he had carefully arranged neatly on a plate for the occasion. Flo smiled with approval.

“Charlie, I have heard just a part of the story about how you found Queenie and her newborn babies. Can you tell me more?”

Charlie had only told the story to his friends at school and was excited that Ms. Farley was interested. Charlie told her about the broken down trailer and how Queenie and her pups were huddled amongst all the trash in the trailer. He told her about his peanut butter sandwich and the first time Queenie allowed him to hold her puppies. Ms. Farley was fascinated and Max just smiled. An hour had passed when Ms. Farley said to Charlie,

“With your permission … and Queenie’s of course, can Snooze come to live with me and help me at the library? So many of the children who come to story hour would love to listen with Snooze and I’m sure Snooze will get all the belly rubs he could ever wish for. Also, would you like to come to the library at a story hour and share how you found Queenie and her pups?”

“Yes ma’am,” Charlie exclaimed. “And I can come and see Snooze any time I want. That’s great.”

Everyone agreed and so it was that Snooze had a new home and a new job at the library. Queenie sat contentedly on the porch that crisp winter’s day. Snooze, Licker and Rocky had new homes. Now what about Who and Missy.

Chapter 10

Search And Rescue

The Reliance Volunteer Fire Department often referred to as the RVFD, participates in the annual countywide fire safety awareness campaign held in the Spring, set each year for the first weekend in May. On display are companies selling products like smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and other fire related items. The most popular events are those where local fire volunteers competed in challenges like ladder climbing, water bucket relays and the Muster.

The Muster is where local fire departments, the county sheriff’s department and first responders bring out their fire trucks and road equipment for public display and demonstrations. Part of the Muster is a search and rescue (SAR) demonstration. A competition where a dog and its handler would compete to see which team can find and rescue a victim in the shortest period of time. An elaborate obstacle course is set up and one by one, each volunteer and their dog are timed.

In Mr. McFall’s 11^th grade class, Mr. McFall was also the faculty sponsor for the high school’s Volunteer Fire and Rescue Club. VFRC is printed on their club t-shirts. The only club requirement is that members had to be in the 11^th or 12^th grade for size related reasons. Both boys and girls are members. Their meetings are held after school at the RVFD Station #2 in town. Of the ten members this year, six are focused on first aid. Three, Howie and his dog Sarge and the twins Ty and Benji with their dogs April and Archie, are training their pups for search and rescue. The club’s newest member, Julia Martin, was a new student in 11th grade. She very much wanted to join the dog SAR training but she didn’t have a dog. That is until she overheard Charlie talking in the hall to Sarah about Licker. Julia didn’t know Charlie in the 5^th grade. Those classes were pretty separate. However, she decided to say “Hey” to Charlie to see if he was interested in telling her about his puppies.

“Hi Charlie. I’m Julia and new here in school. I’ve heard that you have some puppies. Can we talk about them sometime?”

“Sure,” said Charlie, wondering why an upper classman was interested.

Julia was a lot older than he was and he didn’t have older friends. But why not. So they met after school before the bus pick up. Charlie barely got the story out before the bus came.

“Let’s talk tomorrow, OK?” said Julia.

Charlie agreed and jumped on the bus. Sarah had already saved him a seat and she was very interested in who the girl was Charlie was talking to.

That night over supper Charlie told Max about his day and about this new girl, Julie, who was a lot older and wanted to know about Queenie and her pups. With only Queenie, Who and Missy around, it was getting quieter on the farm. Even so, the pups were both on a growth spurt and getting much more active.

Julia had a plan. The next day at school, wearing her VFRC t-shirt, she invited Charlie to attend Saturday’s VFRC meeting in town at the fire station. There, the volunteer battalion Chief, Mrs. Knutson, was giving a training demonstration with her dog Faith. Charlie couldn’t believe his luck. That night Max agreed to dropping him off on Saturday. To Charlie’s surprise, Max suggested Charlie take Who and Missy along to the meeting. No one was more surprised than Julia when Charlie walked in the door with two pups on leashes. Max and Charlie too had a plan.

Mrs. Knutson the trainer was, intrigued by these two new canine visitors and also had a hunch what everybody was up to.

“There are fundamental requirements for a dog to become a search and rescue dog,” said Mrs. Knudson. “A dog for this job must have good physical and mental traits and learns fast. They must be confident, stable and outgoing to strangers in stressful environments. And there are two main tasks they must master, air scenting and rubble navigation.”

After the presentation the kids all began to collect around Who and Missy. Mrs. Knutson brought Faith over so see how the puppies interacted. Faith sat at command attention while Who wiggled, eager to meet Faith. Missy was friendly and a little calmer around all the attention. Mrs. Knutson made notes.

When the meeting was over Charlie was excited. Would Julia possibly want one of his puppies?

“Yes,” replied Julia.

And so it was. The next day, Sunday, Julia and her dad came by the farm. Julia took to both Queenie, Missy and Who immediately. Who just bounced around excited about the visitors. As before, Queenie carefully sniffed Julia and watched her hug and kiss Missy. Missy gave lots of licks in return. As before, Max invited Julia and her dad into the house for coffee and oatmeal cookies. The deal was sealed with Queenies approval and Julia took Missy home with her. It only took Missy a few days to adjust to her new home and followed Julia everywhere. And Julia had her dog to begin training together for search and rescue. As it turned out Missy was perfect for the job.

Chapter 11

Curl Up and Dye

Cheryl Lockart, “Cher” for short, has opened her beauty business, “Cher Lock’s Home Beauty Emporium,” every Monday through Saturday for the last fifteen years. She named her business as a result of the book club at the library where she was a founding member. Cher converted her front living room into her salon with two wash basins, three drying hoods and her cutting chair. Inside the front door was a sofa for her clients to wait their turn and just catch up on everyone else’s business, In the far corner her friend Ileen had her own nail tech business named “Fingers and Toes”. This was a one-stop beauty shop for the gals of Reliance. Her client’s ages ranged from fifty to a hundred. On any given day they could get the full treatment from top to toes.

Of the many services Cher offered, she had the reputation of having the largest selection of women’s magazines available offering timely tips on fashion, beauty, health, relationships, dating advice and lifestyle. While under the hood there is also a selection of recordings to listen to discussing topics by leading therapists with titles from ‘Why He Doesn’t Listen’, to ‘How To Organize Your Purse’.

On this given day, Flo Farley was in for her annual curl up and dye. With the New Year approaching it was time for a color change. While waiting, Flo was talking about her new puppy, Snooze, whom she just got from Max Owen, the recent widower, and a person of interest to all present. She casually mentioned that Max had one puppy left if anyone was interested. That would explain why Max got eight calls the next day from women very interested in dogs. The first to call was from Cher and it was arranged for the coming Sunday, two days before the New Year, Ms. Lockhart would come by the farm to meet Who.

Charlie knew the day would come when all of Queenies babies would leave the farm. Who was the last one and Charlie started missing them all. Rocky, Licker, Snooze, Missy and Who had filled a deep hole in his heart and lifted a cloud that had covered the farm. Max began feeling the same way but quietly kept it to himself. Would the farm ever be the same?

Before Ms. Lockhart arrived around eleven thirty, Charlie lured Ziggy and Waddle into the barn with breakfast scraps and closed the barn door to spare Ms. Lockhart having to run for it. It was a good move as Ms. Lockhart, having arrived from church, was wearing a bright blue dress, and matching print jacket and shoes not designed for running. Max noticed her hair was perfectly in place and Charlie had never noticed finger nails so clean and brightly painted. It was a vision the two bachelors were not used to seeing on the farm. Ms. Lockhart introduced herself insisting they call her Cher. She told them she had heard from Flo Farley that one puppy remained and how much she had wanted a dog. They all went inside for coffee and oatmeal cookies. By now Queenie knew this routine and politely accepted Cher’s attention but watched carefully how she treated Who.

Who took to Cher’s attention without hesitation and was very pleased at the Milk Bone she pulled from her basket along with a cheddar cheese casserole. That peaked Charlie’s appetite and Max got a little nervous. That passed quickly as Cher took a genuine interest in Who stroking her black fur.

“Charlie, how did Who get such an unusual name?” she asked. When she said Who’s name it sounded so gentle and came out in two syllables. “Who – ooo.” Charlie explained that as they counted the pups one day, one was missing. “Who is missing?” he asked. At that moment she appeared. And so her name stuck. Who.

It was getting well past lunch time and Max suggested that they break into the casserole. Cher was very pleased and insisted she serve. And so the afternoon progressed and with everyone’s enthusiastic consent, Who had a new home.

As Cher pulled away up the lane with Who in the front seat, Max and Charlie looked at each other as tears swelled in their eyes. It was a sweet sadness as they sat down beside Queenie sitting in her spot she had claimed on the front porch that first day on the farm. Queenie and her pups were the glue that bonded Max and Charlie and turned the farm in to a joyous ruckus. Now it was just the three of them.

Chapter 12

Just Enough

Reliance has a population of nearly three thousand people according to the last census. This requires creative approaches for their K-12 school, home of the Reliance Rebels, to turn nearly enough students into just enough students for the annual senior class play. Just enough trumpets to march in the Fourth of July parade. And just enough players for a football team with just enough cheerleaders to keep the fans interested when there weren’t nearly enough people to fill the bleachers on a Friday night. Yet somehow the Reliance Rebels made it just enough.

As regards extracurricular activities, competition was high to get enough students. Ms. Larson’s theatre club mustered just enough dancers for the Elvis Dance Review she was planning for this year’s A Class Play. At the same time Coach Pritchard mustered just enough boys for a football team. Ms. Larson and Coach Pritchard each were concerned that the other activity risked a sprained ankle ending both activities. For some reason a game and the play were scheduled for the same weekend.

However, there was one activity in which there were more than enough participants. It was the annual kindergarten through twelfth grade Spring Pet Parade and Talent Show. Every year at the first faculty meeting a vote is taken to determine who the judges would be that year. Usually they had five but this year only four volunteered. With great fanfare in the school paper, the Rebel Rouser, the judges names were released.

There are three categories the judges rule on: Best Costume, Best Trick and Comes When Called. In addition, there is one hard and fast rule for all contestants, the pet MUST be potty trained. Easy for some. Harder for the mice and gerbils who got a pass. The judges score from one to ten in each category for each pet. One being the lowest score and ten being the highest score. Adding up the scores for each pet revealed the winners. Gold, Silver and Most Improved for the pet that had the lowest score. The judges all agreed that this competition should also reflect a school’s curriculum goal that supports self-esteem.

The roster of contestants this year included Ms. Oliver’s kindergarten class. All eight students had entries. Pearl’s cat Kiki, wore a red ribbon with a bow that drooped to one side. Percilla, everyone called her Prissy, dressed her cat Desdemona with a pink ribbon that drooped to the other side. Jimmy’s beagle Sam, short for her registered American Kennel Association name Samosetsu, wore a stylish red bandanna. Micah’s gerbil Bell, wore a hat that kept falling off. Sally’s gerbil Sugar, hid in the corner of her cage the entire time and Harney’s gerbil Jingles, had an American flag tied to his cage including a sign “Gerbils are people too”. Billy named his mouse Whitie on account it was white and finally, Madeline’s parakeet Chirp did just that all the time.

In Mr. Wilson’s combined first and second grade class, five of the eleven students brought pets. Billy Schwartz in first grade and his sister Bernice in second grade shared their cat Whiskers. Billy had a mouse but Whiskers eliminated that competition the day before the parade. Mathew had a green gecko named Lucky that he won at the state fair last year and was lucky that Lucky was still alive. Oliver’s snake Slither stuck out its tongue and that’s about it for tricks. And last was Felix who brought his ant farm. No names were given.

Ms. Anderson’s third grade class included Ralphie Fergus’ racoon Ralph named after himself. Ralphie had raised Ralph since he was a cub. Ralph could hold a chicken bone with both paws while eating. Wanda brought her rabbit named Wiggle Nose, cause that’s what rabbits do. Alex brought his turtle Slow that he also won at last year’s county fair. Slow came with a happy face painted on its shell. Timmy Stockhausen, the butcher’s son, brought Queenie’s pup, Rocky who wore a rawhide collar with a bone shaped tag that said “Rocky”. Playing ‘tug-a-puppy’ was Rocky’s trick.

Mrs. Gilleshammer taught the combined fourth and fifth grade classes. Her husband Gill owned the pet shop “Gilleshammer Pets To Go” which accounted for so many gerbils each year. Fourth grader Bobby Dietz entered his goat Gerty, for the second time. Gerty had a costume but she ate it on the way to school. Finishing the fourth grade was Susie’s duck Quackers, who got its name cause it sounded like crackers, its favorite food. In the fifth grade Sarah brought Queenie’s pup, Lil Licker, all decked out in a pink scarf and Tulle tutu, Sarah was the fifth grade fashionista. Lil Licker had learned to sit, stay and lick.

As the age of the contestants got older some pets got bigger. By coincidence all of Mr. Abernathy’s sixth grade class were also in 4-H. The girls Charleen and Megan were in the 4-H home economics section learning practical life skills. To their disappointment there wasn’t a category for jams and jellies in the competition. So together they entered Megan’s gold fish that they named Floater on the day of the competition. Phillip Griesemer’s pig Charlotte, who won a red ribbon in last year’s county fair in the lightweight Berkshire division, got a reprieve to oink another year. Charlotte weighed in at 85 pounds. Phil would ask Charlotte a question and Charlotte would oink the answer … which Phil interpreted. The judges were nervous about the potty trained rule.

The only upperclassman in the competition this year was Julia Martin in the eleventh grade. As a member of the S&R club at school she brought Queenie’s pup Missy. Missy is currently in early training to become a search and rescue dog. Socialization, the first step. Missy’s new skills included sit, stay and heal … most of the time.

Chapter 13

The Parade

The day of the parade was filled with anticipation. As the parents dropped off their children with pets they were directed to park and go straight to the gym. The kindergarten through third grade contestants assembled in the girl’s locker room and the fourth through twelfth graders assembled in the boy’s locker room. All the other schoolers went to their home rooms and waited for the bell to assemble in the gym. The excitement was palpable.

The bell rang and the students all walked fast (don’t run) to the gym to get a good seat amongst the parents and teachers. Members of the Rebel Rouser club got front row seats to cover the event for the school paper. Mr. Shephard the principal made an announcement welcoming all the parents and cautioned the audience to not applaud until after the contestant made their presentation. The judges were ready, score sheets in hand.

The door to the locker rooms opened and Ms. Olivers kindergarten contestants led the parade into the gym followed by Mr. Wilson’s first and second grade, Ms. Anderson’s third grade, Mrs. Gilleshammer’s fourth and fifth grade, Mr. Abernathy’s sixth grade and finally the only eleventh grader, representing the Search & Rescue Club. All loosely lined up according the size of the pet.

The parade circled the gym twice before each contestant sat against the far wall to await their turn.

Pearl skillfully demonstrated that her cat Kiki could bat a catnip ball with her right paw.

Prissy followed by showing how her cat Desdemona could bat a catnip ball with her left paw.

Jimmy’s beagle Sam bayed in a long mournful howl as Jimmy played the Battle Hym of the Republic on his harmonica.

Micah’s gerbil Bell could ring a bell on a string to get fed.

Sally’s gerbil Sugar could nudge a lever to release water into a dish but Sally forgot to bring the water.

Harney’s gerbil Jingles would use the treadmill in his cage while Harney recited the Pledge of Allegiance waving the sign ‘Gerbils Are People Too’.

Billy’s mouse Whitie would sit on Billy’s finger.

Madeline’s parakeet Chirp would sit on anyone’s finger and chirp all the time.

Billy and Bernice’s cat Whiskers, crouched digging her claws into Bernice’s arm while eyeing the gerbils.

Mathew’s gecko Lucky wore a tiny gold chain around its neck with a small pin at the other end pinned to Mathew’s shirt. Lucky pumped up and down as if getting ready to bail out.

Oliver’s snake Slither stuck out its tongue a lot, interested in Billy’s mouse Whitie.

Felix showed how to feed an ant in his ant farm. He had the audience squinting.

Ralphie’s racoon Ralph took off when Ralphie took him out of the cage. After the hysteria subsided it would take the janitor three days to locate Ralph in the rafters above the girls locker room. The show must go on.

Wanda’s rabbit Wiggle Nose ate a carrot stick out of Wanda’s hand.

Alex’s turtle Slow receded into his shell when Alex showed off the happy face on his back.

Sitting next to Susie, Bobby’s goat Gerty kept trying to eat Susie’s hair alarming Susie and her duck Quackers. Mrs. Gilleshammer had to intervene.

Susie, close to tears, just held Quackers tight. No tricks.

Charleen and Megan’s gold fish Floater turned out true to its name floating quietly to the top of the fish bowl. A casualty of the competition.

Phil’s pig Charlotte proudly wore the red ribbon she won at last year’s county fair. Standing in her “show posture,” Charlotte would talk to Phil in loud squeals when Phil asked her a question which he would then interpret to the audience. That was a big hit.

Timmy showed the audience how Rocky could play ‘tug-a-puppy’. A trick learned while growing up on Max’s farm. And that’s where things got out of hand.

Sarah’s dog Licker jumped out of her lap and joined the tug. When Missy saw her mates, she vaulted from Julia’s lap and joined the tug. With three on the tug the crowd began to applaud as Licker, Rocky and Missy cavorted up and down the court tugging. Timmy, Sarah and Julia just laughed and pointed, cheering for their pup. Unfortunately all the chaos caused Quackers to panic and escape Susie’s grip. Quacking down the court Quackers knocked over Felix’s ant farm which burst open sending his ants off in all directions looking for the school cafeteria.

And so the annual pet parade and talent show would go down in Reliance history as a success. When things are slow in a small community there is room for surprises. The headline in the next edition of the Rebel Rouser read:

“Principal Shepard Takes Early Retirement After Pet Parade and Talent Show.”

Chapter 14

Whistle

As winter set in and the puppies in their new homes, the farm routine began to settle. Sunshine regained her thrown in the barn. Ziggy and Waddles returned to their guard post and Queenie settled into her spot in the kitchen near the fireplace. Max and Charlie returned to their routine and kitchen duties. They always enjoyed visits from Cher Lockhart and Who. Charlie and Who would play tug-a-puppy while Max enjoyed Cher’s company … and her cheese casseroles.

It wasn’t long that Crocuses began to pop up through the snow as spring began to show itself. With spring ,school activities began to come out of hibernation for winter weary students. On this new spring day riding the bus home, Charlie noticed how Mr. Fergus the bus driver, always had a gentle smile on his face. He whistled as he drove to and from school. Most of the time he whistled low and soft to himself. But sometimes he’d whistle real loud to get attention and say “Now settle down back there.” But it was always a friendly whistle.

Charlie thought to himself how whistling was a friendly sound. Charlie tried to whistle mad once and he couldn’t do it. Charlie learned real quick that if he wanted to get Queenie’s attention he would whistle. It was sort of like Queenie and he spoke their own language because one whistle would mean one thing and then he’d make another whistle and Queenie would do something different. Now Queenie couldn’t whistle back, only bark, but she would bark the same to a certain whistle. And so on their walks through the forest behind the farm that spring they’d whistle and bark back and forth.

One day on the school bus Mr. Fergus was whistling a real pretty song low and to himself. Charlie asked him if he could whistle that song louder so everyone could hear and so he did. In no time all the chatter on the buss settled down and they all listened to Mr. Fergus whistle. You could tell he liked whistling for us because he smiled even more. As Charlie got off the bus he asked:

“Mr. Fergus, what’s the name of that whistle song? Maybe I can learn it.”

Mr. Fergus replied “Charlie, it’s an old n**** spiritual. ”Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”.

By the time Charlie stepped off the bus and got to the gate his eyes swelled with tears because that is how he felt sometimes he missed his mama so much. Then Charlie whistled for Queenie who came bounding up and he felt a lot better. After that day on the school bus he’d ask Mr. Fergus to whistle another song so he could remember it and whistle it to Queenie. That’s how Charlie got to know a lot of Mr. Fergus’ songs. “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore”, “My Lord” and “Oh What a Mornin’”. When Charlis whistled these songs around the farm all the critters seemed to quiet down and listen.

The Last Chapter

Walks with Max and Queenie

It’s six o-clock in the morning. The old house is still as Max and Queenie begin to stir. Quiet is the laundry room where the puppies grew up. Quiet is Charlie’s room as he is off to college. Quiet is the barn where Ziggy, Waddles, Sunshine and the chickens once chattered. Max opens his eyes as he slowly rolled his 77 year old bones out of bed. It is a crisp fall morning. That time of year when life seems to be holding its breath in anticipation of the long winter sleep ahead. As Max pulls on his boots, Queenie is already at the door where Max’s walking stick, hat and coat have always hung.

“Is it time for our morning walk?” Max teases Queenie.

“What’s taking you so long?” as Queenie scratches at the door. The same question she asks Max every morning at six o-clock.

Ode to Max and Queenie

My stride is slower these days as I navigate each step more carefully.

My eyes are graying as is my coat. Some things I smell I cannot see.

We manage our walks each day together at our own pace.

Habit takes us by the places we’ve passed many times before.

I carry no leash on our walks.

I wear no collar anymore. Every tree and bush I know smells the same yet different.

Beyond the site of those still in bed we each find a placed to pee. Such are the quiet joys on our walks together each morning at six-o-clock

“And They lived in peace, died in Greece and were buried in an eggshell”. Goodnight.

Epilogue

Rocky

Rocky became the butcher shop’s Goodwill Ambassador. His job was to make sure the water dish outside the shop was always full. Rocky also established the tradition that when a customer brought their dog by, a fresh bone was given to their canine companion as an enhancement to come back soon. At last, Rocky didn’t have to worry if other pups got a better bone than him. He had all the bones I could dream of.

Licker

Licker made it on the front cover of Sarah’s family Christmas letter sent to all their friends each year. Licker, outfitted in the most current fashions befitting the holiday season and matching with Sarah’s holiday dress and Mary Jane shoes.

Snooze

Snooze spent the following years at the library every day with Ms. Farley spending most of his time in the Children’s Section snoozing during story hour and welcoming any child who wanted to give him belly rub. There were also many weekends when he and Flo visited Max, Charlie and Queenie at the farm.

Missy

When Julia graduated from high school the following year she and Missy went into the Park Service training program. Julia became a Park Ranger and when needed, she and Missy worked together in search and rescue at the Adirondack Wild Life Reserve not far from Max’s farm. Over the following years Missy and Julia made frequent visits to the farm to see Charlie, Max and Queenie. Charlie was about to graduate and go to college. Max and Queenie, well, they took their regular walks every morning.

Who

Who fit right into the salon. All of Cher’s clients fawned over her much to Who … ooo’s delight. Who learned all the smells of the salon and greeted all the women that made up this female haven with eager tail wagging while sniffing each purse for the telltale whiff of a Milk Bone biscuit.

Acknowledgements

I’ve learned so much from these amazing pups.

In grade school Sam was my Beagle pup. She was a bit portly with a sweet disposition. Sam had an amazing nose and baying howl to match. While she never caught a rabbit she could follow its scent relentlessly rather than look up to see it next to her. From Sam I learned determination.

In high school Heidi was my Dalmatian companion. When I came downstairs for breakfast she wouldn’t stop wagging her tail with such enthusiasm as it hit against the table leg. She would whimper but not stop until I gave her a hug. From Heidi I learned that love conquers pain.

 In college I had three roommates in a house off campus. One day Nate showed up. A lifelong college dog whose previous owner just graduated. Nat fit right in with our man den. Nate was also a chic magnet. Girls would come over mostly to see Nate. From Nate I learned how to play ‘chase the broom’ providing relief from the pressure during finals. Nat taught me to be playful.

With two young boys of my own it was time for the family to have a dog. We chose April a Springer Spaniel. She was the quietest pup in the litter. Upon getting her home we discover she had a fever from setting on a foxtail that lodged in her bottom. Ouch. The vet fixed that and within days she was back and true to her lineage springing every day. From April I learned resilience.

Time pasted as time does when I moved to Santa Fe to retire. Retire from what I’m still not sure. It is here that I met my first Dachshund. Actually three. Harry, Paco and Augie. They came as a condition to date my later to be wife. Dachshunds are a cult of their own. A vortex I learned one can not escape from. Today we live with Phoebe, our miniature long-hair black and tan and Eva our miniature long-hair chocolate girl. Phoebe sits on my face until she gets what she wants and Eva talks as she contemplates everything. “In or out” maybe. “Want a bone” sometimes and “Rub your tummy”, always. From Harry, Paco, Augie, Phoebe and Eva I learned everything else. Including how to nap.

Throughout my life it is from all of these dear dogs that I also learned unconditional love.

* * * * THE END * * * *
Copyright Harland Soper 2026

Image Courtesy: Andrew Spencer from Unsplash.com