      Hi Ya-All, Just had to tell this true story for those of you who can find the time to read it.
      The other day, when Outlook Express was kaput and I had nothing better to do, Ruth and I found ourselves involved with a couple of strangers - dogs (real ones), that is.
      To begin at the beginning, Ruth happened to see a dog swimming in circles in the Banana River just off our dock. It appeared that the pooch was tiring and, not being able to surmount the sea wall, was about to drown. We proceeded to pull the apparently frantic animal from the drink. To do so required that we both lie face down at the seawall and lift the animal, who, by the way, appeared to be full-grown and more than anxious to cooperate in her rescue.
       While deciding how to help the dog, we noticed a black Labrador puppy just on the other side of our North fence. He was excited and apparently concerned about the welfare of the dog in the river. In fact he was so concerned that, in trying to get by our fence at the seawall to enter our yard, he too fell in the water!
       After extricating the larger dog from the river, we also helped the black pup get onto dry land. Both dogs were so happy that they wanted to play with us by scooting all over the yard. Ruth thought the pup might belong to neighbors a couple houses down the street. I walked to their house, followed by my two newly acquired friends. No one was home, so I returned.
       I had no sooner re-entered our back yard with the dogs in tow when the larger one (who appeared to also be a Labrador, but cream colored) ran to the seawall and jumped in! We were flabbergasted! Again, Ruth and I assumed the prone position and hauled out the silly animal. It is unbelievable, but I must add that our good friend proceeded to jump into the river TWO MORE TIMES! Each time, the awkward rescue operation was repeated.
       In was only after we finally found a rope and tied our good buddy to a tree that the continuous leaps into the drink were halted (She was wearing a collar, but had no license - the puppy didn't even have a collar).
       Understanding finally reared its comforting head: could it be that our Labrador friend was leaping into the drink because there were some pelicans and sea gulls cruising about? Of course! She was instinctively heading for her proverbial quarry! Each time she dived into the water, the birds flew away; this evidently triggered a "head for the sea wall and get out of here" urge in our furry friend.
       In the meanwhile our brilliant little black puppy had enough sense to remain ashore. He did, however, hover dangerously close to the edge of the seawall. The pup apparently was a very close acquaintence of the larger dog. We surmised that she could be his mother.
       Not wanting to keep our newly found buddy tied to a tree forever to keep him on dry land, we decided to call animal control. Since it was near 5 PM, we were told that it would be early morning before anyone could come by and pick up the dogs. We fed our two visitors with dry cat food and kept them in the back yard until the animal control experts showed up the next morning and hauled them away. By the way, both dogs gobbled up the cat food like there was no tomorrow.
       Other than the problem with the larger animal wishing to take a bath in the river, they turned out to be well behaved dogs. We were concerned that there might be some raucous barking going on overnight but they were very well behaved.
       Our cat, Fluffy, couldn't wait to enter the yard and try a cohabitation experiment but we convinced him that it just might be healthier for him if he stayed his distance!
       I am pleased to relate that our little story has a happy ending. Two days after the foregoing adventure had occured, my wife, Ruth, observed our two canine friends out for a walk with a lady who turned out to be their owner. She lives just a few blocks down the street.
bibi, Dick

      I think I have a very good idea how you feel about Derby, Carl.� Those little bundles of joy are so faithful, so forgiving, so trusting, so DECENT!� I haven't known any to hold a grudge or be involved in any kind of "payback time".....
      � That evaluation also applies to our feline friends - not so obviously, but true nevertheless.� R smiles when she sees me pick up Fluffy and hold him...� He is just so "pick-uppable"� :-)�� Of all the pets I have ever had, I consider him tops.� I have had many dogs also.� None were really troublesome and all gave me a lot of pleasure.� For what?� A pat on the head? A bite to eat? A smile?� A floor upon which to sleep?� A walk in the park?� A minuscule bit of attention?� Perhaps it is for all of these, but, for one thing I am sure,these furry innocents are Heaven sent for us sinful humans to cherish and enjoy.� They are sent to remind us that there IS something called kindness, compassion, and love in this world...
      � Did I get carried away?� Well, I DO feel this way and our little animal friends harden my stand as each day goes by!
73, Dickums

051510Z Aug 99

Dear Diary,

      I certainly buy your theory regarding the purchase of an El Dorado at this time.� It would do wonders for my ego!� I need a tremendous boost, you know...� Reminds me how I reacted when I bought the first halfway decent car I ever owned (a '36 Ford convertible - see photo and description below)..� Driving that thing 'round the neighborhood provided a significant boost to my popularity with the distaff side...� Of course, I was still stuck with my ordinary appearance, personality, etc...� However, those wheels did enhance my "man-about-town" image...� I especially enjoyed driving down Main Street on Saturday night with the top down.� Too bad I didn't have a super radio.� If they were available at the time, I suppose I would have had one - or at least had one on my wish list.
      � My favorite seat in that car was the rumble with a female friend for company.� The Madison Avenue influence had a lot to do with the auto designer's decision to make these rumble seats exceedingly narrow.
      � I would always try to find a buddy to do the driving.� In those days, not many teen agers had a license, so it wasn't all that easy to find a wheel guy near my age.
      � Since I am well into my second childhood now, I feel justified in getting a fancy heap to show off around the beach!� Just too bad they do not make rumble seats anymore!� R and I would have a ball in one of those!� :-)
73, Dick

P.S. Now, just picture this classic with yellow wheels, a light, cream colored rag-top, and a chrome spotlight!��I think I would prefer it over any model of the El Dorado!� Actually, I experienced more satisfaction while owning and driving that Ford convertible than I have had with any other....� It would do 70 mph easily, but, of course, this speed was not recommended for sustaining the hair style of those in the rumble seat! This auto was purchased in Philadelphia in December 1941 for about $300 (tenderly used, of course)..

17 March 2000

Dear Diary,

For animal lover's everywhere: Picture yourself weighing but a dozen or so pounds; arbitrarily carted off without your consent; handed over to formidable appearing strangers; delivered to a menacing recreational vehicle fitted out with all the trimmings for animal grooming; thrust into a restraining harness; shorn of your beloved furry locks; ears reamed out; anal glands significantly compressed; and nails clipped short. Further contemplate being thrust into a tub, vigorously bathed, towled, and blown dry by a noisy machine that could just as well be a meat grinder. Now we are describing a situation that could well be exceedingly traumatic.
       Don't kid yourself, animals are perfectly aware and do warily anticipate such monthly horror shows. When I handed Derby to Anita, her groomer, the dog literally shook. I do feel badly about it and would have gladly accompanied my pet to the R/V. However, since Anita's assistant was also in the vehicle, there was insufficient space for me.
       I try to minimize the seriousness of all this by reminding myself that similar experiences face all of us on occasion. For example, when, as children and as adults, we should keel over and 911 is called. My fervent hope is that Derby doesn't ever have to endure the probes, scopes, and scalpels I have faced in my time.
       All I do wish is that my favorite pet could verbally complain about all this without laying around all the following day sulking, staring into space, and otherwise being so sad, dejected, and forlorn!
bibi,
Anonymous

101754Z May 00

Dear Diary,

    Hi Ya-All. Here we have another true one: The temperature was pushing 90 at about 1125 hours on the 10th of May, 2000.. As is often the case, I was relaxing at the keyboard in my "PC Shack". From our kitchen window, my ever-alert and observant partner, Ruth, saw our favorite blue heron, Big Foot, flopping around on our dock. He had never been observed doing this before. Ruth then went to the patio (we really mean lanai) for a better look. What she saw was startling: it appeared that a snake had wound itself around Big Foot's neck and it seemed to be entirely possible that our dear heron could be meeting an agonizing and untimely end!   Ruth trotted in and advised me that I had better come outside and bring the digital camera with me.
    I grabbed the camera and scrambled to the back yard where I saw the strange situation which existed there. By this time, Big Foot had moved off the dock onto our lawn. Sure enough, he had a good sized snake wrapped around his neck and it appeared as if the snake was doing its best to choke our friend and send him to the heron happy hunting ground.
    Unacquainted as I am with the laws of the wild, I could nevertheless imagine that, since the heron was undoubtedly bent on eating the snake, the snake, in turn, figured that his best bet would be to do away with the heron!
    As I attempted to close the gap between the heron and myself, Big Foot became agitated and moved swiftly away. I then tried to set up the camera for a picture but it was too late. Our friend had decided he had better vacate the premises, snake and all!    He then flew about 200 yards West and landed in a grove of trees on a small island there. We have not seen him since.    Naturally, we wish him well and hope he will be back, sans snake, for another hot dog treat soon!
bibi,
Dick

P.S. This tale has a happy ending. On the following day, May 11th, Big Foot showed up at his usual mooching place - our backyard. He ate more than his share of hot dog chunks, so it is obvious that the snake managed to escape. If our feathered friend had eaten that huge reptile, I don't think he would be hungry for at least a week!

Major General IAM A. PIGEON

Dear Carlos,
    Interesting how you nursed the pigeon back to health. I am surprised that, out of sheer appreciation, he doesn't return for a visit now and then!
    Speaking of pigeons, did you know that you are now hearing from the Commanding Officer of the Pigeons at Fort Monmouth, NJ, circa 1950? Friends wanted me to appear on the "What's My Line?" TV show, which was popular at the time. Appearance on a TV show was not a priority with me then, so no action was taken to do so. I do doubt, however, if the panel of experts would have succeeded in guessing my occupation.
    Actually, this most unusual job was "in addition to my other duties" while I was assigned to the Training Division, Headquarters, The Signal School. The assignment included commanding the "Pigeon Detachment" of about 20 enlisted men and a Department of the Army civilian. The civilian involved was Otto Meyer. At that time, Otto was probably the most knowledgeable man alive regarding military pigeons in the U.S. In essence, as a Reserve Major, he was previously on active duty as Commander of the U.S. Army Pigeon Service. Note that I was involved to conform with existing regulations requiring that all units consisting of enlisted personnel have an assigned military Commanding Officer.
    At that time, we still had the one and only pigeon named "Kaiser" alive and with us. I was led to believe that Kaiser was the famous pigeon credited with saving the "Lost Battalion" during World War I. Recently, however, I have found that Kaiser was really a German pigeon captured by the Allies in 1918 during the battle of the Muesse. We were actually harboring a German POW! He was so old he could hardly sit, much less fly. Also old-age had resulted in a tremendous build-up of a calcium-like substance on his beak; he was not handsome as pigeons go, but impressive nonetheless!

A very interesting article by Otto Meyer, which has to do with the exploits of a pigeon named GI Joe, can be found by visiting this URL:
http://www.cedarvalley.virtualave.net/articles/wartimebirds/gijoe.htm
         New subject: Hopefully, there are no meddlesome cats in your neighborhood. There is one characteristic of cats I could do without: they will usually attack small birds, evidently just for the sport of it. I have seen them cripple a bird, then play with it until it succumbs. Suppose I shouldn't let this turn me against felines in general; they were evidently programmed by their Creator to do such seemingly weird and cruel things.

    The only other being I have ever seen our cat, Fluffy, go after is a squirrel. The squirrel evidently delights in teasing the pussy. This frisky fellow will scamper up a utility pole, just high enough so that Fluffy cannot reach, then screech and holler to be sure the cat will hear and react. Fluffy then tries climbing the pole but he hasn't a minuscule chance of catching up... The squirrel not only is a master at pole-climbing but, should the cat ever manage to make it to the top of the pole, Mr Squirrel will effortlessly scamper along a cable to the next pole, leaving Fluffy with the problem of slipping and sliding back to the ground.. Cats seem to be great climbing upwards, but a mess trying to "climb" back down.

Our Fluffy, above, pleads "Innocent"!

    Well, I broke down and ordered a fully automatic litter box on the web yesterday. I just do not like the idea of Fluffy spending so much time outside on his own any more.     He is so old, so weak, and yet so fearless that he would make an easy mark for a roaming dog or even a young tom cat, a raccoon, or a possum. With the auto litter box, we can try to make an indoor cat out of him without entailing dirty, unpleasant tasks. Then too, when Fluffy is recalled, we will probably get another cat and this one we plan on keeping indoors from the very beginning so it will be safer. Before Fluffy came along, we did have one cat killed while outside - had its rear leg chewed off by something - perhaps a raccoon or a possum. Wouldn't want it to happen to Fluff.
    The Litter Maid is automatic and supposed to be odorless. Know our cat is a bit old to teach how and when to use a litter box, but we will try. He appears to be quite intelligent, so it should not be an insurmountable problem to train him.
    Hey! I wonder if this "Commander of the Pigeons" business couldn't be included somewhere on my Web Page? Perhaps in the form of a copy of this email in the "Blazing Notes" section? :-)
bibi
Dick

P.S. Readers wishing to learn more about pigeons in the military should click here...