Sent: Monday, July 12, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: FW: Vignette 4
Original Message----‑
From: Arthur Sanford {mailto:arthalie@webtv.net]
Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2004 9:39 PM
Subject: Vignette 4
again back in the home on the farm days: Will never forget that day when Ed Wallick was at our place talking with dad and then turned to me to tell of their beautiful Collie having five rolly polly puppies, and when they are old enough to leave the mother I can come and get my pick of them. WOW my own dog. About 4 months later Ed said to come and get my puppy. So I walked over there -- across our and their pastures--(I was I think 8 years old) Met Ed and he took me to the barn where the mother and five puppies were and as we walked into the area, this rolly polly little fellow came running to me--I looked at Ed and said that is Rover.
so I picked him up and brought him home. We really grew up together, and it was plain Rover was my dog. But dad trained him to be a good cattle dog and then one day --well we had a potato patch in that five acre field next to the Wallick pasture. and since I wasn't yet big enough to do some things I got the job of hoeing that potato patch –the cultivator could cut down the weeds between rows, but between plants it took a hoe. Rover usually went with me but one day dad had some cattle that needed to be moved so needed Rover. Well, I was big so I could do it. Now the fence between that potato patch and the neighbors pasture was not very good shape BUT whose job was it to fix it?. Dad said Ed should as it was his pasture and Ed said dad should since it was his potato patch--hence it never got fixed until... Dad sharpened the hoe, and then gave me the file so if I hit a stone I could resharpen the hoe.
All was well, I was whistling --wow dad thought I was big enough to do this VERY important job. Suddenly I heard a noise from that fence –and Looking up there was that big bull coming toward me--I knew it was a mean one and I was scared. Too scared to try to run. anyway could never out run that bull. wow, then lo, Rover went past me on the run, growling
and his hair standing up on his shoulders--they met and Rover with his big mouth grabbed the bull by the nose and turned its head and over the bull went onto its back. Well, when the bull got back on his feet there was Rover standing between it and me and the fiercest look on his face and snarling--wow, that bull turned and ran with Rover making him run faster back through that fence and away I was so scared I just dropped to the ground and sat there --Rover came trotting back to me looking as if he were saying," I just got here at the right time didn't I". For some
p 2
reason he had suddenly left dad and came on the run to where i was. WHY? All I can say today is that He Whose eye is on the sparrow was that day watching out for me" BUT that isn't the end of the story:: got home for dinner and told mom what happened and she without a word picked up a plate, went to the table where the food was all ready and filled that
plate with the best of everything, opened the door and called Rover and set the plate down for him to eat. One of the girls said. "Mama, you never let a dog in the house much less let him eat on a plate" but Mom just answered "today Rover deserved it" Then as we were eating mom did something she never did--mom was head of inside the house but outside dad was head. But that day Mom looked at him with no uncertain meaning and said" Joe, this after noon you go back there and fix that fence" and dad did. I love rethinking these little vignettes of my life.... next time God can work wonders on cars the elderly one--Me Art
7/12/2004