Sunday, August 29, 2010

Ode To A Belated Labrador

I passed a handsome young black male Labrador Retriever on my way to work one morning this week who lay freshly dead from a mortal hit along Hwy. 18 between Lenoir and Morganton, NC.  He was a handsome critter.  I thought sadly to myself, "Surely he must belong to someone.  Hopefully he won't be there this afternoon on my way home."  But...he was.  Stiff in the afternoon sun he made a statement to me. The next morning, as I passed, the stiffness had gone from him.  I passed him once again. This time, however, I could not continue on down the road.  I turned back and returned to the place where he lay on the shoulder of the road near a deserted parking lot. 

I pulled in, put my flashers on and walked up to the the fellow.  He was well fed, but had no collar on.  He seemed to be intact so I bent down to move him off the shoulder of the road. My hands became soaked with dark, cold blood as I reached all the way around him. This did not horrify me in the least (although it might have any other time).  I walked to the car, found a bottled of water and some paper towels.  I rinsed the blood off my hands and dried them.  The smell of death could not be removed though - that was going to take something stronger. I found an old bath towel in the back of the car and took it back to the dog where I covered him up and tucked it in where I could so the wind coming off the large trucks passing by wouldn't blow it off.

When I got to work, I called the DOT to come pick him up. A nice gentleman answered the phone and listened as I told him the reason I'd stopped was because he'd reminded me of a dog I had recently lost. And, also, I said, "You know, children who pass by and see that sometimes get upset.  I know I used to."  "Yes mam," he said.  "I'll have someone go get him right now." "You'll find him under a blue bath towel" I replied. "You can't miss him"

Damn, it makes me mad to think someone hit that dog and didn't have the decency to do what should have been done.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Summer's End

Wilson's Creek in mid-June
Alas, summer's coming to a close.  It is as it should be I suppose. There are acorns on the oak tree outside my balcony ready and willing to rain on me.

The leaves on the dogwood have begun to turn red. This summer is but a lingering memory in my head. Rainy day winds are beginning to blow and the tea kettle's on the stove simmering low.

And so it's to bed I now will go with my cup o' tea and slip into dreams of would could be.