June 21st

Supposed to be the first day of summer, I hope the weather gods understand that means sun and warmth!
23C but sun hitting thermometer, sunny. So far so good!
I guess I won't be bowling today, all that golfing did something to my back and one hip. Might have to go see a chiropractor.
I see there has been at least one hatch of sparrows, the babies fly in little flocks and follow the parents begging for food. I put out some food in the new feeder but so far no one is visiting it. I'll try mixing the food up a bit.

Now for some more of Uncle Jerry.

all the rest of Irvine’s Landing was mine.

  There was one dog though that I have to say I hated. I think they called his breed a Rat Terrier. It suited him. The first time I encountered him, it was boat day and I was just wandering about greeting people and inspecting any cargo that was unloaded. All of a sudden he came from nowhere! He jumped on my back and started biting and chewing me! He knocked me off balance and I went down but as I did I remembered one of Tippy’s tricks when we were play fighting. I rolled on my back and got my hind feet up and started working them like I was running; I scratched his stomach up pretty good, let me tell you. Some people pulled us a part and John came running and took me home. I had a few bites here and there but nothing serious.

  That terrier and I must have had at least six encounters over the next two or three years, he only showed up on boat days, not every boat day but maybe once a month. One day, it was the last time, we went at it again, Senior was there and he said, “Let them go, they have to finish this feud.”

 Well we chewed snarled, bit and scratched and I have to admit we were pretty well matched. He was faster than I was but I was smarter and I knew how to use my feet. Suddenly Senior and the Rat’s human grabbed us by the hind feet and threw us in the water. If they thought that would stop us, they got a surprise. We were both getting pretty tired, I was the better swimmer but my longer hair was weighing me down but we kept at it. Finally the two men came out in two small boats and pulled us a part. I would have been happy to keep fighting but decided that I would save it for another day. I think he must have decided that he didn’t want any more of me as he never came back for another boat day.

CHAPTER 8 

 

I

 think it was the following spring, when without warning we moved to another house only a short distance away. It was directly above where the other Billy lived and right beside the house where a bunch of John’s younger friends lived. This turned out to be pretty good as they didn’t have a dog and I often got little treats. The youngest ones were the best, as they would almost always share whatever they had.  

  That Christmas (oh yes I know about Christmas’s) John was given a gift that opened a new world for both of us. It was a gun. At first I didn’t know what one was but when Senior took us out to teach John how to use it I soon found out. At first I didn’t really like the noise but I got used to it and then one day when we were going out to practice I flushed a grouse up into a tree! John was quite excited but Senior told him to just aim carefully, take a breath and squeeze the trigger. Bang went the gun and the grouse plopped to the ground. Quick as a wink I lunged forward and grabbed it. I thought since I had chased it up it should be mine but that was not to be. Senior insisted that I bring the bird to them, at first I wasn’t going to but then a couple of feathers came off in my mouth and made me gag so I decided if they wanted the thing they could have it. Actually it all turned out pretty good, cause when I dropped it at their feet, they both told me how good I was and rewarded me with a nice back scratch. Later after we got home they shared some of the bird after it was cooked. From that day forward, every time that gun was brought out I would get a surge of excitement and would do a little hunting dance.