June 7th

11C - cloudy and showers forecast.
Scotch pairs this am. I have nothing to say about a team that totally collapsed and quit playing last night.
Bright side - M's team walked away with their game at Gordon Head.
Only one visitor yesterday but will add an installment of It's a Dog's Life.

I just wagged what was left of my tail and licked her once more.

  A little while later she put a suitcase by the front door and stuffed me into a wooden box like thing, it was better than the cardboard box she had used a few days before as I could easily see between the slats of wood. A few of the cookie things I had started to enjoy were dropped in beside me and shortly I was being loaded into a car.  This was a much better ride than that first one on the streetcar and in spite of being curious I soon dozed off. 

CHAPTER 2

A

 little later the car stopped and me and my box and the suitcase were lifted out and packed into a large building.  There were humans bustling about everywhere.

  My lady talked to a man behind a counter and then she leaned down to me and said, “Now you be good, I’ll try and get down to see you later today.”

  I really had no idea what she was talking about, so I just looked at her and then feeling an itch scratched my ear.  I was lifted up onto the counter and was whisked away and put on a platform of some kind. Beside my crate was a large crate somewhat like mine only much bigger.  There was a huge dog inside it, many times bigger than even my mother.

  A large noisy machine suddenly appeared and somehow lifted our platform and carried it and us outside. We were then deposited alongside a monstrous steel thing that I came to learn was a boat, or was it a ship, doesn’t matter it floated on water though.  A man came and hooked a steel rope to each corner of our platform, we were jerked up into the air, the platform swaying we rose higher and higher.  I would have been okay even though I was a bit scared, but when the big dog beside me started to howl and cry I joined in a bit – just to keep her company of course. We moved sideways through the air then as suddenly as we had risen we descended down into a deep dark hole!  Down and down then stopped abruptly with a small bump. Another machine appeared or was it the same one? It moved us over into a corner then left.  When my eyes adjusted I realized that there were some small lights burning so we weren’t entirely in the dark.

  It seemed like a long time later when there was a throbbing and a humming noise and it seemed like the boat moved or swayed.  It must have been hours later when I could hear my lady’s voice, she came over with a man and looked down into my crate; she knelt down and opening the top she reached in and petted and rubbed me for a few minutes.  She then passed me a few more of those cookies and placed a large bowl of milk in one corner.  I wasn’t really hungry and I kind of liked the petting so I just rolled about and enjoyed the moment.  All too soon she quit and fastened the top again and was gone.  I whined and yapped a bit; only because I wanted to be petted a little longer, when she didn’t come back I decided to have some of the milk.  Wouldn’t you know it - just as I got going that stupid boat gave a lurch and I stumbled and tipped the bowl, there were only a few licks left!

  Suddenly I was hungry!  I needed to eat!  I finished off the last cookie then walked around my crate, it didn’t take long.  Feeling the need to chew more I started gnawing on one of the wooden slats and as I chewed I noticed that it wiggled; it was loose!  I started pawing at it and found that when I pushed the space between it and it’s neighbor it got larger.  I pawed harder then I had an inspiration, I backed away and then lunged at it with my head!  I hit it hard and I bounced back and fell over, but when I sat up again the crack had opened noticeably.  I decided that I could probably squeeze through, my head went through with no problem so I pushed some more and got half way out.  My stomach got stuck, probably a result of my endeavors in the food chain; I pushed wiggled and squirmed and finally made it all the way through.  Now what?  I looked around and noticed for the first time that the only lights were close to the two crates, beyond it was dark and I could hear eerie noises.  I decided that I had proved my point and tried to get back in my crate; I couldn’t do it, the slat closed every time I tried to get past.  I won’t say I panicked but I attacked the crate I made fierce noises but nothing helped.  I sat down and looked about, I looked at the other crate.  The big dog was looking back; she made a little noise and then speaking without speaking she said, “Why don’t you come over here? I think you can squeeze through the crack in mine.”

  I cocked my head and looked her over, she was big! I wondered why she would invite me in.

  “C’mon, I won’t hurt you little one, you can curl up here beside me and stay warm.”

  ‘Hmm, not a bad idea’ I thought. ‘She is big but she looks friendly, I’ll just have a peek inside.’

  I had to stand on my hind legs to look over the bottom board, ‘yes I could probably do it.’ While I was thinking a wonderful scent entered my nose, I didn’t know what it was but it made my mouth water and my stomach gurgled.  No more hesitation I clawed and climbed my way up, over and through.  The source of the scent was a whitish object over beside the big dog.

  “There,” she said, “that wasn’t so hard, my name is Bernice, what’s yours?”

  “I, I don’t know,” I replied, “I don’t think I have one.  What is that smell what is that white thing?”

  “That’s a bone, you can chew on it if you like.  So no name, well I am sure you will have one soon.”

  I inched forward until I was at the bone; I gave it a tentative lick, oh was it good! Unable to restrain myself I fell on it and started chewing.