samsays

Dog Lovers

Often tourists travel with the Family Dog. At the Jack Slater's General Store along Oak Creek Grade Road south of Canon City Colorado is a parking lot which often has cars of visiting tourists.

My newly built mountain home was on the opposite side of a mountain near the General Store. The footpath over the mountain was occasionally used.

One evening about Sundown, sitting in my yard, watching the Stars beginning to appear, clear air at 8500 feet altitude, a pleasure to see the stars appear.

Glancing up the trail that comes from the top of the mountain saw what appeared to be a small black bear. Stopped watching for stars and watched the Cub take a couple steps closer and raise the head turning side to side.

The evergreen trees shaded the trail even in daytime and now with dusk being here, I watched for a mama bear to appear near her cub.

Not so, down the trail trotted the small animal which stopped and now was plain to see that it was a black Dog. None of my neighbors had a black dog. I called it to come and only a step or two and stood still and just looked and a slight whine came.

Plainly it was afraid and with my urging she came and let me pet her. A beautiful little dog which was thirsty and hungry. I suspect that she had came from the General Store where a tourist had mistakenly drove off without her.

At this time I was working to build a fence so could keep a dog. Small dogs are too vulnerable in the mountains without a protective fence around the home.

Next morning I took this young dog with me to the 7:00 AM coffee time at the General Store and no one had reported a lost dog. Jack Slater agreed to keep the dog there for a day or two, hoping the Family would come looking for her.

A lady from Westcliffe (15 miles South) stopped in and fell in love with the little black dog and Jack allowed her to take it.

Later after finishing a fence encircling a couple acres I did get a 6 month old Bird Dog which received the name BEAR. sam