Seeing the pictre of Janis with the blissful expression while she is holding her new puppy made me think back to a favorite dog of mine.

My father besides being a full time farmer did breed and sell Redbone coon dogs. Even in the 30's when there was very little money someone always seemed to come up with enough to buy a coon dog.

He was quite careful in keeping the ones with the right coloring and size and would give the culls away when they were weaned, but, in one litter there was an oversize male that was at least 1 and a half time as large as the others. Sis and I were enthralled at the new pup, he was so different than the others in size. Dad said "we'll have to get rid of him, he's too big." Sis and I pleaded with him to give us the dog and he relented as we knew he would.

The dog soon established himself as the Boss, alpha male, I suppose so logically he was called Boss.

For some reason Boss and I bonded more than I ever had with any other dog, I suppose because I was always wrestling and otherwise playing with him but when I walked to school in the morning, Boss would walk with me to the end of our 1/4 mile lane then woiuld lay down by the culvert and be there when I walked home in the afternoon. This went on all through high school.

When I went into the navy in 43 I would get letters from my stepmother saying tha Boss was waiting for me at the end of the lane. He would come to the barn to be fed and then go back to his vigil.

When I came home on my first 10 day leave from boot camp I caught the train into the very small town we lived near. There was no point in trying to get ahold of anyone at the place so I just walked home, only about a mile.

As I came up over the rise just south of our lane I could see Boss sitting by the road. When he spotted me he just stared, I guess just trying to be sure who it really was and then he let out a cry unlike any I ever heard a dog make and completely knocked me down with his rush. I was almost drowned with dog kisses when I got to my feet and was walking to the house he was rubbing against my leg every step of the way.

I was wearing whites and was filthy from being pushed down in the dirt road and was explaing to stepmother why I was so dirty when she said "let him in, he won't be any problem". I was amazed, none of our dogs ever came in the house. She was right though, he was no problem and just seemed content to be beside me.

The next time I got to come home was about 6 months later and the welcome was not quite as boistereous as the first, Boss was getting up in years.

When I came home the final time after the war was over the old guy had passed away but I have never forgotten the loyalty and complete friendship that he gave. Complete unquestioning love.