AUGUST 2018 PARKER COUNTY TODAY
106
Continued from page 4
were drifting asleep , Star would jump over to one of us and kiss us on the mouth , then she ’ d jump on the other side of the bed and kiss the other one on the mouth . We began to call her our drive-by smoocher .
Once she ’ d kissed one of us on the mouth , she ’ d run away with a smirk on her face , laughing at us .
Each night before bed , Star and Mutt would go to the kitchen and wait for me to give them each three dog treats that were like Cheetos but shaped like dogs . They ’ d sit up “ pretty ” and catch treats I ’ d toss them . They ’ d catch them in mid-air without so much as wobbling .
When Star was 8 months old , I received a call from the girl whose son had Buddy . Something terrible had happened .
A horse accidentally kicked Buddy and he ’ d died . Her son was distraught . She wanted to know if we would consider giving Star Bones to her son , to fill the void left by Buddy ’ s untimely demise .
It took a moment before I could say anything . We adored Star . Also , she bore no resemblance to Buddy . She didn ’ t look like him or act like him . I couldn ’ t see Star going on fishing trips . She hated getting her paws muddy . She didn ’ t like getting them dusty either , and horses , in general , simply annoyed her . She wasn ’ t an outdoor dog at all . She loved air conditioning . She insisted on sleeping on our bed and liked designer dog food and gourmet treats . I doubted that she would adjust well to ranch life — ever .
We talked about it and , finally , the face of the grief-stricken young boy that had lost his little friend swayed us . Star Bones was going to be a ranch dog .
The day I put her in a Pet Taxi and delivered her to her new family was depressing . She seemed to know exactly what was happening and whined like a fishwife the whole way . She yapped as I left her behind . I cried all the way home .
Her career as a ranch dog was brief — only a couple of weeks . She broke out of the outdoor kennel where she spent her week days , while members of her new family were at school and work . The family came home and found her kennel door open and the little caramel-colored dog had completely vanished .
The boy ’ s mother called me . My husband went out to the ranch and joined their family and friends in the search . There were people on horseback , on foot , on ATVs . Someone came out with a helicopter .
Steven caught a glimpse of Star , but when she saw the horses she ran . She was never an equine enthusiast .
All I could think of was how prevalent the coyotes were in the northwestern part of the county . I kept picturing them surrounding Star , then devouring her .
I couldn ’ t sleep . She was on the lam for eight days . Then , Saturday night came , it was dark and stormy . I kept worrying about how Star didn ’ t like storms and how she hated getting her paws wet . I managed to doze off a time or two . When I did , I was tormented by nightmares of Star being chased by coyotes .
Steven woke me at 4:00 in the morning ; he was getting dressed . “ I can ’ t sleep ,” he said . “ I ’ m going to go find Star .”
“ I ’ m going with you ,” I said . I was already wiggling into my jeans .
It was so dark and it was pouring rain . We had the radio tuned to a Dixieland Jazz station as our eyes combed the pastures in hopes of seeing a pair of luminous , kohlrimmed eyes . I pointed out that Star hated Jazz . He switched the music off . The thunder and lightning had stopped and the torrential downpour slowed to a gentle rain . We rolled down the windows to let in the sweet smell of the rain-washed breeze , wild sage and pecan leaves . That ’ s when I heard it — Star ’ s distinctively nagging yap . He stopped the car and she jumped in the window . Her paws were muddy and she was soaked to the skin . I wrapped her in the beach towel I ’ d brought along . I cried , he cried . Star nagged . We headed home . She complained all the way home . Even Mutt was glad to see her . We all slept like babies that morning .
Star stayed with us . We all agreed that she was the worst ranch dog ever . She and Mutt read the newspaper with us every morning while we drank coffee . If I got up from the table for something , and if Steven wasn ’ t watching carefully , Star would steal my coffee .
She lived a double life , we discovered , totally by accident . We had a neighborhood watch block party . A very nice retired school teacher attended . She looked down at Star and said , “ There ’ s my little friend . She comes and sees me every day . She makes the rounds through the neighborhood . I wondered where she lived .”
We found that when we would leave in the morning , she would go out the dog door , weasel out the side gate and go and see people , and many of them would give her treats . When she heard my car driving down Lee Street she would run back and wiggle through the fence and be in the house in time to greet me . Stealth dog . We tried every way possible to keep her in the yard . I don ’ t know if we ever really succeeded .
Steven and a co-worker decided that we had accidentally stumbled upon the perfect designer dog . Jacko-Weenies were the dog wave of the future . Somehow they managed to find another Jack-o-Weenie , one that was male . When Star was about a year old , they arranged for him to come over for a “ play date .” I wasn ’ t sure we really wanted to do that . I had just landed a great but very demanding position as a magazine editor , and wrangling puppies was not exactly in my schedule .
“ We ’ ll see how it goes ,” Steven said . “ They may not even like each other .” Maybe . It wasn ’ t really love at first sight between Star and her guy friend . It was more a case of animal magnetism . Eight weeks later , Star gave birth to four puppies , three girls and a boy . We had made a maternity ward out of my home office but Star , being her own person , would recline in her bed until it was time to crank out puppies , then she knew exactly where she wanted to go . She gave birth under the deck in the backyard . Like the day when she was born , it was snowing and bitterly cold . She didn ’ t seem to mind . She seemed to be thrilled with her brood .
Her only son and one of her