It's the dog world that we enjoy
Published Wednesday, August 28, 2024 at 12:49 p.m.
Les Ferguson
By Les Ferguson Jr.
columnist
My family moved from Manassas, Virginia to Lubbock, Texas the summer I was in third grade, a story worthy of a column of its own, but not today.
Shortly before that we got our first family dog, a toy poodle/beagle cross, and if you remember the dogs from Petticoat Junction and the original Benji, that dog looked like that.
We called her Muffin, or Muffy Baby. She responded to both. If I remember correctly, I was in college when she crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
The next thing I remember is my dad rescued a dog from somewhere. The dog was a puppy and we called him a puppy while we were arguing over a name. The poor dog passed away a few years later but we still called him a puppy.
Then there was Princess, a golden retriever I got from my then-girlfriend, now wife.
After we broke up, and maybe I'll cover that in another column someday, I took Princess on drives in my Camaro, which always attracted attention from the girls and was a source of annoyance to my ex-boyfriend. And of course, I didn't exaggerate it or use it to make him regret it. Really.
If so, talk to me about the bridge I'd like to sell you. Smile!
Eventually we had Sgt. Pepper, the collie that our kids grew up with. Then we had Bullet, a border collie who no privacy or electronic fence could keep out. And then we had Sugar, a little dog we got for our son Cole. Sugar outlived Cole, but losing her last year was harder than we expected.
These days, our home is abuzz with dogs, including Daisy the golden retriever, Brie and Rebel the chocolate labradors, and Elliot the mixed-breed we rescued from Winter Storm Elliot a few years ago.
Someone dumped this poor puppy in Paris on the coldest day we've seen in a long time, and as I often say about our political parties, it spreads the plague to both parties.
So why so much dog history? What's the value of a column like this? Maybe it's about rescuing animals or saving the planet. Maybe we should stop here.
But when I think about the joy these dogs have brought into our lives, I recognize the unconditional love they gave and continue to give, and I am reminded of the beauty of the world God has given us.
I hope you know the joys of having a good dog, but think about all the blessings you receive from your spouse, your children, your friends and coworkers, whether you have a dog or not. Learn to look at the positive and embrace the joys that are given to you.
Louis Armstrong once sang, “I see green trees, and red roses, And I see them blooming for me and you, And I think, What a wonderful world!”
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Hallelujah!” (Psalm 150:6 CSB)
