Wrinkly Bits
A Blog by Gail Cushman
Last week I wrote about Cody, the wonder dog, and I want to add a quick story about an event last summer. True Story. Every bit of it!
It was evening, nearly dark, and Cody started yipping to come in, so Cowboy got up and opened the door. Coyotes and a cougar roam the area, and we don’t want Cody to be served up as dinner… or as Cowboy says, hors d’oeuvres before a main course.
“Come on in, Cody,” and Cody came in, followed by an exact twin…a blond Cairn Terrier. We thought we were seeing double. Our neighborhood dogs are a French bulldog and a Labradoodle, and they both stay at home, mostly.
When Cowboy called Cody in, both sauntered in like cowboys entering their favorite saloon, padded over to the water dish and shared a drink, then lay down in front of the stove to warm up and get acquainted.
Cody kinda yipped and the two of them padded into the office where we keep his food and water and they both lapped water and ate whatever was left in the bowl from dinner. Cowboy and I looked at each other, “What the…?” Cody had his collar, so we knew which was which. Luckily. The stranger also had on a tagged collar, and the Cowboy punched in a Colorado number, which turned out to be a Veterinarian near Ft Collins, Colorado. No answer, of course, but he left a message on the answering machine.
The two lay down in front of the stove and were enjoying their newfound companionship. Paw bumps and licks, you know, dog talk for “Howdy, glad to see you.”
From our perch up on the side of the Stillwater Valley, we can see most of the valley floor and Cowboy looked outside and saw a truck across the highway driving very slowly, lights on bright and a flashlight aimed out the window. He said, “Come on, boys, I’ll bet somebody is looking for you,” and put the two bundles of blond fur in Big Red and headed toward the light that was slowly making its way down Highway 78. Cody stood up in the window and the other Cairn Terrier lay down on the seat. Cowboy followed the truck for a few minutes, flashing his lights, but the truck driver didn’t pay attention and kept going. And going. Finally, Cowboy blasted the horn, making a real racket, and the truck pulled over, the driver getting out with a frown, like a guy interrupted on a job.
Cowboy met him and asked, “Missing a dog?” By then the other dog had gotten up and both were standing in the window, looking out.
“Yep, I’m a neighbor and just helpin’ out, but I thought we were looking for one dog not two,” the guy said.
Cowboy explained how the new dog came to visit, “Now that is strange!” exclaimed the man, “Follow me,” and we drove down the lane to a newer house. A woman was in the yard with a flashlight calling out, “Luke, come here, Luke.” She looked up at the two identical Cairn Terriers posing like a Life magazine cover shot with paws on the window edge of the pickup. They both perked their ears up and wagged their tails in unison each time she said “Luke.” Cowboy opened Big Red’s door and let them both out on the driveway. Her eyes went from one to another, finally choosing one, the right one, and dropped to her knees. She gathered him up with tears in her eyes, and “Oh, thank you, thank you.”
The Cowboy touched his hat and said, “Yes, Ma’am.”
They explained that they were visiting from Colorado and somehow Luke got through the fence. Cowboy explained that Luke had also crossed Highway 78 without getting killed, chased by deer and other critters, ambled up our lane to our house, almost ½ mile, on those short little legs, where he must have seen his mirror image.
Montana breeds cowboys, we already know that, but in this case, cow-dogs. Cody and Luke, two of a kind.
Gail is a novelist who writes books and blogs and lives in Columbus, MT.
