My Son and His Lost Chihuahua

After working at few different occupations, Nick settled in fairly comfortably as a CROSS-COUNTRY TRUCK DRIVER. He was out on the road up to a week or more at a time. As most TRUCKERS will tell you, it can be a lonesome calling. During the summer months he would take his children with him. Nick has one son and three daughters. Of course, they couldn't all go at the same time, so they took turns for a week or three at a time. The children loved being able to see the country with their Daddy. And he sure loves having them with him. When school starts it's a different story. Out on the road, alone, it's enough to make one want to write a country song about The Old Truck Driver From Oklahoma.

The next thing to know is that one of my brothers raises dogs. You very likely have seen him in the news lately. Gary is one of the GOOD GUYS where dog breeders are concerned. He has a small variety of dogs and if he doesn't have the dog a person would be looking for, he knows other GOOD GUY breeders who might have one. During one of Nick's visits to see his Uncle Gary, he was shown a litter of Chihuahuas. Teensy tiny pups that could literally sit in a cup. Now, knowing a dog is the perfect companion, he also realizes that a Chihuahua would have lots of room to run and play in a big rig. He picks out the little creamy-white male and names him "Doodles", ("Dude" in front of the other truckers). I got the "runt", an even smaller female we named "Rosie". She weighted less than a pound when I first got her home.

Nick and his new driving partner, Doodles, bonded and became the best of friends. They ate together, slept together, drove, played, showered, and rode motorcycles together. Doodles has his own biker's vest and looks totally hot in it. When Nick comes into town, he divides his time between our house and Brandon's, his son. Doodles loves being at both places and really gets excited when they pull into the neighborhood. At our house Doodles enjoys playing with his sister, Rosie, and Spanky, our Papillon. A lot of his time is spent watching out the door for his "Daddy". When Nick goes out with friends at night is the only time Doodles can't go with him. So if he stays at our house, he sleeps with Rosie and me. When he stays with Brandon, he chases their cat and sleeps with Brandon.

It was a quiet Sunday evening in the middle of March here in CATOOSA, OKLAHOMA. The stars in the night sky were blotted out by clouds; the air was cold, it was dark and it was rainy. Not a good night for any of us to be out and about...

As on most Sundays at our house, I had done some laundry that morning; Steve went to the grocery store later that afternoon. After he returned from doing the shopping, I start preparing various foods for the coming week. A two-pound bag of pinto beans I cooked in the crockpot (that turned out to be a whole lot of beans) needed to be bagged up for the freezer. With my Little Sweetie Bread Machine, I was able to cook three loaves of bread that afternoon. One from my Wheat and Oats Recipe, the other two were from the Banana Bread Recipe into which I threw some chocolate chips. The first Chocolate Chip Banana loaf smelled and looked so good, I had to make another to go with it. After cooling, the Chocolate Chip Banana breads were cut into halves and the Wheat and Oats bread cut into quarters to be wrapped and bagged for freezing. Steve buys a variety of frozen berries and some frozen mixed vegetables by the large bagful. They get divided into single-serve portions and put into smaller freezer baggies.>

Finally the kitchen was cleaned from all my "doin's". I was tired and ready to get myself into bed. That's when we got "The Telephone Call". I don't know that there's ever been a late night phone call that was good news. This one was no exception.

Nick had needed to run into Tulsa for a little while. He was at Brandon's but Brandon wasn't home so he left Doodles with Brandon's Step-Dad and Mom, John and Kim. Doodles knew them well, had spent many, many days and nights in their home. He also knew the lay-out of the apartment complex. After Nick had been gone for a little while, John and Kim opened their front door for a second. That's all it took. Doodles was off to find his Daddy. He thought Nick must surely be down in the garage working on the recently acquired Shovel Head. Quick as a flash he ran between their legs, out the door and down the stairs. But, alas, Nick wasn't in the garage. He must be around here somewhere, thought Doodles. John and Kim raced down the stairs behind him. They almost caught him twice. But Doodles is a mover and a jumper and it didn't take long for him to disappear. That's when they called for help.

IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT" My son's "favorite child", his Chihuahua Doodles, his Little Buddy, ran away from the"baby-sitters" just moments before I received the call. Our whole family was devastated. Nick was still in Tulsa when he got the call. He dropped what he was doing and returned home. I'm sure he was probably driving a lot faster than he should have. Meanwhile, I grabbed my purse and a sweater, clambered into our SUV and joined those who were already out searching for Doodles. Steve remained at our house in case Doodles found his way there. Also, he was needed to stay by the phone in case someone found the dog. There were nearly a dozen or so of us out there, some walking and some driving, all hunting throughout the area for this dog. Well, they searched through the briars and they searched through the brambles, and they searched through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go".Imagine, if you will, slowly driving through the neighborhood calling out: "DOODLES, HERE DOODLES." I felt a bit silly for a minute or two. Why couldn't Nick have named the dog "Bruiser" or "Kujo" or "Sam"? But by-cracky, this is MY neighborhood. I'll call out anything I want. We are, after all, searching for a little, bitty, very short-haired, lost-cold-and-scared baby.

I kept imagining Doodles out there in the cold rain, with the thunder crashing and lightning flashing. And him curled up into a tiny ball, possibly under a little bush, shivering and shaking, scared out of his little mind. Nick finally told me to go on back home. (I am, you know, a Grandma.) They would look a little longer and then they were all going home. After having again scoured the neighborhood, they all finally gave up for the night. Everyone went home and went to bed. And it was a troubled sleep into which I fell. Rosie, unaware of her brother's misfortune, was snuggled up next to me, cozy and warm. I finally said a prayer asking: "God, please help that poor little Doodles find his way back home." And I, too, finally fell asleep.

When I woke up that next morning, I was not feeling so well. Being out so long and so late, in the cold and the rain and the night air is not so good for Grandmas. Also worrying about poor little Doodles is not good. Having sincere hopes that he might have shown up here during the night, I went to our front door, opened it and looked about; but - sadly, there was no little dog out there. I decided I just couldn't make it to work that day, maybe I was coming down with a cold, I don't know. I just knew that Doodles, if not dead by then, would be at least sick enough that even were he found soon, he might not make it. We needed to try to get back out there and see if we could at least find his little body during the daylight hours.

Before I got a good start on my morning "Gotta-Have-It Coffee", the phone rang. I've noticed that early morning phone calls are usually not too good either, but this one was the exception. It was Nick calling: "Doodles had finally found his way back to the apartment. It was 1:45 a.m. when there was heard a scratching on the door. It was Doodles! And he wanted in."

Suddenly, the sun came out and all was right with the world once again.
I asked if Doodles said anything about where he'd been. Nick said the bars must have been closing, but Doodles wouldn't talk about it. We decided it must have been just too traumatic for his first night out by himself. Or not. Kim swore he was smiling when she opened the door to let him in.

I made sure Nick knew after this that Grandma's are the best baby/dog-sitters.

And then off they went, heading into the morning sun. Driving down the highways and byways, experiencing new places and new adventures - together again.

Our dogs will be stylin' when we finish dressing them in this cool stuff! Poor little Doodles and Rosie haven't enough hair to keep warm. They really "need" a hoodie, or a jacket, or a dress, or a tank-top. And they totally must have a little yellow raincoat. Besides, they just look so cute! Of course these come in several sizes so I just know you'll find something for your little baby - er ah - pet. There are so many cute clothes for dogs, I couldn't stop - 'til I had to go to work. Are these not just the cutest dog outfits?

Fashion Pet Puddles Rain Small Dog Poncho

Zack & Zoey Basic Hoodie Sm Jet Black

Doggles Dog Harness Dress, Pink, Teacup

Doggles Biker Dress Dog Harness, Black, Small

Fashion Pet Long John Thermal Xtra-Small Dog Pajamas, Red

Track & Field Dog Clothing by Kakadu Pet, XX-Small, 8", Red

Doggie Tank Top, I Love My Mommy, Black, Small

Dog Bow Tie Tuxedo Collar- Black, Small
(Neck 11-13")

Small Dog Wedding Dress W/veil Fits Dogs 8
16 Lbs
[Misc.]

Honey Bee Dog Clothing by Kakadu Pet, Small, 12", Yellow

"Security" Dog T-shirt
Small
(fits 5
7lb pet)

Waghearted Peace and Love Dog Hoodie, Blue Combo, Extra small

StarMark Clicker Dog Training System

Outward Hound Back Seat Pet Hammock, Black

Kyjen PP01056 Hide-A-Squirrel Pet Toy, Large

Bags on Board Regular Bag Refill Pack, 120 Bags

Puppia Soft Dog Harness
(Mesh) Pink X-Small

Harness Dog Car Safety Seat Belt system Sm/Med 12-28

Don't make your dog stay with a "Baby-Sitter". Take the little critter with you. And do it safely - with it's own doggy seatbelt. Keep your dog comfortably and safely fastened in. No one wants to be in a car accident, but if it does happen, how badly I would feel if I was safe because of my seatbelt, but my dogs slammed into the windshield because they were loose in the car. My dogs, Rosie and Spanky both like to go in the car with us. And they both like to stand on my lap and look out the window. I know this is definitely not a good place for them to be. If the airbag popped out, they would be smashed. That's why they're learning to like riding safely tucked in with their own seat belts. I really appreciate whoever came up with this idea.

SquiDirectory - A categorized Squidoo directory featuring an interesting variety of different subjects ranging from arts and literature, shopping, and eco friendly tips, to vehicles for sale, travel, and everything in between.

I'm made a website for my brother, Gary. GARY AND MARGARET KENNELS. Still a work-in-progress, actually it always will be. Every time puppies are born, there will be new photos.

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