Categories
Dog Bob

And then there were four …

I had to take Kesey to the vet today to have him put down. He’s been going downhill for the past several months. He kept falling down and often wasn’t able to get to his feet. His hips were in horrible shape. When he stopped eating, I knew it was time.

But that didn’t make it any easier.

The folks at the vet must have thought I was nuts. This 6-4, 260 pound guy bawling his eyes out over a poor old collie. They were very kind, offering to send me the bill rather than make me stand at the front counter with tears in my eyes as they ran my credit card. He went peacefully, and before I took him in, I drove him around for about 45 minutes with all the windows down. He even managed to get to his feet for a short while, sticking his long narrow muzzle out the window and reveling in the cool April morning.

Kesey was a great dog. We only had him for two years. I brought him home after someone dumped him up at Melton Hill Park. But they were two good years. He fit in well with the rest of the pack and filled Bubba’s role as the elder male. I’ll miss the old guy.

Goodbye, old man. And thanks for being a loyal, devoted friend.

Categories
Books Techno Bob Web Bob

The epistolary novel goes 21st century

This is very interesting. Haven’t had a chance to really look it over yet, but it mirrors something I was toying with attempting for the Homestead novel I’m kicking around.

I’ve signed up to be a beta tester. Hope the pick me …

And speaking of things literary, heard an NPR interview with Pulitzer winner Franz Wright yesterday. His father is James Wright, one of my favorite poets. The selections they read from Franz’s “Walking to Martha’s Vineyard” were really powerful. So much so that I jumped over to Powell’s and ordered a copy.

Categories
Travel Bob

Suffering the Benz at 2,000 feet

When I arrived in Fort Myers, a friend picked me up at the airport in a four-seat Cessna, which we flew down to Naples. I’ve flown in a lot of planes, but never one that small. We took off on the same runway the 763 landed on 20 minutes earlier. It felt really small …

The flight was a blast, though. Flying at 2,000 feet is a much different experience. The view of the Everglades was incredible, including the black plume of a fire that was burning somewhere out there. We flew over the Naples airport and out over Marco Island. When we got over the water, he turned the controls over to me. I was hesitant at first, but after receiving a quick explanation of what to do, I took the wheel. What an incredible feeling. It made me start thinking about flying lessons. But it’s intimidating. There’s a lot to remember, and the radio traffic was totally confusing. I had a tough time keeping track of what was going on and spotting other planes as they announced themselves in the area. I guesss all that comes with practice. Needless to say, I didn’t get us killed …