“I thought age was just a number,” Mrs. Langford said. “Everybody fibs. I’ve changed my date of birth on everything from my mother’s Bible to the beautifully framed family tree my cousin gave to me. Even I began to wonder if I was looking young or old for my age. One day I realized it had to stop.”
Annie: I was lying by the stove in the kitchen while listening to Miss Bessie and Jamie’s mother, Mrs. Langford, visit over coffee. I wanted to tell them they should count their blessings that they didn’t have to multiply their age by seven like we dogs do.
“What made you realize you had to quit lowering your age?” Miss Bessie asked. “By the way, whatever your age is, you certainly don’t look it.”
“Why thank you…I think. It finally dawned on me that I was about to be younger than my daughter and that’s just not right.”
Annie: Good grief…this is just weird. I would never tell Arf this, but I miss him a bunch. Everytime I see one of his beat-up frisbees lying around, I start to slobber. (I whine a little bit when I’m really upset, but dogs don’t cry like humans.)
Here comes Brad. He looks happy.
“Good morning, ladies. Mrs. Langford…what a nice surprise. You aren’t usually up and around this early. Will Mr. Langford be joining you?”
“Not right away, I hope. He only speaks in riddles and cliches, you know. I love the man, but one more cliche might break the camel’s back.”
“Well, I just got some great news,” Brad informed them as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “Jamie and Clark don’t even know yet, but they’ll be excited.”
Brad walked over to the table, put his coffee cup down, and picked up the paper.
“Brad Humboldt, you tell us right now what you’re talking about.” Miss Bessie was not going to be left hanging.
“I don’t think it would be very nice of me to spill the beans before I talk with Jamie and Clark. I’ll just say this. Be here for dinner tonight….Right now I’ve got to go help my wife run this ranch.”
“I’m sure Mrs. Langford doesn’t appreciate your saying, ‘spill the beans,’ and as for being here for dinner, I cook your dinner. Be careful Mr. Humboldt, I just might ‘cook your goose.’ Sorry, I couldn’t stop myself.” Miss Bessie quickly poured Brad another cup of coffee. He grinned from ear to ear before heading out to find Jamie and Jake.
Annie: This bit of news or should I say lack thereof really put a scowl on Miss Bessie’s face. Even Mrs. Langford struggled to let the awkward moment pass. The phone rang and saved us. Miss Bessie jumped up to catch it. She loves to answer the phone.
When she hung up, she asked me.to go find Dina. Apparently it was Katie’s school who called to tell Dina she must come to the school at once. Katie said she couldn’t get up from her desk without falling. She refused to even try.
“I talked with Dina earlier,” Mrs. Langford said. “She planned to run some errands after taking Katie to school. She’s not here.”
“We’ll, since Brad and Jamie are off doing chores somewhere, I guess I’ll just have to dust off the old car and go get Katie myself. Come on! You two are going with me!” Miss Bessie grabbed her hat and off she went with Mrs. Langford and Annie right behind her.”
Brad, Clark, and Annie got back to the ranch late Sunday night. The plan was for Mark to stay on with Grandpa John, Arf and Biff for a few days. He would make sure things were proceeding well with the work Arf was doing to help Grandpa John get acclimated to being blind.
“Good morning, Brad.” As usual, Miss Bessie was already in the kitchen when Brad came in to get his early morning cup of coffee. God forbid she miss out on anything going on. “I’m surprised to see you up and about so early. Didn’t you and Clark drive all the way back yesterday? Annie came back with you too, right?”
“Morning Miss Bessie. Yup, we left at four o’clock yesterday morning and got back about midnight last night. It will be tough for Clark to get up and go to school this morning. I don’t think he was really looking forward to it, anyway.”
Miss Bessie poured them both a cup of coffee and sat down at the table across from Brad. “He’s got another hour or so before he has to get up and going,” she said. “Now tell me the scoop. Is Grandpa John going to be okay? How about Clark? I’ll bet he wanted to stay didn’t he? Do you think Arf will have to be there for a long time? We sure do miss him around here and since you brought Annie back, she’s sure to be lost without him.”
“Clark didn’t want to leave his grandpa, but it made him feel a whole lot better knowing that Arf would be there to help him learn how to live with his blindness. They’re both doing quite well. And then there’s Biff. He’s just happy that Arf has to do all the work. He’d much rather watch from a distance. Mark should be heading back in the next couple of days. I sure hope so. My wife has worked hard trying to keep things going around here. I hate that she’s had to do that. She needs to be spending time with Jake.”
“Oh, she’s fine,” Miss Bessie got up to pour them another cup of coffee. “I think it makes Jamie feel good to be able to help you. You two make a good team. Her parents, however, are a different story. Now that their days aren’t filled with choreographing and dance lessons for Clark and Katie, not to mention Arf and Annie, they wander around and get on each other’s nerves. I fear Mrs. Langford is going to make herself sick again if she doesn’t find something to do.”
“Miss Bessie…How do you think Barbie is doing? Has she said anything to you about going back to her home?”
“Not to me. I would think she had decided to stay here except she has really been keeping to herself. She even has most of her meals in her room. You probably noticed that before you left.”
“Right,” Brad said. “I just didn’t want to put any pressure on her either way, but I’m beginning to think something is wrong. I’d better talk with her today sometime.”
Clark walked into the kitchen humming a tune. He was carrying his books and appeared to be all ready to eat his breakfast and head for school. Miss Bessie jumped up to prepare him his favorite hotcakes and bacon. “Good morning, honey,” she said. “What is that pretty song you’re humming?”
Brad was quick to answer for him. “Only the most beautiful song you’ll probably ever hear, Miss Bessie. “I’m sure Clark will let you listen to it after school today. He and his grandpa wrote it together years ago and they just recorded it in the recording booth Grandpa John built on his property up on the mountain.”
“I wish he would come here to live,” Clark said. “But I understand why he doesn’t want to. He’ll be okay don’t you think, Brad? I plan to visit him as often as I can and maybe he and Biff can somehow get here for visits like at Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
“He knows he’s always welcome here and he’s got his boys in the band to help him out. They have quite a reputation in the area for the shows they put on. He’ll be fine and now that he’ll have a telephone, you’ll be able to talk to him often. Didn’t the two of you decide to work on another song?”
“Yeah,” Clark said as he dug into his hotcakes. “How is Katie doing?” He asked Miss Bessie between mouthfuls.
“She seems happy. I think you know she’ll be spending some of her time here with Dina and sometimes she’ll stay with Steve at the farm. They all seem to be agreeable to that plan, so we’ll see how it works out. I think Helen is going to help Steve out at the farm when Katie is with him.”
“Well,” Clark said. “Guess I’d better head for school. I’ll see you all tonight. I’ll play our song for you, Miss Bessie. I want Jamie’s parents to hear it, too. Oh, and keep an eye on Annie. I think she’s feeling left out. She was upset that she had to come back and Arf didn’t.”
“Where is Annie?” Brad asked. “I figured she would be glued to your side.”
“She wasn’t in my room when I woke up this morning. She’s probably in your office looking out the squirrel window.”
Annie: I don’t understand why they made me come home. It’s going to be hard being the only dog around here. Clark will be in school all day, and Katie is in school and sometimes she’s with Jack at the farm after school. Looks like I’ll be doing a lot of squirrel watching.
“There you are!” A voice said. “They told me you were back. That news was music to my ears. Someone has really been missing you. He’s just not used to having no dogs around. See Jake…I told you Annie was back. Aren’t you excited?”
“Annnnie!” The little boy ran to hug Annie around the neck and she found she was instantly feeling better.
“Clark and Katie are in school all day and I’ve been doing a lot of ranch work since Mark has been gone so much. Jake hasn’t had anyone to play with. My parents spend time with him, but they haven’t been that much fun to be around lately. What am I saying all this to you for? You have no idea what I’m talking about. You’re probably hearing bla, bla, bla.”
Annie: I barked once. It was my way of telling Jamie that I understood. Now what should I do? One of Arf’s frisbees was under the couch. That’s it! We can play frisbee! I tried to reach it with my paw, but I couldn’t get close enough. Jake saw what I was trying to do and crawled underneath the couch to get it.
“Can I go outside with Annie to play with the frisbee, Mommy?”
“Sure honey…but stay out front where I can easily see you.”
When Katie got home from school that day, she was excited that Clark was back, but couldn’t hold back the tears when she learned that Arf wouldn’t be home for a while. That night when Dina went to tuck her daughter in, she overheard a conversation Katie was having with her doll.
“My legs hurt. I’m scared that when I wake up tomorrow I won’t be able to walk.”
Arf: I watched Clark and Grandpa John, but I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Clark was smiling and at the same time, he was wiping away tears. Grandpa John was standing next to him with his hand on his shoulder.
“Walk inside with me, Clark. I built this for us… and say what you will about him, Harry did a good share of the work. Do you know what this is, grandson?”
Even though Grandpa John couldn’t see, you could tell how excited he was to show Clark that he had fulfilled a dr1eam they’d both had ever since Clark was a little boy. They had wanted to record music together.
“Of course I know what it is, Grandpa. It’s a fully equipped recording studio. I can see the stand holding the hand tooled guitar, too. You made it didn’t you? You really outdid yourself. It’s amazing.”
Grandpa John was smiling from ear to ear. He had waited a long time for this moment. “The studio needs some tweaking here and there, but the equipment is tuned up and ready to go. Do you remember the song we wrote one of the last times we were together?”
“I sure do. I sing it all the time when I’m thinking about you.”
“Would you sing it for us?” Brad asked. “I would love to hear you two sing together.”
Grandpa John sat down at the piano. He didn’t need to see to play. Clark picked up his new guitar and sat on a stool near the piano. Grandpa had it all set up. The microphones, and the background music were perfect. The song grandfather and grandson sang together was the most beautiful sound Brad and Mark had ever heard.
Arf liked it, too. While they were singing, he laid between his new charge and Clark. The song made him feel a little lonely and he wondered if Katie missed him as much as he missed her. It wasn’t easy being a therapy dog, but he was good at it and Grandpa John would be able to get around on his own in no time.
SOMEONE TO LOOK UP TO
Grandpa John
When you were just a little boy I looked at you and knew… you needed someone in your life who you could look up to.
I tried my best to be the one to make your dreams come true, but I came to realize there are things a man can’t do.
Clark
My life at home confused me and I wondered what I’d done… to deserve the pain I felt inside. Was I the only one?
My father looked down on me and there was nothing I could doto change the way he treated me, but I looked up to you.
Together
Together we came to believe who we should look up to. The One who looks down on us but loves us through and through.
Please help us to remember who we can look up to when someone else looks down on us, His love alone will do.
I’m re-posting some Dollie pics. New posts are in the works. Thanks so much for your patience…
I have almost as many cat pictures as I do those of water towers. I never used to like cats. I love Dollie, but not because she’s lovable. She’s just really cool. I wish I was cool like Dollie.
“This tiny home has a mouse.”
“Can we talk about this tiny home thing? It has a mouse!”
I know how far behind I am. I have left Grandpa John and Clark in front of the shed behind the cabin in the mountains. Clark has just opened the door and he is deeply moved and disbelieving of what he sees.
Arf is keeping a sharp eye on Grandpa John. They have a long way to go before Arf can feel secure enough to leave him alone with the likes of Bif. Grandpa John had a terrible fall while fishing and was unconscious for several days. He’s now blind as a result of the injury.
What is inside the shed that Grandpa John has been working on for all these years and why has it made Clark so emotional? Clearly, these two have a strong bond even though they haven’t seen each other in six years. Clark’s dad previously told Clark his Grandpa had died when all the while he had been livng in the little cabin in the woods.
Sorry, but I’m not going to write anymore about that story tonight. I’m tired to the bone and it takes too much thought.
Kip’s sister, Karlyce, was here for a few jam-packed days. We’re only two weeks apart in age and we’ve always had a lot of fun together. Just to prove how much alike we are, or how much she is like her brother, she just paid thousands of dollars for her little dog’s surgery and bought the highest quality baby carriage she could find to take Charli on walks. Can you imagine passersby looking inside the carriage and saying, “Oh what a beautiful, uh, dog you have.”
Charli kind of blends in with the carriage
Karlyce brought a selfie stick with her on her visit. It took her a while to get the hang of it.
Lilie Dale loved Karlyce.
In other news…It’s my oldest son’s birthday, today
I didn’t tell you the end of the story about our first little used motor home.
Someone along the way told us about Cedar Creek Lake. It’s one of the few lakes around Dallas where homeowners can have a boat dock. We loved it and went there for countless camping weekends. You can ride around the lake in your boat and see the most beautiful lakefront houses.
Cedar Creek Lake…sixty miles east of Dallas
We couldn’t help ourselves. We started dreaming about having a second home on the lake. Then we decided the commute to Dallas was doable and we sold our house in Richardson, a Dallas suburb, and bought a little house on the lake.
Now that we lived on a lake, we figured we wouldn’t be spending time camping at other lakes, so we decided to sell the little motor home that had given us so many good memories.
The couple in their sixties who bought it came over to our house to sign the paperwork. We visited for a while and then they gave us the money, and we gave them the title. When they got ready to leave, Kip and I had an embarrassing moment. The lady had placed her rather large purse on the floor by her chair. It was full when she sat down. When she got up, there was nothing in it.
Sadie had kept herself entertained by removing each item one by one and hiding it. She had hidden the entire contents of the nice lady’s purse throughout our house.
Kip and I began looking high and low for the stolen goods. We found lipstick and powder with the dust balls under the bed. The little thief had dropped a few things that left a trail to some of the items she had hidden. It’s a good thing Sadie was short, because we only had to look in low places. When we got down to the last few items the lady swore she was still missing, we started running out of places to look. We finally found the checkbook in the clothes basket, and I got really excited when I found a set of keys in with the doggy toys. They didn’t belong to the lady, but I had been looking all over for my extra set of car keys.
Sadie walked by me and I could smell spearmint. I told everyone they could quit looking for the gum.
The sun was going down over the lake when we finally stopped looking. I got the couple’s phone number and said I would call when the wallet showed up. How embarrassing. Thankfully, Sadie found it a couple of days later. She jumped up on Kip’s lap and she was holding it in her mouth. There was very little damage.
Kip immediately took the wallet and drove to the people’s house to give it to them. When he got back I asked him if they were happy that Sadie had found it. “You mean did they say thank you?” he asked.
“No…I suppose they didn’t,” I said. “I really hope they enjoy the motor home. Did they have any dogs?”
It all started years ago. I went to visit Mom and Gus in California and when I got back, Kip picked me up at the airport. I was tired, but I couldn’t help but notice that we weren’t going in the direction of our house.
“I want to show you what I found while you were gone,” He said.
We went to a car lot in the mid cities which confused me because at the moment, we were the proud owners of cars for everyone and unless someone had an unfortunate accident while I was gone…”Oh, no, did someone have an unfortunate accident while I was gone?” I asked.
“Not as far as I know,” he sort of assured me. “Do you know something I don’t know?”
Since neither of us knew anything, we went on to the subject at hand. I asked what we were doing at a car lot and he said we were there to look at a small used motor home.
We looked at it, we bought it, and then a few weeks later we got a boat and all the other paraphernalia that goes with it. We spent every weekend we could at one of the many beautiful lakes close to the Dallas area. We became quite good at water skiing, knee boarding, and tubbing.
At the time, we had a little westie named Sadie and a wire haired fox terrier named Pixie. We bought life jackets for them and brought them along on our camping trips.
Sadie on the left and Pixie on the right
The second summer we had the motor home, we decided to buy a couple of bicycles. Several of the lakes had bike trails and we thought it would be fun to go for a ride in the evenings.
One day we saw a lady riding on the trail and she had a double baby carrier attached to her bike. Right then we decided that Sadie and Pixie would like to go with us on our rides, and that they would enjoy sitting in a double baby carrier.
We had a Sears Store near where we lived so one Saturday we went shopping. We were discussing the pros and cons of two different carriers when a young salesman came and stood by us. He patiently waited while Kip and I continued our discussion about which carrier would work the best.
Kip: Do you think they’ll sit up or lie down and sleep? We won’t have to hook them to a harness if they sleep. The zipper net will keep them from falling out.
Me: We would have to be sure and remember to zip it up. This one looks dangerous. If they fell out and we didn’t notice right away, we could potentially drag them by the neck.
Kip: Wow! These are expensive. Maybe we should just continue to lock them in the motor home with the air on. At least until we find a used carrier.
At this point we noticed the young man waiting to help us. He looked horrified. It took us a minute to figure out why.
“Sadie and Pixie aren’t babies,” I assured him. “They’re our dogs. Not that we would want to drag our dogs.”
We didn’t buy a carrier that day, but we found one at another store that was perfect. We took the dogs, their carrier, and our bikes to Lake Ray Robert’s one beautiful fall weekend. We couldn’t wait to take a ride on the trail. The dogs looked comfortable and secure to us.
The problem was that they didn’t like bike rides. Well Sadie did, but Pixie howled the whole time.
The carrier sat in the garage for a couple of years until we had a garage sale. People looked at us funny when we told them our dogs didn’t like being pulled behind our bikes. It was one of those ideas that sounds good when you say it real fast.
I have had the pleasure of getting to know Florence’s Granddaughter and she said she thought this story was a hoot. What can I say…It was life in Murdo. Everyone had their turn in the barrel.
I had an interesting conversation with our Miss Murdo Girl this morning. As I talked, she looked at me so intently, I thought I was really reaching her. She kept nodding in agreement to everything I was saying. She doesn’t normally give me her full attention. When I finished she said, “I wonder if my Alden’s dress is back from the dry cleaners.”
________________________________________________
I guess the lady is worried. She wants to know what I’ll be writing about in my papers now that I’m in high school. I told her I’m not here to cause trouble, but just think about it. To write about what it’s like to grow up in Murdo without leaking a little gossip, is like saying go read your favorite encyclopedia and write a paper that everyone will want to read.
I know Mom gossips some, but she does not like to listen to complainers. If people start to complain while talking on the phone to her, she tells them that she’s got troubles of her own, and then hangs up. She’ll stay on the phone all day if they’ve got some juicy gossip.
I’ve heard people say, “Don’t say anything about someone that you wouldn’t say to their face.” I’m not sure I agree with that. I’ll give you an example. The other day, Danny Koester said to me, “I’ve always thought you were kind of pretty Mary, but my Mom doesn’t think so.”
Now what was I supposed to say to that? He went on to explain. “She says you have a funny looking mouth.”
I’ve never worried about the shape of my mouth, but now it bugs me, too. I’ve always hated my legs below my knees, because they look like chicken legs, but I never once thought about how funny looking my mouth is.
I think sometimes it’s okay to hide certain things from people, if you don’t get too convoluted about it…like what happened when Kitty Reynolds still lived here. She made an appointment with a doctor in Rapid City and Mom agreed to drive her. A problem occurred when Florence, Dr. Murphy’s wife, got wind of it and invited herself along. Now they were going to have to figure out a way to get Kitty to the doctor’s appointment without Florence knowing. They would have to ditch Florence, and that would not be easy. You see, Mom and Kitty knew Florence would be mad, and it would hurt Doc Murphy’s feelings if they found out Kitty went all the way to Rapid City to see another doctor.
The three of them headed for Rapid, and it wasn’t long before the first dilemma arose. Every time the ladies go on shopping trips to Rapid City, they stop along the way for pie and coffee. Florence kept asking when they were going to stop. Well, Kitty was going to have one of those tests where you can’t eat anything after midnight. She couldn’t even have coffee, because she doesn’t like it without cream and sugar. Mom knew Florence would suspect something if Kitty didn’t have pie and coffee, so there was no way she was going to stop. She said something about being in a big hurry. I’m sure Florence was puzzled by that.
Kitty Reynolds
Mom said Florence fussed all the way to Rapid because she wanted pie so bad. Thankfully when they got there, they had a little time to figure out what to do with Florence while Mom took Kitty to the doctor. Well, Florence really wanted to go to a certain store in the Baken Shopping Strip. Mom said she would drop her off, but she had to go see her friend Jeri Olson, who was in the hospital. Florence doesn’t know Jeri, so that was a smart move on Mom’s part. She told Florence that Kitty had to go with her to see Jeri. Kitty has a bad leg, so it made sense for her to stay with Mom instead of walking all over the shopping strip. Florence didn’t question any of that, but she was getting extremely hungry, so she suggested they all have a bite to eat first.
Kitty said, “No, we can’t do that because Loretta and I are on an all liquid diet.” By this time, they were at the shopping strip. Then Florence tried to pin Mom down as to what time they would pick her up. Mom told her if she was finished with her shopping before they got back, to go to Woolworths in the shopping strip and have a piece of pie.
When Mom got home that night, she said it was the most exhausting day she had ever lived through. Florence remained upset, and Kitty was as nervous as a cat the whole time. They couldn’t even eat on the way back since Kitty said they were on a strict liquid diet. Mom feared Kitty, who can’t think on her feet, would say something to blow their cover.
Upon hearing all of this, I reminded Mom of what she always tells me. “What a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive.” She said, “Yes, and if you ever mention a word about it, I will hit you so hard you will starve to death bouncing.” Which is another thing she always says.
This picture was taken in Vernal Utah, when we all went to see Kitty’s granddaughter get married. From left: me, Kitty’s daughter, Cheryl, Marce, and Lois Lillabridge, and Mom (I don’t know who the man is.)
Why didn’t someone tell me there was an open mic…I don’t see a mic…Uh Oh…The Queen is back!
Doctor Murphy told them to come back at noon the next day and that’s what they did. Clark and Brad could have gotten a motel room, but Clark wanted to see his grandpa’s cabin. They used some quilts to make palettes on the floor and everyone slept just fine.
The next day, when they got back to the hospital, they learned that the doctor was in with Mr. Sanders and would be out to see them, shortly.
“I really want to see my grandpa,” Clark said. “But I’m nervous. Do I have to be there when the doctor tells him he’s blind?”
“It’s entirely up to you, son.” Brad didn’t want to force the boy to do anything he wasn’t comfortable with.
“I guess since I’m the only one here he knows, I should be there, but you two and the doctor will have to remember to call me Butch.”
When the doctor came to get them he said he wanted to say a few words to them first, so they all sat back down to listen.
“He knows about his blindness. Last night, a nurse was changing the bandages on his eyes and inadvertently explained that even though there was no longer a need, she had been instructed to keep his eyes bandaged until further notice.”
“What did he say?” Clark asked.
“He didn’t say anything at first, but when she started to put the bandages back on, he told the nurse he did not want them on if they weren’t needed. Then he opened his eyes and of course he only saw darkness. He asked the nurse to please leave him alone. He assured her he was fine, so she left his room. This morning when I went in to see him, he was quite cheerful. He never once mentioned his blindness. He only said he wished to go home and asked if he could please call one of the guys who played in the band with him and ask him to take him to his cabin. I told him all of you were here and also that Biff had been taken care of the whole time he had been unconscious. He seemed a little confused and said he didn’t have a grandson named Clark.”
“We forgot to tell you that Miss Bessie changed my name,” Clark said. “Can we go see him now?”
The doctor, followed by Clark, Brad and Mark went to Mr. Sanders’ room. He was awake and waiting for them. Clark was the first to speak.
“Grandpa, it’s me, Butch. I can’t believe I’m actually here with you. My dad told me you were dead. I’m so happy you’re alive.”
“Butch? Is it really you?” Grandpa John reached out to touch his grandson. The tears coming from the eyes that couldn’t see, were running down his cheeks. “I might not ever see your face again, but your voice is heaven sent. I can almost hear you singing. Can you stay for a while? I don’t even know where you live?”
“Mr. Sanders,” Brad said. “I’m Clark’s, I mean Butch’s legal guardian. He lives with my family and me on a huge ranch almost seven hundred miles from here. There is plenty of room and we would like for you to come and stay with us. That way you can spend time with your grandson while you adjust to not being able to see.”
Mr. Sanders sat up in his bed and swung his legs over to the side so that he was facing his visitors.
“I thank you for your offer, Sir, but I can’t leave my home. My life is here and I will find a way to manage. What happened was an accident. Biff didn’t want to go fishing and I should have listened to him. Anyway, I have to move on, now. I would like to spend a few days with my grandson, though. Can you stay for a while, Butch?
Mark decided now was the time to talk to Brad and Clark about his idea. “Would you please excuse us for a moment Mr. Sanders? There is something I need to discuss with these two. It won’t take long.”
“What is this about?” Brad asked when they all got out into the hall.
“It doesn’t sound to me like Mr. Sanders is even going to consider leaving his cabin on the mountain,” Mark explained. “I have to say, even if I couldn’t see, I would want to be in a place just like it. He knows his way around there. It’s his home and the surroundings are peaceful. There is something else. We could let him have Arf for a while. That dog has a knack for knowing the right thing to do. He will help Mr. Sanders learn to help himself in all situations. Arf can do it. We all know he can.”
“I don’t think anyone who knows that dog would question that, but what about transportation? It’s a long way up there and Mr. Sanders will need supplies now and then and there is no phone. Also, Arf will eventually have to come home.” Brad wasn’t totally convinced this was the right thing to do.
“Can we hire someone to look in on him? He does have those musician friends. Maybe one of them could do it.”
“We know that Grandpa doesn’t have a phone, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible to have one. Maybe he just figured it was too expensive to install. We should check on that. I think we should try to make it possible for Grandpa to stay here. I can drive now. I’ll spend time with him on long weekends and school vacations.”
“Okay,” Brad agreed. “We’ll check all of this out and make the plans we need to. Since tomorrow is Friday, you and I can stay here until very early Sunday morning. Mark…would you be willing to stay a few days beyond that just to make sure everything is going okay?”
“Sure, you go talk to the doctor to see when Mr. Sanders can get sprung. Clark and I will go talk this through with the man in charge.”
The next day, they took Clark’s Grandpa John back to his cabin in the woods. Arf sensed right away that he had a job to do, and it would take some time.
Arf would stay by Mr. Sanders’ side and guide him everywhere he needed to go. He would make a different sound when he was near the refrigerator than when he was by a chair or the table and wait while Mr. Sanders counted the steps until he automatically knew how far away and in what direction things were. He would make sure his charge had gloves and large tongs when he added wood to the fire in the stove. They would practice this over and over again until Mr. Sanders was able to sense when more wood was needed and how much was enough. The wood stove was the most critical thing to master and they both knew it.
On Saturday night, Grandpa John asked Arf to some to his side and told him to lead him as well as Clark, Mark, and Brad to the shed in the woods behind the cabin. Grandpa had decided he wanted to try and remember to call the grandson whom he had called Butch all his life…Clark. Like Miss Bessie, he thought it fit him better.
Through all of this, Biff was totally content. He was secretly happy that Arf was the one doing all the heavy lifting.
“I want to show you all my treasures,” Grandpa John said. “This is what I’ve been doing for the past six years, Clark. Without my sight, I won’t be able to finish it. Its a daunting project. I want you to know that I don’t feel in any way resentful. I think this is why God brought you back to me. I have hope that when you come for visits, we can complete this together.”
Grandpa John found the key on his own and handed it to Clark to unlock the padlock to the shed. Then he opened the doors wide. Everyone watching gasped in amazement.
Now it was Clark’s turn to feel the tears running down his cheeks.
Those 70ish Girls 