Ron J
Active member
Like the rest of you,reading the storie's,brings memorys back,to our younger age,before careers,marriage's,divorce's,kids,grandkids,and morgage payments!!! Back to the title....Moose was originally called RAGS,when my mother retrieved him from either a newspaper ad,or a pound.Our family always had a dog,and we had probably just lost one,i forget.Rags arrived at our house,when i was 11 or 12,(Rags maybe a yr or so old)and was welcomed,like he had been born there.Rags was a mix,but i'd say 90% sheepdog.Long grey hair,kinda scruffy looking,but looked like a prince to me!! We were like a pair of shoes!!Always together.I think my father started too call him Moose,because of his size.This time period was prior to Leash laws,and crap.When you could let your dog roam free around the neighborhood,and everyone knew where each dog lived in what house,and which one not to bother etc.Moose would hang like one of your friends,always there,but not in the way.I grew up on the Bass River.Just walk in the backyard,down a dozen stairs or so,onto the big rock,out to our pier.My brother,and i,each had 12 or 14' lapstreak,Amesbury dories,no motors,(yet),rowed everywhere,everyday.We each had 4 or 5 friends on them,swimming,searching the riverbanks for goodies,always had the Moose wih us.That dog loved the water as much as we did.During summer vacations from schools,we never had anything on except a bathing suit.No sneakers either..walked barefoot everwhere.One time,we were hanging around the rock,fishing equipment,lobster traps stacked everywhere.(Dad had a lobster boat moored in the channel.)I happened to glance over at the Moose,he was cleaning himself up,so it appeared.I looked closer,and seen a dropline wrapped on his rear leg.Well i knew their was a fishing hook attached somewhere..i followed the line,slowly,found the hook tangled in the Moose's matted hair,and retrieved it.Moose and i trusted each other,so no big deal,but oh nooo!! This line had a 8" or so wire,wich meant another hook somewhere.Again i followed the wire,and located the other hook,"HEY MAAA,Moose needs HELLLLLPP!"i cried out to the house!! That HOOK was protruding in and out of THEE LEFT ONE!!EEAAKK! Like i said earlier,Moose,and i trusted each other,BUT i didn't think it would be a good idea for me to play Doctor..I didn't want Moose to loose his manhood!! (although at that age,had an idea about manhood,but really didn't care YET!) My Ma came down to the rock,thinking me or my brother got cut or somthing,she inspected the poor Moose..Off to the Vets for poor poor Moose!! Moosespent the weekend,vacationing at the Vets.We went to pick him up on the following Monday,man,what a long weekend,worried about poor Moose!! When we arrived,that was one hell of a happy Moose,wagging his tail to beat the band!!!Although his haircut was abit unsual,all shaved between his legs,and covered in bright orange (mecurichrome?)!!I remember asking the Vet "Will he be allright?" the Vet replieing,"He'll be fine,JUST DON'T let him go fishin anymore!!!" I'll never forget that time... or my friend, MOOSE!
