Friday, March 30, 2012

LUCI GAIL ST GEORGE





                                                     MY DOG
                                        LUCI  GAIL ST GEORGE


 
                 
                                      NEW ARRIVAL IN OUR HOME
                              

" John" Faye called as she entered the house,” I know it is a few days before your birthday, but I have found you a present I am sure you are going to like.” She handed me a little white shivering dog. That little bundle looked up at me and I knew immediately it was a case of love at first sight. Faye said her name was Luci Gail (that’s correct, with an i not a y).and was a Maltipoo (Maltese and Poodle). I am not sure of her background, but the owners certainly did a marvelous job of training her because as I write this paper 7 years later I have not, nor have I ever wanted to change a single thing about her. She was 9 years old in February 2013.

Luci became a full member of our family and except for a little accident on her 2nd day on the white carpet in the living room. (I had no idea that yellow could be so vivid and outstanding, especially with a background of a white carpet). I now have to take up for Luci because from that day until now she has never had another accident in our home or the apartment in which we now live after Faye’s death in March of 2007. I sold the house because I did not feel like keeping up the beautiful yard and I hated with a passion the swimming pool that Faye loved so much, I am not saying Luci has not had to cross her legs’ a few times because there have been periods when I have been away for probably longer than I should, and as I open the door all I see is a flash of white heading for the grass.

I guess it is time to do a little bragging, or maybe just state some true facts. I think that Luci comes as close to being an almost perfect dog that it is possible to be. She is so sweet that everyone seems to love her. I sometime laughingly get a little jealous. Someone in their normal tone will say “come visit us, and in the next sentence the voice goes up to,” BE SURE TO BRING LUCI” I have only seen her show her teeth in anger twice and that was when she was in my lap and my grandson’s puppy tried to join her. Luci made it clear, that lap was hers and hers only.

 However in the description of being an almost perfect dog if she has to be one that you toss a ball and expect her to retrieve, go get it yourself you threw it. Same goes for a stick, throw and you retrieve. She does not roll over on her back to play dead, only if you want to rub or scratch her stomach. She won’t sit up with a paw extended to shake hands, but she is a real beauty sitting up to be given a treat or to maybe beg for a treat. If all of this is needed to be that almost perfect dog she fails with a score of zero. You seem to forget, she is a lady, but Luci, is there any thing you want to
talk to me about.?
 

 
Luci has couple of habits that I can’t seem to understand. She can be stretched out on the sofa asleep when the sky suddenly lights up with bolts of lightning, followed by thunder that shakes the apartment. Then the wind and sheets of rain follow. Do you think all of this would bother her.? No, not a bit because she does not even wake up. This is strange because most dogs fear thunder. Now comes the one I really can’t understand. Same position on the couch when a single little house fly swoops down on her. She goes crazy, jumps off the couch and runs and hides behind the love seat. I have only seen this twice. The second time she jumped in my lap curled up in a little ball and started shaking. I can only think that in the past she might have been stung by either a bee or maybe a wasp.

Now let’s go to the plus side and see if you don’t agree she passes the test. In the 6 years she has been with us, except for the 2nd day mistake, has never had an accident in the house or the apartment, she has never turned over a trash or garbage container, never chewed on a shoe or sock or the furniture. She will absolutely put nothing in her mouth unless it is something to eat. I even dropped a sleeping capsule and could not locate it. She did, and the next morning I found it on the carpet with teeth marks. Luci is no barker except once a day she enjoys barking at the mail man and maybe a few little barks at a squirrel or a black cat that she has no love for. She would not be a dog if she did not do a little barking.

Yes, I have spoiled her. She sleeps with me. I know there will be negative comments and there will be those that will say mine sleeps with me also. Luci is a great bed partner because she does not shed, smell, and I have not seen a flea on her in over 4 years. There is a sheet over the comforter on her half of the bed and pillow. I wake some nights and her nose will be 3 inches from my face, just staring so I guess she must wake up when I move. I must say she is one that notices everything. Six months ago I treated 80 years of bad skin on my face with Efodex. If you know about it I don’t need to go any further, if you haven’t you won’t want to know because it will certainly clear the old skin with blisters, scabs and bleeding and make your face look like you are in a zombie movie. I only tell this because at the height of blistered face for about 4 days I wake up and Luci’s behind is in my face. She must not have liked what she was seeing. I found out that Efodex was also used in liquid IV form in my colon cancer treatment after my operation. I am so thankful that it was available in liquid and not just cream. I feel that would have been quite uncomfortable.    
 
I must mention that Luci is never on a leach because she minds me so well, and if I did use one it would make her feel like she was a dog. She knows 5 important words and their meanings, sit, no, stop, treat, and bath, so this takes care of just about everything. She puts up with the bath because she knows that the hair dryer always follows, and contrary to most dogs’ dislike of this, she would stretch out for an hour to enjoying that blast of warm air
.
Now I ask you, is this spoiling her?
She enjoys looking out just like
all others in the car.(please don't
tell her it is a used seat.)

Luci is now ready to head to her favorite hunting grounds; Leader Park. She sits by me at the edge of Lee Street waiting for traffic to clear. I call when it is clear and we take off running across the street. This is the part that worries me, the running. I will be 90 years old in 4 months and I don’t find this task as easy as in years past so to be on the safe side I guess in the near future it will be best to drive us both across Lee Street.

It did not take her long to see a squirrel, and immediately she became a squirrel dog. You would think she had been watching Animal Planet, with the Lioness stalking a Gazelle. Her stomach was on the ground and creeping forward a few inches at a time. I feel sure that squirrel saw us when we entered the park and is just teasing Luci. This goes on for a few minutes until probably the squirrel thought the heck with this and started toward the tree. This move Luci saw and she now becomes a “greyhound”, just a white streak heading for the tree. Needless to say by the time she arrived the animal was 75 feet up that pine. She just can’t seem to win one of these races. I must tell you earlier in the week she almost caught one. Same tactics only I realize this was a baby squirrel. The little one headed for the tree with Luci in full speed behind her. It was so funny that she was so intent on making her first conquest and running so fast that she was at least 3 or more feet up that tree with the little squirrel in the lead by just inches before she realized dogs don’t climb trees, and fell on her butt. We have squirrels in the trees behind my apartment but Luci has wised up on chasing them. There are probably 6 that are always playing on the ground or in the trees and she knows that with the trees so close there is no chance of getting one so she will spend an hour or so in the sun just watching every move they make. I feel they know Luci is no threat so they keep playing closer and closer to her. I almost feel I can read her mind,” you little rascal, get just a little closer and your butt is mine.
 
I have so many fond memories of Luci and me in Leader Park. Luci loves everyone and there are no exceptions, and is certainly color blind. One evening we were walking in the School bus parking area when this gentleman, certainly not dressed for Church, quite an unkempt beard and hair that could use a comb was walking toward us when Luci took off toward him, jumped up on his leg with her tail wagging. He wasn’t frightened because he bent down to pat her head. As he did this she leaped up and kissed him full on his lips. He smiled and continued rubbing her back and she just stayed with him with her tail still wagging. I felt so good about it, and he left with a smile, and told us to have a nice day.

 


   
Things did not always go as planned. There was a late afternoon girl’s soft
ball game in progress when I noticed that JoAnne Biser, the High School nurse was taking up tickets for the game. Since us both attend Whiteville Methodist Church Luci and I stepped inside the gate to say hello. We were talking and I forgot about Luci which was a mistake. She had noticed the girls and the spectators and before I could stop her the “greyhound” was at full speed. She entered the field at first base, circled second base, and still wide open rounded third on her way to home plate. All the people, especially the players were laughing at her antics. I thought she would stop at home plate but no, she continued back across first base and headed for the outfield, I guess so none of the players would feel slighted. I finally caught her in center field and we made a hyast exit off that field before the police arrived. I must say that JoAnne was very sweet about the whole episode because she did not charge us for attending the game.

I know it would not be possible nor would I want it to be but if a pretty little dog could have a grown male to be her boy friend I know Luci would choose Doug Hayward, who maintains the upkeep and safety measures of the school buses our High School children ride.
 He and Luci became friends as we walk by the buses in the morning, and Doug always stops and gives her a hug and in return she washes his face with kisses. Now I have to be careful and check if his yellow truck is parked by the buses. If so, I have to watch Luci that she does not run across the street to him. I think the feeling is mutual because Doug brought his cute young daughter Kristin to see Luci. She gave her a present of 2 bags of her favorite dog food. Luci kissed her as a thank you for the present. I asked Doug later if Kristin liked Luci and her comment was, she is so cute, and feels so soft. Boy what a complement!!!

Luci, the rooster and hens are gone,
just hope they have not been eaten
for Thanksgiving dinner.
 
 









 (S







uNow we arrive at Luci’s most favorite grounds, The High School. When we cross Lee Street, the sidewalk, grounds, trees, benches, tables, and buildings outside including the chicken house (yes, there is one that has a rooster and 2 hens) belong to her. She has never been inside the school bt I guarantee she knows more about the outside than any principal. When we are walking on the sidewalk in front of the School she keeps looking toward the school office because a person she loves works there. Ethel Little was a next door neighbor and has known Luci for as long as I have. Luci also knows that Ethel almost always has a treat in her pocket book. We have to realize we are talking about a dog, so which comes first, love or treat; only Luci can
answer that.

                                    Ethel & Luci
Every time I watch her start marking her territory around the school I can only wonder if all that is inside her is a bladder. She can mark 4 or 6 places with ease on any visit. It is either that, or she is great at rationing. Her one problem is at the tennis court. She finds a squirrel and it goes up a light pole with no trees near. She has him now because his only exit is down and I will be waiting. Then she becomes puzzled because that squirrel suddenly begins to walk on air, heading for the tree limb. She does not see the power line it is running on and can not understand what is happening, so she just sits there at the base of the pole. I had to literally pick her up because she keeps looking up at the pole.
She also can’t understand why sometime she can go all over the school grounds on 

Saturday and Sundays) but for that long (5) day period she can’t go at all during the day. On weekday mornings she will get to the back entrance to the tennis court and just sit down and won’t move. I had to scream at her so she will head home with me. She just loves being around people, especially kids.



 
FAYE'S HEADSTONE IN SOUTHPORT NC
 


Luci was supposed to be in this picture
but I don't know what happened to her.
( I really thought that little white spot on
the left was her),but it's still a good picture of my
daughters Barbara and Ometa
 
 
 
 
This little story about Luci would not be complete if I did not mention her “second home”. When I go on a trip and she sees me packing she can’t wait for me to leave because she knows where she is going, to stay with .James, Mary, and Sheila Sasser. She loves it there because I don’t think her paws are on the floor very often, as she spends most of her time in a lap or on a sofa. It is with sadness that I have to say as I write this that James has passed away. It is the one place that sometimes Luci is not too anxious to go home with me.   

I guess it is time to shut this Luci saga down, and bless her little heart she gave me the Grand Finale closing. Jim Hunsucker and I were sitting in my living room talking, and Luci was at the partially open front door looking out through the full glass storm door when she started barking like I had never heard before. She usually barks a couple of times and stops and then maybe a couple more but this time it was a constant bark, one right after the other. I told her to stop but she kept on. I am now upset and I get up to close the door.  As I look out I see my next door neighbor lying on the ground in front of his apartment. Jim and I rush out and picked him up. He said he had slipped on the sidewalk and could not get up, but he was OK. I was really proud of Luci because she knew something was wrong.

Folks, this is the story of Luci, a very precious little dog and if you see us walking on the sidewalk at the High School just give a toot on the horn, or if you are on the sidewalk or at the school I feel sure she will find a kiss for you
 
THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SEASON IS HERE,
SO TO ONE AND ALL LUCI SENDS HER GREETING.


If she can't catch a squirrel how
does she think she can catch Santa ?


 
GOD LOVES YOU  &  I LOVE YOU
 




                                               
                                             .