Mason
I have received several comments from lady friends, including my sister and my wife indicating they are tired of my Wild Weasel stories and would rather I get back to writing about Shiloh and Mona! Several men friends have indicated they like the “weasel” stories, so now I am in a quandary. I propose to regress to my former subject matter and only occasionally write about my Vietnam wild weasel experiences. Hopefully, at least somebody will be pleased.
Last Sunday, the Ina/Rupert/Suzanne Grover household, with Jacob’s astute planning, hosted the first annual “Red Sox-Yankees” baseball game at “The Farm.” As usual, Rupert and Jacob had the field laid out as a simulated Fenway Park, complete with Pensky poles on both the first and third base foul lines. About 35 players of both sexes, ranging in ages from about six years to 70-plus years of age, converged on the field for a long four-inning game in the hot sun, during which two Igloo coolers of ice water were drained. No alcoholic beverages were in evidence on the field or the bleachers in the shade of the old apple tree.
The game was hotly contested, but score keeper Fran Head and umpire Drew Webster kept a lid on the “tempers.” The Yankees' player, coach John Williams (normally a diehard Red Sox fan) inspired his team to a big lead in the first inning, but Red Sox captains Rupert and Jacob encouraged their side to a 14-14 tie at the end of the 4th inning. Only two of the older players came out of the game limping at the end of the struggle, and a good time was had by all!
I think I have said that our dog Shiloh is a yellow lab who loves the water. Whenever we are walking, he is like a little boy, splashing through every puddle he comes to, as well as all the deeper places in the brooks. I have taken him to the “swimmin’ hole” at the falls several times this summer, and I can’t believe how he acts around me when I go into the water. He swims around me as close as he can get continuously when I am standing. When I attempt to swim on the water, he swims right next to me and keeps trying to climb up my back! I have to fight him off in order to keep from being drowned, but even repeated splashing water into his face fails to deter him. I can’t figure out if he is trying to protect me or drown me!
When I manage to climb upon the rock I like to dive off, Shiloh is right there with me, jumping in as soon as I do. As soon as I surface after swimming under water, Shiloh is right there, swimming around me again. When I come out on the ledges to sit down or towel off, Shiloh comes by and shakes water over everything, and then goes back for rounds of swimming, time and again until I start to leave. Then he keeps running ahead, then back to me repeatedly until I put a leash on him at road side for the walk home. I may have to give up swimming when he is around!