Because we live on a farm, probably 98% of our dog and cat pets were strays. Living on a busy state highway greatly increases the odds of having some stray dog or cat “turn up” at our door. These days we most often get stray cats. It’s not uncommon for me to go out to feed the horses in the morning and find a new “visitor” waiting for me to fill the large cat food bowl. Since I have always liked cats, it was and is a pleasant experience to discover another new cat in my barn. It seemed when we were kids, we got more stray dogs than cats, and now it’s the opposite. Living by a busy highway always had its advantages in getting many stray animals, but it also had its disadvantages. The same busy highway that brought the stray dogs and cats also caused a high mortality rate among them, not only the strays, but also the “acquired” ones too. I will describe some examples of this “highway inverse effect.” The earliest account I can recall was that of Uncle Ned’s St. Bernard, “Sam.” He bought him when Tim and I were very young and my first recollection of “Sam” was when we were around 4 or 5. Being a St. Bernard, he was big anyway, but to Tim and I he looked like a horse! I remember we used to sit on his back and “ride” him just like a horse! (This was before we discovered we could “ride” pigs too)! “Sam” obviously had a great and gentle disposition to put up with 2 hyperactive twins always “mauling” him. All through our “kid years” we constantly heard, “Don’t maul the cat”, every time we picked them up while any “grown ups” were in the vicinity. One night “Sam” ventured out across the road and was struck by a car and killed. I always heard the “story” that the car that hit “Sam” suffered a broken front “A” frame due to his size and solidness! In those days, cars actually had frames under them and they were solid and strong. (That’s why for years I have driven pickup trucks exclusively since they still have frames under them). Another “victim” was Tim’s beagle named, “Lady.” Since Tim has always been a “Sportsman Boy” and liked to hunt and fish, a family friend gave him with a Beagle to aid in our rabbit and pheasant hunting.

One day she too ventured “out in the road” and was killed. We never knew who had hit her since a beagle doesn’t usually cause much of any damage to a vehicle. One of the most graphic and memorable incidents happened when we were around 14 or so. All through our “kid years,” we usually had at least 3 dogs at once, and when we got down to only 2 (due to another “road death”); we were looking for a 3^rd dog. At a visit at other family friends, we saw the dog for us! It was part of a litter of puppies and we adopted it and named it “Peaches” because the people who gave him to us owned and operated a fruit farm. He was a neat dog and followed us everywhere. One summer we were baling hay at a field down the road and “Peaches” was following the empty hay wagon as we were returning to the field VIA of the road. He was doing fine until he decided to run along side of the wagon. As soon as he started to get into the opposite lane, and was hit head on by a speeding vehicle! That was one of many of our sad losses! A “cat loss”. Tim and I were talking about this the other day about “Goofy,” Uncle Ned’s white cat that was “More than a little weird.” He slept with “Kit” that night, since he stayed overnight, and the next day he was run over in the road! All throughout our lives, people have commented about how “strong” we are when those close to us and members of our own family have died. Tim and I figure this is because of losing so many of our beloved pets throughout our “kid years.” After awhile, you just “accept it.” Another important lesson we learned from “Goofy” was that don’t ever sleep with a guy, or you could get run over in the road the next day!!! We attribute that, at least in part, to our survival for 54 years thus far, to always having been and will be “straight” !!!!!!  J