Idaho
When the Air Force sent my Favorite Guy to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, in early 1967, we rented a trailer along the highway between Mountain Home and the base. Many of the families were military, so fairly transient.
Someone left a stray Cocker Spaniel, with an underbite. We fed him. He stayed. We named him Muffy.
Guy fixed a place for him to sleep under the front step and he became our watchdog. The mailman was afraid of him.
Muffy wasn’t allowed inside often but one time he came in when we were having macaroni and cheese. Muffy drooled! He loved it, so anytime I fixed it, Muffy got a share.
Iowa
We sure didn’t want to abandon him when Guy got orders for Vietnam, so we brought him back to Iowa.
I stayed with the folks on the farm the year Guy was gone, and so did Muffy. With all that curly hair, Cocker Spaniels aren’t very good farm dogs. As kids we’d had a couple of Cockers. Burs would get tangled in their fur and one had flies lay eggs in its ears! The local vet had to clean up that one.
Muffy liked pancakes but he’d bury them, just in case. He’d find a spot in the farm yard with soft soil, scratch a little, tuck in the pancake and use his nose to try to cover it a little. He’s return to the house with a skiff of soil on his nose. I wonder if he ever got hungry enough to dig up an old pancake.
When we moved to Colorado in 1971, our apartment didn’t allow pets, so Muffy stayed on the farm.
This post is very entertaining. I also enjoyed the photographs.
Thank you, Robbie. I’m thankful for the old photos!
Muffy sounds like my kind of dog, although I haven’t had one since I was 12 or so.
How is everyone at your house these days?
Living four miles out of town, we’d get strays often when I was a kid. Our son preferred a cat but now they have a very needy rescue dog! We’re about the same. How are you and your new shoulder???
It doesn’t feel like mine yet. I have to remind myself that it’s only been 2 weeks.
I had 4 similar looking dogs from about age 7 to 12 or 13. Smallish, light caramel coloured Fox Terriers, I’m told. I named them all Sandy, after my boyfriend, also aged 6 when we moved from Toronto to a small town in Muskoka.
Oh, Gail, what a dear dog story!
Lucky Muffy! 🙂
Amen, Nancy!
What a host of lovely memories!
Thank you, Anne. I’d kind of forgotten until all the talk about rescue dogs, and I was amazed at the photos I could still find.
Awe, the adventures of a dog. When my girls were little we had three Cockers, two together and one who came later. We were always at war with the matted hair. We loved them.
A dear story. Thanks, Alan!
So glad Muffy had a good home.
Thanks, John. I wonder who abandoned him in Idaho.
How funny about the pancakes! Certainly, I’ve familiar with dogs storing things, but pancakes? 🤣
You just never know, huh, Pete!
Hurray to your family for rescuing Muffy!
Thanks, Liz!
You’re welcome, Joy!
Hmm, burying pancakes. Now that’s an interesting habit. Ha, ha, Muffy sounds wonderful.
I guess he ate the good stuff outright! Thanks, Brian.
That’s a wonderful story. I’m glad Muffy found you guys.
Me too! Thanks, Dan.
How sweet to rescue Muffy. Great old photos—loved the hair and dresses on you and Gloria.
I think we’d had our hair “done” as well. Gloria taught her whole career and was disgusted when younger teachers didn’t dress professionally.
This is very interesting, Joy, with lovely photos. It was so nice that adopted Muffy, for him and you.
Thanks, Tim.
You’re welcome, Joy. 😍
Muffy was adorable! I’m sure you still miss him. I do remember the hairstyles and the dresses my teachers wore in the 1970s. I liked that era of style. Great post!
Thanks so much, Priscilla!
Reminds me of the cocker we had in Tennessee. Was terribly afraid of thunderstorms. He tore down the door going from our garage into the house when a tornado hit nearby!
Wow, a lot of dogs are scared of storms. Thanks, Dennis!
Muffy was so cute, Joy, and I love the photos. Dogs are the best!
Thanks so much, Lauren!
You’re so welcome, Joy. This post brought back memories of Copper, but also memories of all the dogs that have blessed our lives.
Wonderful post, and the photos—my goodness, there’s so much history. Military moves are special for sure.
Thank you, Edward. It would be even harder for families with children!
You’re welcome, and tell me about it. I did five moves, including one to Europe, and it was a bit painful.
Wow, you sure have stories to tell!
There were a few bad ones about the actual moves, but a lot of good ones once we were settled in those new places. Overall, a great experience.