I had a dog named Peewee, a spaniel, when I was a boy. It was hit by a car almost immediately after I came from school and released it into the yard. I was devastated. We had another named Goodie who was loved greatly.

     At thirty-something I adopted a cat from children who were giving them away door to door. I chose the one I thought might be chosen last. Her name would be Freckles. She was a great companion. Freckles would drive with me anywhere, wrapped around my neck and shoulders. She stayed my friend until she disappeared from Pro-Bikes on Merrimon Ave. in Asheville.

     That was it for pets and me until my great friend Stefan (employee, ally, brother, son,), brought a cat named Zero into the Pro-Bikes on Merrimon Ave. It was a young beautiful thing with a Zero on each side. I came to really love cats. Stefan Bonitz caught Zero trying to break into Bo Jangles. When they come to you very young they make the best pets quite often. Zero used to wait by the door at night and when I’d bring my bike out to leave, he would jump on my shoulder.
     Zero died on the property here at the Bicycle Inn after becoming a best friend to our carpenter, Jim Reeves. We buried Zero up on the hill near “the rock”. Jim visited us over this past weekend.

     At the same time that Zero and I, were forging a great friendship there in Asheville. Paulette’s father had a dog over in Mitchell Co. whom he dubbed Zero because of an affiliation with a dog in WWII. Zero, the dog, was a vagrant, malcontent, smelly renegade that ruined some hunting trips for Paul McMahan. Zero’s favorite pastime seemed to be dragging the entrails of some other poor creature all over creation. A lot of folks in the immediate area knew of some of his exploits.
       I saw the hunters leaving one night with the coon tracking dogs. Later I heard Zero barking down in the basement. I wondered how he became trapped down there. He was whining and barking and I thought he needed to be released. A short time later everyone came back from the aborted hunting excursion. I swear I was not making a statement for vegetarianism at that time. I was outnumbered.
     Many remember the day he was chasing a cat down at the sawmill. He chased that cat right into the chipper, putting on his brakes making that “cartoon skidding to a screeching halt” move at the last possible moment. The owner of the sawmill, lost his cat.
     For the uncouth animal that he was, he was very intelligent. Zero the dog died as he lived. He was a fierce fighter, but one day, he ventured up the holler where the grandparents and uncle Jim had many dogs. They tore his side and he bled to death.

     We got a husky for Josie to grow with. Alice was a great dog. She became very large and when anyone approached her food she would growl. We gave her to some farmers near Weaverville. She now has acres and acres to roam and growl.

     I thought we were through with pets. Then Cleo showed up at our door. She was covered with burrs and her long hair was matted. We cleaned her up and she became part of the family. She’s been great comfort. She loves playing with moles until they die.

     Mabelle was “taken for a ride” and left near the Bicycle Inn. She was almost dead. Ashley has given her a new life. Mabelle is at least part Jack Russell. She runs and jumps all over everything. She annoys me, but it’s her nature. Ashley is younger and really loves her.

      We have a new “cat in training”. I named him Tulio, after Tulio Campagnola, the inventor of the bicycle derailleur. Tulio was about 5 inches and running for its life when he showed up at the “Inn”. I doctored him up with Ensure and cat food. He has been slow to trust us. It took me days and hours to lure him to my hand to eat so that I could pet him. After a couple of months I took him to a rabies clinic near here. He didn’t care for it. He bit me deep and hard about 20 times in a few seconds. One bite, at least went to the bone in the thumb. That quickly became infected. I was on antibiotics for a week or so. Tulio was quarantined for 10 days. I never was angry at Tulio. I was angry at open air clinics for animals, especially cats. It was run idiotically with no provision to keep the animals an people safe. Tulio doesn’t spend the night in my place anymore. He doesn’t like being around people or in any circumstance that he feels threatened. He always feels threatened.   Sometimes he will swagger across the property thinking that Cleo is inside. Sometimes Cleo stalks and pounces vigorously. Tulio has a piece of hide missing about the size of a dime.

     Many people asked if they could bring their pets to the “Inn”. I declined about everyone of them. Burt (Burt’s Bees) showed up one night with Rufus. Burt said that Rufus was a Golden Deceiver. They spent about 2 weeks here at the “Inn”. Burt and Rufus went everywhere together (everywhere important to Burt anyway). Rufus chased deer here at the “Inn”. He was indeed a beautiful and smart dog. He was very loved by Burt. Rufus was getting on in age and Burt got another dog, Pasha, to help Rufus live longer. Burt was told before Christmas last year that Rufus wouldn’t be here with us much longer. Rufus out-lived predictions by a month or two. Burt, who is 70ish, would have to carry Rufus anywhere they were to go. Burt would have to feed Rufus Chinese food as that was all Rufus would/could eat. One Sunday night, I believe it was March 12, Rufus had his usual Chinese dinner and passed away. Burt and Rufus were together for 16 years. Burt told me, “It was a very dark day”.

     Ashley brought over another dog, from the pound I believe. Gracie. Gracie could, for all I know, be the greatest animal ever, including humans. When Ashley drove over from the next holler with Mabelle, Gracie would follow on foot. She had a bad experience in a car, at least once. I came from town one day to find her between town and home. I couldn’t get her to approach me or get into the car. I drove slowly and she followed me back home. I made her a nice bed secluded on the porch.  She sat down when you came by her or brought her food. If you lay down she might put her head right next to yours. She loved you. It didn’t matter who you were. I don’t know of a gentler animal.
     I guess the dogs down the road were good friends. She strode down there occasionally for company, and more love.
     Gracie was killed last night, struck by a car. Today it rains. Surely God knows the mistake he has made.
     It’s a very, very, dark day. And the rain won’t stop.