Life is A patchwork. Some Experiences Enjoyed, Some Best Forgotten. I Hope You Enjoy Some Patchwork Pieces of My Life
Sweet Revenge
If I had known my brother was going to pay me back for 40 years of being his big sister I might have had second thoughts about accepting his invitation to visit him in
It all began in the
“We couldn’t find a parking place,” she explained, grabbing a couple of bags. “Jerry is driving around the block and we’ll catch him at the door.” We followed her meekly, like lambs to the slaughter, carrying the rest of the luggage.
It seemed like a full thirty minutes before we spotted their motor home slowly moving up in traffic.
“The minute he stops get in the door,” Barbara instructed. I made a dash, opened the door and was greeted by two huge dogs and a poodle. The dogs barked and sniffed and threatened but Barbara pushed me in anyway with Clif right behind me.
“Hope you don’t mind the dogs, my brother said, as he took off with a jerk. “We couldn’t get anyone to keep them.”
I don’t mind dogs as long as they are outside and I’m inside. The poodle I could manage but those other two were something else. If you’ve ever stared two pit bulls in the face you know what I was thinking. I was afraid to sit down for fear one of them would want the seat I picked, and I was perfectly willing to let either of them have whatever they wanted. I noticed Clif was having the same trouble choosing a seat.
It was exciting rolling along the Seward highway high above the cars as our hosts pointed out the sights. The long Alaskan summer day made the mountains and bay plainly visible even at
Presently, Jerry pulled into a side road and onto a gravel bar. “This is where we camp. We’ll pan for gold in the stream in the morning.”
“Where are the bathrooms?”
“You’ll have to hide behind a bush, but watch out for bears.”
“You gotta be kidding.”
“Nope, there are bears all over these mountains, moose too. The moose aren’t dangerous, but don’t mess with a bear. If you see one, stand perfectly still. . .”
“I’m supposed to stand still with a bear fogging my glasses. – then what? Say, ‘Hi, bear, I hope you’ve had breakfast.’ No thanks.”
I decided to wait until we found a park with all the amenities.
It was a night to remember. If you have ever tried to sleep in broad daylight in close quarters with two pit bull puppies when the temperature is hovering around the thirty degree mark you know what kind of night I spent. I think I was sleeping when I heard this strange noise. It sounded like “wuf-wuf.”
Shaking Clif I asked, “Is that a bear?”
“No,” he mumbled in his sleep. “That is one of the dogs, probably wants in bed with you.”
If that animal makes one move, that is when I wake up the camp.”
“Shut up and go to sleep.”
“I can’t. I have to go to the bathroom>”
“You should have gone before you came to bed.”
“I’m afraid of bears.” I said, wiggling around in the cold bed.
“Dummy, there is an inside toilet. Go use it.”
Stumbling over the dogs, I made my way to the back of the motor home. Let me tell you there is no way you can answer a call of nature in a freezing bathroom that measures 2x2 without touching something cold.
I woke to the sun shining in my eyes and sure enough one of those pit bulls was lying where my husband should have been. It didn’t take me long to get into my jeans.
“Get up,” I caroled. “It’s
“Go back to bed. It’s
“I’m not crawling back into bed with that animal. It’s
Reluctantly, my brother crawled out of bed long enough to put the coffee on, then crawled back under the covers. I found a seat that wasn’t occupied and nervously tried to keep an eye on both dogs at once.
Even a cup of coffee didn’t help the nerves and I decided to explore in spite of the bears. One click of the motor home door and I had two pit bulls breathing down my hip pockets. I knew one step more and I’d be a doormat.
“Don’t let the...”
One huge body brushed passed me on the right and the other chose the space between my legs as an escape route. The imprints of my fingernails are on that door yet where I hung on to keep from being the first hillbilly to ride a pit bull in the
“... dogs out!” My brother finished his sentence and came out of bed like a coiled spring.
“Sis!” I think I heard him grit his teeth.
“I bet they scared the bears away,” I said, and escaped out the door after the dogs.
