emmett
06-14-2009, 03:43 PM
Many have asked me about my Avatar picture. It is my little dog "Peanut". The picture was taken one morning in Northern California after I had just awaken from one of my slumbers brought on by driving way too many consecutive hours. Peanut was a little anxious to get going as you can see.
Today marks the anniversary of his death at the hands of a stray dog that grabbed him when I let him out one morning from my camper in the back yard of the Repo company. Unfortunately I was unable to get to him to save him. It broke my heart and certainly "Honey Bee's" (my other chihuahua). Peanut was the coolest little dog in the world. His tricks included dancing, spinning in circles as he did so, all the regular stuff and some quite unique feats that I have only seen Peanut do. Sometimes when I was in bed he would lay on my back and scratch at me like he was rubbing my back. Of course he was simply preparing a place to sleep but it was ritualistic for him to do this.
After driving for periods and realizing that he would want to go out I would stop and when locking the Air Brakes on my tractor Peanut would let out one quick low bark to signify that he was ready to go out. He was always first to return to the truck before Honey Bee and when he would arrive he would position himself next to me and stand. He would then appear to be looking for Honey Bee as I was and if she was not immediately there he would let out one high pitched and very shrill bark as if to be calling her. If she did not immediately return he would set out immediately and retrieve her and follow her back to the truck. He always walked behind her.
I hate to mention this as some may interpret it to be in bad taste but yes...he was quite the ladies man. His movie star good looks and sleek slender profile attracted many admirers and he relished in it. If I was asleep however and people were looking up at him in the truck, he would never bark if I was sleeping. Instead, and especially at night, if someone approached the truck he would come back to the sleeper and paw at my arm or shoulder so as to awaken me and allow me the element of surprise on my adversary. Also, he somehow always was awake when I would wake up. I wondered if he ever slept when I did. Sometimes I think he just layed there so as to guard over me and protect Honey Bee and I. He did sleep while the truck was moving. The position seen in the photo was how I remember him so many times, perched up on the steering wheel so as to allow him the vantage point view he required to fulfill his duties as guardian and head of security for the truck.
I bought Peanut in El Paso at a truck stop from a carboard box for fifty dollars. He was about six weeks old. He spent his entire life in a truck (3 years). We had only two weeks before his death gotten off the road and moved into the camper at the repo company while looking for a house to rent somewhere close by.
Today marks the anniversary of his death at the hands of a stray dog that grabbed him when I let him out one morning from my camper in the back yard of the Repo company. Unfortunately I was unable to get to him to save him. It broke my heart and certainly "Honey Bee's" (my other chihuahua). Peanut was the coolest little dog in the world. His tricks included dancing, spinning in circles as he did so, all the regular stuff and some quite unique feats that I have only seen Peanut do. Sometimes when I was in bed he would lay on my back and scratch at me like he was rubbing my back. Of course he was simply preparing a place to sleep but it was ritualistic for him to do this.
After driving for periods and realizing that he would want to go out I would stop and when locking the Air Brakes on my tractor Peanut would let out one quick low bark to signify that he was ready to go out. He was always first to return to the truck before Honey Bee and when he would arrive he would position himself next to me and stand. He would then appear to be looking for Honey Bee as I was and if she was not immediately there he would let out one high pitched and very shrill bark as if to be calling her. If she did not immediately return he would set out immediately and retrieve her and follow her back to the truck. He always walked behind her.
I hate to mention this as some may interpret it to be in bad taste but yes...he was quite the ladies man. His movie star good looks and sleek slender profile attracted many admirers and he relished in it. If I was asleep however and people were looking up at him in the truck, he would never bark if I was sleeping. Instead, and especially at night, if someone approached the truck he would come back to the sleeper and paw at my arm or shoulder so as to awaken me and allow me the element of surprise on my adversary. Also, he somehow always was awake when I would wake up. I wondered if he ever slept when I did. Sometimes I think he just layed there so as to guard over me and protect Honey Bee and I. He did sleep while the truck was moving. The position seen in the photo was how I remember him so many times, perched up on the steering wheel so as to allow him the vantage point view he required to fulfill his duties as guardian and head of security for the truck.
I bought Peanut in El Paso at a truck stop from a carboard box for fifty dollars. He was about six weeks old. He spent his entire life in a truck (3 years). We had only two weeks before his death gotten off the road and moved into the camper at the repo company while looking for a house to rent somewhere close by.