It's All About Bud

By Lloyd Arthur Wiggins and Rosemary Egerton Letts

THIS IS A true story that needs to be told and handed
down to future generations of animal lovers and to people
today who are thinking of bringing a four legged friend into their
family. Looking back on all the enjoyment and pleasure that Bud
brought to us and others who crossed his path, I find it hard to
believe now that I initially rejected the idea of bringing another
dog into our home to look after, much less an old stray one. My
wife Nikki somehow knew that this old dog was special but at
first I didnt care when he ran away. I felt he was an ingrate when
the call of the chase was greater than our welcoming home. After
a time of being patient with him and having him neutered, he
became a loyal and obedient friend. There are a lot of Buds out
there of all sizes that need the love and companionship of a caring
mastereven if its only for a short time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483635613

Book preview

IT’S ALL ABOUT BUD

LLOYD ARTHUR WIGGINS AND

ROSEMARY EGERTON LETTS

Copyright © 2013 by Lloyd Arthur Wiggins and Rosemary Egerton Letts.

ISBN:   Softcover   978-1-4836-3560-6

             Ebook         978-1-4836-3561-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 05/13/2013

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Xlibris Corporation

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www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1   Peace On Lake Nottely Interrupted

Chapter 2   There Was Something About Bud

Chapter 3   Leaving Bud And Napier

Chapter 4   Bud Meets The Aunties

Chapter 5   Bringing Napier And Bud Home

Chapter 6   Dog Days Of Summer Are Almost Over

Chapter 7   Napier Introduces Bud To The Island

Chapter 8   Mad Dogs And Englishmen

Chapter 9   Bud’s Journey Home

Epilogue

DEDICATED TO ALL OF BUD’S FRIENDS

AND FAMILY

Napier, Maggie, Henry, Grace, Bonnie, Jasper, Lucy, Sophie, Sandy, Sixes, Snook, Annie and all the little buds running over the Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

LYNN & BARRY VARIAN

CHAPTER I

PEACE ON LAKE NOTTELY INTERRUPTED

W E SPENT MOST of the year in the North Georgia Mountains running our antique business in Blue Ridge. It was a small tourist town with the shops on Main Street now selling gifts and antiques, where feed and department stores use to be. There was also a small railroad station that was being used for a scenic run up to Tennessee and back, which attracted a lot of tourists to this sleepy little town. We set up shop in the old skating rink, and because of its openness, it made a suitable warehouse for my wife Nikki to display her antiques, which were brought in mainly from Great Britain.

My name is Lloyd and I met Nikki in 1966 in London, and proposed to her after a week of dating, knowing that she was the one I could not let get away. It was like the story of the old fisherman who lost his prize fish on top of the water, and tried in vain for years to re-catch that particular prize.

Our children were in the old country going to university; Julliet was at the University of Newcastle while Jonathan was attending Aberdeen University in Scotland. Our only other kid was Napier, an overgrown black lab mix who weighed in at one hundred and ten pounds.

Napier was adopted by Nikki two days before we left Tampa in 1993, for a new life in the mountains. She was told by one of Julliet’s friends, whose dog had a large litter that they were going to be put down. Nikki with this information wanted to adopt all ten of them of course, but thankfully she settled for just one—the little pup that came running up to her. I’m pleased to say, that we found out later that they all managed to find new homes.

Our lives were centered on the antique shop and looking after Napier; little did I know that it was all about to change? One particular Thursday, I arrived home just before six, after working in the shop all day. There, in front of me was an old black lab on the front porch, eating what looked to be the same food that Nikki fed our dog. Going inside I saw Napier was having her supper too, and as I was handed a glass of red wine by a smiling Nikki, she said have you met Bud?

I replied I don’t remember any one coming into the warehouse today with that name.

No silly she said Bud is on the porch! I was speechless; I went to the window and stared at this old black lab sitting outside on the front deck that seemed to be about half the size of our dog and with enough grey hairs around his mouth that he looked like he’d been eating snow. I was shaking my head and saying no way! thinking of the many times we traveled to England each year, and the expense another dog would be. Well, she gave me the hostess treatment all evening and finally I relented by saying we’ll keep the dog until we can find a good home for him.

Nikki said yes dear.

The next morning Nikki took the old stray with her to work, leaving a little earlier than normal. I thought nothing of it except that maybe she would make a sign at the warehouse that read something like ‘good home needed for an older dog’. We had a three bedroom, two baths modular home on the land overlooking Lake Nottely, just outside of Blairsville. The first thing we did there after moving in, was to pay a local man to fence a large piece of the front, with chain link and a matching twelve foot gate, to keep Napier in and critters out. The fence was hardly visible from the road where it meandered through the trees and shrubbery.

Nikki arrived home a little later than normal, with Bud coming through the door at the same time. They both looked at me when I said I take it that no one wanted him today?

She said what are you talking about? I told her that I thought she had taken the dog to work to give him away. Don’t be silly she replied I took him to the vet to have his shots and get a physical. My thinking was good grief! That must have cost at least a hundred dollars or more. Nikki quickly added that it would be much easier to have him adopted if he was clean and vaccinated.

I said good thinking, so then tomorrow he will go with you to the warehouse again, and someone will hopefully adopt him.

She said yes dear and I felt a little better not knowing the amount that Nikki had spent that day on the undernourished stray.

It was Saturday morning and Nikki was to take Bud to the warehouse. The weekend would be a good time to give away a dog, as the store is at its busiest then with the lake people coming in from Atlanta. She got up before me that morning, which was strange since I always got up first to let the dog out and put the coffee pot on. I believe her plan was to be out of the door before I appeared. Walking into the kitchen the homeless canine was there with Nikki and Napier. I said I thought that dog was supposed to be outside, would you please put him back out!

Yes dear she said, I just let him in to have his breakfast. I muttered under my breath while gazing at what looked like a new dog bed in the corner. Nikki and the stray quickly left; being a Saturday she would have to deal with a lot of new customers mainly housewives, and one of them might take a liking to Bud.

I enjoyed staying home with the peacefulness of the lake, doing chores such as clearing up tree limbs and undergrowth. Our neighbors Howard and Barry would stop by occasionally to see how the old place was shaping up. But the first thing to be done most mornings was to take Napier for a long walk up a logging road by the edge of the water. We went through the thicket where the lake was on both sides of the grounds. When it rained the area became another island in the lake, as the entrance was unpaved with deep ruts probably made by pickup trucks or off road vehicles. The locals used the area as