Gustav’s Gate

By Cecylia Arzewski

Gustav’s Gate is a book about a dog who was found close to death in the million acre Chattahoochee National Forest. The book opens a window through the eyes and ears of a curious dog named Gustav.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728333939

Cecylia Arzewski

Cecylia Arzewski is a professional musician, a mother and a grandmother. She has traveled extensively throught Europe and Asia with the Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra and as concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. She presently resides near Tanglewood in the Berkshires with her dogs.

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Preface

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My name is Gustav, and I am a special dog. My human parents think I am very smart. I think I am gentle, playful, kind, alert, loyal, and protective. I was named after my human mother’s favorite orchestral composer, Gustav Mahler; I will tell you some more about this important person later. I also get to travel with my people parents to many cities as well as foreign countries. I like going to museums to see great art and to concert halls to listen to great music. My human parents make all of the special arrangements for me to go with them on planes and to the museums and concerts.

I was found in the Chattahoochee Forest, near the town of Dahlonega, Georgia, while my human mother was taking a walk. I am not sure how I got there because I don’t remember much about my early months. However, I do remember being hungry, thirsty, and at times very scared. I was scared of snakes, deer, bears, thunder, lightning, and just about everything.

I sat behind a forest gate minding my own business. At the same time, I hoped someone would notice me and the fact that I was lost, lonely, and very hungry. Suddenly, I heard someone walking up the path. When I saw the woman, I tried to get her attention by barking as loudly as possible. It was almost like a scream. I would have tried anything to get her attention because I was so hungry and lonely, not to mention scared. It was the middle of autumn, and winter was soon to be upon me. As a puppy without my full coat, I was cold, especially at night. The woman continued to walk, but when she returned, she noticed my barking, stopped, and looked at me for a long time. As she looked at me, I tried to figure out what it was she was thinking.

She left, and I was disappointed, but she soon returned with a man. They brought a bowl of food for me to eat. I was so happy to see both of them, and of course the food tasted yummy. I tried to thank them for the food by giving them lots of puppy kisses between bites of food. The only things I had been able to eat up till then were berries, nuts, grass, leaves, and a few scraps of human food tossed to me by other human passersby. I tried to catch some fish in the creek, but I was not very good at it; they always managed to get away from me. I tried playing with rabbits, but they took it the wrong way and ran off into the woods. I have been told I am part redbone coonhound, so my favorite animal to chase is a raccoon. But raccoons wind up climbing trees, and that’s the